Boulder CO is very Urban

[justin8216]

I went through Boulder, CO on my way to go ski. I was surprised at what an urban place it was. It was very compact place, a picture perfect model of urbanity, very clean and attractive. Tons of people on foot, bike, skate board all over the city as we drove through. I took some pictures to demonstrate just how truly urban it is. I will post them soon.

[bahua]

I have never been to Boulder, but I heave heard very good thing about it. I'm sure the tap selections around town are excellent.

[voltopt]

boulder is pretty nice... a similar "mall" concept as 16th street in downtown denver (no vehicular traffic)

[warwickland]

yes, boulder is extremely compact for an american city, i was foaming at the mouth the whole time i was there (with glee). beautiful boulder creek also runs through the middle of the city, where you can go kayaking when it is up or tubing in the summer. just watch out for some of thsoe rocks.    you dont even realize you are in the middle of a small city, the creek is very natural.
if you walk up the sidewalk lining canyon road, or whatever it is called, and then jump in...the rapids get real terrifying...er "fun." er...yes, dont try it....unless you want to be convinced you are seconds from dying...

boulder is a good example of a city that incorporates its natural surroundings very well, and stands as a very good counter argument to those people who think that textbook sprawl is the only way to "build a city with nature" (i believe its the worst).

[DanCa]

I love Boulder but the housing prices are outrageous - I believe due to their "no growth" boundary.  The only alternative would be to build up, but I haven't seen much of that in Boulder. 

[dangerboy]

The city does have very strict growth controls.  They limit the number of building permits issued each year and have a sales tax to buy up open space before it gets paved over.  More recently they have started limiting business growth in order to control the congestion cause by people commuting to Boulder from other cities and towns. 

Housing prices are high, but they aren't too much higher than Denver, and the city closely regulates the balance of market rate and affordable housing.  Building isn't possible, the city has a building hight limit in order to preserve scenic views of the Rocky Mountains.

Some more info...  http://www.agoregon.org/page61.htm

[justin8216]

While the buildings in Boulder weren't super tall, a significant number were between 3 and 4 stories lending the urban feel. My uncle works for Ball Aerospace, and even with an engineer's salary can't afford Boulder. They live in the northern Denver suburb of Westminster. It's about a 20 minute drive for him to get to work I think. He say;s he bikes up the mountains on his lunch break. Must be nice having those kind of recreational opportunities close to work.

[chrizow]

While the buildings in Boulder weren't super tall, a significant number were between 3 and 4 stories lending the urban feel. My uncle works for Ball Aerospace, and even with an engineer's salary can't afford Boulder. They live in the northern Denver suburb of Westminster. It's about a 20 minute drive for him to get to work I think. He say;s he bikes up the mountains on his lunch break. Must be nice having those kind of recreational opportunities close to work.

well, he probably can afford to live in Boulder - he just can't have the size/kind of house he wants in Boulder on that salary.  there are a lot of broke-ass hippies and musicians and shoe salesmen and whatever else that live in Boulder - they are just sacrificing square footage and other home amenities to live there.  one can live in manhattan on $30,000/year...they'll just be living with 3 other people in an apartment on Avenue C. 

[dangerboy]

well, he probably can afford to live in Boulder - he just can't have the size/kind of house he wants in Boulder on that salary.  there are a lot of broke-ass hippies and musicians and shoe salesmen and whatever else that live in Boulder - they are just sacrificing square footage and other home amenities to live there.  one can live in manhattan on $30,000/year...they'll just be living with 3 other people in an apartment on Avenue C. 

So true.  If you can afford to live in a new McMansion exurb like Westminster then you can also afford to live in Boulder, but it would be in a bungalow instead of a four bedroom five bath six car garage behemoth.

[justin8216]

So true.  If you can afford to live in a new McMansion exurb like Westminster then you can also afford to live in Boulder, but it would be in a bungalow instead of a four bedroom five bath six car garage behemoth.

Actually their house in rather modest for what they paid for it.
It has a two car garage, two bathrooms, 3 bed-rooms, and only 1800 square feet. And that set them back 320 grand in Westminster a 20 minute highway commute to Boulder. I'd hate to see what those Boulder Bungalows run. One bedroom for 320 grand?

[warwickland]

Actually their house in rather modest for what they paid for it.
It has a two car garage, two bathrooms, 3 bed-rooms, and only 1800 square feet. And that set them back 320 grand in Westminster a 20 minute highway commute to Boulder. I'd hate to see what those Boulder Bungalows run. One bedroom for 320 grand?

scary, actually its probably not that far off in either direction...if not more...




$299,000



...





the cheapest i found was in "suburban" boulder for $ 259,000


here ya go:


Finished Square Footage:   880
Type:   Cottage/Bung, Fixer-Upper

[glow=red,2,300]$350,000[/glow]



[glow=red,2,300]$475,000[/glow]

hey, at least it has a nice fence...

[bahua]

I'm pretty sure that any pricing you see there is almost completely beside the point of the building on the property. I'm sure that people will just buy it, knock it over, and build again.

[warwickland]

maybe, but i'm sure boulder is pretty strict about what you can build, and has pretty strict historic preservation standards. the town looked pretty stock wheni was there, considering the housing prices.

[chrizow]

Boulder's median home price is around $440,000.  very Orange County.    still, i'd rather live in a shack in a cool area of Boulder than a McMansion 30 minutes away.  luckily, everyone is satisfied.

[voltopt]

renting isn't too bad... my friend's sister lives about 5 blocks from that main retail strip that is pedestrian only... and she pays average prices for kansas city type living.  not a bad place either...+

[BigBill33]

Boulder's median home price is around $440,000.  very Orange County.    still, i'd rather live in a shack in a cool area of Boulder than a McMansion 30 minutes away.  luckily, everyone is satisfied.

I thought I would start here on this thread!  I love Boulder and the surrounding cities; hell, I grew up in Denver!  But knowing that, I would not purchase a home in Boulder County or the city of Boulder or even the surrounding area.  Too expensive for what you get and a lot of "enviro" green attitudes!

Bill