Uniqueness of Boulder (What Makes Boulder Unique?)
There are many qualities, activites, events, attractions and restaurants that make Boulder unique from any other place in the world. Whether you are visiting Boulder on vacation, planning to move to Boulder or already live in Boulder, there are many reasons to explore its uniqueness. Visit Boulder and discover all of the unique things to do in Boulder.
About Boulder
Boulder was founded in 1859. It is located in Colorado, approximately thirty miles northwest of Denver. There were 94,673 residents in the city of Boulder in 2000.
Boulder's Unique Qualities
Boulder's unique qualities include it's spectacular views, open space, the University of Colorado and its healthy lifestyle.
Views - Nestled against the foothills of the Rockies, Boulder offers beautiful mountain views, including its very unique view of the Flatirons. Boulder has set building height restrictions and restricted development in the foothills in order to protect the view of the mountains.
Open Space - Boulder is unique in that it is surrounded by over 45,000 acres of open space, which has kept Boulder separate from its neighboring cities. No metropolis here.
Universities - Boulder is home to the main campus of the University of Colorado and the Naropa Institue. Along with the City of Boulder, the University of Colorado was formally established in 1876. In its 130 years of existence, the area of CU's main campus has grown to about 600 acres within the City of Boulder. Over the years, CU has had four Nobel Laureates (three in the last six years) and seven MacArthur Fellows. Nearly 29,000 students attend the University. No doubt, the University is a significant reason Forbes magazine named Boulder the "Most Educated City in America" in 2008.
Healthy Lifestyle - Boulder was rated one of the "Top 10 Healthiest Cities to Live and Retire" by AARP The Magazine in 2008. According to AARP, Boulder has an extremely low smoking and obesity rate. AARP attributes Boulder's open space and its closeness to the foothills for attracting environment and health-concious residents.
Boulder's Unique Activities
Boulder is a very active community. Bicycling, running, hiking and climbing are some of the many popular outdoor activities in and around Boulder.
Bicycling - Bicycling magazine rated Boulder one of "America's Top 5 Cities for Cycling" in 2008. According to Bicycling magazine, fourteen percent of all trips in Boulder are taken by bike. Also, the city's "Safe Routes to School" program is having such an impact locally that one school reports that 75 percent of its students either walk or bike to school. According to Boulder Bicycle Commuter, 78% of Boulder's arterial streets were equiped with bike lanes in 2003. With numerous bike paths and bike lanes on the majority of the city streets there are many options for the casual rider to enjoy in Boulder. The Boulder Creek Path, which runs from east to west all the way through Boulder, is the most popular path with riders and pedestrians alike.
Running - Boulder has developed a reputation with the running community. Because of its altitude, Boulder is ideal for training. Runner's World has rated Boulder "The Best Running City." Frank Shorter and other members of the U.S. Olympic Team trained in Boulder prior to Frank Shorter winning the Olympic Gold Metal in 1972. The Bolder Boulder is a 10k Road Race that takes place in the street of Boulder and ends up at Folsom Field, the University of Colorado Football Stadium. The race celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2008 and nearly 55,000 runners participated in the event that year.
Triathlon - Despite its lack of natural lakes, Boulder attracts many triathletes. Inside Triathlon magazine rated Boulder the "Top Triathlon Town" in 2007.
Boulder's Unique Attractions
Pearl Street Mall - Completed in 1977, the Pearl Street Mall is located at the heart of downtown Boulder. The mall is still primarily occupied by locally-owned boutique retail shops and restaurants. Although the walking (brick) mall runs from 11th to 15th on Pearl Street, the boutique shops and restaurants run for a couple blocks more in each direction. The mall is a great place to stroll and people watch. It is the home of several of Boulder's unique must see shops, including The Peppercorn and Into the Wind.
Chautauqua Park - The Pearl Street Mall is the heart of Boulder and Chautauqua Park is Boulder's gateway to the Rockies. Chautauqua Park is located in southwest Boulder at the base of the Flatirons. The park is 40 acres containing an Auditorium, Dining Hall, Community House, Lodges, Academic Building, more than 100 cottages and landscaped parks. It is surrounded on three sides by City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks land. Several foothills hiking trails begin in Chautauqua Park.
Boulder's Unique Restaurants
Boulder has many fabulous locally-owned restaurants. Here are a few that help make Boulder unique:
Dushanbe Tea House - The Dushanbe Tea House was a gift to Boulder from our sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. More than 40 artisans created the decorative elements of the tea house. Much of it was hand carved and hand painted. They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, but you will find more regional cuisine at lunch and dinner.
Flagstaff House Restaurant - Located several miles up Flagstaff Mountain, the Flagstaff House Restaurant is known for its panoramic views of the city of Boulder and the Front Range as well as its excellent food.
Frasca - Frasca probably the best restaurant in Boulder. Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson has an impressive resume, including working under Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in Yountville, California. The French Laundry is consistently ranked as one of Restaurant Magazine's Top 50 Restaurants in the World. In 2008, The French Laundry ranked fifth in the World and first in the U.S. Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson won the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southwest Region in 2008.
Organic/Natural Restaurants - Being the birthplace and home to many of the organic/natural food industry's companies, Boulder would be remiss if it did not have it's own collection of organic/natural food restaurants. Over ten percent of the Boulder restaurants listed on Local-Restaurants.Net use organic/natural ingredients whenever possible. Black Cat, Sunflower and The Organic Dish are just a few of the excellent organic/natural restaurants in Boulder. To see a complete list of organic/natural restaurants in Boulder, visit our Boulder Restaurants page and select the "Organic" cuisine button.