BestCollegeReviews recently put up a list of the fifty best college towns in America, and the number one slot was saved for none other than Boulder, Colorado.

Boulder is no stranger to being included in these “best of” lists for college towns, either. Previously, Travel and Leisure put Boulder as the sixth best college town on their list. AIER also previously listed Boulder as the best small metro college city. Livability also gave Boulder the number one spot for the best college town back in 2013. Really, anyone living in Boulder knows just how great it is. In case anyone has forgotten, though, we’re going to break down exactly why Boulder is the best college town in America.

via adventure-journal.com

Reason #1: The Setting- Somewhere else in America, there is a man who opens his blinds to a spray-painted brick wall. Here in Boulder, however, we open our blinds and get to gaze at the sunlit flatirons. It’s hard to ask for a better view. Even if the flatirons aren’t the first thing you see from your windows, the city of Boulder has undeniable beauty nearly everywhere you look. The college campus, for example, is especially beautiful. CU finished a lot of construction over this last summer and it’s looking better than ever. Flowers are newly planted, the sandstone buildings look as good as ever, and the grass is especially green after all the rain we’ve gotten in the last few months. Boulder is drop-dead gorgeous.

via mountainjournals.com

Reason #2: The Food- Boulder is a haven for foodies. It’s the birthplace of several popular food companies (Bhakti Chai, Celestial Seasonings), has one of the best farmer’s markets in America, and has a downtown area packed with excellent restaurants. For college students, Boulder also has a large variety of late-night eateries. The entire “hill” area is packed with well-priced restaurants that cater to the late night crowd, including one that puts french fries and mozzarella sticks on sandwiches.

via bouldercolorado.gov

Reason#3: The Transportation- In some cities, people dread using public transportation to get around. In Boulder, though, it couldn’t be any easier. The bus system will take people to almost every corner of Boulder and the extensive bike paths make it incredibly easy to bike everywhere. In addition to the bike paths, Boulder also offers rentable bikes that can be found at B-Cycle’s many bike stations. It couldn’t be easier to get around, and it makes life much easier for the college students that don’t have access to cars.

via runnersworld.com

Reason#4: The Lifestyle- Boulder is a great place to be living as a whole. It’s the fittest city in America and it just hosted the world’s largest triathlon to date. It’s an active and healthy community, which is a great thing for everybody involved. The city of Boulder is a gigantic jungle gym for athletes, with plenty of climbable mountains and dozens of amazing running trails weaving throughout the city. It’s also the #1 most educated city according to Forbes, which certainly says something Boulder’s excellent schools.

Essentially, Boulder is an awesome place to live. You already knew that, but now you know why.

Sam Skelton Chief Technology Officer