In a recent study in Boulder, it was found that the city is leading the nation on gender equity. Currently, the national average for women’s wages are 84% of what men make. In Boulder the average is 88%. Boulder is obviously a special city, leading the nation in multiple avenues from preventative measures for climate change to progressive gender equality. This got me thinking about famous women in Boulder and the steps they have taken to catalyze change in their city and nation. If you were lucky enough to visit the Pioneers: Women Artists in Boulder exhibit last year at the Art Museum at... Read More

A Boulder resident in the 1940s remarked that Pearl street is “a good place to buy a pair of socks.” I think this adage holds true today, and that Pearl offers Boulder exponentially more to go along with those socks. Pearl Street is supposedly named for one of the wives of the original 54 founders of Boulder. However, I have also heard whispers that “Pearl” was a madam of a brothel once located near what is now Pearl Street. The first explanation is more likely, though I find the second more provocative and appealing. If I had to describe Pearl Street, I would say it’s an intermingling... Read More

Kirt is a Colorado native, and has lived all around the State, but finds himself coming back to Boulder for multiple reasons. Six years ago he suffered a terrible brain injury, causing him to lose everything. He was living in a tent in Adams County for a while, then found a home with a lady in Lafayette for four and a half years. He started to seek out social security, and was able to get Social Security Disability Insurance in Boulder because of his brain injury. He also found that “people gave me all the help I needed in Boulder.” He is currently living on the streets, but plans... Read More

  With the warm weather, it’s time to head out and explore the surrounding parks and trails around Boulder. One of Boulder’s best parks sits a few miles south of the town itself, and boasts beautiful scenery and rich history.   Eldorado Canyon beacons as a mecca for local rock climbers. The state park is renown for its beautiful sandstone walls, pocked with thousands of rock climbing routes. Any serious climbers in Boulder should not pass up a chance to experience the world class routes in Eldorado Canyon.   However, for the more causal adventurer, Eldorado Canyon offers miles... Read More

Every Boulderite knows that Chautauqua is up on 900 Baseline Road in Boulder, but how did it get there? And what is a Chautauqua anyway? The Chautauqua movement of the late 19th century was an effort to educate rural communities who lacked access to the mass culture being developed in cities. The movement lasted from the 1870s all the way into the 1920s. Rural peoples were hungry for entrainment and brain food, but lacked a way to easily travel because automobiles weren’t widely available until 1910. The “Mother Chautauqua” (which sounds a bit like a spaceship name to me) was... Read More

Meet Abby! Abby came to Boulder from New York for the fresh air and the healthy lifestyle Boulder cultivates; what’s kept her here are the many friends she’s made, the concerts, and her newfound independence. Abby contributes her individuality, independence, and grounded character to her experiences at boarding school, which she attended for five years in Connecticut. “It really made me independent and able to come to college so far away from home,” she says in response to one of the biggest lessons she learned while in boarding school. Currently, Abby attends CU; spending any possible... Read More

Meet “Buddy Boulder,” the mascot proving that even the gleaming citizens of Boulder sometimes make bad decisions. Or eerie ones at the very least. How was this grinning stone created? Well, in 1984 the Boulder Hotel and Motel Association had a “Mascot Mania” event whereby people were allowed to submit mascot ideas for the city of Boulder. The winners received cash prizes. You would think money would be incentive to create something inviting and recognizable. Sure, Buddy has the Flatirons on his head, but we just can’t stop looking at his cold, shifty, doll eyes. The... Read More

Josephine Antoine This fair Boulderite was beloved for her incredible rise to fame as a Metropolitan Opera star. After completing her education in Boulder, Antoine went on to earn a Master’s at the Julliard School of Music in NYC. Before her first national appearance, she received a telegram from the mayor of Boulder reading: “Every citizen sends you love and good wishes for your performance tomorrow.” She was a success, and sang the lead in 14 Metropolitan Opera productions. Her singing was featured on national radio stations, and she returned to Boulder to perform at the Colorado... Read More

Entrepreneur recently released their list of the top 500 franchises in North America, and Colorado represented with a whopping 23 of the top 500 with franchise headquarters located throughout the state. Dunkin’ ranked number one on the list, with Taco Bell and McDonald’s following close behind.  Read More

Some of you have heard that Boulder is “25 square miles surrounded by reality”. Which is one way to say that the character of the city of Boulder is extremely different from other nearby cities. Today we will discuss how intellectualism has helped to create this unique reputation. There is a huge focus on anti-intellectualism in the United States. Many folks, especially politicians, discredit Education, Literature, Philosophy, Art, and Science as pursuits which are mostly impractical. None of these subjects seem vital for the “common man” to know. None of them will help... Read More

It’s almost fall! As the new season arrives and temperatures cool down, it’s a great time to cook some healthy comforting food.  As we’ve all heard for some time now, it’s important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables – 5 to 9 servings is the recommendation. If you’re tired of the same old broccoli and green beans, how about something different? Locally grown produce is kinder to the environment and ensures that your produce is as fresh as possible. Fresher is better when you want to maximize the nutrient value of your produce. Here’s a sample of what’s... Read More

All my life, leading up to early this week, I thought eating healthy was hard. There are hundreds of diets out there, from Mariah Carey’s ‘eating only purple shade food’ to Atkins, each with its own bag of tricks and snake oil, promising easy weight loss and health benefits. And then there are those food labels; the tiny black ink consumers are encouraged to read. When the ingredients on the back of the package read “Sodium Benzoate” and “Butylated Hydroxyanisole,” it may as well be written in a foreign language. But then I discovered 1908 Brands, a Boulder-based company that develops... Read More

Whether from your garden, the farmer’s market or the grocery store shelf, fall produce is fresh, seasonal and happening now!  Eating healthy may seem harder come fall, when your favorite summer produce dwindles and the choices seem fewer and, perhaps, unfamiliar. Take advantage of the opportunity and think outside the box in your fall food preparation. Most fall produce can be prepared in a number of tasty ways and all of the produce mentioned here is grown locally. Brussels sprouts are exceptionally rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Sprouts are a good source... Read More

We can’t say for sure if being in Boulder makes you a better or more successful person, but these celebrities from our fair city lend some credibility to the notion. And since we aren’t a gossip site, these won’t all be film and TV stars. We are showing you real people from Boulder who did, and are doing, interesting and popular things with their lives. 3OH!3 Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte make up the electronica group 3OH!3, which received national success with their song “Don’t Trust Me”. They gained even more attention when they collaborated with Ke$ha... Read More

Moving to Colorado from Arkansas, Madii is a true to the bone theater gal. Not only has she been able to spend more time with her family, she has also fallen in love with the mountains, Denver, and the theater scene— which says “is not too big, but IS fabulous.” A seamstress by day, Madii spends her free time hiking with friends or out on the town at local pubs, restaurants, and markets. Through crafting and sewing Madii hopes to “help other people’s dreams and visions come true.” On Mother’s Day, Madii is most grateful for all her mom has sacrificed and “this blessed life she has... Read More

Every year, the end of summer brings a sudden influx of highly energetic young people. As students return to school, traffic becomes more of a snarl than it already is, what little affordable housing there might be is snatched up, and the lines at the local coffee shops become insufferable. The student population has a dramatic and undeniable impact on Boulder’s infrastructure. For those who call Boulder their permanent home, having their neighborhoods infested by hordes of carousing night owls can be a nuisance. Raising a family next to a frat house is a recognizably undesirable endeavor. Being... Read More

The grand red sign and huge white marquee of Boulder’s Fox Theatre give the building a sense of purpose and permanence. This strong identity boldly contrasts the complex and confusing history of the building itself. This nearly 90 year old space has housed vaudeville acts, a cafe, and a other interesting things in between. The building sitting at 1135 13th Street on The Hill was constructed in 1926 by Adrian G. Diez, but was first owned a Mr. William Beach. Beach sold the building to Diez in 1926, and the building changed hands no less than 8 times to become what it is today. Its first... Read More

One of the most common pieces of advice a Boulderite will give to a new resident is “Go check out the Dushanbe Teahouse,” but what’s so special about a teahouse? Well, ours was handcrafted in Tajikistan during the Cold War, and kindly shipped by our sister city of Dushanbe. The rebuilding of the teahouse in Boulder was an awesome accomplishment which nearly did not happen. The idea of a sister city or twin town developed from the Cold War following WWII. The point was to form legal and social bonds between disparate cultures, and even promote relationships between former enemies.... Read More

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Missouri, found that Boulder Colorado had the highest density of start-up companies per capita in the United States. Most of these sprouting businesses are technology-based, and many start and eventually settle in the city. But what is it about Boulder which makes it a breeding ground for new business? First of all, Boulder’s culture spans the distance between nature-loving outdoorsy people and highly-educated tech creators. To the west are the glorious Flatirons and innumerable natural wonders, meanwhile the university is researching more... Read More

Recently, walking around Boulder and taking in the sites, I’ve noticed an ample amount of street art, most notably drawn/painted/stenciled by SMiLE, an anonymous Boulder artist. SMiLE’s repertoire ranges from portraits of Jack Kerouac and Brad Pitt, to a menagerie of animals, most especially cats. A little less than a year ago SMiLE had an exhibition in Boulder titled ‘Streets to Canvas’, and made a profound statement on the website promoting the event. SMiLE states, “Art has always been in the vanguard of the worlds changing consciousness, and Street Art is the contemporary form of this... Read More