Moving to Boulder in a week, help/advice?

Triathlon Forum
1

The GF and I are flying out to Boulder on Tuesday for our house/apartment-hunting trip in preparation for a move the following week. Neither of us have any experience there and need a little advice on where to look, what to expect, etc. So, here’s the background…

I’ll be working over on West 120th and I-25 and will have a non-standard schedule, 6:30 to 6:30 shifts, days and nights, rotating 3 days/3 nights regardless of weekends, etc., so I won’t be in a very normal commuting pattern. When the weather warms, I’ll be looking to commute by bike for training and/or run one way, bus home…otherwise driving. GF is flexible on work, has been in the service industry, may go back to school.

We both want to be close to running trails, as much off-road as possible. We are mostly vegan/wholefoodsy, proximity to grocers, co-ops, cafes, would be great. On the days I’m not working, I like to have stuff to do close to my house, be able to get out into the woods, etc…it’s a balance between commuting on the days when I do work and living closer to where I play…

We’re in a one-bedroom right now, not much stuff, but would like a garage or second bedroom for the bikes, trainers, etc.

We’ve been told South Boulder would be a good place to look, also considering Broomfield area for the newer apts/condos in case we can’t find anything quickly.

I’ll be looking for some running/riding groups once I get there, but first things first.

Any helpful advice?

2

How close is “close to running trails”? Walking distance? 10 minute drive? If you want to be in Boulder then south Boulder is a good bet. Just hop on 36 to 120th or you can take the NW Parkway (toll road). There are a lot of apartments and condos near the Table Mesa exit of 36. The South Boulder Creek trail is nearby and that can take you into Marshall where there are a lot of other options (Eldorado Springs, Marshall Mesa, etc.) I see Frank Shorter a few times a month running there. Going in the other direction will take you onto the east side of town and eventually hooks up with the Boulder Creek Trail.

Some of the apartment buildings in this area are, um, quite shopworn. But you are in walking distance to Flatiron Athletic Club where Dave Scott has some swimming and indoor biking classes. If you head west on Table Mesa there are more options, but the cost rises. Three of the nicer apartment/condo areas is at the Bear Creek townhomes (Lehigh and Bear Mountain Drive), Devil’s Thumb (Lehigh and Benthaven), and Shanahan Ridge (where Lehigh turns into Greenbriar). This is trail running heaven. You are close to a grocery store, a damn fine brewpub, and the bus that goes past the university and into downtown Boulder every 10 minutes or so.

It can be pretty expensive. I don’t know what your budget is; but generally the closer to the mountains and open space, the more expensive it becomes. One alternative might be Tantra on Tantra drive (just off Table Mesa). This would put you pretty close to CU’s cross-country course. The best bet is to drive around and see if you like anything and check with the leasing agent. Many times they don’t end up the books that you see in grocery stores. Good luck.

(You can Google Maps the locations to give you an idea).

3

Thanks for the info. It would be awesome to be able to run out my front door, spend a few minutes on the road, and then hit the trails without having to drive anywhere…of course, I may have to compromise.

Those areas give me some good ideas for where to drive around when we are there. I realize it might be more expensive, but as long as it isn’t crazy, I’ll pay up and find other places to cut the money. We are figuring $1000 to 1400 for rent for a one or two bedroom apartment.

Speaking of which, at risk of sounding like a total newb…can I make it there with an older front wheel drive Civic or do I need to bite the bullet and buy a Subaru or something like that?

4

You don’t need a new Subaru to drive around Boulder. I have driven Honda Accords ever since moving here. It does not snow all that much and what we do get usually melts pretty quickly on the main roads. Even on the side roads (often, the last couple blocks to get to where people live), the snow packs down fast. It may be slippery (so go slow), but you’re very unlikely to actually get stuck.

If you look at a trail map of Boulder, http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2794&Itemid=1036, you’ll see that Boulder is a ring. People live inside the ring. The outside is almost all open space which the city and county have bought up to keep it from development. The only way to be more than a mile or two from a dirt trail is to live right in the center of town. There are trails galore on all four sides. The highest concentration of dirt trails is on the North side, toward the Reservoir. But, that’s the opposite of where you want to be for your commute. On the South side there are a reasonable number of trails. The cyclists tend to start on the North side of town, but if you live on the South side it’s not very hard to find a good bike path or street with a bike lane to get over to the North side. Given your work, I’d probably look on the SE side of town, maybe near Baseline and Manhattan where there are cheaper apartments and you’re close to at least one good running trail.

The health clubs with pools are pretty well scattered around, so that should not be a major factor. The big name triathletes tend to go Flatirons Athletic Club.

Good luck.

5

You should consider Louisville, great running trails, easy to ride from, close to 36, 2 bedroom apts. for $1000, and close to Flations athletic club.

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if u want to save $$ live outside of boulder. broomfield, superior, longmont are all full of boulder commuters

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Here’s the best advice I can give you about Boulder - Eat at lucille’s for breakfast!!!

Any of the Colorado Peeps will back me up on that! Best breakfast I’ve ever had!!!

Also, remember that the closer to the flatirons you live, the more expensive the place will be.

Enjoy it!!

Jason

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I just moved here (about a month ago), so you’re more than welcome to PM me with any general questions. About where to live, Boulder is like anyplace - there is a different feel to different parts of the city. It sounds like you’d be best in the southern part of town for the commute (I know there are a couple places for rent on baseline and manhattan), but I thought that too, and actually ended up in a nice place on the north side of town (closer to the good riding)… you’re probably best to scope some places out, make some viewing appointments, and come here to feel it out.

Best of luck, and drop me a PM when you’re in town.

-Brian

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While it may seem true that a Subaru is *de rigeur *in Boulder you will do just fine with your car. That price range will get you in the neighborhood. Good Luck.

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The Civic should be fine if you have snow tires.

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If you’re considering Broomfield definately keep Superior/Louisville on the list. They all have a good stock of newer apartments, decent commuter access out to I25 and easy routes to all the trails on the south end of Boulder.

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Lucille’s is indeed the finest damn breakfast establishment in the country–and I’ve lived all over the place!

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That’s kind of what we’re thinking…little sketched about the drive from Oregon out there, but should have enough time to take it slow. Looks like the used car market is fairly reasonable there too so we’ll probably just pick up a second car when we get there and hang on to the Civic for my commuting…save the money for exploring the state this summer.

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That map helps a ton. I have a trail running guide to the Front Range, but the map isn’t very detailed.

We are meeting up with a relo service when we get there now and it sounds like they’ll have stuff for us to see in that S/SW area and then checking out stuff down by Flatirons Crossing too…

I’ve actually had breakfast at Lucille’s. You are right. Amazing stuff. Friend of mine tells me Himalaya is the place to go for Indian? Any other rec’s for veggie friendly places to eat?

You don’t need a new Subaru to drive around Boulder. I have driven Honda Accords ever since moving here. It does not snow all that much and what we do get usually melts pretty quickly on the main roads. Even on the side roads (often, the last couple blocks to get to where people live), the snow packs down fast. It may be slippery (so go slow), but you’re very unlikely to actually get stuck.

If you look at a trail map of Boulder, http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/...2794&Itemid=1036, you’ll see that Boulder is a ring. People live inside the ring. The outside is almost all open space which the city and county have bought up to keep it from development. The only way to be more than a mile or two from a dirt trail is to live right in the center of town. There are trails galore on all four sides. The highest concentration of dirt trails is on the North side, toward the Reservoir. But, that’s the opposite of where you want to be for your commute. On the South side there are a reasonable number of trails. The cyclists tend to start on the North side of town, but if you live on the South side it’s not very hard to find a good bike path or street with a bike lane to get over to the North side. Given your work, I’d probably look on the SE side of town, maybe near Baseline and Manhattan where there are cheaper apartments and you’re close to at least one good running trail.

The health clubs with pools are pretty well scattered around, so that should not be a major factor. The big name triathletes tend to go Flatirons Athletic Club.

Good luck.

15

Baseline and Manhattan

Shhhhhhhhh :wink: That’s where I live! :slight_smile:

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My GF and I are both vegetarians. Boulder has about a half dozen Indian/Nepali restaurants – I think Royal Peacock has the best food but the Taj is the most popular. Sherpa’s is popular with the outdoorsy set (the owner is an accomplished climber, the trail runners meet there every Thursday after their run). For Thai restaurants, Khow Thai is good (they can get serious with the spices, if you want) low priced fare. Siamese Plate is our favorite Thai, a bit pricier. There are the usual zillions of Chinese restaurants. You’ll pay a couple extra dollars at Orchid Pavillion, but they’re the best in town. Of course, like any city, there are many places to get pasta – we like Il Pastaio and Mista. For pure veggie, there’s Leaf, which is expensive and V.G. Burgers, which is not. Turley’s has a good assortment of veggie options and has a big organic influence. The Mexican fare is disappointing but some people feel Casa Alvarez and Rincon Del Sol are above the pack.

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My GF and I are both vegetarians. Boulder has about a half dozen Indian/Nepali restaurants – I think Royal Peacock has the best food but the Taj is the most popular. Sherpa’s is popular with the outdoorsy set (the owner is an accomplished climber, the trail runners meet there every Thursday after their run). For Thai restaurants, Khow Thai is good (they can get serious with the spices, if you want) low priced fare. Siamese Plate is our favorite Thai, a bit pricier. There are the usual zillions of Chinese restaurants. You’ll pay a couple extra dollars at Orchid Pavillion, but they’re the best in town. Of course, like any city, there are many places to get pasta – we like Il Pastaio and Mista. For pure veggie, there’s Leaf, which is expensive and V.G. Burgers, which is not. Turley’s has a good assortment of veggie options and has a big organic influence. The Mexican fare is disappointing but some people feel Casa Alvarez and Rincon Del Sol are above the pack.

Sweet, I got a list going for while we’re there.

Best brew pub and coffee shop to hit?

I know, there’s citysearch, but I find I usually like the advice of moderately likeminded folk…

18

Brew Pubs and coffee shops are not my expertise. But, Southern Sun (Table Mesa and Broadway) is a very popular pub with people who seem to have good taste. Amante (Broadway, just South of intersection with Rte 36) is the cyclists’ coffee shop. Colorado Multisports is the tri shop.

19

South Boulder is best for running, but not great for getting out on the bike, although its not bad. If you have a dog and like to run w/ him or her, s boulder is definitely best. I love the trails in s boulder. I think that the neighborhoods in N boulder are nicer and you have the Boulder Res trails in N boulder as well which is also great. Either way, can’t go wrong. I live in Table Mesa and do like it. You have the Cu xc course, bobolink trail, Boulder creek trails (paved) Dowdy Draw and all the trails off s Broadway. Plus it is also close to the FAC.