Boulder, Colorado
Boulder (40°1′N 105°16′W / 40.017°N 105.267°W, Mountain Time Zone) is a city located in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 94,673. It is home to the University of Colorado at Boulder, the largest university in Colorado. It has an elevation of 5,430 feet and is 35 miles (50 km) northwest of Denver. Boulder has the eighth greatest population among Colorado's cities and is the largest city and county seat of Boulder CountyTemplate:GR.
Boulder has a reputation as a bastion of liberalism in a predominantly conservative state. One mayor of the city described Boulder as "nestled between the mountains and reality," [citation needed]and the city is sometimes referred to as the "People’s Republic of Boulder." Despite its liberal reputation, Boulder has a substantial number of conservative and libertarian residents. The Promise Keepers, an evangelical organization for men, was founded in Boulder in 1990. Soldier of Fortune magazine also has its headquarters in Boulder.[1]
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 94,673 people, 39,596 households, and 16,788 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,499.9/km² (3,884.1/mi²). There are 40,726 housing units at an average density of 645.2/km² (1,670.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.33% White, 1.22% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 4.02% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.50% from other races, and 2.40% from two or more races. 8.24% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 39,596 households out of which 20.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.3% are married couples living together, 6.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 57.6% are non-families. 33.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.20 and the average family size is 2.84.
Boulder's population is younger than the national average, largely due to the presence of the university's students. The median age is 29 years compared to the U.S. median of 35.1 years.[[2]] In Boulder, 14.8% of the resident are under the age of 18, 25.9% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% are 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there are 106.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and older, there are 107.4 males.
The median household income in Boulder is $44,748, and the median family income is $70,257 which is more than $20,000 above the U.S. average.[[3]] Males have a median income of $41,829 versus $32,100 for females. The per capita income for the city is $27,262. 17.4% of the population and 6.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Boulder housing is expensive. In 2000, the median value of a single-family owner-occupied home in Boulder was $304,700; the median value for all such homes in the United States was $119,600.[[4]
Geography
Boulder is located in Boulder Valley where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. Just west of the city are imposing slabs of sedimentary stone tilted up on the foothills, known as The Flatirons. These are iconic of Boulder and often appear on city-related paraphernelia.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 65.7 km² (25.4 mi²). 63.1 km² (24.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.94% water.
History
In the early to mid 1800s, nomadic Arapaho Indians frequently wintered at the base of the foothills in the Boulder area. The first recorded European settlers in the area were gold prospectors who arrived in 1858. Mining in the Boulder area continued to be a prominent part of the local economy through the mid 1900s. Colorado statehood in 1876 led to the state's creation of the University of Colorado at Boulder, which opened in 1877.
Government preservation of open space around Boulder began with the Congress of the United States approving the allocation of 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) of mountain backdrop/watershed extending from South Boulder Creek to Sunshine Canyon in 1899. In 1967, Boulder became the first city to levy a tax on residents for the acquisition and preservation of municipal open space to form an undeveloped buffer around the city.
Growth management
Boulder has adopted a policy of controlled urban expansion similar to what is now known as Smart Growth and New Urbanism. In 1967, the City of Boulder government began acquiring open space in an effort to contain urban sprawl and in 1970 it created a master plan that would dictate future zoning, transportation, and urban planning decisions. Hoping to preserve residents' views of the mountains, in 1972 the city enacted an ordinance limiting the height of newly constructed buildings. A residential growth management ordinance was passed in 1977, and a Historic Preservation Code in 1974.[5]
Boulder's efforts to contain urban growth have at times been controversial. It has, on rare occasions, invoked eminent domain in acquiring open space.[6] When the desires of property owners do not fit well into Boulder's master plan, they sometimes feel that their property rights are being violated. (A negative view of Boulder regarding property rights was articulated here, in a Boulder Weekly editorial.)
Law and government
Boulder was the second city in the United States to implement the Hare (or Single Transferable Vote) method of voting in 1917. It was repealed in 1947.
Riots and Alcohol
Riots
On May 2, 1997, at least 1,500 people (mostly students) rioted on University Hill, a bar district neighboring the University of Colorado, resulting in $300,000 to $500,000 in property damage.[7][8] A dozen people, including six police officers, were injured on the second night of the rioting.[9] Following the incident University of Colorado fraternities banned alcohol at in-house parties.[10]
On Halloween in 2004, about 1,500 people caused in more than $18,000 in damage in a city-sanctioned block party on University Hill. Nearly 100 police officers where involved in suppressing the crowd, resulting in four minor police injuries.[11] Police arrested 18 people including 10 University of Colorado students.[12] One rioter filed a lawsuit against the police, which was later dismissed [13] and one Boulder police officer was reprimand.[14] Residents who held some of the parties that lead to the violence were fined for "nuisance parties"[15] and one University of Colorado student was suspended[16] under Colorado State Law[17] [18].
Between 1997 and 2004, police were dispatched eight times to suppress crowds in the University Hill neighborhood and the downtown Pearl Street Mall.[19]
Binge Drinking
Despite an ongoing effort to curb binge drinking by the University of Colorado at Boulder and the city, CU-Boulder was still identified by Princeton Review as the "number one party school" in 2003 [20]. In October of 2004, the city council formed two subcommittees to "evaluate potential short and longer-term solutions to alcohol abuse in Boulder"[21] and many of their recommendations were unanimously passed by the city council in December of 2005.[22]
Amusements
Kinetics
Every year to mark the beginning of Spring, local radio station KBCO sponsors Kinetics, a race across land and water by human-powered vehicles timed on speed and judged for style. The idea for Kinetics was imported from Ferndale, California in 1979 and the first race was held on May 3, 1980. Since then, Kinetics has grown in size and creativity with about 20,000 spectators and dozens of teams.[23]
Happy Thursday
Every Thursday in Boulder, a group of cruiser bike riders meet in an outpouring of creativity and love for bicycles. Many are dressed in delightful and outrageous costumes. Even the bikes are decorated and adorned with lights. Some bicycles even have stereos on them. The convivial group rides year round.
Economy and industry
Major employers in Boulder include: [24] [25]
- University of Colorado (7,500)
- IBM (4,500)
- Ball Aerospace (3,000 [26])
- National Institute of Standards and Technology and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1,700 [27])
- City of Boulder (1,600)
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (1,100)
- Tyco International, Tyco Healthcare Group, Valleylab division (1,000)
- Amgen (750)
- Lockheed Martin (450)
- Celestial Seasonings (250)
Outdoors
The open spaces in Boulder are spectacular and extensive. There are ample opportunities for hiking, biking and rock climbing. Most of the trails are a short drive from the city. The trails vary in easiness: some are quite easy while there are some that are technically challenging. A trail map is available online or from a variety of local retailers. The City of Boulder Open Space website is a great resource for information about outdoor activities and volunteer opportunities.
World-class rock climbing is found in nearby Eldorado Canyon, near the small town of Eldorado Springs, Colorado, six miles south of Boulder. Eldorado Canyon is a wonder of natural beauty, but it is most famous for its hundreds of world-renowned rock climbing routes. There are also high quality climbing routes available in the city open space.
In 2005, the Boulder City Council enacted an ordinance protecting prairie dogs from extermination.[[28]]
Transportation
Boulder is easily visited from Denver via the Regional Transportation District's (RTD) B bus line. The B runs from Market Street Station in Downtown Denver to Downtown Boulder near the Pearl Street Mall, which is a popular stop with tourists. Hiking trails start just at the edge of town within a mile away.
The League of American Bicyclists has awarded its highest level of bicycle-friendliness, Gold level, to the city. The city is part of the RTD. The city's transportation office, Go Boulder, operates an extensive busing program, including the high-frequency bus route called the "Hop."
Go Boulder and the RTD run several other similarly branded bus routes, including the "Skip," "Bound," "Dash," and "Jump." Many residents and businesses pay for transit not by the ride, but by the year, under a program called "ECO-Pass." Under the same program, entire neighborhoods have banded together to buy a bus pass for everyone living in the area. Additionally, all students at the University of Colorado at Boulder are issued bus passes as part of their school ID, paid for by student fees. Many buses have devices that communicate with the NextBus satellite tracking system, which allows riders to check on the status of buses in real-time.
However, like most of the other major metropolitan areas in Colorado, the automobile is by far the most visible form of personal transportation.
Shopping
Downtown Boulder, particularly the Pearl Street Mall, is host to a variety of restaurants, bars, and boutique stores. However, it has relatively few grocery or hardware stores and is therefore more of a "shopping destination" than a neighborhood with stores supporting the local population.
Between 28th and 30th streets was the Crossroads Mall, an indoor mall anchored by Foley's and Sears. It closed in 2002 and is being replaced by a new development project called Twenty Ninth Street. Twenty Ninth Street is intended to be an up-scale and pedestrian-accessible mall and will be anchored by the existing Foley's, a new Home Depot, and a movie theater. Organic retailer Wild Oats Market will have their flagship store and new headquarters in Twenty Ninth street. Crossroads Mall and Twenty Ninth Street are owned by Westcor.
Grocery stores in Boulder include King Soopers, Safeway, and Albertsons. Organic retailers include the local Wild Oats Market, Whole Foods Market, Ideal Market, Vitamin Cottage and the Boulder Food Co-Op. Hardware stores include local McGuckin's Hardware, Sutherland's and Ace Hardware. Home Depot opens in Boulder on January 12, 2006.[29]
Colleges, universities, science institutes
Colleges and Universities
- Boulder College of Massage Therapy
- Naropa University private university
- University of Colorado at Boulder, public university which contributes roughly 30,000 residents to the population - http://www.colorado.edu/
- Ruseto College private two-year college
Science institutes
- Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA) - http://casa.colorado.edu/
- Engineers Without Borders - http://www.ewb-usa.org/
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) - http://lasp.colorado.edu/
- National Center for Atmospheric Research / University Corporation for Atmospheric Research - http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/
- National Institute of Standards and Technology - http://www.boulder.nist.gov/
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research center - http://noaa.gov/
- NTIA - Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Boulder - http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/
- Space Science Institute - http://www.spacescience.org/
- Southwest Research Institute Department of Space Studies - http://www.boulder.swri.edu/
People
Notable births in Boulder include: Scott Carpenter (Project Mercury astronaut), Arleigh Burke (United States Navy Admiral, Chief of Naval Operations), Kristin Davis (Sex and the City actress), Tony Boselli (five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle), Russell Nachman (artist), and Anna Conway (artist). JonBenét Ramsey was murdered in Boulder.
Ward Churchill lives in Boulder. Musician Stuart Davis, originally from Minnesota, lives in Boulder. Experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage lived near Boulder from the mid-1960s until 2002, and taught several film courses at CU-Boulder. Jon Krakauer, bestselling author, known for his Mount Everest expose Into Thin Air, lives in Boulder.
Music
Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys is originally from Boulder, as are The String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon and The Samples.
Every year during the second week of January, Boulder is the host city of MahlerFest, an annual celebration honoring Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus.
On Thursday nights (7–9pm), from June through mid-August, free, live music can be heard outdoors on the 1300 block of Pearl Street, just south of the Courthouse. Each week, Bands on the Bricks, as the event is called, features a different band, ranging in style from zydeco to oldies, and bluegrass to funk.
Boulder in fiction
Boulder was a setting for Stephen King's book The Stand (1978), and for the sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–1982). Some houses and the NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) building overlooking the town were used in the filming of Woody Allen's Sleeper. The famous Pearl Street Mall was one location for the filming of the movie Catch and Release, starring Jennifer Garner. Houses around Boulder, as well as storefronts on "the hill" were filmed for the movie. Boulder may also be part of the basis for the town of South Park in the animated show South Park, the creators of which (Trey Parker & Matt Stone) attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, which also makes appearences in South Park. (Though "South Park" generally refers to a valley nestled within the mountains of central Colorado).
The author Stephen White has written a series of mystery books using Boulder as the primary backdrop and featuring lead character Alan Gregory. Marianne Wesson, an author and professor at the University of Colorado School of Law, has also set several of her mystery novels in Boulder.
Sister cities
Boulder has six official sister cities:
Dushanbe presented its distinctive Dushanbe Tea House as a gift to Boulder in 1987. It was completed in 1990. More information about Boulder's sister city relationships can be found at Boulder's official website.
External links
- Official city website
- A Brief History of Boulder County
- Climate information
- The Boulder Community Network serves all of Boulder County, Colorado. It is the second-oldest web-based community network in the world, and went on-line on March 15, 1994.
- Official MahlerFest website
- Official Twenty-Ninth Street website
- Official Thursday Cruisers website
