As a New Yorker desperate for a change of scenery, I had this fantasy about living in the mountains of Colorado. I remember driving my motorcycle through Colorado back in the early 90’s on a cross-country trip with a buddy of mine and being just blown away by the Rockies. I felt like those tourists who walk around Manhattan staring up at the skyscrapers w/their strained necks, fanny-packs and cameras clearly identifying them as “not locals”. I didn’t care how foolish I looked: I just couldn’t take my eyes off of those mountains. Could you ever get used to such beauty?
Unlike many of our fleeting dreams, I did follow through on mine in regards to living in the mountains. For a year I lived in a cabin up on North Turkey Creek Road in the Evergreen area. It was great….but. I think after living in cities like San Francisco and New York I got accustomed to having incredible restaurants, cafes, bookstores and people close at hand. I just couldn’t get over the feeling of isolation and distance. That’s precisely why I’ve grown to love the mountains that surround Boulder.
If you were to chug up Flagstaff road you’d feel like you are in the middle of Montana. Snowy-peaked mountains surround you from every direction, a few houses dot the hills around you, the sun is shining, and the great silence of the city-less places takes over. Lots of folks settle here forever. It’s a nearly perfect corner of the world. The best feature of this area to me is that you can live surrounded by this natural beauty and isolation and then hop in your car for a 10 minute drive down Flagstaff (or your bike, same time) and you are smack in the middle of one of the coolest towns in Colorado: Boulder. Home to incredible restaurants like Jax and Khow Thai , amazing cafes like Vic’s Espresso and Trident.
To those of you who already live in a Boulder mountain home, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve got the best of both worlds. Don’t hate me for giving away your little secret.







Motorbiking through the incredible mountain roads of Colorado is one of the greatest thrills one can experience in our precious state.
And as for Boulder restaurants, dare I mention the Flagstaff House, nestled half way up Flagstaff mountain overlooking Boulder valley…