Reader: Boulder Is Beautiful. It Ends There.

Boulder is once again the best place to live in the United States, at least according to a just-released U.S. News & World Report survey. For the second consecutive year, the number-one spot of best places to live in this country went to Boulder.

And while the rankings for Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins have slipped a bit since 2020, all three remain in the top twenty, making Colorado the most desirable state in the union. As if you didn't know that already.

But Boulder's second win of the top slot is plenty controversial, as evidenced by more than a thousand comments on the Westword Facebook post about the U.S. News report. Says Cari:

Damn it, quit reporting on how awesome Colorado is…it used to be before people moved here en masse from Texas and Colorado. Born at Boulder Community Hospital in ‘76, and I’ve seen it go from a friendly, crunchy place to overcrowded and hostile.

Notes Tammy:

Twenty square miles surrounded by reality.

Explains Gary:

Boulder is beautiful. It ends there. It’s full of rich pretentious college kids, with no respect for anyone or anything. On the other hand, you have the true Boulderites who don’t wash their hair or shower, and look down on you for eating anything that came from an animal.

Replies Christopher:

Boulder is *shrugs* fine. A little isolated and sprawly for me, but I guess some people like that. As for the people, most are educated, which is something you don't find in many towns with the same attributes.

Counters Monica:

I just returned from a month in Boulder. I fell in love with Colorado. It’s a beautiful state with tons of places to walk, hike, exercise. Love the mountains. The people are friendly, liberal, and I loved the weather.

Notes Melanie:

I smell the peanut butter and patchouli from here

Suggests Emily:

Boulder is the most miserable white elite establishment Dem hellhole imaginable. Couldn't get out of there fast enough. If you put Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos on the same spaceship along with the makings for a kombucha taproom,and told them to colonize the moon, they would build Boulder.

But then there's this from Craig:

Everyone saying Boulder sucks won't have a problem, then, staying out of Boulder. Not tubing in Boulder Creek. Not clogging up all the parking at the parks. Not walking Pearl Street Mall on a cool summer evening. Not going to Snooze on Saturday morning and creating a four-hour wait list. You won't have a problem, then, not hiking in Chautauqua Park or any of the surrounding areas through Nederland and Eldora....

This might be a newsflash, but there is a diverse population in Boulder from a wide variety of backgrounds. Not everyone in Boulder is white, leftist, "liberal," Democrat, or "rich." Some of us have been here a pretty long time and have seen Boulder change, almost purely from out-of-state transplants. Some of us bought our homes way before the economy and housing market became overinflated. The ones who have lived in Boulder a length of time have put a lot of effort into building a community, which is what makes Boulder great.

People do care about each other here and we will take care of our neighbors. You want proof? Go read up about the Boulder flood and how people went out of their way to help their neighbors and people they didn't even know. You can rag on the homeless problem, but the truth is most of the homeless come to Boulder because the people in Boulder have a more kind heart and better encounters than on 16th Street Mall. Look inside before you throw haze. Build your own community.

What do you think about Boulder? Its top spot on the U.S. News & World Report best places to live list? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].