Downtown Boulder: Best place to live if you’re a shopaholic

Living near the Pearl Street Mall is both a blessing and a curse. So much fun, so many distractions, so many shops and restaurants, so many events, shows and bars. How does anyone get any work done around here? Well, the good thing is to live in this hood and to enjoy it, you have to work hard (or have a trust fund). While living here can get expensive, it’s the sheer attraction to shops, dining and people-watching that make it the ultimate spot for the fashionable and spend-happy. From the chic shops like Holiday & Co., Chelsea, Weekends and Knit Wit to activewear like Prana and Patagonia to gift shops like Bliss to foodie stops like Peppercorn, Penzey’s Spices and the Savor Spice Shop. The list goes on and on and on. Need a new watch? Hit up the Swiss Chalet. Looking for an antique engagement ring? Classic Facets. Shoes for the kids? Crocs. It’s an endless waterfall of shopping options. Plus, you have some of the best restaurants in the region to quench your thirst and satisfy your post-shopping spree hunger. While a few luxury loft projects bring new, upscale residential options to the mix, the housing that surrounds Pearl Street includes smaller bungalows and Victorian-style beauties. But trust us, you won’t be spending too much time at home.

{LOCAL STUFF}

Best shop to get lost in:
Boulder Bookstore
Endless hours of adventure, happiness, romance and getting lost.

Best occasional
shopping experience:
Boulder Farmers Market
A beautiful, bountiful explosion
of produce, flowers and more.

Best post shopping splurge:
Manis and pedis at Ten20
A little Sex in the City and 20
shiny pink digits.

{DETAILS}

No. of maps you can find in Art Source International: More than 25,000

Downtown’s most famous residence: The Mork and Mindy house on Pine Street.

Square footage of The Peppercorn: 12,000

Perks: Breakfast at The Kitchen; the Zip Code Guy; cupcakes at Tee & Cakes; walks on the path; cocktail-making classes at The Bitter Bar; shows at the Boulder Theater; the Boulder International Film Festival; sitting at the salumi bar at Frasca; the Taste of Pearl.