AAA research finds fatalities occur disproportionately in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods.   

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

DENVER (Feb. 11, 2024) – After decreasing for three decades and reaching historic lows in 2009, pedestrian fatalities in the United States have increased by more than 80 percent – hitting their highest number since 1982. Per new AAA research out today, nearly all of the increases in pedestrian fatalities since 2009 have occurred after dark on urban arterial roads. Strikingly, a disproportionate amount of those fatalities occurred in neighborhoods that are socially and economically disadvantaged.

“Anybody who’s spent any time as a Colorado pedestrian will tell you just how scary it can be out there,” said Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs for AAA. “It’s not uncommon to deal with two to three close calls on any given walk. Are we really doing all we can to expand mobility freedom if our transportation system is getting increasingly dangerous for everybody except those behind the wheel?”

The pedestrian fatality rate in the United States is two to five times higher than those of other middle- and high-income countries, and up to 10 times higher than the safest countries. What’s worse, the U.S. rate has been increasing while others decrease consistently. In 2024, 120 pedestrians died on Colorado roadways, up 161% in the past decade.

Common characteristics of urban arterial roads:

• Lots of traffic – These roads handle more cars and buses than smaller neighborhood streets.
• Fewer Stops – They typically have traffic lights at widely spaced intersections instead of stop signs to keep traffic flowing, thereby limiting the availability of safe, accessible options for crossing safely as a pedestrian.
• Multiple Lanes – Arterials have more than one lane in each direction or several lanes moving in the same direction, thereby increasing speeds and making them much more difficult for pedestrians to cross.
• Access to key areas – They connect to highways, downtown areas, shopping centers, and other high-traffic destinations.

Additional findings from AAA’s new research: 

• Most pedestrian fatalities occurred well outside of the downtown core – and more than half happened more than 4 miles from the city center.
• Pedestrian crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities disproportionately occurred in socially and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
  • These are neighborhoods with older housing and greater diversity of land use.
  • Many who live or work in these communities rely on walking for daily transportation or to access transit.
  • They are forced to walk in poorly lit areas with poor or no sidewalks and long distances between safe places to cross.

“Let’s be crystal clear about one thing: We’re not going to put a stop to these tragedies by simply urging drivers and pedestrians to ‘watch out for each other,'” McKinley said. “Fundamentally, we need to change our roadway design and the generations-old assumption that the car is the default or best way to get around. If safety is truly a top priority for decision-makers, we should demand greater investments in historically underinvested communities where a disproportionate number of pedestrians are hit and killed.”

To enhance pedestrian safety and reduce fatalities, AAA suggests several key steps: 

• Follow the Data: Let the data be the guide. Invest in the areas and solutions that will make the biggest impact. That means targeting unsafe locations outside downtown areas, often in socially and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
• Coordinate for Impact: State and local governments can work more closely to invest resources to save lives where needed most, regardless of who “owns” the roadway.
• Demand a Safer System: A Safe System approach anticipates human mistakes and reduces crash severity by addressing safety holistically, through safer roads, vehicles, speeds, and road users.

Drivers can do their part by: 

• Minimizing risky driving behaviors such as speeding, texting, driving while drowsy or distracted, or driving under the influence of cannabis or alcohol. Follow speed limits, keep your smartphone out of reach, and only drive when sober.
• Do not rely on pedestrian detection systems to prevent a crash. This technology can only serve as a backup, not as a replacement for an engaged driver.
• Drive with extra caution at night, as this is the riskiest time for pedestrians and when vehicle safety systems struggle the most.

The post Which Roads are Deadliest for Pedestrians? appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

In the days before air conditioning, easy indoor home entertainment, and automatic garage door openers, neighborhoods connected to each other on America’s front porches and back yards. They relaxed and talked, sometimes for hours, with a drink, a cigarette, or a plate of food from the grill.

Now, we’re living in a time when nearly everyone drives out of their garages in the morning and back in at night. During the week they might not see the people they live next to at all. If they do, it’s probably from behind windshield glass.

 

In this environment, parks, coffee shops, restaurants, and outdoor shopping spaces are infusing neighborhoods with vitality.

The benefits of these alternative gathering spots; “THIRD SPACES”.

THE VALUE OF NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY SPOTS

The benefits of these alternate gathering spots have been formally recognized since the late 1980s by sociologist Ray Oldenburg. He called them third places, a label that distinguishes them from the first and second place locations of home and work. Third places are comfortable, easy to access locations where people freely share food and drink, ideas, a joke, or the details of their day. Third place locations have regulars. They’re lighthearted, curious, and accepting. Oldenburg knew third places bring a host of positive impacts to communities. In a 2014 New York Times article, he listed several success stories including one about a failed shopping center. He explained that the blighted property was transformed into a “highly successful community center with ethnic restaurants, entertainment every night, a bookstore, and a chess alley.” He said that once the new center was established, “nearby property values shot up.”

Where are the community hubs in BOCO ? Obvious ones may come to mind first: farmers’ markets, Boulder Creek, Coal Creek Trail, and certain bars and restaurants. To some, barbershops, park fountains, and even a burger joint like the Sink are third places too.

But what about the ones that aren’t so obvious? The ones that are just coming into their own?
We’ve sought out some of our area’s emerging community and neighborhood gathering places. These locations aren’t always what or where you’d expect them to be.

What they have in common is that recently, sometimes even as a result of pandemic-related challenges, they’ve become neighborhood places that support human connections.

COMMUNITY HUBS IN THE PANDEMIC
Though the difficult months of 2020 are behind us, the pandemic’s impacts linger. We need third places more than ever. After all, we’ve all spent a lot of time in our homes, physically interacting only with those in our immediate bubble. There are only so many Zoom happy hours and work meetings that we can be part of. We need to stay safe, but while online venues can be their own third spaces, they’re not a substitute for being together in the same physical location. At the same time, even if pandemic-related restrictions hang around for a while yet, there are ways to responsibly enjoy most of the places on our list. Our list includes places that have outdoor access and strong ventilation, venues that take precautions seriously to keep customers and communities healthy for the long term.

NIWOT TAVERN

NIWOT TAVERN Whenever we get some warm weather, we’ll just call a musician and ask them to play.

Niwot Tavern grappled with the same pandemic-related restrictions as other bars and restaurants. Their solution to this problem was to set up an outdoor spot for musicians to play at a social distance, with nearby tables where diners linger over takeout food and to-go alcoholic beverages. Before long, Niwot residents would stop by for performances. Some have become regulars. It doesn’t hurt that the music is always quality and sometimes loud enough to be heard blocks away. Occasionally, performances become part of a larger event in the Cottonwood Square shopping center where Niwot Tavern is located. This winter, with the cold weather, Niwot Tavern co-owner and Manager Tara Kpogoh-Narh plans to keep a keen eye on weekly weather forecasts so she can book music sessions as often as possible. “Whenever we get some warm weather, we’ll just call a musician and ask them to play.” She’ll also provide access to hot drinks and plenty of heaters under their open-air tent.

ERIE SINGLETRACK
Coloradoans love to bond while they work out. Bike riders of all ages and levels can get out together around Erie, on the community’s Singletrack riding area. The flat, easy-to-manage track offers a chance for an outdoor workout with spectacular views. One of the easiest ways to access it is at the entrance by the intersection of county roads 5 and 6. There’s a parking lot there if you’ve chosen to drive your bike in. The trails are marked by difficulty level, just as ski runs are, and there are suggested paths depending on your desired distance. While you’re out there you may also get to know the friendly, equally dedicated faces and bike styles of other riders. Conversations may start with a wave and ultimately evolve into connections between people who share the same two-wheeled-focused passions.

EAST SIMPSON COFFEE COMPANY

When you walk into East Simpson Coffee Company, it feels as if the owners’ passion for fostering community connections goes beyond the products they provide. It’s in the conversations with friendly baristas, on the shelves that feature art and ceramics for sale, and on the table at the side of the front of the shop that, in December, started offering one employee’s collection of vinyl for sale.

This is a place where lingering is welcomed, and plenty of people plugin if they want to take their work out of the office. Scheduled live music encourages customers to hang around, and there are lots of open-air dining with heaters and ventilated spaces. The shop’s menu encourages lingering and heartier offerings are available from beloved food trucks that regulars crave. There is also a limited number of alcoholic beverages available. Mimosas in the morning, wine, and local beer if that is what you’re looking for.

BOULDER BOOKSTORE

There’s nothing quite like bonding with another person over learning something new. Bookstores have earned their reputation as community gathering spots, and one of the most beloved in Boulder County is the Boulder Book Store.

BOULDER BOOKSTORE Is a great example of a strong third place, it’s not the only one.

During the pandemic, the store’s function as a gathering spot is fairly limited. As with other retail establishments, it’s better to enter with your mask on, curtail your browsing, and quickly purchase what you come in for. However, once it’s safe, there may not be a better place to linger among other curious individuals with a mind to learn about a new topic.

While Boulder Bookstore is a great example of a strong third place, it’s not the only one. Longmont’s Barbed Wire Books, Louisville’s Little Horse Books and Vintage, and Niwot’s Inkberry Books are also gathering places for their communities.

 

CRESTVIEW PARK | BOULDER

Sometimes families need a place where kids can get outside, and parents can take a welcomed break with the chance of finding someone to join them in an adult conversation. Think of groups of moms or dads chatting over strollers.

There are a lot of possibilities for this throughout Boulder County, but one of our favorites is Crestview Park. Located near Crestview Elementary School in Boulder, it’s easy to get to by car, bus, or bike. It also has more to keep people occupied than just its recently revamped playground. There are bike and walking paths, open areas, and even a nature sanctuary designed to help kids understand wildlife’s value in urban areas.

THE GREAT DOG PARK Dog Parks can become the classic third place – an that’s easy to get to, inexpensive, and has its share of regulars.

THE GREAT BARK DOG PARK / ROMERO’S K9 CLUB

Dog parks can become the classic third place – one that’s easy to get to, inexpensive, and has its share of regulars.

We all love our pets. Sometimes, people can come together over keeping our pets happy and healthy. That’s part of the appeal of dog parks. You never know who you’ll meet when your dog chooses another four-legged friend to run with. Over time, dog parks can become the classic third place – one that’s easy to get to, inexpensive, and has its share of regulars. While beautiful dog parks can be found peppered throughout Boulder County, one of our favorites is The Great Bark Dog Park. That’s because it has one thing that energetic dogs need: lots of room to run. There are also fenced-off sectioned areas to separate dogs if needed, some agility items to add interest, and strategically placed options for finding shade that humans need.

If you find a connection with another dog park regular, you may want to take things somewhere you can grab a beverage. It’s Colorado so there’s a beer bar for that: Romero’s K-9 Tap House. Located in an old Sonic restaurant on South Public Road in Lafayette, it has a well-curated tap list, friendly knowledgeable beer tenders, an outdoor place where dogs can play, and plenty of Milk Bones.

SOUTH MAIN STREET LONGMONT The Longmont Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) Board took every opportunity to partner on projects that would turn the southern gateway of Downtown Longmont into a place to live, work and play.

SOUTH MAIN STREET LONGMONT

For years, Main Street Longmont was one of the focal points for the community. Now the southern part of the street is breaking out of its industrial past and becoming the place to run into people you know.

In addition to the new South Main Station Apartments, there’s a lot here. Start with the barbecue and street taco restaurants, Santiago’s franchise, or the white tablecloth establishments Tortugas and Sugarbeet. Longmontsters may also run into people they know in the enormous walk-in cooler of The Cheese Importers shop that’s now filling out the former Power and Communications building. Once they’ve bought cheese, they can easily walk it to one of three craft beer establishments, 300 Suns Brewery, Bootstrap Brewing, or Wibby Brewing. This district is fulfilling the hopes of the Longmont Downtown Development Authority (LDDA), who were one of the forces behind its development. Said Director Kimberlee McKee “The LDDA Board took every opportunity to partner on projects that would turn the southern gateway of Downtown Longmont into a place to live, work and play.”

Furthermore, McKee said that she hopes that as bus and rail transit lines establish service, the area will transform into a critical gateway between Metro Denver and Northern Colorado regions.

SOUTH MAIN STREET LONGMONT

The Longmont Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) Board took every opportunity to partner on projects that would turn the southern gateway of Downtown Longmont into a place to live, work and play.

AVANTI FOOD AND BEVERAGE IN BOULDER Spokesperson Abby Hagstrom said “the fourth floor is completely heated and approved by the City as outdoor dining with garage doors that open for maximum airflows. Patios are also heated and blankets are for sale in case anyone needs extra warmth.

AVANTI FOOD AND BEVERAGE IN BOULDER

Avanti opened in the old Cheesecake Factory space this fall as a collection of innovative restaurants and drinking spots inspired by European markets. Once you’ve picked up your order from one of six restaurant concepts, each of which is stationed in a modified shipping container, you can find a place on the open floor plan first floor or in the open air of their rooftop patio and upper-level seating area to enjoy.

While there are plenty of outdoor tables to eat at, safely getting your food could be a challenge as long as COVID-19 case levels stay elevated. Avanti is doing what they can. Spokesperson Abby Hagstrom said “the fourth floor is completely heated and approved by the City as outdoor dining with garage floors that open for maximum air floors. Patios are also heated, and blankets are for sale in case anyone needs extra warmth.”

It’s worth noting that Avanti isn’t the only rooftop dining option and that just about all of them forge community. The Roost in Longmont, The Rio in Boulder, and Piripi in Erie are other rooftop dining spots where the community gathers again and again.

OPEN-AIR STREET DINING

Street-level dining options can be just as community-oriented as what you’d find at rooftop tables. Lots of European countries have known this for decades. Thanks to the pandemic, Americans are now finding out too. (See De La Vaca’s Patio Renaissance: A Europeanization of Colorado Cuisine Scene, June 2020.) Dining outside lets you enjoy an open-air meal while people watching, and sometimes being watched in return. It’s fun, friendly, and social.

In 2020, while indoor dining restrictions increased, the Pearl Street Mall and Old Town areas in Louisville, Erie, and Longmont have all allowed restaurants to apply for outdoor dining permits. There are some efforts to keep these kinds of spaces in place after the effects of the pandemic are back. We hope these efforts pan out.

One thing of note, in Longmont, while it’s great that it gives restaurants extra tables, some of the community effects are lost based on the proximity of traffic to Main street. As cars can get a little close, some diners have to contend with a dose of exhaust with their appetizer, drink, or meal. That’s hard to get around, but it can be a low point in an otherwise great experience.

LEFT HAND BREWING BEER GARDEN

LEFT HAND BREWING GARDEN in 2020 with a need for more outdoor seating, the brewery has created a beer garden.

Taprooms have stood the test of time as classic third places in any community they’re in. Along with their delicious beer, their ability to bring people together has been key to their popularity.

In Longmont, Left Hand has relished this role, and taken every opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the community. In 2020, with a need for more outdoor seating, the brewery has created a beer garden. It is designed to serve as a place for drinkers to settle in with a beer – or several – grab food from their food truck, relax, and talk with others in their party. Comfy chairs spaced in socially distant groups keep the atmosphere safe and the conversation flowing.

 

ERIE’S NEW OUTDOOR ICE RINK

This past winter, the Town of Erie and local events business The Recess Factory established an ice rink in an unused area of Old Town. It’s just around the corner from the Post Office and across from the town’s older baseball fields.

The rink has a big role to play in keeping the community happy and healthy. It allows families the chance to enjoy the fresh air and outdoor activity while serving as a draw to the downtown business environment in a difficult time.

ERIE’S NEW OUTDOOR ICE RINK Also check out Louisville’s outdoor rink and WinterSkate program, located on Front Street in Old Town, and Longmont’s Ice Pavillion on 8th Avenue in Roosevelt Park.

Other towns have more established skating rinks that are also community gathering spots. Check out Louisville’s outdoor rink and WinterSkate program, located on Front Street in Old Town, and Longmont’s Ice Pavilion on 8th Avenue in Roosevelt Park. In addition to being outdoors, all three ice rinks are enacting COVID-19 safety measures that require face coverings and keeps groups small.

 

 

 

EAST BOULDER COMMUNITY PARK

Located next to the East Boulder Community Center, this park has no shortages of well-curated activities or the chance to relax in the grass and soak up some sun and fresh air.

There’s a beautiful kids’ playground and a pond where you can get close to nature and families can take a non-motorized boat onto the water in the summer. If you want to play any number of sports – tennis, volleyball, handball, soccer are available. Oh yeah – and there’s a dinosaur. As we said, there’s no shortage of things to do.

STEM CIDERS

This Lafayette-based cidery has plenty of indoor and outdoor open-air seating with large garage-style doors that open when weather permits, a porch, and acres of surrounding land. With friendly, knowledgeable staff, customers are encouraged to linger over taps of cider variants. There’s also a delicious menu while enjoying elevated views of Stem’s land and the town of Lafayette. At Stem Ciders, it’s the outdoor spaces that offer opportunities for the community to really come together. Beautiful sunset views inspire sharing time together, but connections happen most of all around the open-air fire pit that’s set off from the main building. Gathering with drinks around a fire is a place for locals to enjoy conversation and connect with new people.

BOCO IS FULL OF AMAZING SPACES

Boulder County is packed with amazing neighborhood spaces that are full of life and community and these spaces are as unique as the people who frequent them. Whether a community hub focuses on dogs, drinks, dining, or something else, they’re all spots where people can connect with others in a fun, lighthearted, and very necessary human way.

That’s why you should check them out. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet but once you go, there’s a good chance you’ll go again. Maybe you’ll even become a regular. It happens.

The post BOCO’s Home Away From Home | Home & Hood appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Introduction by Johnathen De La Vaca

What are neighborhoods? Beyond places of comfort, spaces of familiarity, there are the small patches of planet Earth where we build our lives, grow our families, and plan for our futures. These neighborhoods are where we have our homes (if we’re lucky enough to be housed), and where we rest our heads will always be one of the most special of places: that is where our dreams are born. As adults, we dream of success at work, accomplishments in life, and for a beautiful future for our children, should we have children. As young people, we dream of our own futures, of a world we can still breathe in, of neighborhoods where we will grow and create and love.

President Lyndon B. Johnson  said that,

We live in a world that has narrowed into
a neighborhood before it has broadened into
a brotherhood.

His words echo across time and sting today.

The goal, of course, is to have livable, breathable, walkable, lovable neighborhoods. The fact is, not all of us do. “All of us” should be taken to mean all of humanity, or all of Americans, or even all of Coloradans. In fact, not even all of Boulderites has a perfect neighborhood. Boulder County has, by all reasonable comparisons, indexes, and accounts, done extremely well in spite of the all too common pitfalls of creating community. We look back on the history of Boulder County – on Boulder, Erie, Louisville, and Longmont specifically – with a fond and profound appreciation for what that neighborhoods were, and what they are today.

Neighborhoods change, and these changing neighborhoods are no less important or wonderful a place to have a dream. Enjoy the look back, but always remember to look forward. You have every chance, every day, to make a world – to make the neighborhood – you want to see. Dream big.

Boulder, Colorado

Enclosed by the Flatirons and flowery neighborhoods veined throughout the city, Boulder almost gives off a Truman Show persona.

Boulder, Colorado; seemingly a total utopia town. Sunny 245 days a year. Perched upon The Sound of Music-esque foothills. Populated by people that look as though they could easily be sponsored by *insert outdoorsy brand here*.  The estimated population of Boulder is 104,000, increasing steadily since 2010 with 97,395. The demand to live in Boulder is making it increasingly difficult to be one of the lucky ones. But who paved the way for the sunny little city?

Boulder Valley was originally home to Native Americans, predominantly the Southern Arapaho Tribe nearby Haystack Mountain. The first non-natives were gold seekers, who settled in Boulder County in October 1858. These early residents founded the trendy little city we recognize Boulder to be.

You cannot deny the beauty of this particular mountain town. Enclosed by the Flatirons and flowery neighborhoods veined throughout the city, Boulder almost gives off a Truman Show persona. With the University of Colorado being one of the number one schools in the state, and the characteristics of the place making the residents feel like they won the lottery just to call themselves a resident; it’s surprising the place isn’t growing more both by population and landscape.

Well folks, as you may know, this phenomenon is no mystery. According to statistics on https://www.zillow.com/boulder-co/home-values/ in 2019, the median home values in Boulder are $743,000. To put this number in perspective, this is more than the nationwide median for homes by around $449,000. According to Forbes, this number has gone up significantly fast since November 2011, rising by $212,000.

So, how does the city grow and prosper when the cost of living limits people from various economic backgrounds from moving to Boulder? It uniquely encapsulates both the small-town familiarity sensation and the exciting, buzzing, electric bigger city ambiance. But the small-town feel will most likely prevail, with the open space preservation program in full force. This program was first introduced in 1967. About twenty years later, the open space preservation program raised $116 million, made from a .4% local sales tax increase. With this revenue made from taxes, the government created a hypothetical blockade around Boulder now used for parkland. This prohibits outward expansion of residential areas around the city.

The open space preservation program created an interesting obstacle that Boulder neighborhoods now face. It is illegal to build out and up in the city, so this city’s neighborhoods have an interesting dynamic. Here are just a couple of the numerous neighborhood segments of Boulder that bring their own interesting aspects to the town.

The Hill/Chautauqua

This high-demand area is inhabited largely by Colorado University students with rented apartments and houses, as well as more expensive older (1950s) houses the closer you get to Chautauqua and Flatirons area. This part of Boulder is undeniably beautiful, with older houses keeping the surrounding neighborhoods charmingly vintage.

South Boulder (SoBo)

This area was primarily established in the 60s and 70s. When you visit this area, you will notice an abundance of ranch style homes. People enjoy the quieter atmosphere, as well as easy access to open spaces.

East Boulder

East Boulder contains a variety of large and somewhat moderately priced homes. This neighborhood maintains a suburban vibe, but with easy access to downtown Boulder.

Boulder is a captivating little city. Although the appeal may largely be the certain prestige of living in the glamorous mountain town, you cannot deny the charm of this Flatirons-enclosed city.

Erie, Colorado

Forty years ago, it was a small, rural town, both in size and in population, with barely over 1,000 people. Operations and Maintenance Manager for the Town of Erie and long-time resident of Erie, Jody Lambert, said, “Erie was seven blocks by seven blocks basically. It was a very small community. You knew everybody.” Now, Erie has grown to a population of over 28,000. That is more than a 2,100 percent increase in population in just 40 years. With that vast population growth came significant changes in the community.

Almost everything in Erie has changed over the last 40 years. Neighborhoods, schools, population demographics, parks, amenities, the quality of life, etc. Erie went from one or two established neighborhoods in the late 1970s to over 25 today, and two schools to almost 10. All of the new neighborhoods that have been sprouting up are connected via many miles of a trail system, which has fostered more time outside and more exercise. The age and demographics of the population have changed from older families and couples to younger families.

The neighborhoods have also changed in the way they look. Throughout the last 40 years, the houses have gotten larger, while the yards have gotten smaller. Houses are closer together, as to fit more of them into a neighborhood. In addition, the houses have gotten significantly more expensive. Now, of course, part of this increase is due to inflation. However, even taking inflation into account, Erie houses are now worth much more than they used to be because more and more people are trying to buy homes in the area. As the demand for houses in Erie has increased, so has the price of those houses. Even in only the last ten years, average house prices went from $301,000 to $493,000, according to Zillow, which is a 63.79 percent increase.

In the 2000s, the Wise Homestead Museum opened. Also in the 2000s, Erie built and opened its own library and community center. In addition to these buildings, over the last 40 years, hundreds of other amenities and businesses have opened in Erie.

Because of all of these changes, the quality of life has drastically increased. Both children and adults have better and more access to education and recreation, there are more ways to enjoy outside and inside exercise, there are more jobs, and there is more money within the town that it can use to continuously improve its residents’ quality of life.

Despite all of these changes, there have been a few aspects of Erie that have remained the same. The Town of Erie still feels like a small town, especially compared to others in the area. Although he doesn’t know as many people in the town like he used to, Lambert says that Erie has been good about maintaining the small, hometown feel. He said, “It’s home… It’s still a good place to raise a family.” Erie is still a tight-knit community that feels like home to those who have lived here for decades, as well as those who have lived here for only a few years.

Longmont, Colorado

Longmont’s identity began to shift from an agricultural community to a big city, a technological community.

Longmont, Colorado is another example of a small, rural community turned bigger city. Longmont’s population 40 years ago was not quite 43,000. Today, it is approaching 100,000, at around 97,000 people. That is about a 125 percent increase in population. With the significant population growth and the technology boom, Longmont has changed greatly in the last forty years.

In the 1980s, Longmont was a city that was trying to find its identity. Historically, it had been an agricultural, rural community. This began to change in the 1960s and 1970s, during the technology boom, when IBM constructed a large plant in the area and brought in hundreds of jobs in the technology industry. As different demographics of people flooded the area to occupy these jobs, Longmont’s identity began to shift from an agricultural community to a big city, technological community.

Although Longmont already had a fairly large population, this shift in identity caused Longmont’s population to drastically increase. As a result, more and more neighborhoods have been built. As new neighborhoods were built, new schools and parks were built along with them. In addition, during the last 40 years, Longmont has built a mall, a new library, a new museum and cultural center, a new recreation center, etc. These new buildings bring along with them increased access to education and recreation, more ways to exercise, and more jobs. As these new buildings and industries go up, more wealth comes into the city, allowing Longmont to continuously expand these various opportunities and the quality of life its residents experience.

As Longmont has started to run out of space to build out, the city has really begun to build up in an effort to keep up with the population growth. In the last few years especially, three and four story office, business, and residential buildings in large complexes have been sprouting up, increasing not only the size of the population, but also the population density.

Due to Longmont’s increase in population, housing has become significantly more competitive. Housing prices have greatly increased, even accounting for inflation. In only the last ten years, average house prices have gone from $208,000 to $390,000, according to Zillow, which is an 87.5 percent increase.

Louisville, Colorado

According to Money Magazine, the quality of life makes Louisville one of the #1 places to live in the United States.

Louisville, Colorado has always had a unique flare that other suburbs lacked. When settlers from Europe first arrived in the area, Louisville was one of the few coal towns where minors actually lived in the very town they worked in. Since the beginning, Louisville has built community and ingenuity on the very ground they lived and worked on.

Because mining was a seasonal trade and strikes often occurred among workers, early Louisville citizens were forced to create eccentric jobs to make life more fulfilling and generate revenue in different ways. Often this included family gardens, which is very apparent in the present-day Louisville. The early people of Louisville were a tough crowd, cultivating inspiration and community from hard mining work during the season, and resourceful trades such as gardening during the off-season.

In 2019, the town of Louisville, Colorado is a buzzing suburb for new residents in the BoCo area. The area is booming with restaurants, open spaces, and cultural arts. As of 2017, the small city was reportedly home to 21,128 residents within an 8.6-mile radius. According to Money Magazine, the quality of life makes Louisville one of the #1 places to live in the United States.

Within the last 15 years or so, the majority of Louisville has divided into two developed areas; Old Historic Downtown and New Town.

Old Historic Downtown

The neighborhoods in this area are a beautiful arrangement of historic Victorian mining houses and newer homes built more recently, combining vintage looks with modern homes creating a funky old-time new-time ambiance, maintaining the miner’s historic touch while incorporating a small-city electric atmosphere. Being a part of Boulder County, you can rightfully assume the property values in Old Historic Downtown Louisville are quite high. In this area, it’s difficult to run out of things to do. On Friday evenings, the popular local Downtown Louisville Street Fair is a favorite among both residents and visitors.

“For three or four hours, eight summertime Friday evenings, life is just like it should be. Babies don’t cry, dogs don’t bark, and wise elders feel nineteen again. The Muse visits the musicians almost every night and dances when the spirit moves her. We don’t know why this all happens here, we’re just glad it does,” Louisville Downtown Business Association stated.

New Town

This area of Louisville may not have the same buzzing appeal of the Historic Downtown, but nonetheless, the desire to move into this area is anything but scarce. New Town Louisville feels like less of a historic mining town and more similar to a suburb of Denver. Homes are placed strategically alongside parks, biking, and walking trails.

As the population rises to its current capacity of over 21,000 residents, the once coal and mining town is now a popular place to call home for young families. 

The post The Changing Neighborhoods | Home & Hood appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

There’s something timeless and enduring about enjoying a good movie on a warm summer’s evening in the beauty of the great Colorado outdoors. So much so, in fact, that several film series have sprung up over the last several years. Here are our five favorite flick festivals this summer for your cinematic pleasure.

No.1: Film on the Rocks

The setting doesn’t get better. Sprinkle in some of your favorite local bands to start, and you’ve got a great show starting at just $12.25 over eight nights this summer.
Info: http://film.redrocksonline.com/fotr
Our pick: Some great flicks this year, but we think this show stealer’s going to be local funk band The Messers, opening for Pitch Perfect.

Schedule:

Caddyshack with Ark Life AND Covenhoven
//June 3, 2014

Fight Club with Flashbulb Fires
AND FaceMan
//June 10, 2014

Labyrinth with Grizfolk AND Total Ghost
//June 16, 2014

This is Spinal Tap with School of Rock
June 24, 2014

The Fast and the Furious with The Yawpers AND Native Daughters
//July 1, 2014

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with
Boy & Bear and Inner
//July 8, 2014

Pitch Perfect with The Messers AND
Tracksuit Wedding
//July 29, 2014

The Big Lebowski with The Congress AND Tyler Lee Holter
//Sept. 2, 2014

The post Neighborhood Film Series appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a neighborhood to nurture an adult.

As the heart of the Holiday neighborhood in north Boulder, the Wild Sage common house kitchen and dining area feeds any number of its 34 families and their neighbors about three times a week and brings residents together to celebrate events, support one another and manage their neighborhood.

Linda Tate moved to Wild Sage, one of Boulder’s four cohousing communities, in 2006, and married Jim Rebman in the Wild Sage common house in 2007.

“The common house is a sacred space for me because we got married here,” said Linda Tate, a writer for corporate and non-profit communications and marketing. “Then we had the dinner and reception in the common house, spilling out onto the green. It’s hard to put into words what’s it’s like to every day walk past the spot where you got married.”

She said the Wild Sage community came together as “team hitch” to hold the wedding and theirs was the first announcement on the Holiday sign since the theater closed.

“It was a real community event,” she said.

Around 2000, Holiday began its transformation from the former home of a drive-in theater to a site of roughly 330 Habitat for Humanity, Boulder Housing Partners, Affordable Housing Alliance and market-rate homes. Now, the bulk of the units have been sold, and the neighborhood is raising its family around common houses with well-used community kitchens, dining rooms, craft areas, living rooms, spare bedrooms, a hot tub and even yoga rooms.

Architect Bryan Bowen, owner of Bryan Bowen Architects, designed and built the Wild Sage common house for Jim Logan Architects. The idea of an intentional, shared community engaged people from the beginning, building momentum for the overall Holiday project, which is finished with the exception of two lots that will be Habitat homes, Bowen said.

“We’re eating here at the common house between two and three times a week right now and one of those meals is typically cooked in the common house,” he said. “There’s a high level of casual usage. People are using the wood shop or hot tub or the exercise yoga room, or they’re coming in to do guitar night in the family room downstairs or watch a movie on the big screen, all kinds of little things.”

Two guest rooms in the basement offset the need to have guest rooms in the houses.

“So when your mom comes to visit, she can stay there, which gives you a comfortable amount of elbow room,” Bowen said.

This is especially true for those community members who live in the neighborhood’s economically sized, densely placed housing units, including Bowen. Boulder Housing Partners received a density bonus for building an average of 20 dwelling units per acre, after the roads are taken from the calculation. Forty percent of the homes are considered affordable through sweat equity, reduced rate, subsidies by the City of Boulder, or Habitat home programs.

Clustering the homes densely promotes a level of sharing that prevents landfill dumping, Bowen said. Two lawn mowers might take care of Wild Sage’s 34 homes, for example.

“Sharing resources is hard to quantify, but a very big piece of sustainability,” he said.

This makes the neighborhood more sustainable over time, he said, as does proximity to public transportation and its accessibility to bikes.

“(BHP) took each block and they gave it to a local developer who they felt was a good, trustable partner,” Bowen said. “Everything was based on this new sort of new urbanist street scape and having a lot of mixed use, and they wanted to have a lot of local, community things happening here.”

Willa Johnson, a project manager with Boulder Housing Partners for the Holiday neighborhood from 2001 to 2005, said the plans were for a mixed use neighborhood, with attention to details such as the neighborhood park, revamping the old Holiday sign, and designing Holiday Drive around the old theater speaker system.

“(Holiday) was a 27-acre site that was kind of in an anvil shape,” Johnson said. “We purchased the land and took it through a master planning process and made commitments around how much affordable housing we were going to provide and designed guidelines on what kind of community we wanted to create.”

Following the initial planning stage, BHP hired developers to prepare lots, and individual contractors to develop their own portions of Holiday.

“When you walk through the neighborhood, there’s sort of a lot of variety because it’s a lot of different architects, different developers,” Johnson said. “Frankly, a busy level of variety.”

Then BHP bought 50 units for affordable rental housing, which are scattered throughout the neighborhood, she said.

“The neighborhood really serves the full spectrum,” Johnson said.

She said Holiday includes 10 units that serve people who were formerly homeless, which are deeply service enriched with caseworkers and rent control. The lowest income population is served through the rental program.

“Then (it’s) all the way up to the single-family houses that are half a million or more,” Johnson said.

In that rainbow of housing options, roughly 100 units are affordable-home ownership, followed by market-rate condos and then market-rate, single-family homes, she said.

The Affordable Housing Alliance uses sweat equity to bring affordable homes to the area. Within Wild Sage, there are four Habitat homes in a multi-family building that were built in concurrence with the surrounding homes with the assistance of the general contractor, Bowen said.

Tate praised the community for being an intentional form of communal living, for initiating and managing any changes to its community’s lifestyle. As active community members, Tate and Rebman, one of the first home owners in Wild Sage and a member of the HOA board, organize, do computer work and write for community events, members and organizations.

“I think of it as a condo association meets a commune,” she said. “You have an HOA, but it’s an intentional community, so everybody is working together. There is no property management company. There is no ‘them’ doing the work of running the community. We run the community.”

She said cohousing is a perfect fit for she and her husband, who work from home. Cohousing is intimate and familial, an environment she thrives in, she said. Her husband, a blind software tester, lived and worked out of his home in Wild Sage before Tate came to live with him.

“You get married in this place,” Tate said. “We’ve had home births. (Bowen’s) second child was a home birth. We haven’t had any residents pass away yet, but that’s inevitable. There have been people with great illnesses, and it’s intimate. We’re in each other’s homes. We take care of each other. It wouldn’t be for everybody to have an extended family of 34 households.”

The cohousing planners and early buyers were the first in, with a vision of the community and a commitment to living in the area, Johnson said. They continue to actively participate in the community, volunteering on boards, committees and associations to maintain the site.

“We created a homeowner’s association that governs the entire neighborhood and they do Eco Passes for the neighborhood, they do movies in the park, they maintain elements of the sight that are held in common,” Johnson said. “The cohousing folks have been really gracious to lead those initiatives and volunteer on the board to be particularly engaged and set a great example.”

The Holiday community took roughly 10 to 15 years to complete, from idea to construction. The Holiday cohousing communities were planned around the common houses and the idea of the third place, Bowen said.

“It was going to be where people gathered,” he said. “Everyone has a home and their work, and the third place has to be something that satisfies you in other ways aside from those first two places. It could be a church or a neighborhood bar or your yoga studio, but now a lot of people have the common house as their third place.”

Tate described the common house as exactly that.

“Ninety-nine percent of my social life is this community,” she said. “I never get tired of my neighbors.”

The post Common Ground appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

So, we haven’t seen you around here before… You new in town? Well, let us show you around. The North Metro area is just about as diverse as it gets, with brand-new super-modern developments to quaint and charming hundred-year-old towns. We’ve got fun shops, killer restaurants and tons of things to see and do, not to mention miles of trails and that little thing called the great outdoors. In the following pages, we profile some of our favorite new (and re-newed) neighborhoods, letting you know where they are, what they’re about, and what makes them cool. Whether you’re looking for a place to live or just a new scene, these neighborhoods have something for everybody.

Using This Guide: Whether you’re new to the area or have watched it change and grow over the last 20 years, this guide may introduce you to some unique places you’ve never explored. Even if you’re not looking to move, check out the great restaurants, shops and sites we’ve highlighted in some of the North Metro’s most unique neighborhoods.

PROSPECT:
Prospect is the first development of its kind in the Front Range, combining a strict and unique planning vision with the percepts of new urbanism. It was built on the idea that suburban sprawl isn’t good for anyone, locating homes and businesses within walking distance along narrow, tree-lined streets with wide sidewalks. New Town was also built with sustainability in mind. Many of the housing units offer solar and wind energy and radiant heat flooring to keep energy costs low. In addition, landscaping regulations within the community require indigenous vegetation with low water requirements, and the streets have been laid out to preserve views of the mountains to the west. Plus, it’s just darn cool: there’s a modern yet casual vibe found in boutique shops like Tenacity Wine Shop, Nest and House and consistently pleasing restaurants, including Two Dog Diner, The Rib House and Sushi Jianken. It’s family friendly suburbia meets hipster urbanity.

Location
About two miles south of downtown Longmont on Main St./Hwy. 287.

Size
77 acres with 585 units on 340 lots when complete.

Prices
Range from $99k for qualified low-income buyers to $899k for a new penthouse.

Who Lives Here
Prospect has a diverse population, with a fair share of artists.

Why It’s Cool
New urbanism means driving less and walking more. Parks, shops and restaurants, a pool and offices are within a 5-minute walk of each of Prospect’s homes.

Two Dog Diner
A classic family diner with a gourmet twist. Amazing breakfasts, killer burgers and decadent desserts all with a retro-modern flair. twodogdiner.com

The Rib House
Sunset Magazine called this some of the best barbecue in the West. Kansas City-style ribs, brisket, chicken, sausage, turkey and that amazing cheesy corn. theribhouse.com

Solar Yoga
When it’s time to work up a sweat, head to Solar Yoga. Hot yoga, regular yoga, meditation, massage and a boutique for all your yoga needs. solar-yoga.com

Interesting Fact: Prospect is built on what was once a family-owned 80-acre tree farm on the south side of Longmont.

DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE:
Louisville is obviously not a planned development like the rest featured here, but Money magazine declared it the best small town in the country…so how can you go wrong? The charming downtown main street is easily accessible on foot by dozens of homes that line the picturesque streets of the Old Town area, but more modern homes are only minutes away. As the Downtown Business Association puts it, it’s “just like it was 126 years ago, but with better restaurants.”

Location
Southwest of Boulder, between Lafayette and Superior

Housing Types
All types

Prices
Median home price, $358k

Size
8.52 square miles (entire town)

Who Lives Here
College educated young couples and families who long for a small-town lifestyle with all the city conveniences.

Why It’s Cool
A thriving Old Town makes Louisville the historical predecessor of what New Urbanism tries to recreate in planned communities. And, some of the area’s best shops and restaurants call Downtown Louisville home.

Empire Lounge and Restaurant
Comfort food meets fine dining in a relaxed, but hip casual atmosphere. theempirerestaurant.com

Waterloo Icehouse
Award-winning burgers, great bar and live music make this a local paradise. waterloolouisville.com

The Fuzzy Antler
Country classics, European antiques and gifts for every occasion including Pandora beads. thefuzzyantler.com

Interesting Fact: Louisville began as a coal-mining town for the Welch Mine, opened in 1877, and was named for the land owner who incorporated the town, Louis Nawatny.

HOLIDAY:
The Holiday neighborhood is model of a sustainable, affordable residential and commercial development. Houses and yards are smaller than average, but open space makes up the difference. Energy efficiency, water efficiency and passive solar heating and daylighting were worked into every home and business surrounding a large park, a community garden and orchard, and a central, unifying walkway. One part of the community strives to be a zero emissions neighborhood. In fact, some of the development of the project was documented in the film Designing a Great Community: Behind the Scenes at Holiday produced by the Sustainable Futures Society. With a commitment to affordability, people from all walks of life head north to live in the Holiday neighborhood. It’s “very Boulder,” as they say: a little funky, a lot progressive and filled with great treasures.

Location
Far north Broadway in Boulder.

Size
330 homes on 27 acres.

Prices
$422k median home price, with options for qualifying low-income buyers.

Who Lives Here
Boulder greenies, as well as more than 400 low and middle-income people, thanks to the project’s 40 percent permanent affordability rule.

Why It’s Cool
Integrated sustainability make these homes a hot ticket, not to mention that the neighborhood offers some of the most affordable housing in Boulder.

Restaurant 4580
Casual urban sophistication meets a family atmosphere. Large and small plates with many gluten-free options. restaurant4580.com

Boulder Cycle Sport
2006’s Best New Bike Shop in America by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News bouldercyclesport.com

Amante Coffee
Italian espresso in a cool, comfy setting, they also serve pastries, sandwiches, gelato, Italian sodas and Italian beer and wine. amantecoffee.com

Interesting Fact: The neighborhood is named after the twin-screen Holiday Drive-In movie theater, which operated on the site from 1969 to 1988. Easy Rider Lane is named for the first movie that played at the theater, and the original marquee has been preserved.

BRADBURN:
Westminster’s Bradburn Village was built on the principles of Traditional Neighborhood Design, with a main street for shops and restaurants, a church as the architectural anchor of the village center and four distinct residential neighborhoods to encourage residents to engage with their neighbors and their neighborhood. It’s very all-American—attracting growing families and retirees alike to its hip yet wholesome spirit. Housing ranges from luxury apartments and row homes in Bradburn Row to lofts above retail in the village to million-dollar custom homes. The development is built on 125 acres of land and encompasses nine parks, two recreation centers with tennis courts and swimming pools, Rocky Mountain Presbyterian Church, a Goddard preschool and an adjoining K-12 charter school.

Location
Westminster, on 120th Avenue between Federal and Sheridan boulevards.

Size
125 acres, four distinct housing neighborhoods.

Prices
From $800 a month for apartments to more than $1.5 million for custom homes.

Who Lives Here
Young families and professionals.

Why It’s Cool
Bradburn offers access to open space and trails, creating a near-rural feel on one side of the development contrasted with the near-urban feel in the heart of the Village.

The Exchange Tavern
An Irish tavern offering morning coffee and tea, breakfast, lunch, dinner and live entertainment. theexchangetavern.com

Bikram Yoga
Hot yoga in the Bikram style at your neighborhood studio, which also sells yoga gear and accessories. bikramcolorado.com

Appearances Salon
Voted one of the top 200 salons in the country in both 2008 and 2009. Cuts and styles for men, women and children. appearancessalonco.com

Interesting Fact: The Big Dry Creek Open Space adjacent to Bradburn offers a network of 63 miles of trails connecting more than 800 acres of Westminster open space and 200 acres of parkland along the creek. Much of the city is accessible from this trail.

ARISTA:
Despite some ups and downs, Arista is all about potential. With pristine views of the Rockies, Arista hopes to become the epicenter of the northwest metro entertainment scene. The momentum is growing as we write, and the development’s future is looking pretty bright. The 1st Bank Center (formerly the Broomfield Events Center) is now bringing concerts, sporting events and more to the area and helping to draw exciting retail, dining and living opportunities to Arista’s main street and urban center. Another huge draw is the soon-to-be-finished RTD park and ride, which will make commuting to Boulder and Denver by mass transit a breeze. At least one restaurant is waiting for the park and ride completion until their doors open.

Location
Halfway between downtown Denver and Boulder on Highway 36.

Housing Types
Live/work lofts, condominium and apartments.

Size
1,500 residential units.

Prices
Ranges $1,000 per month to rent up to $600k to buy.

Who Lives Here
Upwardly mobile young professional commuters.

Why It’s Cool
Residents don’t have to pay for parking when they want to see the latest concert or hockey game at the 1st Bank Center. Plus, there’s a very cool character to the development—modern and urban while not actually being metropolitan.

Aloft Hotel
Chic, loft-style guest rooms inspired by the W Hotel with a vibrant lounge. aristabroomfield.com/aloft-Hotel.aspx

Salon Cosabella
Glamorous and sophisticated salon that creates “me time” for its clients. saloncosabella.com

Estelle Bicycles
Concept bike shop bridging the gap between boutique shopping and cycling. estellebicycles.com

Interesting Fact: Arista is one of the only residential town center developments in the nation to be anchored by an entertainment venue.

The post Hood Guide (for Newbies) appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

When Jarrod Phelps, a seven-year-old Adams 12 district resident, waits for the school bus each morning, dozens of other kids his age can be seen in the background, running around the playground of another school that is just steps from his home.

But his mother thinks its best he attend Pinnacle Charter School, which is on the other side of Thornton (Federal Heights, actually). Colorado’s flexible open enrollment rules allow for that, and Charlotte Phelps, Jarrod’s mother, considered a number of elements when opting to enroll her kids in schools outside her neighborhood.

Phelps didn’t like that Coronado Hills Elementary—within shouting distance from her home—featured dual-language education.

Meanwhile, many other parents see that type of teaching as beneficial for their children, opting to send them from miles away to the school Phelps scorns.

This is life in Colorado’s open enrollment system, with kids traveling across town, over district lines and into other communities to receive the education parents’ desire. It’s a dream for most moms and dads since they can avoid lagging schools or find niche educational institutes to meet different needs.

“There’s myriad reasons (parents choose open enrollment). Sometimes they are practical, such as childcare, convenience, location of relatives,” says Connie Spenko, chief of staff for Adams 12 Five Star Schools. “There’s some very practical reasons why parents will choose a school, and then there are the emotional reasons like that they went to that school and have an attachment.”

While parents love the choice, open enrollment causes frustration for some districts. Schools with an emphasis on intensive math and science programs, such as IB and Gifted and Talented curricula, generally receive more students. Tax dollars follow students, leaving schools with declining enrollment fighting to make ends meet. Each October, schools count the numbers of pupils in their seats and receive roughly $6,000 per student.

Those who lose students miss out on key educational dollars; those with top resources see more gains. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Rob Schmidt, a member of the St. Vrain Board of Education, says that in many cases, open enrollment works, but there has been fall outs from the system.

“The educational system today is a competitive one, and the district in the past has not been as proactive to meet the needs and demands of the students and the parents,” Schmidt says. “If you look at where we’re losing students, we are losing them to districts that have a lot more money to spend on programs. If we want to compete in today’s environment, we must have curriculum choices that meet their needs.”

St. Vrain schools lost about 200 students in 2006-07 to open enrollment, translating to roughly $1.2 million less in state funding. For Kathy O’Donnell, a principal at a soon-to-be-opened St. Vrain school, lower enrollment forces her to make staffing cuts—moving a full-time position to part-time—meaning fewer course options for students.

Arts programs are usually the first to be sacrificed.

“We decided to move from a full-time art person to a half-time art person,” O’Donnell says. “Those are the decisions you have to make.”

O’Donnell is one of many principles across the state that has to balance school budgets with changing enrollment numbers each year.

That wasn’t the intent when Colorado State Board of Education began open enrollment as a way to develop new learning opportunities for students.

“Parents…see open enrollment as a choice they can exercise, like charter schools, private schools or home schooling,” says Pamela Hines, the program assistant for the Colorado Department of Education’s School of Choice Program. “Parents call me about the choice options in Colorado, and their main questions are how and where they can get the best education for their children.”

To enroll a child via open enrollment parents must contact the district of their chosen school and follow the application procedure. Most districts require applications by mid-January for priority status and notify parents of acceptance by March. Waiting lists are commonplace in wealthier districts, such as the Boulder Valley School District, which put 47 percent of priority applicants on waitlists for the 2008 school year.

So it would appear Boulder Valley is happy, as are the 53 percent of students who made it into the resource-rich district this year. The districts that lost those students probably lost something else: perhaps a music class. ?

Options in Education

The post A Long Way To School appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.