Where an unrivaled natural setting and the energy of an urban playground meet.

Back in 1967, Boulder became the first city in the country to tax itself specifically to preserve open space. Set at the base of the Rocky Mountains, at the edge of a verdant valley and along the banks of a rushing creek, Boulder today is the kind of city that respects its unrivaled natural setting while offering the energy of an urban playground. That sensibility has attracted the most educated residents in the country among the nation’s small cities. The city boasts more than 300 miles of hiking and biking trails, 45,000 acres of open space and a climate that facilitates getting out there. Residents are some of the fittest people in the country who think nothing of heading out on a five-hour hike. But while the city draws plenty of attention to its outdoor playground, there are more than enough creature comforts, too. Considered the Napa Valley for craft brewing, Boulder is home to some of the country’s finest microbreweries and gourmet restaurants, and year-round concerts and theater productions. Most of the action takes place along the brick-paved Pearl Street Mall, where glasses clinked and conversations flowed. After COVID-19, they will again. After all, with some of the highest household incomes in the country, this town is thirsting to get back on its feet again.