Tara Calihman | Your Boulder

26Jul, 2013

Boulder Neighborhood Guide: Wonderland Hills

You never hear people talking about the Wonderland Hills neighborhood. Perhaps it gets overshadowed by the fancy neighborhood to the south — Newlands — or perhaps the residents of Wonderland Hills just know how to keep a secret. Whatever the reason, this neighborhood offers residents quiet living, large lots and easy access to the Wonderland Lake.

History: Wonderland Hills got it’s start in the early 70’s as a new high-end development. It was designed to be a “luxury” suburb of Boulder that provided proximity to both the foothills and the vibrant downtown scene…mountain living without all that pesky driving.

16Jul, 2013

5 Cool Summer Activities for Kids in Boulder

By Tara Calihman

With a little more than a month left of summer here in Boulder, there’s not really a good excuse (okay, maybe the heat) why you shouldn’t be getting out to do fun things with your kid. There’s tons to do with kids in Boulder this summer — and we’ve got the scoop.

Family Concert in the Park: On Monday night, July 29th, the City of Boulder Parks & Recreation Department will be sponsoring the last summer performance of their concert band series. You can pack a picnic dinner and bring the whole family to enjoy a night of free entertainment. The show is held at Chautauqua Park and will start at 7pm.
Sunflower Farm: This is a working farm that has been opening its gates to the public for 10 years now. Every Friday night through the end of August, Sunflower Farm invites families to enjoy a dinner on the farm. You bring the picnic food, they provide the baby goats, chickens, pony rides & other assorted farmyard fun. The cost is $10 and the dinner hours run from 5pm-8pm.
Family Dance Planet: Billed as Boulder’s dance party for families with children, Family Dance Planet happens the third Saturday of each month. Take the family and enjoy dancing to the beats and rhythms of a live DJ. The event is held at the Avalon Ballroom and festivities kick off at 10am.
The Unofficial Boulder Triathlon: This one consists of biking with your children to Scott Carpenter Park, running around the park (especially up and down the big hill) and then hopping over to the pool for a swim. You won’t get any aid stations or t-shirts for finishing this one but you won’t have to pay any expensive race registrations either.
ABC Kids Climbing: This indoor climbing gym is run by two former elite climbers and they aren’t messing around. With 7200 square feet of space, ABC is the only gym in Boulder built for the sole purpose of training kids to climb. ABC not only provides the place, but also the opportunity to learn from coaches and to compete on advanced climbing teams. If you’re new to climbing, you can choose from a variety of lessons or come in as a family to enjoy the open gym sessions.

So go pick something fun and remember why you love your child in the first place. Or at the very least, create some special memories & take a few cute pictures. Either way, get out there!

15Jul, 2013

Boulder Beer Company: Colorado’s Oldest Microbrewery

By Tara Calihman

These days, when you think Boulder, you think beer. But that wasn’t the case in 1979, when two CU professors received the 43rd brewing license issued in the United States and the Boulder Beer Company was born. That’s right. Boulder Beer is officially Colorado’s first microbrewery and after 35 years, is still putting out many tasty brews.

The flagship Boulder beers are the mountain bike-inspired Singletrack copper ale, the Buff Gold, a light beer which is a homage to the town’s university and the Planet Porter, the brewery’s oldest recipe and a delicious addition to a milkshake. But the beer that Boulder brewing might be most famous for is it’s innovative Hazed & Infused. First introduced in 2002, Hazed is an unfiltered dry-hopped amber ale and is definitely the most popular beer that Boulder Beer makes. When driving around, it’s hard to miss the ubiquitous Hazed stickers that cover town.

09Jul, 2013

Boulder Neighborhood Guide: Martin Acres

By Tara Calihman

Martin Acres is a fantastically convenient and surprisingly affordable Boulder neighborhood. With easy access to U.S. 36, a major RTD bus route and lots of bike paths, living here means you get anywhere you want to go with little hassle.

History: This neighborhood started out as a Boulder suburb in the 1950s. With the completion of the Denver-Boulder Turnpike, the population of the area started growing. What first began as a neighborhood of small family housing quickly turned into a college rental hotbed. These days, you’ll find a nice mix of student rentals with more and more families coming back to call this neighborhood home.

17Jun, 2013

Boulder Beer: Check Out the Wild Woods Nanobrewery

By Tara Calihman

The Boulder beer scene is growing like wild — which makes this newcomer a perfect fit. Have you heard about Wild Woods? It’s a fresh nanobrewery, and now open in East Boulder.

A nanobrewery is defined as a very small brewery operation and they are the newest trend in craft beer. More and more people are realizing that they want to brew beer and not worry about opening up a huge business in order to do that.

Enter Wild Woods. This new addition to the Boulder beer scene is owned by a husband and wife team that have been brewing and perfecting recipes in their garage for years. In late fall of 2012, they decided to open a larger venue in which to brew and pour. Basically, a bigger garage.

12Jun, 2013

Boulder Neighborhood Guide: Newlands

By Tara Calihman

People love this classic Boulder neighborhood. Wedged in between Mapleton and Wonderland Hills, the Newlands neighborhood is a beautiful one that officially includes North Boulder park and it’s baseball diamonds, playgound and sheltered picnic areas. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that Newlands backs up to the foothills and offers homeowners Mount Sanitas as a backdrop.

History: This neighborhood was originally developed in 1871 by the Newland family. It started as a large orchard and as time went on, was divided up for sale. Many lots in the Newlands neighborhood still bear the apple trees that the Newland family planted many years ago. In 1922, Boulder Community Hospital opened and, located in the middle of the Newlands, presented itself as an anchor for the surrounding neighborhood.

10Jun, 2013

Boulder Neighborhood Guide: Whittier

By Tara Calihman

Whittier is one of the most established, and most desirable, neighborhoods in town. Its vibrant mix of older single family homes and student housing, combined with the revitalization of East Pearl Street, have made this neighborhood a walker’s dream come true.

History: Located adjacent to Pearl Street, it’s easy to see why early settlers chose to build their houses in this neighborhood. With large tree-lined streets and large Victorian houses to match, there is a friendly neighborhood feeling that dates back to another time. Whittier was originally established in 1859 and Boulder’s history plays a big part in the neighborhood. You can see many designated historic houses and even more that have been fully restored to their original grandeur.

06Jun, 2013

Tap into Boulder’s Fate Brewing

By Tara Calihman

You can’t miss Fate Brewing’s bright yellow awnings and signs. And that’s exactly what Mike Lawinski, the owner, intended when he took over the former Mexican restaurant located one block west of Foothills Parkway on Arapahoe Avenue.

With it’s ample outdoor seating, comfy atmosphere and fine selection of craft brew, Fate Brewing has every reason to believe that good things are meant to be. And that’s, well … a good thing.

Head brewer Jeff Griffith, of Golden City brewery fame, is the one responsible for all the deliciousness that comes pouring out of the taps. In his 3000 square foot brewery, he and his team of brewers have created a variety of beer styles.

04Jun, 2013

Cheers to Upslope’s Newest Taproom in East Boulder

By Tara Calihman

Snuggled into a corporate park is not the first place you think to find a taproom. Yet Upslope Brewing Company has opened their newest taproom in just such a place. The East Boulder location (1898 S. Flatiron Court to be exact) has only been open a month and has already started to create a buzz. The Boulder County Business Report recently named Upslope as the #5 fastest growing business in the county and if this taproom is any indication, I don’t see that growth slowing down anytime soon.

Hidden among similar-looking buildings, it’s easy to miss the taproom. Just keep your eyes open for a big silver hopper with an Upslope sign on it. Once you find the place, however, it’s definitely worth it. The taproom features a sleek modern aesthetic with exposed light bulbs and stainless silver taplines specially designed by the taphouse managers. Not to mention the black polished concrete bar that curves through the room.

31May, 2013

Bicycle Around Boulder on the B-360 and B-180 Loops

By Tara Calihman

There’s no better way to see a city and find out what it has to offer than on bicycle. And with our more than 300 miles of bike routes, paths and lanes, this especially holds true in Boulder.

Two such paths can give an excellent overview of Boulder. The B-360 is a 26-mile loop that circumnavigates the entire town, while the B-180 is about half that, a 16-mile trail that goes through a few different parts of town. Thanks to the bright green and blue markers on the many different bike paths, you can ride these loops anytime during the year. Simply keep your eyes open for the route arrows and have fun on the self-directed bike tour.