CU has thousands of students, and hundreds of fun activities and adventures within our perfect little college town. It’s pretty easy to get overwhelmed with the vast amount of things happening around town. To help you organize all that goes on in Boulder, let’s go through the ABCs of Boulder!
A if for Alpine Modern Cafe — Tucked away in The Hill, Alpine Modern has (obviously) modern decorations and is constantly full of students studying and drinking coffee to wash down their avocado toast.
B is for Bus to Show — The best way to get to Red Rocks if you don’t want to worry about finding a designated driver, dealing with traffic, and finding somewhere to park.
C is for Chautauqua Park — Boulder’s backyard is what draws so many people from all over to come and explore. Whether you want a thigh burning hike, like the Royal Arch Trail, a classic hike to the top of the first and second Flatirons, a run through the foothills, or just a picnic with friends, Chautauqua has it all.
D is for the dorms — Chances are unless you’re a freshman this year, you’ve grabbed most of your meals outside of the C4C from Libby or the Farrand Grab & Go. If you weren’t in Baker, you were jealous of everyone who was, but you grew to love your dorm no matter how small and dirty the rooms were.
E is for Eldorado Canyon — Located within Boulder County, and on the edge of the city, Eldorado is a perfect day trip to make with friends. Bring your dog and take a quick hike when the sun is shining!
F is for Farrand Field — The best place to lay out and study, meet-up with friends, or eat your to-go meal from Farrand. The view of the Flatirons from Farrand is like no other, and if you’ve never taken a picture in front of the field framing the mountain view, you better get to it!
G is for game days — A Saturday without a game is not the same. Boulder thrives on game days, no matter if we’re playing at Folsom or miles away, and if you’re walking around The Hill, you’ll find most everyone decked out in black and gold, and probably some Ralphie horns.
H is for The Hill — It’s full of restaurants, coffee shops, sorority and fraternity houses, a CorePower Yoga studio, and all the best parties. Essentially, it’s the hub of our college town, and there’s nowhere else like it.
I is for Innisfree — The coffee shop that isn’t Starbucks, and has shelves overflowing with books, poetry readings, and yummy food.
J is for (Pasta) Jay’s — Everyone’s go-to Italian restaurant on Pearl Street.
K is for Kitt — The dorms in Kittredge are further from the main area of campus, but the rooms are huge, and the quiet is a lovely escape.
L is for Lost Gulch Overlook — If you don’t feel like a strenuous hike, just drive up Flagstaff Road to Lost Gulch and you get the view without the burning in your thighs
M is for Muenzinger — Probably one of the most confusing buildings on campus (besides the Engineering Center), and home to the psychology department.
N is for Norlin — If you haven’t studied in the Stacks yet, add it to your to-do list. Check out The Laughing Goat for some caffeine and a snack during your study break.
O is for Old Main — The building that started it all! There’s something so magical about Old Main and the history it holds, so walk by whenever you get chance and I promise it’s worth it.
P is for Pearl Street — Pearl is almost never empty. The restaurants and cafes, boutiques and big brand stores, street performers and numerous events make Pearl a magical space for our community to come together and embrace the Boulder culture.
Q is for quick adventures — Boulder is nearby so many wonderful getaways! Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, or Aspen, maybe even Telluride, are all within a day’s drive (or less!)
R is for Red Rocks — The greatest concert venue in the world, and it’s only 45 minutes away.
S is for the Ski Bus — For only a small fee, you and your friends can buy a ticket on the ski bus and spend the day at Breckenridge, Vail, or wherever the bus is headed that day.
T is for the Tea House — The Dushanbe Tea House, located near Central Park, is full of beautiful art and architecture with an overwhelming amount of teas. It’s a cultural experience unlike any other.
U is for the UMC — Jamba Juice, Panda Express, Starbucks, and, of course, The Alfred Packer Grill, make the UMC a regular stop for students when they’re on campus.
V is for the vegan food — The healthy lifestyle of so many Boulderites makes eating and living a vegan lifestyle incredibly simple. Check out Zeal on Pearl Street, Wonder Press for juice, Native Foods on 29th Street, or anywhere on-campus for vegan options!
W is for Will Vill — I never lived in Will Vill, but from my friends who did I’ve heard it’s not as bad as you might think. It’s 10 minutes away from campus, so getting to class when there are two feet of snow on the ground might not be super fun, but the friends you make on the Buff Bus make it worthwhile.
X is for the X-Games — Approximately 99% of Boulder makes the trek to Aspen in late January, bundles up, and attends the competitions and the concerts in the evenings. It’s worth the price tag and the memories you make with your friends, shivering in your not-enough-layers outfit, and dancing to the hottest DJ, make it an amazing weekend getaway.
Y is for yoga — Boulder is a yogi’s paradise. Whether you sculpt at CPY or flow at The Rec, there’s never a time when a yoga class isn’t going down somewhere in town.
Z is for piZZa — Despite all the options for pizza, two places seem to reign supreme: Cosmo’s on The Hill and Boss Lady Pizza.