City: Boulder, CO

Category: Shopping

Description: In addition to some of the city’s most popular retail shops, this complex of somewhat upscale strip malls has developed into a shopping and eating destination. Memorable restaurants include Alba, formerly known as the Full Moon Grill and Zolo Grill. More casual eateries in the area include Le Peep, Red Robin, and the BoulderChill. Goodies from Great Harvest Bread and The Brewing Market can fill in any remaining empty spaces. The wonderfully inviting Sunflower Market and Ellie’s Eco Home Store are two new and exciting additions to the center.This busy retail area is where you’ll find the original McGuckin Hardware (if they don’t have it, you don’t need it), Studio Bernina and Elfriede’s Fine Fabrics, Video Station (a locally owned video store whose employees seem to have seen every movie ever made and remember the details of each one), the addictively aromatic Ead’s News & Smoke Shop, and the rare and exotic furnishings from Indochine. Children’s shops clustered near a pleasant child’s pocket park includes Rocky Mountain Kids, a clothing and shoe store for kids. If you ski or snowboard, a trip to Boulder is not complete without a visit to Boulder Ski Deals.The Marriott Hotel dominates the east end of the Village and offers its own upscale contributions to the shopping, with everything from Essentiels Spa to Boulder Body Wear and the Boulder Jewelry Company (see the Accommodations chapter for more information on the hotel).The WaterStreet shopping complex, on the north side of Canyon Boulevard between Folsom and 27th, features some of Boulder’s most luxurious shops. Christina’s Lingerie carries expensive underwear, while The Regiment Shops sell quality men’s and women’s outerwear. JJ Wells carries distinctive women’s fashions and accessories. Walters & Hogsett (see the subsequent “Jewelers” section) offers elegant jewelry. Chain stores in the area include Safeway, Petco, Performance Bicycle Shop, Pier 1 Imports and Joann Fabrics.You can reach this area in a variety of ways: the Boulder Creek Path is on the south edge (making walking and biking easy), auto access is a snap (but the parking lots fill up when hit movies are showing), and it’s on major bus routes, including the super-convenient Hop.