City: Boulder, CO

Category: Tours & Attractions

Description: It has set the standard for pedestrian malls throughout the country and it still hasn’t lost its appeal since its inception in 1977. In fact, “Pearl Street,” as it is known to locals, is one of the best places in the city. Period.The Wall Street Journal has called the Pearl Street Mall one of the nation’s most successful pedestrian malls, and it has won national design awards. It’s Boulder’s people-watching spot, from kids climbing the bronze frog to college-age lovers buying gauzy new clothes to businesspeople grabbing a savory pie at the Empañadas window. Street musicians embroider the air with a saxophone’s blue tones, steel-drum calypso, folk guitar, and more. Breathe deeply. The aroma of fresh pretzels might draw you to a kiosk in front of the courthouse; fresh popcorn or stir-fried something might bring you to a pushcart vendor; or a thick, dark river of perfume might sweep you into the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.In addition to matchless people-watching, the Pearl Street Mall offers abundant free entertainment—though, of course, the jugglers, clowns, and magicians appreciate tips. In the warm months, you can sit to have your portrait painted, your fortune told, or your neck and shoulders massaged; or you might pick a ringside seat in one of the many excellent restaurants with patio tables. Thanks to Boulder’s clear skies and mild days, people-watchers often sit out even in winter. Some of Boulder’s finest restaurants, galleries, and shops are found on the mall. Discover them as you wander, or check the Shopping, The Arts, and Restaurants chapters.Pearl Street’s history does not always reflect such a stylish past. It started out Wild West style, with drunks horse-racing down the dirt lane that was the main street. And no proper lady walked a white poodle, for these dogs were popular among the “soiled doves” whose creekside homes advertised, “Men Taken In and Done For.” To civilize the street, storekeepers built plank walks, but they didn’t match sidewalk height between stores, so shoppers bobbed up and down along the way.By the 1970s, Pearl Street was drearily, Midwesterny respectable. Aluminum facades hid brick storefronts, cars jammed streets, and for lease signs proliferated like mushrooms growing in decay. To halt the decline, planners suggested everything from a covered shopping mall to high-rises. Although it seemed so risky to restore the original buildings, tweak the Old West character, and create strolling space with sculptures, trees, and flowers, the mall has been a smash hit.If you’re a history buff, stop by the Hotel Boulderado, at 2115 13th Street, just north of the mall (303-442-4344; www.boulderado.com). This redbrick hotel, named after Boulder and Colorado, was built in 1909. The city’s pride, it features Italianate porch corners, a cherry cantilevered staircase, and an Italian stained-glass ceiling. Robert Frost and Louis Armstrong were among the guests. But the Boulderado suffered decline, too. The glass ceiling crashed in a 1960s snowstorm; kitchen cooks hung bait over vats to drown rats; and vagrants slept in empty rooms. In the 1980s, Boulderado Concept Ltd. restored the grand old hotel. Wander inside. The Catacombs Bar in the basement has live blues, reggae, and jazz most nights of the week, and there’s live music on the mezzanine on Friday evenings; it’s reserved for private parties other times.Another historic area on Pearl Street is the Boulder Courthouse Square, between 13th and 14th Streets. The location started as the town’s baseball diamond and then was the site of Boulder County’s grand Victorian courthouse, which burned down in the 1930s. Local architect Glenn Huntington designed the light-colored stone, art deco courthouse you see today. The lawn, which was extensively redesigned in 1996, is a popular festival spot.A fountain built in 1935 by the Lions Club began operating again in 1999 after years of disrepair and neglect. Surrounded by tasteful landscaping and benches, it makes a wonderful spot to sit and have lunch.Just east, at 2032 14th Street, is the Boulder Theater (303-786-7030; www.bouldertheater.com), a turn-of-the-20th-century opera house renovated in the 1930s as the gaudy little sister of the plain blond courthouse. The art deco facade is as lavish as a peacock’s tail, and the restored interior has gorgeous, hand-painted, flowery murals. A live music venue for both local and national acts, the former movie house also offers dance, theater, and corporate events and can be rented for private parties. The theater is also home to the weekly etown live music/talk performances broadcast by National Public Radio to more than 150 cities.From the Pearl Street Mall, it’s an easy walk to Central Park, between Canyon and Arapahoe Streets east of Broadway. An art deco band shell, built in 1938 and restored in 1996, once again hosts concerts and civic events. A steam locomotive is a permanent fixture in the park and frequent festivals are held on the grounds.On Saturday mornings from early spring through late fall and on Wednesday afternoons in summer, the Boulder County Farmers’ Market takes place along 13th Street (see the subsequent “Boulder Creek Path” entry for details about this market). On the east side of the street is the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (see subsequent entry), and the Boulder Creek Path, the next must-see attraction, runs along the south side of the park.