5280 Magazine – August 2019

88 |^5280 |^ AUGUST^2019

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es

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)

we call ourselves Coloradoans up here, by the

way—you haven’t given Fort Collins all that

much thought. Maybe you drove through on

your way to Yellowstone National Park or

stopped by for a Colorado State University

football game or took a tour of New Belgium’s

brewery and thought, Hmm, looks like it could

be a cool town. Then you moved on. Yes, for far

too long, Fort Collins has been shoved aside

by the big-cityness of Denver and

overshadowed by the patchouli-and-climbing-

chalk allure of that other Colorado college

town. It didn’t matter that the outdoor recre-

ation opportunities were abundant or that the

music scene was hot or that the beer was (way)

better. People just couldn’t seem to see the

beauty of this northern Colorado town.

Those days are over.

Maybe it’s all the destination restaurants

that have cropped up over the past few years,

imbuing the dining scene with their thoughtful, locally sourced

fare. Or maybe it’s the recent explosion of microbreweries (roughly

10 in the past five years). Of course, it could also be the stylish new

hotels or the debuts of musical venues big and small or the promise

of a new white-water park. Whatever the magic ingredient might

be, the new charms also remind everyone about the cool stuff that

has always been here.

Truly, Fort Collins (go ahead, call it FoCo, it’s OK) has a

long list of classic attractions: Horsetooth Reservoir; hiking and

mountain biking trails that spider into the foothills from the edge

of town; an extensive urban system of paved off-street paths; and

Colorado’s only federally designated Wild & Scenic River, the

Cache la Poudre (definitely call it “the Pooder”). And that’s to say

nothing of Old Town, the

nexus of nightlife, arts, din-

ing, and people-watching that

is so enchanting it inspired

Walt Disney World’s Main

Street, U.S.A.

Of course, this Front

Range city of roughly

171,000—which, along

with Greeley, is expected to

double in size by 2050—is

different from the Magic

Kingdom in at least one very

IF YOU’RE LIKE

TOO MANY

COLORADANS—

COLLEGE MATH

AN

ADVANCED

DEGREE

IN FUN

crucial way: It oozes authen-

ticity. It’s a vibe born of a rich

agricultural tradition, a land-

grant university with more

than 30,000 students, and a

community of friendly people

who gravitate toward after-

work mountain bike rides,

outdoor music fests, and hoppy

pints on sunny patios. Locals

have always loved this place,

but now we’re pretty sure you

will, too.

HIGHBROW

LECTURES

Listen to
everyone from
anthropologists
to the co-
founder of New
Belgium Brew-
ing Company.

A R T S Y

DESTINATIONS

The Gregory

Allicar Muse-

um of Art and

the University

Center for the

Arts have

visual and

performing

arts covered.

GREASY

PIZZA

Pizza Cas-

bah’s hefty

slices get

our vote.

ALL-NIGHT

COFFEESHOPS

Alleycat Cof-

fee House

has your 3

a.m. caffeine

infusion.

CHIC

VINTAGE

SHOPS

Repeat

Boutique is

stuffed with

killer finds.

++++++=

Universities bring a certain something special to their hometowns. Here, we

attempt to break down the arithmetic behind Colorado State University’s appeal.

CHEAP BEER

Find $1 pints

at Mo

Jeaux’s on

Wednesdays.

TAILGATING

Just show

up at Canvas

Stadium—no

game tickets

are required

to have fun.