Showing posts with label Pearl Street Mall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pearl Street Mall. Show all posts

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Requiem for the BookEnd Cafe


It’s like a missing tooth you keep feeling around for with a wistful tongue.  My favorite espresso joint in Boulder closed on May 1. A kindred spirit who also loved the place sent me some photos to remember it by.  I keep thinking I’ll head down there, and then realizing it is no more.  Why was it so special?
For one thing, it was attached via an inviting brick archway to the independently-owned  Boulder Bookstore, one of my favorite places in the world.  A person could sip a latte, then go next door to peruse the inviting shelves, then come back for more latte, and repeat.  BookEnd had old red brick walls, and shelves filled with ancient tea tins and pots.  There was a large ball of string on display, and a huge painted wooden frog.  The soundtrack was usually playing music I enjoyed and the overall hubbub of the place was enough to energize, but not so much that it overwhelmed.  

You could sit next to the tall windows and people watch for hours as the parade of humanity* which is Boulder’s Pearl Street ambled by.   Or you could sit outside at the stone tables next to the black iron grillwork and listen to that long-haired old guy with the beard who sings pretty well, knows the words to every folksong ever written and always seems to know which one you want to hear next.  Chess players, students, tourists, silver-haired groups in lively conversation, writers, families--all found a cozy place to hang at Bookend.  I can only hope for a swift resurrection.
*The Pearl Street parade can include the likes of a small boy balancing a luminous green-purple peacock feather on his index finger as his proud father looks on, a smiling young couple holding up a sign offering “Free Hugs,” several people in a row on mats doing yoga on their backs and offering to balance onlookers on their feet, a ragtag band with a guitar, washboard and fiddle singing fast jazzy tunes in raucous harmony, a flamethrower and juggler explaining to a member of the audience how not to toss the axe up to her  while she’s pedaling the unicycle lest bloodshed occur, a blonde belly dancer undulating to a languorous drumbeat gradually building to a fast crescendo...and so much more.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Urban Hikes in Boulder

A few years ago my husband and I discovered the joys of urban hikes. We live in Boulder, Colorado, which is an extremely pedestrian-friendly city. Bike and pedestrian paths with underpasses make navigating intersections a breeze, and of course the constant view of the Flatirons against a Colorado blue sky makes our walks even more enjoyable.

We freeze a little water in the bottom of two Nalgene water bottles, so that when we fill them with water they stay nice and cold, and carry everything we need on our backs. Often we will take care of errands, small purchases, even grocery shopping and wine purchases for dinner on foot during our urban hikes.

The very best part about it, though, is the conversation. Topics range far and wide from the state of the world and country, to the state of our children off at college, to my frustrations and successes at work. It is our best time to share with each other and often the walks will last three hours or more. Boulder has numerous great restaurants, so we will often have lunch out along the way.

We live in South Boulder and can easily head straight up into the foothills from our house and walk the Chautauqua trails behind the National Institute for Science and Technology buildings. Or we can walk through various neighborhoods to get to the brand new 29th Street Mall for lunch at L’s. Or we can head through the CU campus and down the big hill to walk the famous Pearl Street Mall.

When we visit other cities we always wish for the same walker-friendly environment there, since it is a great way to really see a town or city, but we rarely find it. If you know of a good walking town, post a comment and let me know.