A Choice Place to Live and Learn
Home for the Holidays? Head Downtown!
December 2012
Staying in town for winter break? Downtown is the place to be for the 'Ghosts of Christmas Past' tour, a horse drawn carriage ride, a stop by Santa's workshop, or ringing in the New Year with 'First Night' - all under the magical twinkling lights.
A favorite local tradition, the Downtown holiday lights were on the budget cuts chopping block earlier this this year, but were saved when the Downtown Fort Collins Business Association, the Downtown Development Authority and the City of Fort Collins, partnered with CSU and other community sponsors to keep the tradition aglow. [more: Keeping the Light On | Holiday Fun in the Fort | Photos on Flicker]
More than bright lights, it's a great city
Downtown is way more than lights for the holiday; it's part of the local lifestyle and the word is out across the nation that the No. 1 downtown in America is right here Fort Collins.
In October, Livability named Old Town Fort Collins No. 1 on its list of the Top 10 Downtowns. Among the attributes the publication noted in making the award were the $87 million Mason Corridor project; the well-known beer culture of the city; the array of restaurants, performing arts and live music venues; our seasonal festivals and concerts; the abundance of parks and plazas; and the nearby opportunities for outdoor adventures.
Then, in November, Forbes listed Fort Collins as a "Great Urban Weekend Escape," with CSU being noted alongside Downtown, the new Museum of Discovery, the area's "bikes and breweries" culture, and of course, great access to the Colorado outdoors, including the Poudre River.
And just this week, Fort Collins and Colorado State were featured in Scientific American as a town that has been reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and growing its businesses at the same time.
No "flash in the pan"- it's the real deal
How and when did this love-fest with our hometown start? It's hard to say, but for more than a dozen a years the accolades have been rolling in.
While the city's reputation really took off in 2005 when a team from Outside Magazine went looking for the New American Dream Towns found just what they were looking for (plus a little more) in Fort Collins, maybe it all really started with A&E Television featuring "The Fort" as one of America's 10 most livable cities in 2000.
Add to that a decade of being named among the best places to retire, the best places to be young, the best places to run (and ride!), the top locations for innovation, and the picture is clear, there is something for everyone in our city by the Rocky Mountain foothills.
See it for yourself
Want to know more? Come visit! The University Welcome Center serves as our official front door for visitors and friends. The center offers general information about campus and the Fort Collins community, along with admissions information for prospective students and their families, including daily information sessions and campus tours.
