Aspen

Elevation: 7,908 feet in town

Population: 5,914 (2000)

County: Pitkin

Climate:

Recreation: The City of Aspen has 26 public parks; the Wheeler Opera House; Aspen Recreation Center including the James E. Moore municipal swimming pool, an 18-hole golf course, two tennis courts, two ice skating rinks, a summer program for children and hundreds of acres of open space. In addition, there are four alpine ski mountains, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, hiking, fishing horseback riding, jeep tours, whitewater rafting, nearby windsurfing and sailing, and biking paths amidst incredible beauty.

Arts, Culture and Non-Profits: Known as Colorado’s cultural mecca, Aspen offers an eclectic lifestyle appealing to a wide variety of people from the most physically active to those seeking to enjoy vast cultural opportunities, some of which are linked below.

Aspen Art Museum
Aspen FilmFest
Aspen Music Festival & School
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Aspen Theater in the Park
Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Aspen Center for Physics
The Aspen Institute
Aspen Writer’s Foundation
Rocky Mountain Institute
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Aspen’s residential neighborhoods include the Central Core area encompassing the downtown area with single family homes, condominiums and townhomes. East Aspen has both new exclusive and older neighborhoods ranging from up towards Independence Pass to walking distance to downtown, featuring single family and duplex structures as well as some townhomes and condominiums closer to the core area. Views can be dramatic-either of downtown Aspen or up towards the Continental Divide.

Nearby Red Mountain neighborhoods are popular for their close proximity to downtown Aspen and consist of single family homes that overlook all of Aspen, many with views from the Continental Divide to Mt. Sopris, typically on one-acre lots. Convenient to the Music Tent and downtown, the West End has both single-family homes and duplexes ranging from Victorians to ultra contemporary in style on 6,000 to 9,000 square foot lots.

West Aspen neighborhood lots are generally one-half to three-quarters of an acre and feature both single family homes and duplexes-popular with both locals and vacation homeowners. Some of the more exclusive and newer neighborhoods also have ski access to either Aspen Highlands or Buttermilk/Tiehack.

Starwood and White Horse Springs are exclusive neighborhoods that include lots ranging in size from about 2 to 10 acres that enjoy sweeping views from Independence Pass to Mt. Sopris and of all four ski areas. Some lots have the ability to keep horses.