One Argus-eye at a time, 29th Street awakens
I had occasion to walk though Boulder’s new 29th Street mall at 10:00 PM last night. I was leaving home for the IHOP (I know, I know, but I was walking, it’s closer, and it stays open later) because I can’t get work done at home sometimes. 29th Street was on the way, so I walked through it.
Some things are open now! Not at 10:00 PM, sure, but there are “Now Open” signs here and there. Peet’s Coffee: Now Open! The two Mac shops–the one that’s computers and the one that’s an acronym for make-up–they look open. Laudisio’s appears to have move there, and Fettucini Funghi is still on the menu. An Asian food restaurant called Pei Wei is down there, and I’ve already received their “free chicken lettuce wraps with your order” coupon in the mail. And there’s a bunch of department stores I’ll probably never set foot in, what with not being as girly as all that, but they look open too.
(I hear that Boulder pedestrians are a little puzzled by the yellow and white lines running down the middle of 29th Street. “It’s a paved street that runs between shops; it’s a mall named after the street it’s on; surely it’s a pedestrian-only mall? A la Pearl Street?” “Well, in fact no, cars drive down there, and you need to look both ways before jaywalking.” What I hear is, this misunderstanding makes driving in the area somewhat touch-and-go.)
The thing that is operational at 10:00 PM? The PA system. As I got to the top of the new parking lot stairs, climbing up there from 30th Street, the Doors suddenly came into earshot. They play classic rock at 10:00 PM on 29th Street.
They do not, however, play it at 4:15 AM.
I had dinner at Laudisio’s (Yummy food, for sure!) on Monday night and walked through the new outdoor mall. It was all lit up with lights and looked really pretty.
I think this new area will be good for Boulder. I found it funny that the two ‘MAC’ stores are almost right next to each other!
Thanks, Bex, I agree–better for Boulder than a dead mall, that’s for sure! I was just there today, despite the snow and slush. Had lunch at Pei Wei’s and used my coupon–they’re like the Noodles & Co. of Chinese cuisine. The orange peel chicken was quite good, not too spicy and not too sweet. And the lettuce wraps were almost a meal in and of themselves!
Went to Peet’s for coffee after. They had a French press full of … some Indonesian blend I can’t remember the name of … on sample at the counter, another blend on tap, and more varieties of tea than you can shake a large stick at. No wi-fi, though! A coffee shop in Boulder with no wi-fi–how can that be? Maybe they’re going to install it later.
My husband and I ate at the old Laudisio’s for our anniversary some years ago, which was when I discovered the joy of their Fettucini Funghi. We’re overdue another visit.