Aspen

 

One of the world’s most famous ski resorts doesn’t disappoint when it comes to dining, arts, nightlife, and outdoor adventure. Winter brings skiing on Aspen/Snowmass’s four area mountains, while summer blooms with hiking, biking, classical music, concerts, theater in the park, lectures, and food and wine festivals.

 

Once a Victorian mining town, the vibrant and healthy community of Aspen has since ascended as one of the world’s most famous ski areas.

 

Summer days begin with mountaintop yoga and meditation followed by lunch and fly-fishing in the afternoon. When the snow flies in winter, Aspen turns into a wonderland of activities from snowmobiling to skiing, ice skating to winter fat biking.

 

A mix of longtime locals, second homeowners, and international guests who seek a mountain paradise.

 

A bastion of culture in the summer and a sports mecca in the winter.

 

Off-seasons of fall and spring offer a return to a quieter small town when many restaurants and shops close and neighbors take time to stop and talk on the streets.

 

High-end retailers, small cafes, and historic hotel saloons channel rustic sophistication.

 

In winter, après-ski kicks off evenings of cocktail and dining culture that last late into the night. Summer means outdoor concerts featuring classical, jazz, and contemporary artists. But in the end, each and every season is rooted in and revolves around the mountains.

 

The town’s rich artistic tradition of classical music, jazz, visual arts, ballet, and theater.

 

At the downtown Aspen Art Museum, there is free entry and a rooftop cafe in the Shigura Ban-designed building. The historic Wheeler Opera House is the place to catch live acts ranging from musicians to comedians and even local school plays. Spending a Sunday afternoon on the lawn at the Aspen Music Festival’s Benedict Music Tent is a summer rite of passage.

 

Free market real estate is dominated by high price points and low vacancy rates.

 

Single-family homes, ranchettes, and condos are always in high demand. Many prefer to live within Aspen city limits, where land is hard to come by, so tear-downs and remodels are common and price tags high. In Aspen city limits, you will find a mix of updated Victorian mining cabins in the West End, large, opulent homes on Red Mountain and penthouses and condos in the downtown core. Outside of downtown, in greater Pitkin County, larger custom homes are commonly built amid the wilderness, on larger parcels and offering expansive mountain views. Both working cattle and hay ranches as well as smaller, “gentleman” ranches are just a short and scenic drive from Aspen’s downtown core.

 

The Rocky Mountains, soar skyward in every direction.

 

People here say the mountains are the great equalizer. Everyone—visitors, locals, homeowners, and renters—come together in the outdoors to enjoy a day of skiing, hiking, or rafting along the Roaring Fork River. Yoga on the top of Aspen mountain, the sounds of music students playing along the sidewalks in summer, and the excitement of fresh snow in winter bring the community together in harmony.