Boulder, Colorado: Eclectic, Liberal, and Controlling

Boulder is a city quite unique in culture. On the one hand, it strives to maintain its image of being super-liberal while, on the other  hand, many of the laws can be said to penalize the poor or unsuspecting.

Boulder fosters an atmosphere of inclusiveness, which can be viewed by simply spending a day at the Pearl Street Mall watching people walk by. Within this open-air mall, the assortment of odd outfits is never-ending. The die-hard bikers and mountain climbers are evident everywhere with their kneepads and helmets in tow. The parade of gothic personalities is also amusing. Indian-style dresses and paraphernalia also abound, not just in the stores in the Pearl Street Mall area, but also with the local citizenry, which is comprised of a large university student population.

In keeping with its avant-garde liberal image, there is a large selection of organic grocers available. Wellspring as well as Wild Oats Markets is available. These places are constantly bustling with activity even though their offerings are far more expensive than the average supermarket. However, they deliver organic and fresh-made items that are hard to beat for a tasty and nutritious lunch.

The whole aura of Boulder is of a city striving to emphasize a culture of openness and diversity, while tightly gripping the reigns of control. In the Boulder Public Library, for instance, Internet terminals are made available for free to the public. However, unless you are handicapped, be prepared to stay standing while you check your email. The simplicity of control in this venue is quite brilliant: How long can you stand surfing the Web before you get tired and leave? This provides a subtle message to the users of the library service that is that one should move along, and if you don't want to, they will make it very uncomfortable for you.