x
Breaking News
More () »

This neighborhood has a Boulder address, but you might actually be able to afford to live here

Gunbarrel is a census-designated place (nope, it's not a town or city) northeast of downtown Boulder. Like its neighbor, Gunbarrel has incredible views of the Flatirons.
Credit: Allison Sylte, KUSA
A view of homes in Gunbarrel, Colorado.

There are certain … words that come to mind when one thinks of Boulder. Kombucha, for instance. You can probably think of plenty of others, but it’s fair to say that “affordable” likely isn’t on the list.

In fact, the median rent in Boulder has reached $2,700 a month, according to real estate website Trulia.com. If you want to buy a house there, the median listing price is $685,000.

There’s a reason for this: Boulder is a pretty great place to live. But, you don’t have to pay $2,000 a month for a grungy studio for amazing views of the Flatirons, an abundance of open space and plenty of things to do.

Enter Gunbarrel.

This isn’t technically a city or town (it’s actually a census-designated place in Boulder County). Many people who live there actually have a Boulder address, but unlike the city, average rent is closer to $1,500 (in Denver it’s $2,250). The drive to the Pearl Street Mall takes around 17 minutes, and it’s only 20 minutes to Chautauqua.

Did we mention that Avery Brewing and the Celestial Seasonings headquarters are in the neighborhood? Check out a map below:

This story is part of our weekly #9Neighborhoods series. Join us on the 9NEWS Instagram at noon for a photo tour of Gunbarrel! We’re featuring this neighborhood based on a viewer recommendation – is there somewhere you think we should check out? Email webteam@9news.com.

Hey, thanks IBM!

Before the 1960s, Gunbarrel was mainly farmland. But, that changed for a few reasons.

First off, in 1962, Boulder’s city manager at the time proposed building a fancy new golf course on what’s known as Gunbarrel Hill. That became a part of the Boulder Country Club, and led to a new subdivision nearby.

Credit: Allison Sylte, KUSA
The Boulder County Country Club's golf course.

The real boom happened, however, in 1965. That’s when IBM built a new facility just across the Diagonal Highway from Boulder. The hundreds of people who worked there needed a place to live, and Gunbarrel was born.

Even though it’s not incorporated, Gunbarrel is its own district. The Gunbarrel Public Improvement District Is administered by the Boulder County commissioners but can tax residents and also incur debt.

This revenue goes to roads and open space projects within the district.

Things to do in Gunbarrel

One would be remiss to talk about visiting Gunbarrel (or Boulder, for that matter) without mentioning Celestial Seasonings.

The tea factory is at 4600 Sleepytime Drive (it intersections with Zinger Street, if you’re into streets named after teas) and on the northern edge of Gunbarrel.

The tour (and the mint room) are both pretty famous and free, but there’s also a café to sample tea creations and a café open on weekends.

If you’re looking for something a bit stronger than tea, Avery Brewing Company is a less than a five-minute drive from Celestial Seasonings. The large, relatively new facility has everything from Avery favorites like White Rascal on tap to rarities. As of this writing, a 16.9 percent alcohol rum barrel-aged Belgian-style strong ale was on tap, which sounds both delicious and dangerous.

Just down the road from Avery is Asher Brewing Company, which has the distinction of being Colorado’s only all-organic brewery.

If you feel like you need to exercise before drinking beer, there are plenty of hiking and running trails throughout the area, from Twin Lakes Open Space to the Sawhill Ponds to the White Rocks Trailhead, which has a path that seemingly disappears over the hills and straight into the Flatirons.

Want to move to Gunbarrel?

Like we said: Gunbarrel is cheaper than Boulder, but only you know your definition of affordable. The median listing price for a home in Gunbarrel is $477,500, according to Trulia– but the properties on the market right now range from a $2.5 million horse property to a $329,900 two-bedroom condo.

Since Gunbarrel’s close to Boulder, there are plenty of places to work, but some of the largest employers right in the neighborhood are IBM and the advertising firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

The Boulder Massage Therapy Institute is also right in the heart of Gunbarrel, as well as the Southwest Acupuncture College -- meaning in addition to a place to live, you might also have access to people who could heal you.

Before You Leave, Check This Out