Casa Blanca

Casa Blanca

Posted by Sabina

Part I

According to Perry, “Neighborhoods possess a certain unity which is quite independent of political boundaries.” Each neighborhood unit is classified by four heads: 1) the elementary school, 2) small parks, 3) local shops, and 4) residential environment.  The Hill is a conglomeration of both college students and families. While it is the quintessential “party place” after dark on weekends (Thursday-Saturday) in Boulder, it is also home to two elementary schools, many local shops in a central shopping strip, and some parks (as well as a graveyard that is used as one). Given the diversity of people living in the area and the fact that the Hill is right next to the University of Colorado, there are fewer places for “play” and it has turned mostly into a “living space”. Many houses rented to college students try to fit as many people as possible in order to keep rent at a minimum. This has made the population density of the hill higher than average. More often than not the Hill businesses cater to college students over families. Fast and cheap food places make up the majority of local shops and there are no grocery stores to be found. There was a locally owned convenience shop, Delilah’s, but it just recently closed. Other local places revolve around university goods, music, and cafes.
  

Part II

Casa Blanca

The quintessential Hill house (left) is what my friends and I like to call "Casa Blanca". It is a relatively small house at the corner of 14th and Euclid with a lawn that is only lived in by college students and looks terrible and run down. The house across the street is a perfect match with it's school pride and very tasteful ad for atrocious beer with a scantily clad woman in the window. One block north is the "daytime Hill" with all the pizza joints you could ever ask for.

Heading south down 14th one could see that this was the Hill. The streets were filled with cars and a plethora of mailboxes lined the sidewalks. Continuing south, the Hill starts to become ambiguous. Between Cascade and Baseline the edge of the Hill seems to blur. The houses become cleaner and more manicured and the side of the street is sparse of parked cars. One may not feel as if you are on the Hill, but if someone asked where you were you would most likely say the Hill. As you drive west, the side of the street is cluttered and rows of rundown houses persist until 9th Street where you hit the cemetery.

The Hill is one of the most notorious areas in Boulder.  However the boundaries and borders for The Hill seem to be ambiguous and open for interpretation.  As a group, we decided that the southern edge of The Hill is baseline.  While for many people this may in fact be the edge, there is some doubt as to if we count the homes on the south side of baseline as well. A roommate of mine grew up on the south side of baseline on 14th, and claims he was raised on The Hill.  Therefore I believe as college students we see the southern edge as baseline because it is mainly family homes on the south side of baseline.  But this means that the border is soft due to the question on if the other side of baseline is part of The Hill or not.  When discussing the western edge, we ran into problems on exactly where it was again.  As a group, we decided that 9th was the western edge, but again it is a soft edge.  There are still houses past 9th, but they progressively become nicer and raise in value the more west you travel past 9th.  We felt the cemetery serves as almost a barrier between the college homes and the family homes.  Yet again though the western edge is ambiguous and raises a lot of questions as to what do we exactly include as The Hill.

In my opinion, other than the eastern border, all other edges of The Hill are soft.  The eastern border, is the one border that I believe is hard, meaning precise and has no doubt where it begins.  I believe if you asked any student, professor, local, or person familiar with boulder, that they would tell you that Broadway is the eastern edge.  The hills western border could rise all the way up to chautauqua, or the edge of flagstaff.  The southern border could include all the homes south of  Baseline, possibly reaching as far as Table Mesa.  While as college students we think of the hill as an area to eat, drink, and find some fun...I believe the edges of the hill may extend beyond the areas we venture to.

Hill Landmarks

Landmarks are a point of reference according to Lynch, something which is tangible or physical in nature.  "They are usually a rather simply defined physical object: building, sign, store, or mountain."  In the case of The Hill, all of these landmarks can be visible on the landscape.  To begin I would like to focus on some general landmarks which can be used to identify The Hill. 

Some may say The Hill is on the west side of campus, closer towards the flatirons.  But this does little justice towards defining a landmark of The Hill since the flatirons are visible throughout Boulder.  While it may be that one can count the number of flatirons to find the sections The Hill is nestled under, this is inconvenient.  To a resident of Boulder saying the hill resides under the flatirons is as ubiquitous as saying, "just climb down from Chautauqua and you're on The Hill."

In addition, distant landmarks such as the flatirons are well know but only those unfamiliar with Boulder will use them as a landmark.  This notion is parallel to Lynch's observation of the John Hancock Building in Boston.  Moreover, as Lynch described, distant landmarks like the Flatirons only serve as guidance for some general direction.  I am certain that more than one inebriated college student has guided themselves home with nothing more than the moonlight sparkle coming off the Flatirons.  

Hey,where is Illegal Pete's on The Hill? O yea, its right under the first Flatiron.

I hope that you can see that a central Hill landmark must do more than merely reference a general location for The Hill.  In my eyes, it has to be something which can only be seen when on The Hill.  Lynch describes such landmarks as being "primarily local, being visible only in restricted localities and from certain approaches."

When we are on The Hill, we notice physical signs documenting its existence.  To many these are a landmark, however they are numerous in nature and only give its gazers the general locality in which they are.  These landmarks in my eyes are meant for those who lack knowledge about The Hill activities.  Perhaps they serve as a guidance point for the incoming freshman and their parents.  I like to think that families who live on The Hill (the areas with softer edges as Micheal described earlier) tell their children to never go into the part of the neighborhood with the green "The Hill" signs.  Because if they ever catch them at The Fox Theater they are in big trouble.

After laying out what I believe are some very general landmarks of the Hill, landmarks which less knowledgeable persons use to justify its existence. I would now like to discuss the primary landmark on The Hill. In my opinion the central landmark which we all have used at one point or another in our time here at CU.  The Fox Theater. 
 



I base my opinion off the fact that The Hill is primarily known as a locale for University students.  Its central landmark should also represent those values.  The Fox Theater is easily identifiable in terms of appearance and location to residents of Boulder.  It quintessentially represents the college environment of The Hill, bringing shows which no older adult would want to see. 

Lynch noted that "there seems to be a tendency for those more familiar with a city to rely increasingly on systems of landmarks for their guides."  The appearance of the theater, such as its illuminated lettering and signboard helps to mark the its existence on The Hill.  Its address on 13th and College aids to its use as a landmark by allowing one to navigate to their Hill destination based off its location.  Furthermore, the number of Fraternities and Sororities peppered within a 3 block radius further justifies the fact that the Fox Theater serves as a primary landmark of all things CU (whereby all things CU can be summed up by the Hill neighborhood.)

The Fox Theater has brought such acts as Skrillex, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, John Butler Trio along with many other smaller and less well know acts to the City of Boulder.  The theater acts as a magnet which pulls persons from all throughout the city towards the Hill.  Arguably the only other landmark which attracts such attention is The Sink.  However, due to the broad number of acts which have performed, the Fox Theater has pulled vast numbers of persons from different walks of life to its door; more than I believe The Sink has.

I would like to touch on one last point about the Fox Theater.  Its locations allows for students to funnel into 13th Street.  Several nodes (the perpendicular streets to 13th Street) bring persons to the central hub of activity.  The shopping district on The Hill serves as a major focal point and arguably it is its own landmark for the Hill.  However, few buildings are left which exemplify the character of the Fox Theater.  After the destruction of the Jones Drug Store and Rose Liquor only the Fox Theater was the last standing brother of the Old Hill shopping district.

For the above reasons, I classify the Fox Theater as the landmark on The Hill.

  





The DIY Collective Members

The DIY Collective Members

Posted by Sabina

What is a city?
          According to Glaeser, the two social functions of a city are to consolidate and invest in its people. Consolidation in a city can mean anything from people to companies. New York’s Manhattan is only a mile long from 41^st St. to 59^th St. but employs more people than New Hampshire or Maine.  This gives people(and their ideas) the ability to communicate freely, easily, and inexpensively. It also allows for good and steady competition between other companies.
          Mumford believes that city planning, layout, and housing are handicapped due to the fact that city planners sometimes misunderstand a city's purpose. Cities can be defined by a variety of different aspects: location, physical features, industries, neighborhoods, activities, sports teams, natural wonders, groups of people- the list goes on. Investing in people, for Glaser, is one of the most important aspects of every successful city. His main example is Bangalore and Silicon Valley (which really is not a city). Near both of these areas are incredible universities. In Silicon Valley, Stanford University is just around the corner. As for Bangalore, the top-notch engineering universities of the India Institute of Technology and the University of Mysore are right outside of town. New companies are started constantly from these schools alumnus. Education can be very beneficial and there are many other ways in which a city can invest in its people, but some citizens take a more proactive approach...

          While Mumford claims,with good reasoning, that cities often have troubles due to their lack of knowledge for social functions, Boulder caters quite well to the small but important Do-It-Yourself (DIY) collective crust-crunchies(*the hyper links throughout help to provide tangible examples of what is being talked about).They are everywhere though may not realize it. Yes, inside every dumpster, shared community space, clothing swap, free bin, and protest, they are making use of what most of society overlooks. Who am I talking about? This group is a direct byproduct of The Creative Class. Florida defines The Creative Class as members who “create meaningful new forms” of life through their super creative core (scientists, poets, actors, engineers, designers) and the thought leadership (nonfiction writers, think tank researchers, analysts, cultural figures). The group  identified mainly functions through the core value of cooperation, relying on their community to share ideas, passions, skills, and resources. They consist of a very diverse group of people from all walks of life concerned with equality and justice.

          By mostly living off of the waste that mainstream society produces, they make a point about the pitfalls of capitalism. They can be seen getting the ‘past sell-by’ or ‘slightly bruised’ foods out of dumpsters (given that we live in Boulder this is mostly quality organic food). They will purchase the rest of their food from a food cooperative or an independent grocer. Clothing swaps are their main source of wardrobe besides going to a second hand store. Sometimes they can be seen making clothing, but this is becoming less popular as more clothing is mass produced and thrown out. They will make their own alterations to clothing giving it some individual flair or to convey a message they looking to spread.

 

          Besides clothing they re-purpose old furniture or use scraps to build whatever they need (solar dehydrator, movie projector, chicken coop). While most Americans go to retail stores to purchase merchandise, the DIY collective members think about how they can most efficiently make what they need. If they are unsure how, they will tap into their network of people because someone will know.*This idea is key. Think about when you were younger; if you were unable to do something you would probably ask your family for help. These members create one large family unit, while not blood related, emotionally they are bonded.

          Some people classify this group of people as ‘hippies’ given the amount of attention focused on the environment. Their carbon footprint is very low since they repurpose most of what they consume, commute almost always on bicycles (any kind of weather), tend to be urban homesteaders of some kind, and are a daily-showering -optional crowd. One of the most beautiful aspects of this group is their lack of judgment. They open their homes/lives to create a ‘safe-space’ for anyone willing to adapt to their lifestyle. They question almost every socially constructed norm (gender, hygiene, love, education, etc.). 

As Florida nicely puts it, “they have odd personal habits or extreme styles of dress.”

          They inhabit housing co-operatives for financial reasons as well as to further re-enforce their mission of sustainability. These houses are their main landscape, used as a vehicle for hosting functions and entertaining. Events include but are not limited to: music shows, beer making, bike repair tutorials, craft night, 80s dance parties, open-mic nights, potlucks, and film screenings. They can also be found at your local, independently owned, fair trade coffee shop or bike cooperative. Boulder, as a college town, is segregated into different communities for many reasons such as socioeconomic status, age, and occupation just to name a few.There are areas notorious for college students, upper, middle, and lower class families. Athletes seem to live close to their facilities, and like all the other groups, the DIY community seems to have their niches in the city.

         Like the readings mention, The Creative Class is not concerned with defining themselves by the amount of money they make. This is represented by the types of jobs they have. Most of the time, they work for 501 C-3 nonprofits, social entrepreneur start-ups, colleges/universities, or by doing computer work from home. They create most of their jobs and never work for major corporations which would make them question their ethics or morals.  There is a mutual, generous, healthy, and open-minded relationship established. 

 

          To help provide some perspective and contrast of the DIY sector of the creative class, here is their polar opposite: the "meatheads", work out bros, and roid ragers'. While still part of the creative class that Florida describes, these weight lifters are a breed of their own. Spurred on by protein shakes, supplements, and fulfilling their daily caloric needs they provide yet another page too the book of the creative class.

          Hello my name is Jack: I guess you can consider me a "meat-head" in my own words this is simply a person (usually a man due to the level of testosterone needed to cultivate muscular mass). But we are the guys who enjoy lifting weights just for the sake of it. It’s good for you, both physically and mentally. I think that it helps to build positive character traits such as the importance of merit, confidence, and a good old fashioned work ethic. Persons in this class usually have some idol of sorts to help them guide their journey to size. Some examples might include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronnie Coleman, or Dorian Yates.

While we may not all want to look like this:

We can respect the fact that it took some willpower, dedication, and perseverance to get to that level of size.
Wow, writing that last paragraph made me feel like I'm the man. However, according to Urban Dictionary a meat head is:

	"An enormously muscular guy who cannot hold a conversation about anything other than weight-lifting and protein shakes. Gets upset very quickly when he cannot complete his own sentences and thoughts. Can be found at nightclubs wearing shirts that are 10 sizes too small (if at all). They are by far the most closely related human beings to that of apes, chimpanzees, and other primate. They are evolutionary hindered and are less capable of following directions than my dead hamster."   -I have to agree on the part about the shirt sizes being too small.

          But this definition of the "meatheads" got me thinking how we all need to see each other in a different light. The DIY'ers are not really all that different than the musclemen. While too many of us they are just those boulder hippies that we find forming drum and guitar circles. But there is a level of depth that we are oblivious too if we only look at them as a stereotype. Just like how it can be easy to misinterpret a work out bro. The separate creative class groups may not partake in the same activity as one another, but we are sharing some of the same values. Like Florida describes, the goals of creative class members may be different. However, the creative citizens go about pursing their goals in the same manner. Above all, I feel that the creative class is merely looking for a sense of purpose in their life. The lifestyle choices we make reflect that. Whether the goal is to be physically fit and help others achieve the same or to help feed the needy by working at a non-profit. The choices we make as the creative class all begin with our desire to have fulfillment. As I understand, the DIY'ers devote their livelihood towards living a sustainable life while helping others as well. Meatheads devote their time to those 1-2 hours they spend in the gym each day encouraging each other and lending a hand when needed.

After all, whether we are hipsters’, jocks, geeks, weirdoes, hippies, crusty, ragers, greeks,

(insert describer here)

I guess were all human.

Evidence of the creative class litters Boulder. The countless gyms, yoga studios, health-food stores, holistic healers, and communal gatherings all contribute in making Boulder unique. On a nice day, usually at the beginning of Spring, Boulder Creek paints a picture of this collective class of people.