Aspen Overview

Aspen is so high and so far away from reality, you just might confuse it with heaven. Surrounded by mammoth peaks, the town is home to renowned skiing and extreme sports, and famous for haute shopping, designer dining and celebrities on holiday.

Ski Magazine consistently dubs downtown Aspen as the après ski capitol of North America, and it does not take long to see why. The Cooper Avenue, Hyman Avenue and Mill Street Pedestrian malls act as the centerpieces of the area. Each of the tree-lined streets features old Victorian buildings and brick retail units filled with hip shops, eclectic dining and cool local pubs. But the malls are just the beginning. From Main Street to Durant Avenue, the selection of places to eat, sleep, shop, drink, dance, tune your skis, rent a bike and check out art are seemingly endless. The ski slopes of Aspen Mountain serve as the scenic background to downtown.

Districts

The town of Aspen consists of three basic areas: a downtown squeezed between two residential neighborhoods, the West End and the East End. But the truth is that on a clear day, you can easily see one end of town from the other—it is that small. Despite its smallness the town offers an amazing diversity of activities ranging from haute couture shopping and fine dining to hiking, biking and skiing.

Once you arrive in Aspen, you can ditch your car at the hotel and forget about it. Aspen is so small it is easy to get around on foot. Plus, the traffic and parking problems only lend for headaches and frustration. If you need to head over to another mountain, just hop on a free shuttle, or take the RFTA (Roaring Fork Transit Authority) bus. If you are in downtown Aspen, just head over to the Rubey Park Transportation Center and catch a ride anywhere in the valley.

Entertainment

If you really want to blend into Aspen’s local scene, then look past the trend seekers decked out in the latest Brioni fashion or the yuppies clad in Polo Sport gear speeding around in custom Porsches, and head to the slopes. Skiing reigns supreme and Ski Magazine continually ranks Aspen as a top five North American resort. With all the area's ski shops and the slopes of Aspen Mountain literally serving as the town’s backyard, you are constantly reminded of the sport's presence.

But there is more to Aspen than skiing, gossip, fashion hunting and plastic surgery. Once the snow melts and the mud dries, the valley becomes a Mecca for outdoor activities. From biking and hiking to camping and fishing, the mountains surrounding Aspen offer endless ways to spend the lazy days of summer. Tourists fill the town for the summer festivals, and Aspen’s cultural offerings rival that of most major cities. But without the four ski mountains attracting millions of visitors each year, Aspen would probably still have more horses than people. So here is a quick look at the slopes.

Dining and Drinking

When it comes to choosing a restaurant in Aspen, good luck. Hopefully, you will be staying in town for a few days so your selection does not come down to just one place to eat. The cosmopolitan selection of eateries in the downtown area is so overwhelming, you could go hungry just trying to decide on where to dine. Ambling from street to street, and weighing the menus of the numerous five-star designer restaurants and endless local food havens, becomes quite a task in this town.

If you visit Aspen during the off-season (early spring and late fall) keep in mind that many of the restaurants close, which limits the number of choices, but not by much. High rents (USD $25,000 a month) and the area's competitive dining atmosphere tend to close some permanently, but other new culinary ideas are always quick to follow.

During peak times, many of the hot dining spots fill up well in advance, so it is a good idea to book a table before you visit—a small price to pay to dine with Aspen’s see-and-be-seen crowd.

Where To Stay

Aspen is a town driven by seasons and when it comes to accommodations the season can mean the difference between hundreds, even thousands, of dollars for a room. Unfortunately, however, you cannot categorize everything into four simple seasons. Aspen has a multitude of separate seasons within each major season, which makes lodging decisions even more complicated, especially if you are on a budget.

But not only do you have to choose a "financial season," but you also must choose the type of place in which you want to stay. If you are a skier that likes a little pampering, you will want the ski-in/ski-out options, where the slopes are literally right out the door. If you do not mind a short walk, or can handle riding the free ski shuttle, the options are endless and include inns, bed-and-breakfasts, lodges and historic hotels.

Most of the lodging is in and around Aspen proper and the four ski mountains, although you can find inexpensive options downvalley in Basalt and Carbondale.

Did You Know?

Aspen was discovered by the Ute Indians and originally called "The Shining Mountains" for its rich silver mines. While the silver is long gone, Aspen is now considered one of America's elite winter resorts.

Orientation/Geography

Aspen is situated 208 miles southwest of Denver and is located in the Elk Mountains, a segment of the Rocky Mountain Range.

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