The Telluride Community
For those who haven’t visited Telluride and Mountain Village, it’s hard to put their beauty and character to words. These communities, which perfectly complement each other and basically coexist as one, are truly unique in terms of scenery, surroundings, culture and activities, as well as the warmth and vibrancy of the people who call them home.
To begin with the older of the two, Telluride was a community before a ski destination. With a strong and colorful past, its roots were in the mining industry, attracting a robust and free-spirited crowd. There were saloons, brothels, and all sorts of zany things going on at 8,750 feet above sea level. |
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Even Butch Cassidy found the place interesting enough to host his first bank heist. By the late 50s and 60s, mining came to a halt and the town began seeking new means for survival. In 1972, the ski area was born and with it came more of the robust and free-spirited…only this time instead of gold, they were in search of snowier fortunes. Today, Telluride clings to its history, respects its present and works diligently to preserve its future. Located in one of the most spectacular box canyons around (with craggy peaks and waterfalls visible from virtually every vantage point), its community is as strong as the mountains that surround it with a sense of passion that has dictated very thoughtful development. Many century-old structures have been meticulously restored, while new ones are built according to strict architectural guidelines. Needless to say, a walk down Telluride’s main street is like stepping into a child’s picture book.
As for the newer, resort community of Mountain Village, it’s perched at 9,400 feet atop the spectacular Turkey Creek Mesa where vast alpine vistas paint a 360-degree panorama. Mountain Village was incorporated as a home-rule municipality in 1995 and today has a progressive, contemporary style with an infrastructure that’s growing by leaps and bounds. Between the elegant hotels/condominium developments, a newly completed grocery store, recreational facilities and grand alpine residences, Telluride’s resort-style counterpart has evolved into a community all its own.
Telluride and Mountain Village are connected by North America’s first free gondola transportation system, an exquisite 13-minute ride which serves as a symbolic, environmental, financial and physical link between the two communities. Today, roughly 2,100 people live in Telluride, with another 1,000 residing in Mountain Village. San Miguel County, which stretches to the Utah border and is one of Colorado’s least populated areas (the closes major city is 6 1/2 hours and 400 miles away), is home to approximately 7,000. Around these parts the closest traffic light is a 40-mile drive, fast food is approximately 70 miles away and the closest thing to a chain store is the local Ace-Timberline Hardware shop. Telluride is almost as populated by dogs as it is people and the county probably has more bovine residents than human. At the same time, however, there is a hip level of class and sophistication with restaurants that rival some of the swankiest metropolises, and festivals that attract film and music fans in hordes. The majority of second and second-plus home/property owners in both Telluride and Mountain Village enter the market initially as investors, yet because they invest from a lifestyle perspective as well as a monetary one, many end up spending more and more time here. What was once a vacation spot "to get away from it all" transforms into a community they are part of and a place they call home.
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