Dear Google,
Welcome to Boulder!
Although you have been in Boulder for quite some time, the scale of your new campus is much larger and as such I believe your relationship with this place will change. Seriously, the mere thought of Google’s expansion has literally changed the face of Boulder. So, I would like to introduce you to this place in a way that your maps and analytics cannot.
Boulder is filled with smart people. It is a place where the classics meet the contemporary. Looking at book preferences in the windows of The Laughing Goat, titles range from Dostoevsky’s Grand Inquisitor, to Andrew Hunt’s Pragmatic Programmer and always a copy of the New York Times lies folded as someone studies its scripture with a tracing finger.
For years I sat in old coffee shops on Pearl Street and I watched Boulder change season by season. The spirit of Boulder remained. In winter I was always relieved to take off my heavy jacket and sip a cup of bittersweet hot chocolate. I’ll tell you though; the best time of year to be present on Pearl Street is during the fall. The Colorado air becomes cooler and the sun still shines fiercely down on pedestrians who trod on blankets of crunchy leaves. Outside on the red bricks with the wrought iron tables and tiny birds darting between feet and tree branches is the sound of a city in passing. The sounds of a jazz saxophone, attempted Dylan lyrics and the deep tenored voice of a man who has few possession aside from his many refrains of old Irish pub songs. Between the hum of traffic and the intermittent fire engine is a desperate looking college student. With his blue t-shirt and clipboard, he trails people with the phrase “Have five minutes for the environment?” Across the street in front of the Old Chicago another man asks passers if they can “spare any change?”
Boulder has not always been an easy place to be. It is a disruptive place with a thousand different interests and passions competing to be here. The academic experience in this town is constantly stimulating, and rigorous. There are so many ways in which Boulder competes to be the absolute best. Whether it is CU and world-class engineering, Naropa’s thoughtful paradigm, our fanatic obsession with organic and high-end food or Boulder’s reputation of runners and bike racers with their unmatched enthusiasm.
Google, your own reputation corresponds to Boulder’s multifaceted image. I am so excited for you to be a part of this city. Add to it with your immense culture of curiosity and play. Help it thrive by attracting people who love pushing limits. I want Boulder’s spirit to grow and mature and thrive with you as a driver of it’s evolution.
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