Deep in history and long in legend, the mountain community of Steamboat Springs has risen in prominence as one of the true-grit western towns of modern age, Its friendly faces, picturesque setting, world-class amenities and healthy climate provide a rewarding environment for play and work. It is no wonder legend has it a Ute Indian chief placed a curse on the Yampa Valley, claiming that once a person visits the Valley, they will forever be captivated to return.
Steamboat Springs can be divided into four distinct neighborhoods: Downtown, Fish Creek, the Mountain and Strawberry Park. Each one is unique in character and offering its own charm.
Downtown
Downtown Steamboat Springs is only about 12 blocks long, but it has just about everything a town could possibly offer.
Spread around this area are a river, a ski hill, baseball fields, a skate park, a college, a rodeo arena, an indoor ice arena, a library, a movie theater, bus stops for the town's free bus, restaurants and bars that have live entertainment, parks, churches, a railroad, several art galleries, a bike path and quaint shops that sell paintings and clothes and ice cream.
It isnÿt surprising that living downtown offers the type of lifestyle that many residents desire.
Living downtown provides families the opportunity to walk to everything, even schools.
It's easy to be a part of anything going on in town, from parades and festivals and rodeos, to art shows and marathons and concerts. Living downtown means it's even possible to watch an event for a few minutes, and then take a casual stroll by the river and do a little shopping before calling it a night. Downtown living includes walking to schools, both public and private.
There's a sense of history here, and a community feel. Your neighbors are close and you know them. The downtown area has an eclectic mix of home styles. There are homes that date back to Steamboat's earliest days at the end of the 1800s, and homes that are brand new. There is a range of architectural style, with Victorian homes, log homes, and brightly colored clapboard homes sitting side by side.
Lots are typically small, with most measuring one-tenth to a quarter of an acre, so homes are usually closely spaced. Sizes of homes vary more than lots sizes do: homes range from 1,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet. Downtown lots are at a premium, but smaller homes can be found beginning at around $600,000.
If there are two words that describe downtown, they'd be ´convenience¡ and ´community¡. Children can bike to soccer practice, or walk to Howelsen Hill to ride up to the top of the state's oldest ski resort and ski down or take the Alpine Slide in summer. Outdoor activities such as skiing, fishing, kayaking, mountain biking and hiking all start down the street from homes in this area. Many residents even walk a few blocks to work.
The sense of community and of neighborhood is also strong downtown, with neighbors feeling a tie to each other and to the town. Getting a true Steamboat Springs experience requires spending at least a little time downtown. Living in this area provides the convenience and sense of community for which many new residents are looking.
Fish Creek Area
If you're looking for a great family neighborhood but not in the downtown area, look no further than the neighborhood know as Fish Creek. Located between downtown and the Steamboat ski area, children roam the neighborhoods and invariably end up in the backyard with the most space and the greenest grass. There are yellow signs for kids playing, basketball hoops over garage doors and plastic slides in back yards. There are trails leading from downtown to the top of Steamboat Boulevard, so it's possible to walk and bike. And undeveloped land at the boundary of the Fish Creek Falls area means animals often pass through the neighborhood.
Being that this area adjoins National Forest, in addition to human visitors, Fish Creek residents can also have visits from fox, deer, elk, bears and even an occasional moose. Situated above town, most of the lots have good sunsets... Just being higher up out of the valley, there are a few more benefits.
The Fish Creek neighborhoods are off of Fish Creek Falls Road, a four-mile road that runs from the Old Town Hot Springs and Recreation Center to Fish Creek Falls, an impressive waterfall that is one of the top attractions for visitors to the Steamboat area.
Most of the residences in Fish Creek Falls are free-standing homes, although there are sections of duplexes and townhouses. Homes range in size from 1,600 square feet to more than 6,000 square feet. They also range in price, with some selling for as little as $600,000 and others going for more than $1 million. Here, it seems, there is something for almost everyone.
The homes are mostly new, with the oldest ones built in the 1970s. That means most of the plumbing, electrical systems and other features are up-to-date.
While there has been a lot of growth in this area over the past 10 to 15 years, residents should not expect to see a lot more. For most of the residents in these developments, Fish Creek Falls provides a year-round home and second-home owners are not as common.
The subdivisions have a traditional feel, with ample yards for playground equipment and long driveways for playing basketball. Some areas such as Willet Heights are higher-density and have duplexes on quarter-acre lots, while other areas such as Blue Sage having single-family homes on lots that are a quarter and half an acre.
Climbing up Fish Creek Falls Road, subdivisions disappear and houses sit on larger lots. The road snakes around through aspen groves, giving glimpses of the ski mountain and of town, and eventually bringing drivers to Fish Creek Falls.
Most of the Fish Creek Falls area is easily within biking distance from town, and it also provides some of the most spectacular views in the city, including Howelsen Hill, Sleeping Giant and the ski area. The road from town quickly gains elevation, so homeowners can watch the sun set over town and the sun rise on the ski area.
Steamboat Boulevard and Hilltop Lane offer easy connections to the mountain and to Highway 40 east of town, so all areas of Steamboat are easily accessible.
Mountain Area
For some Steamboat residents, a home on the mountain means one thing - easier access to skiing. Known as "Ski Town USA," Steamboat Springs's almost 3,000-acre ski resort attracts winter sports enthusiasts from around the world. A house or condo on the mountain can give the feeling of having miles and miles of first-rate ski runs in your own backyard.
But living on the mountain means more than just the chance to take a run or two before work or to be first to ski on 14 inches of fresh powder. It also means being close to some of Steamboat's largest stores, so restocking the refrigerator or picking up a video can be done within minutes. It means having top-notch golfing (Haymaker, Sheraton, Catamount and Steamboat Golf Club) and mountain biking outside your door, as well as nearby playing fields, hiking trails and indoor tennis. It means being able to walk to the rock concerts, balloon festivals, cultural and other events that take place on the mountain. And it means living on steeply curving roads that provide views of stunning sunsets over town.
Plus, the mountain's range of housing options provides some of Steamboat's most affordable living opportunities. There are one-bedroom condominiums that cost as little as $200,000, and entry-level homes that aren't out of reach for first-time homeowners. Although lower prices usually mean further distances from the resort, the ski mountain is still nearby.
Like beachfront property, homes that are ski-in and ski-out, or even golf-in and golf-out, carry a premium. Homes that are higher up the mountain also tend to have higher price tags and larger lots. Some of the homes in the area close to Highway 40 have lots that are a quarter of an acre, while lots higher up the mountain can reach up to one acre.
The mountain area has the highest concentration of second-home ownership, which means that in some neighborhoods, some residents may only be around for part of the year. Most of Steamboat's condos are located on the mountain. Each set of condos is different; different colors, construction materials, sizes, angles, views.
Many of the houses, condos and townhomes on the mountain are newer, with the oldest units dating back to the 1960s. The area's largest developments are Whistler Meadows, Running Bear, Ski Ranches, Fairway Meadows and the Sanctuary. Whistler Meadows is the section of the mountain closest to Highway 40. Many of its housing units are condominiums, but there are also some fairly affordable freestanding homes. The Yampa Core Trail starts here, so residents who work downtown can easily bike to work on a sunny summer day. Although most condos don't have yards, the area is dog-friendly.
At the other boundary of the mountain area is the Sanctuary, one of Steamboat's most exclusive developments. Here, each home is its own statement, with styles ranging from stucco to stone, painted wood to dark logs. Some homes back up to the Sheraton Golf Course. All are surrounded by aspen and pine trees, and feel secluded, almost in the woods. Town isn't visible from here. Residents have the feel of being tucked into the mountains, away from town. Street signs describe the views from this development: Forest View, Golf View, Heavenly View.
With a range of home styles and prices to choose from, and the accessibility of skiing, shopping and other activities, many people are happy to find a place to live in the mountain area.
Strawberry Park
Tucked in a peaceful valley directly north of the downtown area, Strawberry Park residents enjoy large lots, easy access to the schools and downtown area. The Steamboat Springs Middle School, as well as the Strawberry Park Elementary School are located at the beginning of the valley.
Starting high on the continental divide, Soda Creek flows through the central part of the valley, connecting small ranches and lush meadows where horses and cattle seem to outnumber the human population.
The Lowell Whiteman School (a private college preparatory school), as well as the Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Center (the oldest performing arts camp in the country) are also located in this area. Roads leading out of the valley arrive at the Strawberry Park Hot Springs to the north, and Buffalo Pass, which is a back country enthusiasts dream, offering a plethora of winter activities while enjoying our famous Champaigne Powder. There is a variety of hiking, biking, cross country skiing and horseback riding trails throughout this area, and Strawberry Park residents enjoy quick access to all of these wonderful amenities.
An eclectic mixture of older, unpretentious cabins are mixed with stately homesteads and create some of the most desirable and expensive properties in the area. Homes begin in the $1,000,000 range and can easily exceed $5,000,000.
