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VA I L VA L L E Y • S U M M I T C O U N T Y • D O W N T O W N D E N V E R • L A K E TA H O E • D E E R VA L L E Y • C H A R L E S T O N • B A N F F

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

CONTENTS 4

WELCOME TO ELEVATE Behind the scenes of our inaugural issue.

SOUTHERN COMFORT Charleston’s genteel charms ignite Ross Bowker's enthusiasm. by Kim McHugh

A ROUSING REVIVAL Denver’s legendary Union Station welcomes a new generation. By David O. Williams

TAHOE ODYSSEY The timeless allure of Tahoe’s enchanting North Shore.

By Andrew Tolve

THE GREEN REVOLUTION

Ski towns have taken up the environmental banner big time. By David O. Williams

A LASTING LEGACY Edgar and Polly Stern’s influence on the mountain resort hospitality industry goes far beyond Deer Valley, Utah. By Roger Toll

A PERFECT RETREAT Communication and transportation advances have blurred the divisions between permanent and vacation homes. By David O. Williams

THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS Riverfront Village — with its Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa — raises the bar in the Vail Valley. By Don Berger

PATHS OF SPLENDOR Touring some of the nation’s great walking paths and hiking trails.

By Joy Overbeck

NEW SLANT ON ART Denver Art Museum’s dynamic new Hamilton Building puts yet another world-class stamp on the city. By Joy Overbeck

NORTHERN STAR Nestled deep in the Canadian Rockies, Three Sisters Mountain Village shines brightly. By Don Berger

REAL ESTATE TRENDS Exploring the cutting edge of the market. Presented by Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate By David O. Williams

Opposite page: Riverfront Park’s Glass House symbolizes a renaissance for Denver’s downtown neighborhoods. PHOTO ON PREVIOUS PAGE COURTESY VAIL RESORTS/JACK AFFLECK

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

THE EAST WEST PARTNERS’ STORY BY DON BERGER

East West Partners is a group of interrelated partnerships under the collective name of East West Partners. Founded in 1986 by a group of former Vail Associates’ executives — including its president and vice president — East West was

COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

formed to develop residential and commercial properties at

Welcome to the inaugural edition of ELEVATE,

Beaver Creek Resort in the Colorado Rockies. Following its Beaver Creek success, opportunities grew and East West Partners soon spread over Vail Pass and into neighboring Summit County where it began projects in such historic towns as Breckenridge, Frisco and Keystone Resort.

the magazine of East West Partners. We are delighted

Although considered a resort developer, East West

to bring together this creative collection of wide-rang-

Partners soon realized that urban areas had the potential

ing articles about our communities, partnerships and

of becoming “urban resorts” as cities like Denver began

projects. They remind us it’s not the “sticks and

to reinvent themselves with the emergence of trendy

bricks” that make what we do so special; it is the ex-

neighborhoods and world-class recreational and cultural

periences created by the culture, the neighborhoods

amenities. Thus, Denver’s Riverfront Park and the Union

and the great places in which we live and work.

Station neighborhoods were conceived.

As you read you are sure to learn a little about us

In the meantime, opportunities arose in other desirable

and hopefully be entertained by the storytelling con-

resort and urban areas such as California’s North Lake

tained within.

Tahoe, Utah’s Deer Valley, Charleston, South Carolina,

Enjoy!

and, just prior to press time, Banff, Canada, where, in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Real Estate, East West Partners acquired Three Sisters Mountain Village.

Harry Frampton Managing Partner, East West Partners

To make it as easy as possible for clients to enjoy a hassle-free stay at an East West Partners’ property, the company branched out into the service sector with the creation of East West Resorts, its travel and property

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

management division, and Colorado Mountain Express, a shuttle service running between Colorado’s Eagle,

Team spirit: East West Partners recently held a team retreat in Laguna Beach, California. Representatives from all divisions across the U.S. and Canada attended.

Summit and Pitkin counties and Denver International Airport and the Eagle County Regional Airport.

boot), creating a “New Urbanism” mountain community

The success behind East West Partners is multi-fold. First,

from scratch, or fueling the company’s ongoing eco-friendly

of course, are the people involved, dedicated to producing

policies, East West Partners has gained a reputation for in-

the finest product possible for the lifestyles of the company’s

tegrity and originality it does not take for granted.

discerning clients. And the term “people involved” includes

With its ventures now far-flung throughout the United

everyone from the company’s own Partners and staffs to col-

States and Canada, East West Partners decided to produce

laborating partners such as financiers, architects and design-

ELEVATE to keep its friends and associates abreast of the

ers, contractors…the list goes and on and on. East West

company’s involvements. ELEVATE was designed to re-

Partners has been extremely fortunate to have such a wealth

flect its clients and colleagues’ interests and lifestyles —

of talent available with which to create a lasting legacy.

from travel and art to trends in greening and building. The

Another aspect is East West Partners’ willingness — indeed, eagerness — to go out on the cutting edge with innov-

goal, states East West Partners, is for ELEVATE to be an entertaining and informative publication for all.

ative ideas. Whether it’s designing a state-of-the-art underground theater in Beaver Creek (with an ice rink on top, to

Don Berger is editor of ELEVATE magazine.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

ELEVATE

the magazine of east west partners

east west partners Managing Partner Harry H. Frampton III

Editorial Committee Jim Hill – Partner Jim Flaum – President and Managing Broker, Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate Mike Reininger – Partner MONIKA HILLEARY

Shawna Topor – Director of Marketing Robin Behrstock – Special Projects Manager

ELEVATE is printed by American Web, Inc. on recycled paper fibers containing 10 percent post-consumer waste. Inks were blended to

ON THE COVER: One of Denver’s newest landmarks, with a mast soaring 200 feet, the Millennium Bridge connects East West Partners-developed Riverfront Park neighborhood and Commons Park with Denver’s bustling 16th Street Mall and trendy LoDo. The award-winning, 230-foot-long span offers pedestrians memorable downtown views.

contain a percentage of soy base. Our printer is FSC-certified, and meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) standards. When you are finished with this issue of

ELEVATE magazine, please share it with your friends, or recycle it.

For more information about ELEVATE, contact East West Partners at P.O. Box 2770, Avon, CO 81620. Phone: 970-845-9200 Website: eastwestpartners.com ELEVATE is published for East West Partners by Rocky Mountain Media LLC’s Custom Publishing Division, P.O. Box 1397, Avon, CO COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

81620. Publisher: Kristin Norrgard Jennings; Editor: Don Berger; Creative Director: Richard Marks; Production Director: Heather Trub. No portion of the contents of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

KRISTIN LANE

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

East West Partners’ Ross Bowker finds creative energy in historic Charleston BY KIM MCHUGH

Ross Bowker is navigating a shopping cart through the

seafood is certainly one of our favorites,” says Bowker.

aisles of Whole Foods Market, an upscale grocery store

“In terms of cuisine I’m partial to recipes that have influ-

located in historic Mount Pleasant, a town not far from

ences from the Pacific Rim.”

his home in Charleston, South Carolina.

Born and raised in Madison, New Jersey, Bowker took

He is gathering ingredients for the family dinner —

quite a long and circuitous route to Charleston, where he

Snapper with a Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce — so

is East West Partners' South Carolina partner for hospi-

his journey leads him to the seafood counter.

tality operations and development.

Once there he selects half a dozen filets of Alfonso

After high school he attended Michigan State Universi-

Snapper, a deepwater ocean fish appreciated for its

ty's School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Grad-

light, flaky texture and mild fish taste. He doesn’t

uating with a Bachelor of Arts, his plans to continue on

bother stopping in the fruit section — he has Meyer

to acquire an MBA were postponed.

lemon trees in his backyard — making his way instead to the produce area and finally to checkout.

“It was the mid ‘60s and, thanks to Uncle Sam no longer offering graduate school deferments, I went

Back in his kitchen with Debbie, his wife of 40

into the Navy,” chuckles Bowker. “I wound up as an

years, the “chef” gets down to the business of cook-

officer in the Supply Corps and that’s where I enter-

ing, an activity he is passionate about.

tained myself from late ‘67 to ‘69.”

“My wife and I really like good food and wine, and

His Naval duties took him to Georgia, Pennsylvania

Opposite page: Debbie and Ross Bowker engage in a favorite pastime — preparing Asian cuisine — in their Charleston, South Carolina, home.

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KRISTIN LANE

and California, and upon receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Michigan State where he earned

Built in 1916, the beautifully restored Bowker home in Charleston’s downtown historic district is an example of the best of the Victorian era.

his MBA in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Bowker took a job running club operations at a country

was January 1983. My wife and I left 68 degrees and sun-

club in Finley, Ohio, before being lured to the Salisbury

shine in Hilton Head and a week later pulled into Vail to

Country Club in Virginia. It was early during his three years

two feet of fresh snow, a temp of minus 15 and the humidi-

in Virginia when he became acquainted with Harry Framp-

ty level had plummeted from 80 percent to 10 percent.”

ton, the then developer of a nearby golf course community. “I’d heard nice things about Ross and I asked him to become the manager of Brandermill Country Club,” re-

Bowker was given the opportunity to help develop Beaver Creek, the now world-renowned mountain resort, which was then in its infancy.

calls Frampton. “He did an extraordinary job and it was

Guided by Frampton, Bowker worked for Vail Asso-

the beginning of a long partnership and friendship be-

ciates from 1983 to 1986, with positions that included

tween Mark Smith, Ross and myself.”

president of the resort company, vice president of re-

After stints at Fripp Island Resort and American Resorts at Sea Pines, both in South Carolina, the New Jersey expa-

sort operations at Beaver Creek and chairman of the Beaver Creek Metro District.

triate was about to change zip codes again. “Harry was

Along the way the principals at V.A. deduced that own-

appointed president of Vail Associates and he started whis-

ing real estate in Beaver Creek didn’t afford the amenities

pering to me about coming out west,” says Bowker. “That

and services now commonplace at mountain resorts.

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“Ross and I didn’t know the ski industry really well, so

importance of a resort being family friendly. He and wife

we set off to look at what the competition was doing,”

Debbie are parents to Abby, Angie, Travis and Ripley,

comments Frampton. “We found a neat little cabin at the

who grew up enjoying all the Vail Valley had to offer.

top of Sun Valley and that was the catalyst for Beano’s

Abby and Angie represent the “first wave” of Bowk-

Cabin (Beaver Creek’s acclaimed mountainside restaurant).

er kids, while son Travis and daughter Ripley are from

Ross deserves credit for that because it was his baby.”

the “second wave”.

Bowker was also instrumental in the development of

“The running joke is that I’m the only guy with two fami-

the Hyatt Beaver Creek (now the Park Hyatt Beaver

lies and the same wife,” comments Bowker. “With a 38-year-

Creek) and other of the village’s major lodging properties

old, a 35-year-old, a 20-year-old and a 19-year-old, there is a

and amenities, including the resort’s outdoor escalators.

bit of a gap. We’ve just now become empty nesters.”

“So many of Beaver Creek’s guests would gripe about

In 1998 Beaver Creek was for all practical purposes com-

climbing those stairs to get to the lifts,” exclaims Frampton.

plete. A golf aficionado with a 20 handicap, Bowker, fancied

“The whole village is built on an incline and when you’ve

the idea of returning to the southeast to see if he could lower it.

got kids and skis and that long trek. It was just miserable.” After riding vertical people movers in Las Vegas, Bowker had an idea to install escalators serving Beaver Creek’s base. Frampton put him on an airplane to Europe, where he met at various ski resorts with escalator designers. “Today the escalators are one reason why Beaver Creek is more of a family friendly resort,” notes Frampton. “It is just another example of why Ross’s problem solving skills are invaluable to us.” With four kids, Bowker definitely understands the

Bowker was put in charge of One Vendue Range, East West Partners’ first development project in South Carolina — and the perfect excuse for the Bowker’s to relocate to Charleston. “After growing up in New Jersey, attending college in Michigan, spending four years in Ohio and living in Vail for sixteen years, I’d had enough winter,” laughs Bowker. “Charleston really suited us.” The Bowker’s bought a roomy place in the downtown historic district. Built in 1916, the beautifully restored Victorian-era home was originally built by the Creighton family, whose patriarch was a lumber baron. While the Bowker’s admired Charleston for its wealth of ex-

“Ross has a great understanding of what it takes to solidify a community,” explains Mary Morgan, whose worked with Bowker for 25 years. “He knows how to motivate absentee owners so they get

traordinary historical homes — some date back to the 1700’s — they discovered that many weren’t all that livable because they had quirky floor plans and oddly shaped, small rooms. The Creighton House, most recently decorated by the

to know each other and invest

artist wife of the previous owners, was quite appealing

in the community.”

thanks to its vivid, bold color scheme. The Bowker’s felt right at home.

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When Bowker isn’t running full throttle managing any number of EWP projects —he is also an executive vice president of East West Resorts, LLC — he and Debbie love traveling to Key West, Napa Valley, Hawaii and Mustique, a private island in the Caribbean. “We were introduced to Mustique by Johannes and Rosanna Fässler, who own the Sonnenalp Resort in Vail,” comments Bowker. Splitting their Northern California vacation time between Wine Country and San Francisco, the couple has their favorite eateries, including Napa’s Martini House and Tra Vigne, and San Francisco’s Eliza’s and The Fifth Floor in the Hotel Palomar. KRISTIN LANE

Which leads EWP partner Mark Smith to quip, “Bowker eats the same way he explains things — really The Bowkers chose the gracious and historic Creighton House as their Charleston home. “The grocery store, the theater district, parks and restaurants — they are all within walking distance,” says Bowker.

slowly. Harry and I have to remind him to just tell us what time it is, not how the watch is made. So if you’re ever at dinner with Bowker, make sure the waiter doesn’t time the delivery of the entrees on him.”

“Doing a development in downtown Charleston we felt it

When the time comes for Bowker to hang up his spurs,

was important to be a part of the community and the house

it is a good bet you’d find him beach bumming in the

and the lifestyle are just fabulous.”

Florida Keys. ““Debbie and I like that Key West has a

The Bowkers also figured a larger home would serve

terrific sub-tropical climate,” Bowker explains. “Much

as a good “nest” when the kids come for visits. Locat-

like downtown Charleston it has its own unique architec-

ed at four different compass points the siblings cur-

tural style, the preservation attitude is very strong and

rently call Connecticut, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and

there are a lot of wonderful restaurants.”

South Carolina home.

It may just be the perfect place for his kids — and

The eldest, Abby, is an attorney living with her hus-

grandkids — to enjoy the water, the sunsets and a really

band and baby in Connecticut. Angie and her husband

fresh Snapper with a Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce. S

live in Wisconsin, but commute to Minnesota where she sells computer software. Travis attends Curry College

Kim McHugh is a Lowell Thomas award-winning writer.

outside Boston and Ripley is a freshman at the College

His work has appeared in Rocky Mountain Golf, SKI, Hemi-

of Charleston in South Carolina.

spheres, Luxury Golf & Travel and Colorado Expression.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

EWP’S DENVER UNION STATION PROJECT PRESERVES A PRICELESS HISTORICAL LEGACY WHILE CREATING A DYNAMIC FOCAL POINT FOR DOWNTOWN DENVER BY DAVID O. WILLIAMS

In the 1920’s and ’30s, 80 trains a day passed

new generation of city dwellers and commuters.

through Denver Union Station, connecting the Mile

In 2001 the Denver Regional Transportation Dis-

High City to virtually every major metropolitan area

trict (RTD) purchased the Union Station property for

in the United States. And up until 1958 the classic

$50 million and then — in partnership with the City

stone structure at 17th and Wynkoop streets boasted

and County of Denver, the Colorado Department of

more travelers than Stapleton Airport, the predecessor

Highways (CDOT), and the Denver Regional Council

of Denver International Airport.

of Governments (DRCOG) — began an extensive

Today the storied rail terminal revisits its past just

two-year study on how to turn it into a dynamic hub

twice a day when Amtrak’s California Zephyr rolls

of Denver’s city center. New urbanism and a growing

through en route to either San Francisco or Chicago.

backlash against commutes to far-flung suburbia —

Like other classic train stations, the Lower Downtown

evidenced by a successful $5 billion bond referendum

(LoDo) Denver landmark became less used as the na-

for 12 light rail lines — had conspired to put Union

tion’s infatuation with the airline and automobile grew.

Station squarely back at the epicenter of a breathtak-

However, Union Station and a large portion of its

ing revitalization of Denver’s downtown core.

environs at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the

The team also launched a nationwide competition for

South Platte River are about to be reincarnated for a

an urban developer and received submissions by many of

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COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

the country’s best. By 2006, the competition had been narrowed to East West/Continuum and a joint proposal by Phelps Development and Cherokee Investment Partners. In late 2006, the partner agencies entered into ex-

Opposite page: Anchoring a totally renovated downtown Denver commercial and residential community — all integrated with the region’s various transit elements — Union Station will pulse with the life of the city. Above: An overview of Union Station and its proximity to other Denver attractions.

clusive negotiations with the East West/Continuum team, now called Union Station Neighborhood.

119 new miles of commuter and light rail lines over the

“This is the most significant urban transportation project

next 12 years. The new light rail station on 17th Street

in the country and we are honored to be a part of it,” says

should be operational by 2010 and will connect to

East West Partners’ principal Mark Smith. “We take the re-

Union Station via an underground concourse complete

sponsibility very seriously and are committed to providing a

with moving walkways and bus ports allowing train

great transportation system and great public spaces.”

travelers to quickly connect to bus lines.

The overall Union Station plan will transform the cor-

“This new place is going to be powered by the energy of

nerstone railway station and the surrounding 19.5 acres

people in motion,” says managing partner Mike Reininger

into an integrated downtown neighborhood comprised of

of East West Partners, who envisions between 750,000 and

shops, restaurants, hotel rooms, homes, parks, plazas,

1.2 million square feet of commercial office space, 1,500

and yes, transit in virtually every form.

residential units, 200,000 to 400,000 square feet of street-

First up is a new light-rail station, part of Denver’s rapidly expanding FasTracks system, which calls for

front and large-format retail space and up to 600 hotels rooms, all integrated with the various transit elements.

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COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN MEDIA

Opposite page: Rebuilt in 1894 after a fire destroyed the original station, the new Union Station featured a classic Beaux-Arts architectural style. Right: Downtown Denver’s LoDo district is a 25-square-block historic district featuring a vast array of restaurants, outdoor cafes, brew pubs, sports bars and art galleries. “The poetry of this is the city wouldn’t exist without the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River and the gold that was discovered there, and now the confluence of all of this transit is going to give rise to the life’s blood of this city once again,” says Reininger, noting Denver’s climb to prominence as a supply station for the mining camps of the late 1850’s and early 1860’s. The first rail line came to town in June of 1870. Now Denver and the Central Platte River Valley are ofCOURTESY OF RANDY BROWN FOR DENVER METRO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

ten recognized as one of the most livable and attractive urban areas in the country. A downtown renaissance began in the early 1990’s and has seen masterstroke projects such as a new library, a Daniel Libeskind-designed art museum expansion, convention center, performing arts complex and state-of-the-art sports venues — including Coors Field, the Pepsi Center and Invesco Field — dramatically revitalized the city’s core area.

“We think this is really going to be the signature site for not only Denver but the entire metropolitan region because for well over 100 years Union Station was really the gateway to Denver and the West, and we think this is going to open that up again,” says Scott Reed, RTD’s assistant general manager of public affairs.

Those attractions, in addition to chic new shopping options, world-class dining and a pulsating nightlife, have transformed the downtown area into an entertainment destination and increasingly a residential alternative to the city’s outlying neighborhoods. The Union Station project, it’s hoped, will bring all of those elements together and make them more accessible by light rail, commuter rail, local and regional

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buses, shuttle services and private cars. One commuter rail line will eventually connect Union Station to Denver International Airport. “We think this is really going to be the signature site for not only Denver but the entire metropolitan region because for well over 100 years Union Station was really the gateway to Denver and the West, and we think

COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN MEDIA

this is going to open that up again,” says Scott Reed, RTD’s assistant general manager of public affairs. “It will be an international hub for people going to and from DIA, so the potential impacts are huge.” As Reininger and the Union Station Neighborhood Co. move forward with negotiations on the development agreement for the $1 billion project, others con-

COURTESY OF THE DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

tinue to study how Denver could one day better con-

Above: Today Union Station serves as a hub for Denver’s FasTracks’ light rail commuter system. Below: This photo, circ. 1890-1910, shows passengers enjoying the observation deck of Colorado Midland Railway coach No. 111.

nect to its top tourism draw: the Rocky Mountains and the ski areas that have put Colorado on the map as an

about, so that if one day rail service to the mountains be-

international destination.

came possible … Union Station has the capability of ex-

“This project has the inherent flexibility to be able to respond to bold strokes yet to have been even thought

panding and morphing to be able to accept those kinds of things,” says Reininger. Reed commends East West Partners as an imaginative company perfect for elevating the project from a “transit center to a transit neighborhood,” which will be crucial to its overall success in the coming decades. As it was in the glory days of train travel, legendary Union Station is poised to become once again the bustling hub of a vibrant city. S

David O. Williams, a freelance writer and founder and editor of realvail.com, grew up in east Denver riding the Ski Train between Union Station and Winter Park.

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LIFE ON THE NORTH SHORE OF AN ENCHANTING LAKE BY ANDREW TOLVE

Few spots in California match the natural splendor of

house on the North Shore. The two of us would fish for

Lake Tahoe. Sixteen hundred feet in depth, with 72

crawdads off his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pier and go cruising across the

miles of mountainous shoreline, the lake sits like a sap-

lake in his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wood boat, all in relative solitude.

phire gem in the Sierra Nevada High Country. Once

But Tahoe has increased in popularity since then.

upon a time, say 40 years ago, few people outside of

Today, a dozen ski resorts bustle around the lake in

California had heard of Tahoe, let alone set their eyes

the winter. Six casinos line the South Shore, making

upon the alpine blue of its water. I remember visiting

South Lake Tahoe a year-round gambling destina-

the lake when I was young. A good friend of mine had a

tion. Interstate 80, the highway that leads from San

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COURTESY OF EWP/TAHOE MOUNTAIN RESORTS

Sunset at Lake Tahoe offers the perfect setting for a romantic evening. Diners at the Wild Goose enjoy the intimacy of the moment. Francisco to Tahoe, can be busy with traffic on Fridays and Sundays. Finding a slip for oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boat is

I packed up my car in June and headed back to Tahoe for some answers.

even a struggle these days. All of which begs the ques-

Lake Tahoe is roughly the shape of a kidney bean. The

tion of how much Tahoe is changing, and whether

North Shore of the lake spans the top of the bean, reach-

that change is for the best. Is it still the finest place in

ing from Incline Village in the northeast to Tahoe City

America for a dream home?

or Sunnyside in the west â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the latter depending on which local you ask. Just inland of the North Shore

Indeed, life in Tahoe has retained

stand the peaks of Mount Pluto, Mount Watson, and

that leisurely air of a dream world.

Stanford Rock, each of which summits at about 8,500

Most days hopscotch between

feet. In every other direction stretches the vast blue of

activities in the wilderness and

Lake Tahoe, the largest body of fresh water in the Sier-

relaxing meals on the lake.

ras. Docks and buoys dot the shore, yet more than 80 percent of the shoreline remains undeveloped and each

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of the towns is within a five-minute walk to the water.

as they like. The nearby Desolation Wilderness (about

To my surprise, little has changed here aesthetically.

30 minutes south of Sunnyside) is also a popular spot

The buildings and the cabins between Incline Village and

amongst locals for hiking and camping. The wilderness

Sunnyside are still low-slung, many of them fulfilling the

is a warren of peaks and streams and glacial lakes.

classic Tahoe look: maroon paneling with a metallic green

Like hiking, water sports have remained an essential

roof. Numerous multi-million dollar homes do rim the

part of life in Tahoe. Scan the water any summer day

lake, but most of these are discretely tucked away from

and the lake is alive with kayaking, parasailing, water

public view. As for the towns themselves, Tahoe City,

skiing, and boating. The morning after my hike I dis-

Kings Beach, and Sunnyside are still quaint and peaceful.

covered Sierra Boats, the largest marina and restora-

The tallest building I saw on any main street was three-

tion company on the lake. Sierra Boats specializes in

stories high. Every block offers up another charming café,

wood boats. The general manager of the company is

bistro, or lodge with patio dining right on the shore.

Patrick Bagan, a sun-kissed, mustachioed man who

Indeed, life on the North Shore has retained that leisure-

has been working with watercraft on Lake Tahoe for

ly air of a dream world. Most days hopscotch between ac-

more than 40 years. “Most wood boats were built in

tivities in the wilderness and relaxing meals on the lake. In

the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s,” Bagan told me. “Most of the

the winter the nearby ski resorts of Northstar-at-Tahoe,

wood boats on Lake Tahoe today have been here

Alpine Meadows, and Squaw Valley are booming. North-

since they were new. They really just pass down

star has been known for its family-friendly terrain (al-

through the generations.”

though it recently opened the expert-level Look Out

Bagan acknowledged fiberglass boats, known

Mountain) and Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley have

amongst old-timers as “Tupperware,” far outnumber

a long history of accommodating expert skiers. Come summertime, the scene has changed: Boating, biking, golfing, fishing, and hiking are the activities of choice. The afternoon I arrived, I parked my car just off Highway 267 and went for a short hike on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Half an hour later I was standing near the craggy summit of Brockway Peak, gazing down on the

TOM ZIKAS

North Shore and Lake Tahoe as though I were inhabiting a postcard. The Tahoe Rim Trail continues all the way around the ridgeline of the lake, eventually meeting up with the Pacific Crest Trail, which spans from Mexico to Canada. Adventurous hikers may continue as far

Shopping is a popular “recreational” pursuit during any vacation. The variety of North Lake Tahoe offerings — from top brands to unique products of local artisans — are enticingly intriguing.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

TOM ZIKAS

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COURTESY OF EWP/TAHOE MOUNTAIN RESORTS

wood boats today, but approximately 400 vintage watercraft still remain on the lake. “It’s part of Tahoe’s history — the wood boat,” Bagan said.

Above: Wood boats are part of Lake Tahoe’s history. Approximately 400 of these vintage watercraft still remain on the lake, having been passed down through the generations. Opposite page: Relaxing lakeside at Tahoe. Who could ask for anything more?

Later that afternoon I rented a kayak from a friendly local named Vic at Enviro-rents in Kings Beach. Vic told me to

the soft cresting of the waves. With just 20 minutes of ex-

head out toward Crystal Bay Point, where the lake plum-

ertion behind me, I had a remote cove all to myself.

mets from 20 to 1,000 feet in depth. Vic said some mornings

Such is the romance between man and nature that

he dives into the water there and swims through granite

makes Tahoe a more popular destination by the year:

holes in the lake floor as though he were “squeezing through

Untouched wilderness is never more than a few strides

rings of Swiss cheese.” He said I had to go. So I followed his

away from the comforts of modern luxury. But as for all

advice, setting in at Agate Bay and paddling east along the

those new tourists, I had been in Tahoe for a day and

North Shore. I passed a natural sulfur hot spring, then a

was yet to feel their presence. Patrick Bagan at Sierra

white-sand beach. The water was shallow and clear and

Boats had scoffed when I asked him if things were too

morphing from one shade of light blue to another. Then,

busy these days. “Gosh, in 1965 a busy day would be 50

without warning, the water dropped into an eerily empty

cars,” he said. “Now it’s even hard for us to cross the

cobalt. The lake floor was gone. There was no sound but

street.” So if this was boom time, where was the boom?

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

clearing her sun-bleached blond hair from her eyes. “But Truckee is huge these days. Truckee is going off.” COURTESY OF NORTH LAKE TAHOE VISITORS BUREAUS

And therein lies the answer. The Tahoe Regional Planning Authority closely regulates development in the Tahoe Basin, defined as anything on the lakeside of the watershed. Building guidelines are as strict as anywhere in the country. The number of lots billed for development is basically zilch. But outside the basin, just over the mountains to the west of the North Shore, development is proThe three North Shore ski resorts — Northstar-at-Tahoe, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows — offer skiers and boarders the quintessential snowsport experience complete with magnificent Lake Tahoe views.

ceeding. I drove the 30 minutes from Sunnyside to Truck-

I found my answer at Sunnyside, a lodge and restau-

Donner Party was snowbound here in the early Gold

rant on the West Shore that has been serving up

Rush years. Later, Truckee came to life as a transit town

brunch and dinner on the lake ever since my childhood

on the Transcontinental Railroad. Today, historic Main

days. I remember cruising across the lake to Sunny-

Street is surprisingly small (all of 0.3 miles long!) and

side’s marina and stepping right onto their patio for

whimsically old-fashioned. Saloons dot the main strip.

lunch. Today, the patio’s varnish remains

One of them offers “Free Beer Tomorrow.” The old train

as smooth as a boat’s deck. The food

ee and saw what Rutter was talking about. Truckee is an historic California town. The infamous

station has been converted into a retail space.

is still your typical pub fare

But signs of development are hard to miss. Trendy

(more fried food than

boutiques and real estate fronts separate one saloon

salads, but the salads

from the next. New restaurants offering Asian fusion

are good, too). Even

and classy Italian are moving in upstairs. (I tried Drag-

some of the servers

onfly, a sushi restaurant, and was thoroughly im-

are the same. I rec-

pressed.) And beyond the historic district construction

ognized

crews are hard at work on new homes and businesses.

one

them — Vicki Rutter, the hostess — and asked her for some insight. “I don’t see that it’s really changed at all on the North Shore,” she told me,

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It struck me there, with my turkey sandwich in hand, that the North Shore has succeeded where so many other resort towns have failed: Though constantly growing, it hasn’t lost its identity in the process.

COURTESY OF EWP/TAHOE MOUNTAIN RESORTS

Among the area’s developers is East West Partners, a real estate partner of Northstar, and the developer of the new RitzCarlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe, Tahoe’s only five-star hotel.

Lake Tahoe’s extensive — and incredibly scenic — trail system offers miles and miles of scenic hiking opportunities. from Tahoe City. I grabbed a sandwich at Rubicon, ar-

East West Partners also has created Tahoe Mountain Re-

guably the best sandwich joint in Tahoe (it’s a small deli

sorts, a collection of four distinct communities joined togeth-

inside a big nursery). It struck me there, with my turkey

er by a group of homeowners who enjoy unrivaled access to

sandwich in hand, that the North Shore has succeeded

skiing in the winter, hiking and golfing in the summer, and

where so many other resort towns have failed: Though

topnotch dining year-round. The club has three excellent golf

constantly growing, it hasn’t lost its identity in the

courses in the Truckee area. I played one of them, Coyote

process. The lake remains at the heart of Tahoe. The local

Moon, and felt privileged just to be stepping on the grass. I

population is still eclectic and steadfast. And the wilder-

also dined at the club’s private restaurant on Lake Tahoe —

ness continues to be eminently pristine.

the Wild Goose — and was treated to a superb culinary experience. Most of Tahoe Mountain Resorts’ real estate is lo-

If there’s a better place in America for a dream home, I would love to see it. S

cated in or around Northstar, though some of the homes line their golf courses near Truckee as well.

Andrew Tolve is a San Francisco-based freelance writer.

On my final day in Tahoe, I took another drive along

Among the publications and news agencies he has written

the North Shore. I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. I passed

for are SLATE magazine, the Associates Press, and The

my friend’s house in Kings Beach. I gazed out at the water

New York Times U-Wire.

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TERRANCE EMERSON/DREAMSTIME.COM

Mountain Resorts Push the Environmental Envelope BY DAVID O. WILLIAMS

“Our product is really the great outdoors. That’s what we sell. If that’s the product we’re selling, we

wind credits (behind only Texas-based Whole Foods) when it also went to 100 percent wind power.

have a special obligation and a special opportunity

Katz knew the added expense of committing to

to do the right thing for the environment,” says Rob

wind power simply wouldn’t be enough to establish

Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, Inc.

his company as a leader on the environmental front,

His comments reflect the fact that the trickle of envi-

so he entered into discussions with the Town of Vail,

ronmentalism in the ski industry a decade ago has since

which also had committed to 100-percent wind pow-

turned into a wave of green initiatives at resorts around

er, about seeking green certification for a billion-dol-

the nation — and now the real estate development that

lar residential and commercial project just west of

marches in lockstep with the sport is following suit.

Vail’s Lionshead Village.

First Aspen Skiing Company, long a leader in the

Known as Ever Vail, the project, which would in-

greening of the ski industry, announced last year it

clude a new gondola, parking garage, park, hotel,

was purchasing enough wind credits to offset 100

condos, restaurants, shops and a ski area maintenance

percent of its energy consumption from the power

facility, is in the very early stages of the approval

grid. Then Vail Resorts — a much larger and publicly

Wind power has become the energy of choice for more and more ski towns, ranging from the Vail Resorts and Aspen Ski Company in Colorado to Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts.

traded ski company — grabbed headlines by becoming the nation’s second largest corporate consumer of

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COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

COURTESY OF VAIL RESORTS

process with the town but is likely to gain widespread public approval around the world as the largest LEEDcertified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental De-

Opposite page: The revitalization of the Village at Northstar incorporated a number of environmentally friendly policies. Above: The proposed Ever Vail development would be the largest LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) resort village in the nation.

sign) resort village in the nation. “One of the things we said when we announced it in

energy consumption. The list of projects — from green

March is we want Ever Vail to be an icon for the whole

building and recycling initiatives to alternative energy

community,” Katz said at the time. “For Vail to be

generation and alternative fuel vehicles — is growing at

known as having the largest LEED-certified resort vil-

ski resorts around the country, if not the world.

lage and one of the first (LEED neighborhoods) is unbelievable and should be a source of pride for people. It’s a source of pride for the company.”

A COMPANY CULTURE Several years ago, East West Partners quietly started

Indeed, such high-profile moves as those in Vail and

down the green-building road by announcing its

Aspen have had massive ripple effects throughout

Tahoe Mountain Resorts (TMR) division was about

mountain resort communities, resonating with ski areas

to tear down the aged but beloved Clock Tower

increasingly feeling the heat from global climate change

Building at Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort to make

and therefore forced to increase snowmaking, water and

way for a revitalized Northstar Village.

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Rather than demolish the venerable structure, TMR

whom we think our buyer is. But at the end of the day, it

opted to dismantle the Clock Tower, recycling and

was a matter of meeting personal objectives. It is simply

reusing as much of the structure as possible in its new vil-

that we believe it is the right thing to do.”

lage and other projects throughout Northern California.

In the case of the old Clock Tower Building, TMR

“This building had been there a long time and was

carefully disassembled the structure, salvaging 305 tons

near and dear to many people,” says East West Part-

of building materials. A wood ceiling was recycled as

ners’ principal Blake Riva. “The de-construction and

an outdoor deck at a day lodge; sidewalk pavers were

recycling of this building’s components sent a great

reused in downtown Truckee and Truckee Elementary

message, because parts of the building continue to live

School; big timbers were resold for use in local building

on. It was a very minimal cost and we would have paid

projects; and broken or splintered wood was used as

more to bring in a demolition crew. There was even a

mulch at Northstar Resort.

film produced of the dismantling of the building.”

The end result puts a good feeling in the hearts of

TMR recognized such development practices were

locals with fond memories of the old Clock Tower

the right way to proceed in such an environmentally

Building, less debris in the local landfill and more en-

conscious part of the county — but really anywhere

ergy back into the grid, since much less new material

for that matter — because of the cost and energy sav-

was needed for other projects.

ings and long-term benefit in the battle to reduce global climate change. “Given our location in Northern California, this is really the epicenter of the environmental movement,” East

At its other Tahoe projects — Old Greenwood, Gray’s Crossing, Coyote Moon golf course and the Wild Goose restaurant — TMR has also aggressively embraced a laundry list of sustainable development initiatives.

West managing partner Roger Lessman says. “It was an

They range from LEED certification for all new and

opportunity to differentiate ourselves and to appeal to

remodeled structures to the preservation and enhancement of wildlife habitat to energy conservation, including the use of alternative fuels, to the sensitive

“East West Partners has been working in sensitive mountain environments for a long time. We had to be sensitive and deliberate. People come to these

siting of buildings to take advantage of solar heat and cooling breezes. As well, the company adhered to the in-fill principal

places to enjoy nature, so we never

of building in areas community planning designated ap-

have been a company that goes in

propriate for development in order to avoid sprawl;

and clear-cuts. It has to be done

created pedestrian-friendly villages and provided transit

with much more care.”

to avoid automobile use; minimized building footprints to create larger tracts of contiguous open space; and

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

SILENCE CAN BE

GOLDEN RESTORING NATURE’S SERENITY

five or six feet high and devoid of vegetation. Eagle Ranch obtained a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which allowed them to repair the banks and run a machine right down the middle of the stream that created riffles ideal for trout to lay their eggs in and deep pools perfect for fish trying to stay cool on hot summer days. Rose says he took a walk along Brush Creek last summer and spotted three trout in one pool in excess of 14 inches long. Now Eagle Ranch, which also exceeded its wetlands mitigation requirement by replacing disturbed wetlands at a ratio of more than two to one, is applying for a trout improvement program through the Army Corps for the remainder of Brush Creek running

The revitalization of Brush Creek in Colorado’s Eagle County has resulted in a thriving trout habitat.

through the subdivision. “The first mile or two of creek was for stream

When Kent Rose, former mayor of the ski town

restoration and, oh, by the way, we’re going to im-

of Vail and a lifelong fly fisherman, got a call

prove trout habitat, and now these next few miles

from a local reporter asking about East West

through Eagle Ranch is mostly about improving trout

Partners’ wetlands mitigation and riparian repa-

habitat,” says Rose, who views East West’s work as

ration projects as part of its Eagle Ranch devel-

not only an obligation of good environmental stew-

opment south of the old ranching community of

ardship but as an added amenity for residents of

Eagle, he quickly gave her the name of two local

both Eagle Ranch and the rest of the Town of Eagle.

fishermen he thought would testify to East

“We’re making every effort to bring Brush

West’s good work along Brush Creek.

Creek back to a level it was or may never have

One of the fishermen did not return the reporter’s

been,” he adds. “The stream may be in better

call and the other called back but declined to be

condition than it ever had been as far as the

interviewed. Rose, construction manager for the

trout are concerned. That’s our goal.”

residential golf community 30 miles west of Vail, chuckles while retelling the story. When fishermen refuse to talk about their favorite fishing hole, Rose says, “that’s probably a good sign.” Eagle Ranch, now in its final phase, was built on a former working cattle ranch, where uncaring cows trampled and chewed their way through wetlands right up to the banks of Brush Creek. That abuse resulted in erosion and subsequent banks

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COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS/LAKE TAHOE

North Lake Tahoe’s Old Greenwood community and golf course became the first Certified Gold Audubon Signature Sanctuary in the state of California.

“development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

supported affordable and employee housing to minimize workers traveling long distances.

It’s a perfect fit for a delicate mountain playground the Sierra Club deems a sensitive area.

Additionally, the Old Greenwood community and

“East West Partners has been working in sensitive

golf course became the first Certified Gold Audubon

mountain environments for a long time,” says Riva.

Signature Sanctuary in the state of California. Gray’s

“We had to be sensitive and deliberate. People come

Crossing, also a year-round golf community, is ad-

to these places to enjoy nature, so we never have been

hering to the same guidelines, established by

a company that goes in and clear-cuts. It has to be

Audubon International.

done with much more care.” S

While those are just a few highlights of a comprehensive sustainable development approach TMR has

David O. Williams, founder and editor of realvail.com,

launched in the Lake Tahoe area, taken together

is a freelance journalist who lives in Vail, Colorado, with

they’re emblematic of the company’s commitment to

his wife and three sons.

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COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS & DEER VALLEY RESORT

A LASTING

LEGACY

EDGAR AND POLLY STERN’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LEISURE INDUSTRY GO FAR BEYOND DEER VALLEY BY ROGER TOLL

When Harry Frampton, managing partner of East

Quarter, and later the Stanford Court Hotel on San Fran-

West Partners, tells the story of Edgar Stern, he is quick

cisco’s Nob Hill, which for many years set the standard

to offer center stage to the remarkable creator and

for service on the West Coast. The grandson of Julius

owner of Deer Valley, who launched a transformation

Rosenwald, the philanthropist and chairman of Sears

of the ski resort business a quarter-century ago.

Roebuck, Stern had learned to ski as a student at Le

“I visited Deer Valley the year it started, in 1981,”

Rosey, the Swiss prep school of princes and emirs in ele-

says Frampton, who was president of Vail Associates

gant Gstaad. He went on to graduate from the Hotchkiss

at the time. “It was clear to me right away that those

School and Harvard University.

guys were doing revolutionary things, right on the cutting edge of the ski industry.”

“As a cultured and well-traveled man, Edgar’s focus was entirely on the guest experience, something he

Edgar Stern was a maverick in the North American ski

well understood,” says Frampton. “Edgar Stern had

world, still dominated in those days by the old 10th

the vision to see that 80 percent of skiers were not

Mountain Division ski-hard, damn-the-amenities ethic of

crazy, macho experts, but families, beginners and as-

U.S. skiing’s pioneers, many of whom were the founders

piring skiers who wanted manicured slopes and

of ski areas across the country. Unlike the old guard,

friendly people greeting them with reassuring smiles.

Stern rose through the hospitality business, having built

He recognized the importance of comfort, care and

the luxury Royal Orleans Hotel in the heart of the French

excellent dining. We built the Park Hyatt Beaver

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Creek based on Edgar’s principles, which seemed so

Park City was only 36 miles from a major airport and

revolutionary 25 years ago. Today, those principles

that the highway connecting Salt Lake City to Park City

are at the core of most successful resorts.”

was soon to become an Interstate.

Stern and his wife and co-partner, Polly, built a home

The ski area began performing well under his direction,

in Aspen in 1956 to escape the heat of New Orleans,

but Stern was equally interested in developing real estate.

where he ran the city’s first NBC affiliate station. With-

When a recession hit in 1971, they gave the condo devel-

in five years, he began developing Aspen’s exclusive

opment to creditors, sold the ski area, and walked away

Starwood community. Hearing that he might be able to

with the land that would become Deer Valley. “The com-

purchase a condominium development in Park City, he

bined advantage of unsurpassed accessibility with the

visited the old mining town and discovered that not

availability of privately owned skiing terrain is as valu-

only was the town’s fledgling ski area for sale, but

able as it is unique,” Stern wrote in 1998. “The combina-

7,000 acres of land along with it. It was an opportunity

tion offered a very rare business opportunity.” Denver-based Sam Guyton has been Stern’s confidant and

private land which he could develop as he wished, that

attorney since he collaborated closely on Starwood more

COURTESY OF DEER VALLEY RESORT

he could not pass up, especially after learning it was all

Deer Valley’s four mountains offer a wide variety of terrain, spectacular scenery and an annual average of 300 inches of light, dry Utah powder.

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COURTESY OF DEER VALLEY RESORT

than 40 years ago. He helped in the Park City land purchase, then joined the board of the fledgling company that

Deer Valley is consistently rated No. 1 in food and beverage by the readers of SKI magazine and by the Zagat Restaurant Guide.

was building Deer Valley. “Edgar is a truly humble and gracious gentleman who is always giving the credit to others,”

said, ‘we won’t draft it. We’ll let the employees do it.’

says Guyton. “He treats everyone kindly and generously.”

That was one of his main beliefs. You need to give to-

Guyton recalls asking Stern for the secret to his suc-

tal support and recognition to the staff. Years in the

cess. “It has been based on asking the question: What do

hospitality business had taught him that satisfied em-

people most like?,” he quotes him as saying. “The an-

ployees translates directly into customer satisfaction.”

swer is superior service. I took what I knew about the

It also translates into ferocious loyalty. More than

successful operation of a hotel and applied it to the ski-

200 people have been working at Deer Valley for 15

ing business.” To offer superior service, Guyton points

years or more, a remarkable statistic in an industry

out, you need a superior staff. Stern is known for choos-

known for the mobility of its members, and more

ing excellent people with great care, then listening to

than 30 have been there since day one.

them, supporting them and offering the best compensation packages in the ski resort business.

No one has more insight into Stern’s support for his staff than Bob Wheaton, Deer Valley’s general manager

“In the early days, I asked him if we shouldn’t

for 22 years. He got to know the Sterns when, as building

draft a mission statement,” says Guyton. “‘No,’ he

maintenance manager, he took charge of completing the

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resort’s infrastructure prior to Deer Valley’s opening. “A few years ago, Edgar and I were going over some financial matters when the conversation turned philosoph-

“Edgar always says that we have to look at our company through our guests’ eyes. From that perspective, it follows

ical. I asked him, ‘Edgar, what are you most proud of at

that the most important people are the

Deer Valley?’ I expected he’d say it was having been

ones with whom our guests interact

named the No.1 resort in North America the previous

most often–our valets, instructors,

year. But his response amazed me, and it rolled right off

lift attendants, servers and waiters…

his tongue without hesitation. ‘It’s the opportunities

and not us managers.”

we’ve given our employees in their personal and professional growth.’ That defines where his vision and motiva-

is less or more important than anyone else around

tion come from. It made me realize Edgar gets as much

here. Edgar always says that we have to look at our

gratification from the staff’s experience as he does from

company through our guests’ eyes. From that perspec-

the guests’ experience. But you know what’s even more

tive, it follows that the most important people are the

significant? For Edgar, they are exactly the same thing.

ones with whom our guests interact most often — our

Without one, you don’t have the other.”

valets, instructors, lift attendants, servers and wait-

For Stern, says Wheaton, his employees are truly partners, a fact he exhibits on a daily basis. “No one

ers…and not us managers.” One of Wheaton’s unwritten job responsibilities was skiing with Stern. Known around the mountain as Fast Eddie or No-Turn Stern, he liked high-speed racing on Deer Valley’s trademark corduroy slopes. Outfitted with a Deer Valley name tag identifying him as chairman, Stern was always the first out, at 9am sharp, be-

COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS & DEER VALLEY RESORT

fore most people got on the hill, and by 11 he was heading back to his spacious apartment overlooking Silver Lake Village to dress for lunch with Polly. “I kind of had to work at it to keep up with Edgar,” says Wheaton, a flawless skier who applied for the job of ski school director in 1980. “We’d hop on the chair, and Edgar would say, ‘You know, I think there Olympic ski legend Stein Eriksen’s namesake lodge, with its many awards, is indicative of the quality inherent in Deer Valley.

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is something wrong with my vision. I saw these orange things but couldn’t really make them out.’ And

COURTESY OF DEER VALLEY RESORT

I’d say, ‘Are you talking about the Go-Slow signs, Edgar?’ ‘Oh, gee,’ he’d say, ‘I guess I was going too fast to see them.’ And we’d laugh.”

Honored multiple times as the No. 1 ski resort in North America by the readers of SKI magazine. Deer Valley features exceptional customer service, consistent quality and attention to every detail.

Now 84, Stern doesn’t get on the slopes anymore

before we had that necessary critical mass of guests,”

and is handing over his duties as chairman to his son,

says Wheaton. “But Edgar had an unwavering belief in

Lessing, who has served as vice-chairman for the last

the business model he set up. Opportunities came

15 years after working, in the resort’s early years, in

along back then that were tempting in terms of short

both the ski patrol and food and beverage. It is likely

term gains and immediate needs, but he never accepted

that along with the keys to his creation, Stern will also

any of them if they risked compromising the compa-

be handing over his principles and beliefs culled over

ny’s values and his vision of total quality and service.”

60 years of remarkable business success. “If you can’t

Jim Hill, managing partner of East West Partners-

do it right, then don’t do it at all,” says Wheaton. “A

Utah, heads the company’s real estate projects that in-

lot of people say those words, but to Edgar — and,

clude ski-in/ski-out homes and lodges high on Deer Val-

now, to all of us — they are the words we live by.”

ley’s slopes in the Village at Empire Pass. “Much of the

“It was not easy in those early years to be successful,

reason we’re here,” says Hill, “is that there’s such a

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good fit between the cultures and values of our two organizations. Deer Valley runs a first-class organization.” After years of receiving the highest reader ratings in ski magazine surveys for service, grooming, food, ac-

EDGAR STERN’S 13 COMMANDMENTS In all things, don’t do it unless you do it right. Take unusual approaches to everyday situations. Be innovative and creative.

cess, lodging, lifts and family programs, and often finding itself among the top five resorts in North America, Deer Valley took the Ski magazine No. 1 Ski Resort award away from long-time winners Vail and Whistler-Blackcomb first in 2002 and again in 2005 and 2007. This is as much an accolade for Deer Valley as an acknowledgement that Stern’s pioneering vi-

Attention to detail is crucial. The smallest things make the biggest difference. Always maintain the charm of the business. Bigger is not necessarily better. People make the difference in every business. Employee loyalty is essential. Hire the best people and buy the best materials. Pay employees properly and give them free reign.

sion had paid off. The “Deer Valley Difference” — Promote employees from within the business.

valet ski service, parking lot shuttles, on-site child care, immaculate grooming, gourmet cuisine, limited

Maintain a healthy balance between reasonable profit and serving customers.

skier numbers, crisp uniforms, chefs in clean white

Treat the back of house as you do the front.

hats — was no longer the exception; it had become

Constantly improve what you are doing.

the industry standard among the best resorts. “There simply had never been anything like what Deer Valley offered at ski resorts before,” says Harry Frampton. “Edgar started raising the bar, and this led

Seize opportunities. When you see a great value, buy it now. It is better to pass up an opportunity than pick bad partners.

to the greatest transformation in the history of the United States ski industry.”

he is gone. “I think our relentless pursuit of excellence

In a paper written ten years ago, Stern jotted down the

is the driving force of the company. Our guests love it

components of his business philosophy developed over

and our people take great pride in it. We charge a bit

half a century of running companies, culminating in Deer

more for our services because of it and our guests still

Valley. His television company and a shopping center in

say, ‘Thank you.’” S

New Orleans, two high quality hotels, Aspen’s Starwood and the Park City ski resort were building blocks and learning lessons for what became Deer Valley. Stern closed his words with a final summation, an admonition, perhaps, for those who would lead after

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

Roger Toll, a Park City resident, contributes articles from around the world for National Geographic Adventure, ForbesLife, Western Interiors & Design, Travel & Leisure and Delta’s Sky magazine, among others.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

More and more urbanites are using mountain homes to work and play year-round BY DAVID O. WILLIAMS

Mike Lee and his wife, Kathy, disassembled a circa 1650

mining heyday of the late 1800’s.

wooden barn from the English countryside and had it

Their new-old second home immediately became

shipped to the United States in the 1970’s with the distant

exactly what they had hoped for: a place of permanence

notion of one day reassembling it in a mountainous resort

and familial refuge from their city life in San Francisco

area as a gathering place for their large, extended family.

and the ideal point of convergence for the Lees, their five

After looking in parts of Oregon and the Mammoth and

children, friends and other family members.

Lake Tahoe regions of California, the Lees — living in the Bay Area at the time — settled on Utah, where they had both graduated from the University of Utah years earlier. Specifically, they chose Park City because of its unlimited recreational opportunities, proximity to their church, great outdoor beauty and fast access to a major international PHOTOS THIS SPREAD BY PETER ESKO

airport. The impending land rush before Utah’s 2002 Winter Olympics forced the Lees to build a bit ahead of their original time frame, erecting the home in 1996-97. When they were done, their 17th century home between the ski resorts of Park City and Deer Valley predated by at least two centuries anything still standing from Park City’s

Mike and Kathy Lee (above) wanted a second home — a family gathering place — that exuded a sense of permanence. The kitchen of their Park City, Utah home (opposite page) certainly meets that goal.

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DAVID COLEMAN/DREAMSTIME.COM

Advances in transportation and technology make it possible for a family to have “permanent” homes in, for example, Austin, Texas (above) and the Vail Valley.

technology, Mike is able to conduct business as usual from his Park City home. He’s part of a growing trend away from vacation or second-home ownership and

“After it was built we would come up on vacations mostly, and then it kind of evolved,” says Mike Lee, who

toward multi-purpose primary homes – or at least more heavily utilized – second or third homes in resort areas.

still works for an investment banking firm in San

Besides the technological revolution of the last few

Francisco. “Over the last three years I was spending a lot

years, Lee says the dual factors of the changing face

more time up here, commuting mostly on Southwest

of retirement (with people working much later in life)

Airlines. We would spend extended time, not just holidays. Then, about a year ago, we kind of reversed that. Now I’m up here most of the time and go down to San Francisco only occasionally. Communications have allowed that to happen.” The Lees no longer even own a place in San Francisco, and through the wonders of the web and wireless

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“One of the things I love is you’re skiing or going up on the chairlift and you get a call and it’s just business as usual. You don’t miss a beat.”

and the relative ease of transportation after the initial post 9-11 security ramp-up eased off have combined to turn places like Park City and Vail, Colorado, into virtual suburbs of major metropolitan commercial hubs around the nation. “One of the things I love is you’re skiing or going up on the chairlift and you get a call and it’s just business as COURTESY OF THE KUSHNERS

usual,” Lee says. “You don’t miss a beat.” Lee, 64, says companies are increasingly recognizing the value — from both an expertise and an experience standpoint — of employees in their late 60s or even early 70s. The traditional 65 retirement age is a thing of the past.

“With my mobile phone, BlackBerry, laptop and access to FedEx Kinko’s, I can do business just about anywhere,” says Brian Kushner, shown here with wife Wendi and daughters Amanda (left) and Jillian (right).

“It’s a whole different concept, and I have no thought of retiring at 65,” Lee says. “I don’t know

bedroom unit at the Ritz-Carlton Club when it first

what I would do, and I don’t know what my wife

opened in Bachelor Gulch near Colorado’s Beaver

would do with me. Retirement has changed a great

Creek ski area several years ago. They then bought a

deal in recent years because there were a lot of

second share a year later to afford them more time in

financial wrecks after 2000 and 2001 and, therefore,

the mountains, especially during the hot summer

a lot of people economically have extended

months in Texas.

retirement. And it’s really a nebulous term, because people are as active as they were before retirement.”

Their Ritz membership was a less expensive way of dipping a toe into the market and seeing if the Vail

But part of remaining so active means finding a

Valley was a place they wanted to put down roots

multi-use home in an area rich with cultural and

long-term. “But we soon found we wanted to be there

recreational opportunities and the necessary

over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, wanted

transportation and communications infrastructure for

the flexibility to fly in when there was fresh powder

conducting business in such places.

and spend more time in the Vail Valley over

For Brian and Wendi Kushner of Austin, Texas, the

summer,” says Brian Kushner, “so we bought a condo

search for the perfect mountain retreat capable of

up the hill from the Ritz with about 200 more square

accommodating both work and play started with the

feet of space, much of which I have dedicated to my

rapidly growing trend of vacation club ownership.

office and supporting infrastructure.”

The Kushners bought a single share of a three-

A managing partner in CXO, LLC, a company that,

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF THE RITZ-CARLTON, BACHELOR GULCH

Many purchasers of semi-permanent resort homes first owned at prestigious vacation ownership properties such as Bachelor Gulch’s Ritz-Carlton Club.

The Kushners searched the mountains for the perfect locale for their multi-use home, even spending some time in the Deer Valley-Park City area of Utah, but their

among other things, provides interim and turnaround

experience with the Ritz-Carlton convinced them Vail —

management services to private equity and hedge fund

with its regional airport just 30 miles away between the

portfolio companies, Brian Kushner travels a great

nearby towns of Eagle and Gypsum — was the ideal

deal and needs good air access but also relies heavily

spot. Their Ritz membership effectively limited them to a

on telecommunications to work closely with

maximum of about six weeks a year in the Vail Valley;

companies around the country.

but in 2007, with their new condo, they had already

“With my mobile phone, BlackBerry, laptop and

spent nearly ten weeks in the mountains by early

access to FedEx and Kinko’s, I can do business just

September and were expecting to increase that to more

about anywhere,” Kushner says. “I spend a lot of time

than 12 weeks in 2008. Given Brian’s frenetic weekly

on conference calls and responding to emails, and I

travel schedule, air access is at a premium.

have found the technology facilitates me being in

“Transportation in and out of the Vail Valley is a

touch on a beach in Australia or on several of the

critical part of the story and helps make it work for

chairlifts in the Vail Valley.”

me,” Kushner says. “Close proximity to Denver

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF THE EAGLE COUNTY AIRPORT

International Airport and increased flights in and out of Eagle County Regional Airport allow me to spend more time in the Vail Valley. I would welcome more nonstop flights in the summer into Eagle County above and beyond Dallas-Fort Worth and DIA.”

Resort community airports such as the Eagle County Regional Airport, with flights to many of the nation’s largest markets, make commuting easy for those with both city and mountain homes. “They have now branched out and bought bigger condos or homes with up to seven or eight bedrooms and often with dual, his-and-her offices. They’re spending more

A DRAMATICALLY CHANGING MARKET Transportation and technology are dramatically

time during ski seasons, but a big change is a lot more time in the summer than the winter.”

transforming resort real estate markets, says Jim Flaum of

Whatever the reason, the trend of second homes becoming

Slifer Smith and Frampton Real Estate in the Vail Valley.

permanent or semi-permanent homes continues to fuel the

“We’ve seen a big change in the market in the last ten

real estate market in many a mountain community while

years, and even more so in the last five years, with captains

providing an enviable quality of life for their owners. S

of industry who can keep operating their companies or doing their job from anywhere in the world because of

David O. Williams, founder and editor of realvail.com,

technology, and therefore have been willing to spend more

is a freelance journalist who lives in Vail, Colorado, with

time here and invest in a bigger home,” Flaum says.

his wife and three sons.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

THE

RIGHT

CONNECTIONS Vail Valley’s Riverfront Village has Impressive Mountain and Town Links BY DON BERGER

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF AVON

For more than a century, Avon, Colorado, was a tiny agricultural settlement known for lettuce and other vegetables grown along the Eagle River and in the adjacent

Above: Riverfront Village’s close proximity to Avon’s new regional transportation center virtually eliminates the need for its residents to rely on an automobile. Opposite page: Each of the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa’s 210 superbly appointed suites and residences will be privately owned.

Beaver Creek Valley. Then, in the early 1960's an upstart ski resort named Vail was established barely nine miles to the east. For a while, Avon's farmers and ranchers continued

commercial core. Although commercial buildings sprouted up rapidly, it appeared as if the town's center lacked a sense of place.

their agricultural traditions. But during the 1980's things

That’s changing fast, according to Avon’s mayor,

quickly changed with the development of Beaver Creek

Ron Wolfe. Avon is embarking on a renaissance that

Resort, created by the same company — Vail Associates

will create a vibrant town core stretching east from

— that founded Vail.

the popular Nottingham Lake and Park to the com-

By the time Beaver Creek Resort opened in December

mercial center of the town.

1980, Avon was developing into a support community for

The heart of the project is a proposed “Main Street”

both Beaver Creek and Vail. Today, it is a major commer-

that will begin at the park and end at Avon Road, which

cial and residential hub for the entire Vail Valley.

leads to the main entrance of Beaver Creek Resort. A

Yet, in the rush to build and meet growing business and

pedestrian plaza lined with shops, restaurants and resi-

residential demands, Avon was left without a cohesive

dential units is envisioned to create the kind of central

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

commercial gathering place that Avon’s core currently lacks. Spearheading Avon’s renaissance is the $500 million,

hotels that include wholly-owned residences. It’s a model that makes great sense for second home owners.”

19-acre Riverfront Village along the banks of the Eagle

Accommodations are divided into two categories: stu-

River and within easy walking distance of the proposed

dio suites and residences, which are one, two- and three-

Main Street, Nottingham Park and a new regional

bedroom luxury condominiums.

transportation hub.

Depending on the unit model, amenities include fireplaces,

The first phase — and the centerpiece of Riverfront Village

flat screen televisions, wood floors, five-fixture bathrooms,

— is the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa, currently under

memorable views of the surrounding mountain peaks and Ea-

construction and scheduled for completion in summer 2008.

gle River, and of course, all the signature elements of Westin,

At build-out, Riverfront Village will consist of the

including the acclaimed Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Shower.

Westin plus two Starwood Vacation Ownership proper-

There is an on-site rental program available for those

ties that, combined, will have 113 two-bedroom lock-off

owners of the studio suites and residences who wish to

units. Both will have full access to all of the amenities

rent their units within the Westin system.

and services of the hotel.

As well, all suites and residences will have access to the

Planned to complement these properties is a lodge

many amenities and guest services of the Westin, including

that will feature 75 whole ownership condominiums

Spa Anjali, a full-service spa and fitness center, the Water-

with another 26 condos and townhomes planned also

mark Restaurant and Bar, a lobby wine bar and library,

along the river.

business center, conference facilities, concierge and 24-

There also will be restaurants and shops and, perhaps

hour room service, a ski valet, the family-friendly Westin

most important of all, the new Riverfront Express Gondola,

Kids Club, a 25 meter lap pool complete with large sun

the base terminus of which is adjacent to the Westin.

decks and mountain views, three oversized outdoor hot

Scheduled to open for the 2007-08 winter season, the gondola will connect Riverfront Village — and Avon — with the ski slopes of Beaver Creek. According to project manager Andy Gunion, the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa will be unlike a traditional hotel in that each guest room will be privately — and

COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

wholly — owned. Gunion is with Beaver Creek-based East West Partners (EWP), the project’s developer. “It’s part of a growing trend,” he says. “Big luxury hotel chains, like Westin, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton, are putting their brands on properties run as luxury

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

say the least, impressive. For example, early on in his career he was nurtured by such culinary icons as Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse. His “New American” cuisine features “regional artisanal products emphasizing purity of ingredients and abundance of flavor.” In addition to the indoor dining and bar, Watermark will feature a broad terrace overlooking both the Eagle River and the slopes of Beaver Creek. Plans for this terrace include a full-service outdoor bar, fire pits and outdoor dining. “Our goal is to take advantage of the unparalleled setting of this massive deck to create the valley's best après ski destination and summer hot spot,” says Salamunovich, adding that “Restaurants are modern-day town halls, a place where people gather. We MONIKA HILLEARY

hope the Watermark will become that.” Not surprisingly, ease of access to Beaver Creek’s slopes is a major attraction to Westin Riverfront purchasers. tubs nestled along the river and underground parking.

“They like that they can get their skis from the ski valet,

The 23,000-square-foot Spa Anjali is being planned

walk across a small retail plaza, board the gondola and be

and programmed by Gaye Steinke, spa director at the

on the slopes in minutes,” explains listing broker Tom

award-winning Allegria Spa at the Park Hyatt Beaver

Vucich of Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate.

Creek. Steinke promises that Spa Anjali will provide a

Other outdoor amenities include fabulous fly-fishing on

luxurious experience in holistic wellness with its highly

the Eagle River, Avon’s whitewater park slightly upstream

trained staff and sumptuous environment. The 7,000square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness center overlooking the mountains, river and pool, promises to be one of the premier health clubs in the Vail Valley. Among its many

Watermark Restaurant and the associated Watermarket are being developed by celebrated chef Thomas Salamunovich, owner and chef of Vail Village’s famed Larkspur Restaurant. Salamunovich's culinary pedigree is, to

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

amenities will be yoga and spin studios.

on the river, and a five-acre riverside park that East West Partners has dedicated to the town. In addition, East West Partners is improving the riverfront and creating intimate “sitting areas” with boulders where people can sit and enjoy the river and the views. COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

Riverfront Village’s close proximity of Avon’s new regional transportation center, scheduled to open for the 2007-08 ski season, virtually eliminates the need for its residents and guests to rely on an automobile. Buses run to and from Vail, Edwards and elsewhere throughout Eagle County. Likewise, residents and guests of other areas of Avon and Eagle County can take a bus from their neighborhood, get off at the transportation center and walk to the gondola for a day on the slopes. For those who prefer pedal power, the nearby regional

Above: The 23,000-square-foot Spa Anjali will offer a luxurious experience in holistic wellness. Opposite page top: Celebrated chef Thomas Salamunovich, owner and chef of Vail Village’s Larkspur Restaurant, is developing the Westin Riverfront’s Watermark Restaurant. Opposite page bottom: The Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa offers this stunning view of the entire Beaver Creek Valley. and Tower to Tokyo’s Peninsula Hotel.

bicycle path stretches nearly unbroken from Summit

Watermark Restaurant is being designed by New

County (Breckenridge, Keystone Resort, Copper Moun-

York’s Asfour Guzy Architects whose impressive credits

tain Resort, Frisco and Lake Dillon) over Vail Pass and

range from the Blue Hill Restaurant in New York (for

on through Vail and the Eagle River Valley.

which they were cited as the Best Restaurant Design by

To encourage its employees to commute via bicycle, the Westin Riverfront will provide bike racks, showers and lockers. East West Partners is also providing lighting for the bike path that connects with the countywide system.

the New York Press) to the renovation of and new addition to the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. Coordinating the entire design team is Boulder, Colorado-based OZ Architecture, whose distinctive

The exterior architecture of the Westin Riverfront

style blends itself particularly well to the numerous

Resort and Spa has been designed by San Francisco-

Colorado, Utah and California mountain resorts in

based Hornberger + Worstell, whose credits include the

which it is represented.

Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, California, and the Intercontinental Hotel in San Francisco. Interior design is being provided by SOM (Skidmore Owings and Merrill) of Los Angeles. Their cred-

The Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa is not only gifted with a beautiful setting, but quick and easy access to the slopes of Beaver Creek.

its range from Chicago’s Trump International Hotel

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

GREENING THE RIVERFRONT Environmental concerns have been vigorously addressed during the planning and construction of the Westin Resort and Spa. Gunion notes the hotel is on COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

track to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED certification is awarded to projects that meet a stringent set of guidelines aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of buildings. Certification is based on a system of points awarded for specific environmentally

The Westin Riverfront’s topping off celebration during the summer of 2007 marked a milestone. Aiming for a LEED certification, the property is scheduled for completion during the summer of 2008.

friendly features of a property. East West Partners em-

this the construction site has separate bins for scrap met-

ploys a consultant whose sole responsibility is to ensure

al, wood, and so on.”

that the Riverfront property meets LEED requirements.

Riverfront Village and the Westin Riverfront Resort and

Examples of the Westin’s environmentally sensitive

Spa would not be possible without the support and for-

features include roof tiles made from recycled tires, in-

ward thinking of the Town of Avon,” says Gunion.

creased indoor air quality through the use of less

“Avon’s elected officials and staff are extremely proactive

harmful building materials (known as Low

in making dramatic and much-needed improvements to the

Volatile Organic Compounds, or

town. Avon appears to be at the start of a dynamic trans-

COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

VOC), the use of natural

formation and we’re privileged to be part of it.”

light through ex-

Says Mayor Ron Wolfe of Riverfront Village’s signifi-

pansive windows

cance to Avon's renaissance, “It’s like the keystone, the

that reduce the need for

castle in Disneyworld, so to speak…. It’s a very impor-

electrical lighting usage,

tant part of our whole downtown master plan. The

and the inclusion of

quality and the features Riverfront provides to both its

recycling bins in

residents and the town demonstrates Avon is a good

each hotel unit. “We’re also striv-

place for such a project. For me, it’s the model for the rest of the development community.” S

ing to recycle a good portion of our con-

Thirty-five year Vail Valley resident Don Berger is edi-

struction waste,” says

tor of ELEVATE, Vail-Beaver Creek Magazine, Colorado

Gunion. “To help facilitate

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

Summit Magazine and Rocky Mountain Golf Magazine.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF DEER VALLEY RESORT

Connecting People With Nature, Community and History BY JOY OVERBECK

Today’s health-conscious American is becoming ever more outdoor oriented, with young and older people

sort of Vail, and through the valley to the neighboring communities of Avon, Beaver Creek Resort, and Edwards.

alike eager to grab all the good times they can from

Farther west lies Eagle Ranch, a “New Urbanism” com-

recreational activities. That’s one reason why hiking and

munity nestled in a green valley surrounded by spectacular

biking paths are increasingly popular perks in communi-

mountain views. Several hundred families make their homes

ties all across the country. In wilder mountain environs,

in this traditional community of white picket fences and

dirt trails across a breathtaking landscape challenge the

friendly charm. The kids can take over 13 miles of neighbor-

gung-ho nature enthusiast to explore.

hood bike and walking paths to school, to visit their buddies, or to a soccer game or golf lesson. For parents with small

A COLORADO MOUNTAIN SAMPLER

children in strollers, the paths become a social hub as they

Among Colorado’s many excellent trail systems is one

meet their friends on the way to the neighborhood park, or

that begins in the mountain town of Breckenridge, skirts

get together for a latte at the local coffee shop in Eagle Ranch

along the sapphire waters of beautiful Lake Dillon, and

Village. And as gas becomes ever pricier, leaving the car in

climbs up 11,000-foot Vail Pass amid incredible high coun-

the garage and instead walking or biking to the nearby mar-

try scenery. The trail then winds down to the mountain re-

ket to pick up a few necessities makes more sense all the time.

Opposite page: More than 50 miles of trails in the Park City, Utah area offer cyclists, walkers and hikers seemingly endless adventures. ELEVATE MAGAZINE

COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN MEDIA

Recently, Eagle Ranch has been gaining a reputation as

Known as “Denver’s Park Avenue,” Riverfront Park

a magnet for mountain bikers, with backcountry trails in

is one of the most sought-after addresses downtown.

the hills above the community easily accessible from trail-

Yet a huge part of the Riverfront neighborhood’s ap-

heads within the Ranch. Hikers, runners, and horseback

peal is a front door that opens on the rolling

riders are also welcome on more than eight miles of back-

greensward of the 25-acre Commons Park and the trail

country trails that traverse the open meadows and aspen

system along the waters of the Platte River.

and pine covered flanks of Hardscrabble Mountain.

Federico — single, in her early 30’s, and communications manager for East West Partners in Denver —

DENVER’S CONNECTIONS

probably represents the archetypal resident. Like most

No one could applaud such outdoorsy amenities

city dwellers, she lives here because she loves the cre-

more than Celeste Federico, a runner who hits the

ative, bustling life of the metropolis. But an active phys-

trails from her home about five days a week. Except

ical lifestyle is just as important to her, and at River-

that she lives, not in the Eagle countryside, but in the

front Park, she’s got that wired, too.

chic urban environs of the Riverfront Park neighborhood in downtown Denver.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

“I run five days a week after work, and that 60 minute run is the thing I look forward to most,” she says. “I just

DENVER CHAMBER/WWW.DENVER.ORG

lace up, grab my iPod, and within a couple of minutes I’m on the trail where it’s just beautiful.” She runs for miles along the Platte River, and as she runs, “the sight and sound of the flowing water is so peaceful it helps me re-

Above: Downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall connects with the city’s extensive trail system. Below: Denver’s Commons Park is a community meeting place. Opposite page: Climbing over 11,000-foot Vail Pass, one of Colorado’s most scenic bike trails links the resorts of Eagle and Summit counties.

lease my day.” With the path buffered by parks and open space, the experience can feel very removed from the city. She greets many neighbors on the riverfront path where they like to cycle, walk, rollerblade, or skateboard. The pathways also allow people to step out of their homes and visit Denver’s many attractions, or bike or walk to

COURTESY OF EAST WEST PARTNERS

work downtown. Crossing the tall, striking Millennium Bridge, they can reach such LoDo diversions as restaurants, bookstores, boutique shopping in historic Larimer Square or the 16th Street Mall, art galleries, and even Coors Field for a baseball game. They may also follow

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

ALTAY KAYA/DREAMSTIME.COM

the Platte River trail to Confluence Park where the Platte

a network of trails and pathways are very popular with

River and Cherry Creek converge, to picnic and watch

the nature-loving residents. Over 13 miles of trails link

kayakers pirouette in the water. Walking a bit farther,

the communities of Old Greenwood and Gray’s Crossing,

they can visit Elitch Gardens and enjoy a day at this well-

meandering through open space and past homes, edging

known amusement park. And every fall football season,

the golf courses and traveling into the surrounding hills.

the Platte River trail is packed with Bronco fans in their

Beginning at Old Greenwood’s Pavilion, the community’s

orange and blue jerseys, trooping along in a brisk pilgrim-

swim, tennis and fitness center, residents often take an af-

age to Invesco Field at Mile High.

ter-dinner stroll that refreshes mind and spirit. Some of the time, the nearly three-mile loop path is within sight of the

TRUCKEE TRAILS

golf course, winding through meadows, sage, and bands of

The Truckee, California, area lies about 20 minutes

pine and juniper forests. Passing lakes teeming with rain-

from Lake Tahoe and draws second homeowners, retirees,

bow trout, the hiker may see an osprey or even a majestic

and young families to a pair of EWP developments where

bald eagle swooping down with talons outstretched to

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

snatch dinner from the water. Many varieties of birds are plentiful, including red tail hawks, woodpeckers, falcons, mountain chickadees, and Stellar jays. The bracing piney air feels fresh and cool as the hiker comes out onto a bluff overlooking a dramatic 180-degree view of the Northstar ski area in the Sierra Nevada range. Far below lies the lake and wide-open spaces of the Martis Valley, pristine and COURTESY OF NORTH TAHOE

protected. The remote whistle of a train climbing Donner Pass sounds faintly in the clear air as sunset washes the sky in red and purple watercolors. Though civilization is always near, it’s possible to feel very far away indeed. At dusk, deer are often browsing

Above: The Lake Tahoe area offers some spectacular mountain hikes. Opposite page: Trails provide the perfect setting for communicating with nature and each other.

nearby, and a family of raccoons may scamper across the path. Jeff Butterworth, project manager for Old Green-

among hikers and mountain bikers alike. Silver Lake

wood and Gray’s Crossing, has taken this trail often.

Lodge provides a good starting point for the trail, which

“The trails give people the feeling of getting away into na-

runs at a pretty level elevation of about 8,000 feet across

ture for miles and miles. They’re very popular with hikers,

the back of the Wasatch Range through Park City resort

dog walkers, runners, and everybody,” he says. “With the

and ends at The Canyons. Many choose to do just a sec-

mountains right here, it’s pretty gorgeous.”

tion of the 25-mile trail. Hikers and bikers pass through tall stands of aspen that shine bright gold in fall, and

DEER VALLEY’S CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

deep evergreen forests with mountain birds everywhere.

Utah’s Deer Valley is known for its phenomenal moun-

Big views look down into the Snyderville Basin with its

tain hikes as well as its skiing. Not far from The Village

lush valleys, farms and ranches. The blue peaks of the

at Empire Pass, the Mid-Mountain Trail is a favorite

Uintah Range rise in the far distance. Wildlife is plentiful near the trail. One memorable day, East West Partners’ managing partner Jim Hill had

Over 13 miles of trails link the communities of Old Greenwood and Gray’s Crossing, meandering through open space and past homes, edging the golf courses and traveling into the surrounding hills.

a close encounter of the moose kind. “Only about 50 feet away, a cow and a bull moose were lying down in a little meadow surrounded by trees next to the trail,” he recalls. “It was pretty exciting. But they are really big, and they just steadily looked at me so I kind of tiptoed around them.” What makes the Mid-Mountain

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

Trail a great hike, he says, is the sense of privacy in the woods and experiencing the beauty of the aspen and the animals. “In many places, it feels like you could be a million miles away from everything.”

A WALK THROUGH CHARLESTON Several thousand miles away on the Atlantic coast, PATRICK HALL/DREAMSTIME.COM

Charleston, South Carolina shares with Denver the perfect balance of idyllic riverfront plus heart-of-the-city location. The four low-rise residential buildings of One Vendue Range border the lovely green space of Waterfront Park on the harbor. Here people stroll and walk their dogs on wide sidewalks

Charming paths and walkways link many of Charleston, South Carolina’s historic sites.

beneath over-arching oak trees, visit the stunning landmark Pineapple Fountain, or sit on the park benches admiring the

important roles in both the Revolutionary and Civil War.

harbor view. The nearby boardwalk heads toward the Bat-

Others reveal the ghosts and legends of the city’s colorful

tery and piers along the water where fishermen and young-

history, or the story of the slave trade as it developed over

sters try their luck. City Gallery, also part of the neighbor-

the decades in this major seaport. The narrow streets hold

hood, displays some of the region’s most important artworks.

irresistible charms to delight both the visitor and resident.

Charleston is truly a walking city, and residents here don’t

Whether in an urban environment rich in history or a

need a car to sample the many attractions of this celebrated

more countrified setting that includes golf courses and

jewel. The historic district nearby is famous for its elegant

wide-open spaces, the trails and pathways of these com-

mansions that date from before the Civil War. One block of

munities are giving today’s residents what they want.

homes is known as Rainbow Row for their painted-lady col-

“Having so much within walking distance makes a com-

ors. Another must-see is the former Slave Market area, once

munity a very desirable place to live,” says East West

a center of human commerce that is now a bustling district

Partners’ principal Mark Smith. “The paths are a way of

of boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and nightlife.

binding the neighborhood together, and linking the resi-

In a very real way, all of Charleston is an open-air museum whose intriguing history dates from its settlement as

dents with each other as well as with everything that’s happening in the larger surrounding area.” S

“Charles Towne” in the 1670’s. Walking tours as well as tours by horse-drawn carriage let the visitor experience all

Joy Overbeck’s work has appeared in Redbook, Health,

the fascinating culture and art that distinguish this romantic

Parent’s, Womans Day, TV Guide, Colorado Expression

bastion of the Old South. Some tours explore Charleston’s

and 5280 Magazine.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

JEFF GOLDBERG/ESTO. COURTESY OF THE DENVER ART MUSEUM

A NEW SLANT

ON ART

THE DENVER ART MUSEUM’S DRAMATIC HAMILTON BUILDING DEBUTS

BY JOY OVERBECK ABOVE IMAGE BY JEFF WELLS. COURTESY OF THE DENVER ART MUSEUM

Denver put in its latest bid for a serious big city art stature

internationally renowned architecture firm of Fentress

last October with the opening of the Denver Art Museum’s

Bradburn is responsible for the world-famous white peaks

$110 million expansion — the striking Hamilton Building, de-

of Denver International Airport as well as the Bronco’s

signed by internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind.

home, Invesco Field at Mile High. And Denver’s glossy

In the world-class top tier of urban landmarks, Paris has

new Museum of Contemporary Art will be the attention-

its Eiffel Tower, Sydney its Opera House, Bilbao its ac-

getting London-based design star David Adjaye’s first

claimed Guggenheim Museum. Like those and many ma-

public project in the U.S. Indeed, Italian Gio Ponti was

jor metropolises, Denver has never shied from bold, non-

considered an architectural maverick over 35 years ago,

conformist architecture, examples of which have built its

when he designed the original gray monolith North Build-

cultural credentials over the years. Michael Graves, named

ing of the Denver Art Museum.

by The New York Times as “the most truly original voice that American Architecture has produced in some time,” was chosen to design the colorful, multi-faceted 1995 addition to the Denver Central Library. The homegrown but

Opposite page: A dramatic break from tradition: the fourstory El Pomar Grand Atrium at the Denver Art Museum’s Frederic C. Hamilton Building. Above: A selection from the Collection of Vicki and Kent Logan, one of the first exhibits of the newly opened Hamilton Building.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

JEFF GOLDBERG/ESTO. COURTESY OF THE DENVER ART MUSEUM

And now adding to the city’s long-time architectural cachet, Libeskind’s huge, jagged avant-garde sculpture PETER HARHOLDT BY PERMISSION OF THE MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, PARIS/HIGH MUSEUM OF ART, ATLANTA

thrusts its silver spikes into the mile-high blue sky. Christened the Hamilton Building for longtime Denver Art Museum board chair Frederic C. Hamilton, who contributed a generous $20 million, the edifice has been hailed by art publications and architecture critics across the land. The bold design of the building has inspired passionate commentary and showered Denver with priceless publicity. Time, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times are among prominent publications that have sat up and taken notice in print. Some call the museum’s design a collection of glossy shards suggestive of crystalline rock formations, intended to symbolize the region’s mining legacy. New Yorker Magazine declared, “This building is a thrilling affirmation of the idea that museums can be art works as well as merely containers. Throughout, the Denver press has largely been a booster, calling the building

Above: The Denver At Museum hosts a wide array of impressive exhibits. This medallion featuring King Louis XIV is from the recent “Artisans & Kings: Selected Treasures from the Louvre” exhibit. Opposite page: Architect Daniel Libeskind’s original concept for the Hamilton Building was inspired by the jagged peaks he saw and then sketched on his boarding pass as he flew over the Rockies en route to his interview.

unorthodox, unconventional, and Denver’s shining jewel.”

Sharp began mulling an expansion even as he took the

What museum director Lewis Sharp wanted from the out-

helm as director in 1989. The original museum was built

set of the planning stages nearly ten years ago was certainly

over 35 years ago, designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti

what he got from visionary architect Libeskind and local col-

in collaboration with James Sudler Associates of Denver.

laborators Davis Partnership Architects: a stunning building

Now known as the North Building, the gray-tiled fortress-

that would irresistibly lure citizens of the world to Denver.

like structure had created a buzz in its own time, but the

Observes Sharp, “A lot of people come here for a

museum’s holdings had simply outgrown its seven stories.

mountain experience and don’t even get into Denver. We

Sharp laid the groundwork for his big plans during the

wanted to create a signature building that would attract

‘90s by treating museum-goers to special exhibits of fa-

people to the city and make a bold statement.”

mous works by the Impressionists and the Old Masters

The museum’s directors also specified “a striking, dramatic form that embodied unique spaces to house its programs.”

that piqued art-lovers’ hunger for more. In 1999, voters overwhelmingly passed a $62.5 million bond issue for the

Bothered that so many of the museum’s 60,000 collect-

new art addition. The rest of the funds were raised in pri-

ed works spent most of their time unseen in storage,

vate donations. The entire project included the Hamilton

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

plus a 75,000 square foot outdoor plaza and renovations

his interview, has not been compromised. Wearing cow-

to Ponti’s North Building.

boy boots and looking somewhat Austin Powers-esque

In choosing Libeskind as architect in 2000, the DAM’s

as he delivered his grand opening speech, Libeskind

board of trustees took something of a creative leap of faith;

lauded the freedom he found here and declared that for

his only major commission at the time was the Jewish Muse-

him, the project defined the American Dream.

um in Berlin, which didn’t open until 2001. The Hamilton

The architect’s fascinating biography is full of novelistic

Building is still his first completed project in North America,

drama; although he’s over 60, Libeskind’s architectural

and though several years ago the architect won the competi-

career is still in its formative stages. Born in war-ravaged

tion to master plan the reconstruction of the World Trade

Poland in 1946 to Jewish parents who had survived the

Center site, his vision has been liberally tweaked and other

Holocaust, Libeskind and his family moved to Israel

architects chosen for the future buildings.

when he was a baby, and then to New York City where he became a U.S. citizen in 1965. An accomplished ac-

skind, by the jagged peaks he saw and then sketched on

cordion player, he studied music at first and then

his boarding pass as he flew over the Rockies en route to

switched to architecture, attending Cooper Union in

JEFF WELLS/COURTESY OF THE DENVER ART MUSEUM

But in Denver the original concept, inspired, says Libe-

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

New York City. After graduating in 1970, he continued his studies at the University of Essex in England. For the next 15 years, Libeskind taught architectural theory, developing his own ideas that rejected the formfollows-function concept of classic modernism and figCOURTESY OF THE DENVER ART MUSEUM

ured prominently in the rise of deconstructionism in the 1980’s. His drawings and models were intended to be abstract expressions of his approach, rather than as buildings that would ever rise from the ground. But in the late ‘80s, he decided to leave teaching and become a practicing architect. Libeskind opened his first studio in Milan, later moving to Berlin so that he could supervise his first project of note, the Jewish Museum there.

Above: Daniel Libeskind, the architect of the Denver Art Museum’s expansion. Opposite page: Among the dedicated galleries of the new Hamilton Building is the museum’s impressive Western art collection.

Libeskind’s studio is now located in New York, where he

Columbian and Spanish colonial art, textiles, European

created the master plan for the World Trade Center site.

painting, sculpture and architecture, design and graphics.

Touring the Hamilton Building gives the visitor an en-

The Hamilton also features three galleries totaling 22,000

tirely new slant on what an art museum is all about. The

square feet for traveling exhibitions from around the world,

146,000-square-foot structure increases the size of the mu-

art storage spaces, and a large museum shop.

seum by 40 percent, letting it claim title as the largest art

During its first year, more than 700 works from the mu-

museum between Chicago and the West Coast. The new

seum’s permanent collection were displayed in the new

spaces include dedicated galleries for the museum’s mod-

complex. “The great value of the Hamilton Building is

ern and contemporary art, African art, Oceanic art, and

that it allows us to get a large percentage of our important

the impressive Western art collection. The North Building

works of art, many seldom or never seen, out into the

continues to house American Indian art, Asian art, pre-

public eye,” notes director Sharp. “Now the important holdings in our African collection and our modern and contemporary collection at last have permanent galleries,

Libeskind’s original concept was inspired by the jagged peaks he saw and then sketched on his boarding pass as he flew over the Rockies en route to his interview.

which they didn’t before.” Once past the gigantic, stilt-legged spider and equally colossal broom-and-dustpan sculptures that dominate the museum’s new plaza, the visitor walks inside to the El Pomar Grand Atrium of the entry. It rises up 120 feet through the building’s four floors, punctuated by a

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

massive, winding staircase, an architectural marvel in itself.

An exception occurs in the sprawling contemporary

The typical boring box of a museum has been literally

and modern art galleries on the third and fourth floors,

placed on its ear in the Hamilton. Inside, most of the walls

where the large-format works meet their perfect foil in

tilt and cant this way and that, following the powerful an-

the oversized walls and towering spaces. The bulk of the

gular shapes of the silvery, titanium-clad exterior. Ninety-

building’s exhibition space, 22,000 square feet altogether,

degree corners are rare; instead, all the sloping planes and

is dedicated to this collection of over 9,000 objects by in-

geometry of the white painted walls often make the place

ternationally prominent artists as well as emerging tal-

feel like a funhouse where optical illusion rules. The effect

ents. European and American holdings include names like

is exciting and somewhat disorienting all at once.

Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani and representative

The challenge that fell to Dan Kohl, director of museum design, was to figure out how to place the art amid all those soaring, jagged walls. He and his team began workCOURTESY OF THE DENVER ART MUSEUM

ing three years before the opening, arriving at a scheme in which nearly all the galleries display their art on standard-sized partitions and walls built within the enormous shell of the Libeskind structure.

UPCOMING EXHIBITS Artisans & Kings Selected Treasures from the Louvre October 6, 2007 through January 6, 2008 Hamilton Building, First Floor Gallagher Family Gallery, and Second Floor Anschutz Gallery

Color as Field American Painting, 1950–75 November 9, 2007 through February 3, 2008

The Infanta Margarita, 1654 by Diego Velázquez. Oil on canvas.

Inspiring Impressionism February 23, 2008 through May 25, 2008

North Building

Hamilton, Second Floor Anschutz Gallery

George Carlson Heart of the West December 15, 2007 until Spring, 2008

Gee’s Bend The Architecture of the Quilts April 13, 2008 through July 6, 2008

Hamilton, Second Floor Western Gallery

North Building

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

works from all the post-war artistic movements, including abstract expressionism, minimalism, pop art, conceptual art and contemporary realism. A prized highlight is the 2002 gift of 200 important artworks from the collection of Vicki and Kent Logan of Vail, featuring modern and contemporary artists from more than ten countries flaunting their whimsical or provocative views on social and cultural issues. The collection also boasts the Herbert Bayer Archive, as well as a growing amount of photography and the work of Colorado artists. COURTESY OF THE DENVER ART MUSEUM

The second floor contains masterpieces from the museum’s acclaimed Western American art collection. Included are works from Albert Bierstadt, Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, and many others. The new space will also enable the first showing of the museum’s recently-gifted Harmsen Collection of important, mainly Taos painters of the last century. This area con-

beadwork, pottery, metalwork

nects through an enclosed bridge to the North Build-

and musical instruments.

ing’s American Indian collection.

The opening of the Hamilton

Pierced Vase Form, 1997, by Hubert Candelario (b. 1965), San Felipe Pueblo. Clay; H 11-1/2 in., diam. 91/2 in. A gift of Virginia Vogel Mattern.

On the third level, a compact gallery-within-a-gallery

Building, an absolutely dazzling

has been created to host Oceanic art, produced by the

new landmark at 13th and

cultures of Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Aus-

Broadway, marks Denver’s debut as a grown-up cultur-

tralia. The display includes works collected in the field by

al metropolis and realizes Lewis Sharp’s ambition to

explorers like Captain James Cook in the late 18th- and

put the Queen City of the Plains on everyone’s must-see

early 19th-centuries. A recent gift of New Guinea art es-

list. “This is probably the most exciting building to be

tablished the Denver Art Museum as one of the most im-

built in this country in the last decade, if not quarter-

portant repositories of Melanesian art in the country.

century,” enthuses Sharp. “It is just magic.”

A similar permanent space for African art is en-

For more information, visit www.denverartmuseum.org S

sconced on the fourth floor, where historic objects are mixed with contemporary African works. Nearly all

Joy Overbeck is a Denver area journalist, contributor

artistic forms and traditions are represented, includ-

to many regional and national magazines, and the author

ing textiles, bark cloth, stone and wood sculpture,

of three published books.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

Northern Star

Three Sisters Mountain Village Lights up the Canadian Rockies

COURTESY OF THREE SISTERS MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

BY DON BERGER

Nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies and named for the mountain range that frames it, Three Sisters Mountain Village is a unique jewel in the region’s impressive

The peaks of Three Sisters Mountain Range soar above the Bow River Valley and Three Sisters Mountain Village. Opposite page: Three Sisters’ Stewart Creek Golf and Country Club’s Audubon-recognized course is consistently rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest.

string of resorts that includes world-renowned Banff and Lake Louise and the historic mining town of Canmore. Located in the Bow River Valley and encompassing 1,800 acres — approximately 80 percent of all devel-

Conveniently located off the Trans-Canadian Highway between Calgary and Banff, Three Sisters Mountain Village is ideally situated for those embracing such a lifestyle.

opable lands in the Banff-Canmore corridor — Three

Five minutes from the gateway to the 2,564-square-mile

Sisters Mountain Village is a four-season resort com-

Banff National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage site),

munity stressing environmental sustainability and an

Three Sisters is within easy reach of the surrounding ski

outdoor-oriented lifestyle.

slopes of Banff (15 minutes) and Lake Louise (half hour).

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

The city of Calgary is only a 45-minute drive away. From skiing and snowboarding to hiking, boating and fishing, just about every outdoor recreational opportunity imaginable is available to Three Sisters’ residents and guests. That includes golf. Three Sisters’ Stewart Creek Golf

COURTESY OF THREE SISTERS MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

and Country Club’s 18-hole course is an Audubon-recognized year-round course boasting a spectacular backdrop of snow-capped mountain peaks. When pampering or relaxation is called for, Three Sisters’ Sanctuary Spa and Wellness Center provides an enticing variety of inviting options. Afterward, a sumptuous dinner at a 5-star restaurant presents the perfect way to end the day. The heart of Three Sisters is the Village, a pedestrian

East West Partners, in partnership with Morgan Stanley

market square bustling with restaurants and cafes, shops

Real Estate, recently acquired the development rights for

and boutiques as well as an ongoing menu of musical

the completion of Three Sisters Mountain Village.

and cultural attractions.

Harry Frampton, East West’s managing partner, is en-

First and foremost, Three Sisters Mountain Village is a

thused about the potential for the community. “Three Sis-

community, one that consists of distinct fairway neigh-

ters is unique because it is the only approved destination

borhoods featuring alpine-inspired residences ranging

resort in an area completely surrounded by 2.8 million

from single-family homes to townhomes and condomini-

acres of protected public parklands,” says Frampton.

ums. Each residence — like the entire community — has

“This presents an amazing opportunity as well as an awe-

been designed to blend seamlessly with the beauty of the

inspiring responsibility to create something of the highest

surrounding environment.

quality and environmental sensitivity. We believe that with

Terry Minger, chairman of Three Sisters Mountain Vil-

the combination of our development expertise and the real

lage, notes that the community is at the heart of a thriving

estate investment acumen of Morgan Stanley, Three Sisters

economy. Oil revenue is providing the nearby city of Cal-

will be able to fulfill its promise of becoming one of North

gary and the province of Alberta with the opportunity to in-

America’s leading destination resort communities set

vest in world-class cultural, educational, health and sport fa-

against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty.” S

cilities and initiatives. Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, and since then has welcomed visitors from

Don Berger is editor of ELEVATE, Vail-Beaver Creek

all over the world who can find themselves in a mountain

Magazine, Colorado Summit Magazine and Rocky Moun-

wilderness less than an hour from the burgeoning city.

tain Golf Magazine.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

REAL ESTATE TRENDS Presented by Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate

COURTESY OF STAN OBERT/DENVER VISITOR’S BUREAU

THE REVERSE COMMUTE A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN DENVER LURES MOUNTAIN RESORT HOMEOWNERS TO PURCHASE “VACATION HOMES” IN THE HEART OF THE CITY. BY DAVID O. WILLIAMS

It’s a bit of an odd analogy, but one you’re entitled to make if you grew up in and around the ski resorts of the Vail Valley.

activity and the fun new atmosphere in downtown Denver.” Which may be why so many fulltime mountain dwellers, including quite a few from the Vail Valley, have

“We’re ski-in, ski-out Denver-style,” says Chris

joined the trend of buying second homes in the city — the

Frampton, managing partner of downtown Denver’s

reverse commute, if you will, for mountain resort resi-

Riverfront Park, a residential neighborhood being de-

dents in need of a cultural rather than recreational fix.

veloped by East West Partners.

Don Cohen and his wife, Terry, have been living fulltime

Like resort properties at the base of a ski area —

in the Vail Valley for 14 years, but they used to call the

sometimes referred to as “beach front” in the parlance

suburban hinterlands of Aurora, just east of Denver, home.

of mountain-resort real estate — Riverfront Park trades

At that time Cohen, who owned a corporate media pro-

heavily on its cache as an urban enclave mere steps from

duction company and was later CEO of an Internet services

all the action of what has become a vibrant downtown.

firm, worked in one of the shining office towers in downtown

“That’s absolutely what we offer and what we emphasize,” adds Frampton, a Riverfront resident who grew up in

Denver and would gaze out wistfully at the great expanse of dirt out past Coors Field toward the Central Platte Valley.

the Vail Valley as his father, Harry, helped shape the posh

Cohen recognized the property’s immense potential

ski resorts of Beaver Creek and Vail. “The sheer amount of

and seized on the opportunity to buy into Riverfront’s

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

first building. He, too, makes the ski-town analogy. “It’s like buying at the base of the Golden Peak ski base area when Vail first started,” says Cohen, who at the time COURTESY OF JACK AFFLECK/VAIL RESORTS

owned a weekend place in East Vail. Now he lives near Vail and does the reverse commute. “To me, living in Riverfront Park is like living at the base of the ski mountain because you can park your car and walk or bike everywhere. Denver didn’t used to have urban action and now it does.” For the Cohens, that action centers mostly around the stage, where they’ve been season pass holders at the Den-

Opposite page: Denver’s extensive park system contributes to the city’s appeal. Above: Skiing during the week and heading for their weekend homes in the city is a major plus for a growing number of Vail Valley homeowners.

ver Center Theater for the better part of two decades. But they also dabble in all the concerts, shopping, dining and

Park where they keep bikes and take advantage of Den-

professional sports downtown has to offer.

ver’s extensive park and trail system during the more

Downtown living, Cohen surmises, even for full-time residents of Colorado’s Front Range, will become increasingly

temperate spring, winter and fall months. In the summer they retreat to the cooler climes of their mountain home.

attractive. However, the contrast and cultural diversity of

Bicycling Magazine rates Denver second for cycling among

life in the city will always be a particularly powerful draw

U.S. cities with populations between 500,000 and 1 million,

for fulltime mountain dwellers looking for a city retreat.

and its relatively moderate and sunny climate makes it an

“I think more and more people are going to find this

ideal escape when the snow is piling up at higher elevations.

paired property thing to be a really good idea,” says Co-

“The more I know about Denver the more I enjoy it,”

hen. “It’s your urban fix. When you are in the mountains

says Willins. “There’s an incredible network of bike trails

and you go to the high rise and the high density and the

there for training during the off-season, and it’s definitely

activity in the urban core, that’s very different and that

a flat city with a mild climate.” He adds there’s also a

will always remain appealing.”

certain cache to escaping to the city while everyone else is

Bill Willins, who owns a Vail Valley video production company and lives most of the year on a wooded mountainside west of Beaver Creek Resort, enjoys the cultural

on their their way up to the mountains for the weekend. “You’re always going against the flow,” he says, “and if you can do that in life, you’ve got it figured out.” S

aspects of owning a second home in Denver, but he and his wife, Ulrica, bought just outside of the downtown core for a little more relaxed urban experience. They have a two-bedroom apartment near Washington

David O. Williams, founder and editor of realvail.com, is a freelance journalist who lives in Vail, Colorado, with his wife and three sons.

ELEVATE MAGAZINE

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