Downtown Boulder Newletter

News You Can Use

• YWCA Event
• Toofy Film Festival- Call for Entries
• Electronic Gift Cards -- A Success
• Kidlinks Golf Tournament
• Earthwood Grand Opening
• Parking Pay station Q & A
• Website Tips and Tricks
• Spotlight On: 2007 Downtown User Survey

YWCA 16th Annual Hall of Fame Awards
Join the YWCA for an exciting evening as they honor those who help make our community a better place. Saturday March 8, from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. at the Omni Interlocken Resort. Event will feature a host bar, elegant hors d'oeuvres, seated dinner, live and silent auctions and music by the Rebecca Folsom Band. RSVP by Mar 3rd. www.ywcaboulder.org; 303-443-0419

Toofy Film Festvial- Call for Entries
The Toofy Film Fest takes place at the Boulder Theater Sep 12-14, 2008 and exposes the raw untapped talent that exists in the independent world of
cinema, fashion, art and music. Toofy provides audiences with the freshest independent content available and is now accepting entries. Deadline Apr
8 - www.toofy.com

Electronic Gift Cards -- A Success
Downtown Boulder's electronic gift card has been a success for both customers and merchants. Since transitioning to the program, last February, Downtown Boulder has seen an increase in sales of over 47% ($130K in 2006 vs $192K in 2007).

Merchants are seeing more of that money already. The previous redemption rate was 31%. The electronic cards, which are more convenient, have seen a redemption rate of 52%. This has put over $99,000 in our merchants' pockets. Downtown Boulder thanks its customers for making this program so successful.

KidLinks Golf Tournament
Help Downtown send special kids to summer camp by participating in the KidLinks Golf Tournament on Wednesday, May 21st at Lake Valley Golf Club.
Downtown businesses can play in the tournament or participate by contributing prizes. To donate a prize or for more information, contact Renae Foxhoven (renae@dbi.org)

Earthwood Grand Opening
You are invited to the Grand Opening Celebration at the Earthwood Gallery, Downtown's newest gallery. You will be able to meet many of the gallery's local artists, enjoy refreshments and have a chance to win a free oil painting of the Flatirons by award winning Colorado artist Terri Sanchez. www.earthwoodgallery.com

Parking Paystation Q & A
Now that the solar powered pay stations are up and running there are a few questions that people have. This section addresses these questions.

Q: How do I add time?

A: Adding time is a key difference between the old meters and the new pay stations. One cannot add time to a printed parking stub. There are two tactics to address this issue: 1) Use a credit card to pay and press the “Max” button when purchasing parking or 2) Take the tear-off portion of your parking stub so you know when to return to your car and purchase additional time (note the three hour limit during the week).

If you have a specific question you would like answered send an email to parking@dbi.org.

Website Tips and Tricks
Did You Know …

Downtown Boulder offers leasing information for retail and office real estate listings throughout Downtown with an interactive map?

Try it...

1. Go to www.boulderdowntown.com
   
2. Click on the green “For Lease” icon at the top of the page
   
3. You will see a map of all listings in Downtown. To search by Office or Retail scroll down and select which option you prefer.
   
4. Click on a listing name to view a picture, detailed map, listing info and contact information.

NEW MEMBERS

Bodyworks Bistro
Contact: David Goetz
1100 Spruce St | (303) 440-1992
The Bodywork Bistro, located on 11th and Spruce, Open 10 am - 8 pm daily. Our massage studio and professional team serve up therapeutic clothed chair and table massage designed to fit your schedule. Visit Boulder's answer to the daily grind from the people who have brought you chair massage at Whole Foods for nearly a decade.
www.bodyworkbistro.com

Pedal to Properties
Contact: Chris Sweeney
1113 Spruce St | (303)-381-2525
Residential Real Estate Services offer the added option of viewing properties and neighborhoods by cruiser bike.
www.pedaltoproperties.com

Scentchips Boulder
Contact: Scott and Margaret Brush
1970 13th St | (303)-444-0566
The finest in home fragrances. Our potpourri can last for 140 hours if used in a simmering pot. We sell 72 individual fragrances and hundred of fragrance blends. Over 170 different simmering pots and other gift ideas are available.
www.scentchipscolorado.com

NEW OPENINGS

Patagonia
Contact: Katherine Demsky
1212 Pearl St | 702-749-2387
Building the best products, doing the least harm. Organic cotton sportswear; PCR® fleece and shells; baselayer, insulation and outerwear systems for the whole family.
www.patagonia.com

PrAna
Contact: Kat Guay
1147 Pearl St. | (303)-449-2199
With deep roots in rock climbing and yoga, prAna designs include performance and lifestyle apparel. PrAna is truly unique in its ability to blend purposeful fabrics and features with contemporary style, creating genuine versatility. PrAna is also known for its contributions to sustainable business practices including use of renewable energy and integration of organic and recycled materials.
www.prana.com

Elixir
1915 Broadway
A nightclub that offers a high-end atmosphere with 10 private booths available for reservation, each featuring a flat-screen TV. The booths sit above a central dance floor. The second floor features a lounge atmosphere for drinks and happy hour.

SPOTLIGHT ON

2007 Downtown User Survey
Over 750 interviews related to the Downtown experience were conducted this summer. Since the user survey inception in 1996, people’s perception and experiences in the Downtown Boulder area have remained high and continue to improve, making downtown Boulder a truly special destination for both locals and out-of-towners. The user survey results can be viewed at our website: BoulderDowntown.com.

Here are a few key highlights from the survey:

• Overall, the average amount spent during a visit rose slightly, to an average per person of $51.58, up 0.6 percent from $51.26 a year ago.
  
  
• Average spending was up for shopping and indicates the continued strength of Downtown as both a dining and retail district. This is also supported by the fact that 59% of those surveyed said Downtown Boulder is a “place for both shopping and dining.”

• The Downtown Boulder website is becoming more popular and valuable to Downtown patrons. Twenty-three percent of all downtown users have visited the Downtown Boulder website, up substantially from only 16 percent last summer and 11 percent the summer prior.
  
• The number one reason visitors come to Downtown Boulder is to enjoy the ambiance proving once again that the downtown experience is like none other (over 80% of those surveyed said the experience is improving (43%) or at least remaining the same (39%)).
  
• Satisfaction with the experience continues to remain very high. Of nine attributes rated, none had an average rating of below 4 on a 5-point scale (1="Poor" / 5="Very Good").