'Shut 'Em Down Quick' Progress
March 28th, 2007 at 04:20am Michael Conniff 2
From the Con Man's mailbag:
Can anyone tell me why it is that you can't find a bar to call "home" in Aspen unless you drink martinis and bleed champagne? What happened to the funky blend of chic and adrenaline geek that used to rub elbows and drink cheap beers in the bars? I won't recap another all-too-common story about 'when I came to Aspen "x" years ago...', but come on, someone has got to save the institutions that have housed some great moments in locals history! Please people, don't we have ANY power as a collective? We couldn't even save a historical builiding for Pete's sake (the Onion); yet, the town has so many building restrictions you can't remodel your closet without permission from the Pope! Will anyone stop for a minute to think about what we are losing with all this 'shut 'em down quick' progress? Where will the next generation of "locals" hang out? You know, the people you met when you came here 20 years ago, looking for a job that would let you work to live. Or in the words of John Denver, "earn just enough to spend." I certainly hope we don't turn into a trust fund harbor. Despite the finest renovations money can buy (I'm sure), it would eliminate a lot of the beauty that makes up the character of this town.
Entry Filed under: Snowmass, Aspen, Pitkin County
1 Comment Add your own
1. flower77 | March 29th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
With the rise of the ultra rich , the exodus of the majority of the workforce at days end and bring in the Latino workforce factor Aspen does not nuture the 'local' watering hole any longer. When the majority of the areas vistors think that 'apre ski' is a time for martinis and blinis , how is a bar catering to the local rif raf going to survive (unless by some notion they own their own building) . It is only a matter of time when the downtown core of Aspen is nothing but 'Art' galleries , Handbag shops and Exclusive clubs for second homeowners. Aspen sold it's soul a long time ago for the all mighty dollar.
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