Longmont

This easy-going community is just 16 miles outside Boulder, but it has a character all its own. Featuring a lively and historic downtown, plenty of open space parks, high-tech companies and lots of new housing developments, Longmont is a vibrant, diverse town.

Downtown is the city's top spot, offering a range of restaurants and shops. Family events and live music are also a part of the urban atmosphere. The history of Longmont is very much alive at the Dougherty Museum and at several Victorian homes and old cabins and mills, all part of the nationally registered historic district.

Additionally, exhibit galleries, public art and an outdoor courtyard are yours to explore at the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center, south of town. Tower of Compassion is Longmont's most unique cultural symbol. The Kanemoto families donated this pagoda, a symbol of compassion, to the city in 1972.

In addition to historic and cultural highlights, Longmont maintains more than 1,500 acres of parks and open space and is privy to Boulder County's extensive hiking and biking trails. Nearby Union Reservoir is popular for windsurfing, fishing and camping.