PHOTO: MATT POWER
YOU KNOW WHY YOU’RE HERE. THIS IS ASPEN. THAT MEANS SPECTACULAR SKIING, FESTIVE APRÈS, SWINGING HOTSPOTS AND WORLD-CLASS DINING AND CULTURE. IT MEANS STUNNING EYE CANDY, WHETHER IT’S THE MATCHLESS BEAUTY OF COLORADO’S MOUNTAINS OR THE GLAMOROUS GLITTERATI WHO COME TO SEE AND BE SEEN. IT MEANS OVER-THE-TOP PARTIES, THE BEST CONCERTS THE MUSIC WORLD HAS TO OFFER AND FASCINATING INTELLECTUAL GET-TOGETHERS THAT BRING WORLD LEADERS IN BUSINESS, POLITICS AND THE ARTS TO OUR LITTLE MOUNTAIN TOWN. THAT’S WHY YOU CAME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
But here’s the thing: Everyone knows that about Aspen. You could have gleaned that much from one viewing of “Aspen Extreme.” That’s the Aspen that’s presented to the world. It’s the Aspen you think you know, and every bit of it is true, but it’s only part of the story. Because what you don’t know about Aspen is that what you don’t know is what you should know. What is it about this place that makes people come for a winter and stay for the rest of their lives? Certainly, the parties and glitz of Aspen as portrayed by TV and the movies are enough to draw you here, but it’s not until you’ve gotten past that flashy facade that you’ll start to discover what this town and this area are all about. And that—Aspen’s unvarnished soul—is why folks keep coming back. Ask the people who live here what Aspen means to them and, sure,
someone might say it means rocking the night away with the rest of the young and hip at some X Games concert. But you’re just as likely to find others who’ll tell you that to them Aspen means watching a shaft of sunlight sparkle on the snow somewhere out in the backcountry where the only sound is the wind in the pines. And, obviously, plenty of people will tell you Aspen means first tracks down Highland Bowl on a powder day, but just as many will say that Aspen means a rich cultural history and a real sense of community that casual visitors don’t often see. The truth is that Aspen means all of those things and more, and it can mean different things to different people. But you’ll never know what Aspen really means to you until you stop just visiting and decide to make Aspen home.
Luxury Property Collection | WINTER 2015-2016
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