Colorado Need geography lesson for "downtown" Aspen...

[kitchener]

Headed to Aspen in later February and I've been researching accommodations. I've reached out to some properties for more info (like how long the walk is to the shuttle). St Moritz was low on the list anyway, but when a property manager got back to me, she/he said it was a "awesome" location, only "6 blocks to downtown."

I've never been to Aspen (well, not since I was twelve) and looking at google maps, I thought it WAS downtown where the St Moritz is. So, what is considered "classic" downtown Aspen, if I want to avoid a 6 block walk?

 

[jmeb]

I'd say anything on the ski-side of Main st is pretty much "downtown". But some refer to anything on the gridded streets of the main part of Aspen (pretty small) as "downtown".

I'd just get the exact location. Some may mean 6 blocks to the main cluster of amenities, some may mean 6 blocks to the older downtown area of homes.

Keep in mind Aspen has the best public transit system in the state, it's reliable and free for the local shuttles. It also runs late at night. Uber/Lyfts are also easily available.

 

[dbostedo]

Here's a map... St. Moritz in the upper left. The tan shaded central area with some of the restaurants marked is the main part of town. Everything to the west/northwest of the shaded section is mainly residential.



Same map, but with a search for restaurants :



When I was there, we stayed about another block or so off the bottom right side of the map. That was close enough to walk to the market and some restaurants, though we did drive once to twice too. Kind of depends on weather and how much you like to walk.

 

[Muleski]

Agree. I have family who live there, in the what I think of as downtown, and is now commonly referrred to as "The Core."

They consider it Main St. to Ajax, and basically the Roaring Fork River to I think about Garmisch Street. I know it by sight....spacing on the street name.

Public Transportation is tremendous in Aspen, and Uber does a big presence, too.

My family walk to Ajax from their house and condo, booted up. Easy. Walk to City Market, etc. It’s pretty great.

 

[LowPressureKarl]

Download the Downtowner app.


Five small electric shuttles that will pick up/drop off almost anywhere in town for free.

 

[kitchener]

Great info. And good point about the free and frequent mass transit.

 

[Jim Kenney]

I stayed at St. Moritz for the 2016 Gathering. It's one of the more affordable places in town. It was kind of far to walk to the Ajax gondola carrying ski gear. My son did it, but I waited for the bus. Would be easy to walk to some restaurants without ski gear. The rooms are fine and we cooked breakfast in ours with the little efficiency kitchen we got. Might have made a spaghetti dinner in there too. One thing that was a bit annoying was parking. There are not enough spaces for all the guests, so if you don't get one of the motel's spots you have to park on the street and they don't allow parking on some side streets from approx 8am and 6pm. We had two cars between the three of us staying in one room and a couple days we had to stow one of the cars in the free lot on the edge of town. We used a car to get to the free lots and catch a bus to Highlands or Snowmass.

 

[PhillyGuy]

I've stayed at the St Moritz before, and I would agree that the location is pretty awesome. Sure the downtown hotels are more convenient, but you are pay a fraction of the costs of Little Nell. They also have a pretty big pool/hot tub with a nice view. The bus is only a block away.

 

[kitchener]

Re-awakening this thread. My ski buddy (Wayne for those of you who know him from past Mid-Atlantic Gatherings) are down to considering a nicer place in the Snowmass area versus staying downtown about a block or two from The Core. The downtown accommodation is a studio with a loft (one bed in the main area, picture a large motel room with a kitchen, and the loft has a second bed), one bathroom, and a shared hot tub (it's right by the Snow Queen Lodge. The Snowmass accommodation has private bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a private hot tub (it's a nicer place in other ways, but those are the key items) -- it's not ski in/ski out, but we don't care about a shuttle ride from either location. Both are nearly a wash in price.

So, for everyone that's been there, is staying downtown worth the squeeze of much tighter digs (and one bathroom)?

 

[jmeb]

So, for everyone that's been there, is staying downtown worth the squeeze of much tighter digs (and one bathroom)?

I'd say this boils down to how much you value après. If you like wider and better food/bar options, stay downtown. If you are mostly going to ski hard and relax, stay at Snowmass.

 

[kitchener]

Probably the latter.

 

[dbostedo]

I'd say this boils down to how much you value après. If you like wider and better food/bar options, stay downtown. If you are mostly going to ski hard and relax, stay at Snowmass.

I'd agree with this, although I did après right at each of the mountains and Ajax and Snowmass and Highlands were all fine with me. (I'm usually just looking for a couple of beers, and maybe some bar food. We sat in the sun at Highlands outside with the crowd and it was really nice. Had some snacks and beers at the bar at the base of Ajax, and hit the Fat Tire bar in Snowmass... also hit the PugSki get together in one of the other bars in Snowmass and had dinner there one night.)

It might also depend on how many times you think you'll venture into town for dinner too... if you're going to stock up on groceries and eat-in at Snowmass, definitely lean that way. If you're going to go into town every evening for dinner anyway, then I'd lean toward town.

 

[James]

Tough call both are nice. Depends on whether you want to experience being in Aspen.
Aspen/Snowmass is a great place. Underrated really, but it's quirky. Highlands may have the best terrain in one small package of anywhere.

 

[kitchener]

We'd definitely eat out most nights, but there are decent restaurant choices in Snowmass versus headed every night to Downtown I assume? Or do the carpets roll up in Snowmass an hour or two after the lifts close?

 

[jmeb]

There are certainly choices in Snowmass.

But the variety of choices in downtown is far superior.

 

[Ken_R]

You can only choose 2: More Affordable - Comfy Place - Close to Lifts

 

[mmascolino]

I am pretty sure I stayed at the place you are referencing in Aspen. There was three of us and it was fantastic. Right across the street from the bus stop and it wasn't a long walk to Ajax in the morning even in ski boots. Pretty much our routine was breakfast in the condo, ski, come back and hot tub and then go out to eat in Ajax. Lots of good food to be had and lots of the places offered "locals" discounts if you ate in the bar.