The next great place

Move over retirees. Apparently, the millennial rush is on for ... wait for it ... Grand Junction.

That’s right. GJ, the town we typically stop in to gas up on our way to points north, is ... cool? The Colorado Sun, the new online pub made up of Denver Post defectors, makes the case for this in a story this week.

To be fair, for us fellow West Slopers, G.J. does hold a certain cache? – most notably the Colorado Monument, Lunch Loops and a charming downtown core. But, according to the Sun, “The Junk” is more than just easy-access riding from town and some cool, old buildings. It is, they claim, the new “Boulder.” (*Which of course begs the question what does that make Durango? The old new Boulder?)

To wit, the western anchor of I-70 is home to not just hip pour-over coffee bars, craft taquerias and upscale tattoo studios, but a nouveau industrial co-working space refurbished from an old warehouse aptly called the “Factory.” A bevy of tech firms and start-ups have opened up shop, and, speaking of Boulder, bike rack maker Rocky Mounts plans to relocate from Boulder to GJ, too.

In addition, Grand Junction’s downtown was recently named a “Colorado Creative District” for its art-on-the-corner project and Avalon Theater, and Colorado Mesa College is the fastest-growing school in the state, with 11,000 students. There are also plans for a development along the Colorado River, called the Riverfront at Las Colonias. GJ City Manager Greg Caton (formerly of Durango fame) refers to Las Colonias as a “Google-style campus,” where businesses inter-mingle with a climbing wall, zipline, whitewater park, river trail, amphitheatre, artwork and more.

And for those who prefer their action outside the city core, there’s a 155-mile Grand Junction-to-Moab pavement-and-gravel route as well as the planned Palisade Plunge. The 32-mile trail linking the Grand Mesa to Palisade is being billed as the second coming of Moab’s Whole Enchilada. All that, and median homes go for a mere $259,250 – which would buy about half a house in Durango.

Alas, it’s not all duck tacos and statement glasses. Bear in mind, the town just passed a long-awaited education referendum – after 13 failed attempts. And, as of the latest rankings, it still sleeps at No. 169 in the “Best Places for Millennials”– behind Gunnison, Leadville and Yuma, which we think is in Colorado.

To check out the complete story, go to coloradosun.com. And while you’re there, donate to the cause of free, quality and independent journalism in Colorado.