What is Your Favorite Street in North America?

(And how you can follow the Conference on World Affairs debates online)

What is your favorite street in North America? While many people can quickly answer a similar question about their favorite city, country, or holiday destination, this street question is more unusual and challenging.

I'm back on Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado, and I thought about this question as I walked through the historic street, described as the heart and soul of this relaxed city on the edge of the Rocky Mountains.

When I first walked here about eight years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find a lively pedestrian street in an American city. Nowadays, practically any European city has a cozy, bustling pedestrian area in the center. However, in the US, it is another story; the country is designed for car owners who dislike walking farther than passing the sidewalk between their parking spot and shopping destination. For some Americans, walking or cycling to their favorite cafe or bookshop feels like a distant dream; for others, such a thought is simply a nightmare.

It is a crisp morning when I leave the house of friends where I'm staying after arriving late last evening. I have two options: walking in the spectacular nearby nature or going to the city center. I choose Pearl Street, even though my friend just told me he had just seen a black bear in the nearby hills. 

But I want a cafe where I can work and write quietly, so I walk towards Pearl Street. The sun is out, and I notice that the black-capped chickadee's song is similar to that of Canadian cousins. A car stops next to me, and friends from earlier visits (and supporters of this newsletter) get out and greet me. It's great to catch up, and it's a joy to spontaneously meet more old friends so soon after arriving.

Boulder Creek

 After a short walk via Sixth Street and crossing Boulder Creek, I pass the Arnett-Fullen House, often called the Gingerbread House. Europeans of my generation would refer to such an architectural gem as the kind of house Pippi Longstocking lived in. 

Her Villa Villekulla, where she lived with her horse and monkey, Mr. Nilsson, can still be seen on the Swedish island of Gotland. It's the one used for the famous television series. The colorful house is in a new location. When I visited it ten years ago, I was disappointed that my child's memory of the tree outside the home that grows the "Sockerdricka" soft drink was also part of the Pippi fantasy world. And like any child's memory, the house looked much smaller through my grown-up eyes than I remembered from the television series.

This American variety of Villa Villekulla was built in 1877, and Wikipedia describes the house design as featuring "a mixture of architectural styles including Gothic Revival, Victorian, Carpenter Gothic, Second Empire, and Italianate styles and featuring farmhouse aesthetics and the use of cast iron throughout."

The Arnett-Fullen House is in a more quiet and historic part of Pearl Street. Walking a few blocks to the East, I stopped at the Trident Cafe. Some of you may remember I have described this cafe in the past as one of my favorite cafes in the US; the kind people I have met there, the great coffee, quiet music, and the open connection with the well-supplied bookshop next door all make this a place I keep returning to during my annual visits to Boulder.

When I walk into the cafe, a friend—a loyal reader of my newsletters—sees me, gets up, and hugs me while I try to balance my coffee and pain-au-chocolat. We sit down, and as often in this cafe, I soon make new friends, and we talk over coffee about Boulder, the world, and life.

Hours later, after buying a 1980s book about the American West's water problems, I walk down iconic Pearl Street. The pedestrian area always offers lots to explore; more bookshops, boutiques, restaurants, and vintage shops. 

Although it is still quiet in the street, a banjo player is already playing soft tunes when I walk by and stop to photograph sculptures of animals and happy people. It is the right season to see the first of the 15,000 planted colorful tulips blooming.

I stop and sit in the sun for a while, watching the people walk by and take a moment to think about what I will say tonight. I'm asked to speak for five minutes about what makes the Conference of World Affairs so unique, and the answer is easy: the diversity, creativity, and enthusiasm of everyone involved make this an exceptional event. 

Year after year, I come back here to feel the unique vibe in this community: a mix of students, university staff, and especially the Boulder community. The approach to this meeting is more creative and holistic than any other meeting I have visited; by mixing different expertise and perspectives in the many panels about various subjects, this four-day event always inspires me to find new insights on multiple issues. 

I'm typing these words in the Ozo cafe on Pearl Street, near the Trident. I kept meeting people there and needed a moment to write quietly. Stevie Nicks sings Sara in the background, and an oat-milk cappuccino stands beside my MacBook. Soon, I will walk back past the Gingerbread House and over Boulder Creek to my friend's house. We will walk to the CU Boulder campus for the conference's opening keynote.

You can follow most, if not all, of the events online. The opening keynote by Scott Dikkers is in a few hours. He is the founding editor of The Onion. Live Stream Link: https://livestream.com/LoclyzMedia/KickoffKeynote 

And yes, I will also speak in a handful of these sessions, but please look at all the themes and speakers in this list; there is so much to explore and enjoy: https://www.colorado.edu/cwa/2024-schedule.

Please follow some of the debates. And let me know what your favorite street is.

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