Many people will wax nostalgically about the losses of certain ambient marquee landmarks . When Aspenites decided to allow hyena and vulture investors to turn community into a $40,000 handbag mall, the watering holes of the vital Aspen outdoor set received their collective death sentence. The Belly Up, will at some point, get a belly ache when the probably absentee owners, raise the rent. So it is with any restaurant, or bar business establishment, renting space. The Red Onion met it’s demise, due to these factors. Until people, who claim to care, come up with the dough to purchase the buildings, housing some of these vital businesses, that are the ambience of Aspen, the hyena and vulture investors (plunderers) will enjoy the carcass that was the heart and soul of Aspen. Why worry about whether the hyenas and vultures, have a caring thought about the dead carcass they are eating, they will move on to something else, leaving many with laments, standing over old bones of photographs, depicting happy times of the past. What justification do you have for thinking the carrion feeders are not going to eat what is given? Is anyone naive enough to think these vultures, and hyenas share your sense of ethics and civic interest in community? Aspen is just part of a portfolio of dead carcasses allowed to be killed by community inaction. That fur vote was the crossing of the Rubicon.
You’re right on target there Ed.
The Belly up example is off the mark though as the owner can be singlehandedly credited for saving our town’s ass. He lives her, and I’m pretty sure the owners of the building do as well, and have an agreement that works for both parties.
The community inaction stems from an apathy about the turnover, and loss of landmark businesses. There’s a laundry list of local establishments that have bitten the dust, and folks are resigned to rolling over silently and letting the highly suspect new guard of wealth and development shape our future.
when you see ads in the paper of people saying ‘we buy tdr’s’ and ‘we buy timeshares’ you’re screwed.
Aspen is a victim of it’s own success. Still a great town – because of it’s skiing and surroundings.
However the new colorado state song is the reverse beacon of a dumptruck – sing along now kids ‘beep beep beeep beeep’ – the new state flower is the plastic bag stuck in a dead tree, and the new state bird is the illegal migrant worker. Thanks to the developers building monuments to themselves and fueling the demise – under the guise of providing jobs and fueling our economy.
You’re right on target there Ed.
The Belly up example is off the mark though as the owner can be singlehandedly credited for saving our town’s ass. He lives her, and I’m pretty sure the owners of the building do as well, and have an agreement that works for both parties.
The community inaction stems from an apathy about the turnover, and loss of landmark businesses. There’s a laundry list of local establishments that have bitten the dust, and folks are resigned to rolling over silently and letting the highly suspect new guard of wealth and development shape our future.
when you see ads in the paper of people saying ‘we buy tdr’s’ and ‘we buy timeshares’ you’re screwed.
Aspen is a victim of it’s own success. Still a great town – because of it’s skiing and surroundings.
However the new colorado state song is the reverse beacon of a dumptruck – sing along now kids ‘beep beep beeep beeep’ – the new state flower is the plastic bag stuck in a dead tree, and the new state bird is the illegal migrant worker. Thanks to the developers building monuments to themselves and fueling the demise – under the guise of providing jobs and fueling our economy.
Excuse the cliche, as I don’t want to be confused with the taliban christianites, witlessly enabling the ruin of our country, not just Aspen; but thank God, there are some ethical investors, who share a sense of community and other intangible assets, of non-monetary value. A most sincere hats off, and hip hip hooray, to the owners of the Belly Up and the building it is in!
Excuse the cliche, as I don’t want to be confused with the taliban christianites, witlessly enabling the ruin of our country, not just Aspen; but thank God, there are some ethical investors, who share a sense of community and other intangible assets, of non-monetary value. A most sincere hats off, and hip hip hooray, to the owners of the Belly Up and the building it is in!