Published: Dec. 1, 2011

five guys restaurant on the hill

Lofts on The Hill on 13th Street, even with some letters missing on its sign, is a dramatic departure for The Hill, as it has commercial space (burger chain Five Guys) on the ground floor and residential units above.

For decades The Hill has been the place for students to buy coffee, record albums or a burger. The Sink, formerly Sunken Gardens and Herbie’s Deli, has managed to outlive every business on the strip. While Tulagi’s doors shuttered, the Tulagi sign remains.

This year marked significant changes on The Hill, as a community group charted a long-term vision for The Hill while developers poured millions into building mixed residential/commercial buildings.

Here’s a look at your favorite haunts. As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they, well, you know where we’re going with this.

Still spinning vinyl Albums on the Hill lives. While almost every other music store in town has folded, this quirky shop, founded in 1973, sells concert tickets, CDs and yes, vinyl albums. And, of course, the legendary Fox Theatre, opened in 1991, still attracts great musicians to its stage. The space has been an entertainment venue since 1924.

Movies to Mary Jane? Dates at the beloved Flatiron Theatre spawned countless romances. Today it is home to Medicine on the Hill, one of many medical marijuana dispensaries in Boulder since voters legalized the drug for medicinal purposes in November 2000.

Living a lofty life style The Lofts on College at 14th and College replaced Jones Drug and General Store this year. Silver & Gold barber shop, College Optical and a restaurant will occupy the first floor. The Lofts on The Hill sit, in part, above where the former clothing company Kingsley & Co. was.


Where can I get a cup of joe?

  • °ä²¹´Ú±ðÌýRoma, founded in 1985, 13th and College
  • Buchanan’s Coffee Pub, founded in 1995, Pennsylvania and Broadway
  • Starbucks, University and Broadway
  • Innisfree Poetry Bookstore & Café, founded in 2010, 13th and Pennsylvania