Strolling Around Old Town Fort Collins

I had a few hours to kill up in Fort Collins last week, and decided to take a brisk walk around Old Town Fort Collins. This Northern Colorado city was founded back in 1862 as a military camp to protect travelers and settlers along the Overland Trail. The camp, which was located near Old Town, was abandoned after just a few years, but Fort Collins soon became a major agricultural center. The building in the photograph on the left was built in 1882. There are shops on the first level, and the upper floors have been remodeled into condos. One of them, with three bedrooms and three baths, was recently sold for $1.6 million, so don't expect to find too many real estate bargains in this neighborhood.

The photograph on the right shows a typical street in Old Town, which has been restored and gentrified over the years. As I walked around, I was torn over whether I should visit the Hydrate IV Bar, and then head to the tattoo parlor, but since I believe that Colorado coronavirus restrictions have forced these establishments to close, I was spared that agonizing choice.

Instead, I headed to Old Town Square, which is a pedestrian only block preserving the 1880s era commercial buildings lining it, and is the center of Fort Collins's restaurant district. The building in the photograph on the left is a street side view of CooperSmith's Pub and Brewery, one of the most popular establishments on Old Town Square. It is a great place to just hang out and watch the laid back Fort Collin's citizens enjoy summer evenings. Hopefully, it will return to normal next summer, after the Covid crisis is over. Hope, after all, springs eternal.