The residential crowd is made up of...people who love to enjoy the mountains and the outdoors, including the hardcore outdoorsy types that cannot get enough hiking, biking, and skiing as well as people who just love nature all the time. Locals love to sit by the pool surrounded by beautiful mountains and have cocktails at sunset on a beautiful patio with Mother Nature all around. They love the fact that there is so much to do with great access to the city, while still maintaining a mountain lifestyle. There is little to no traffic and a different mentality. People here work smart to play hard.
The community vibe is...The winter is great and the summer is why we live here. There is a very relaxed upscale atmosphere in the Vail Valley. When people ask what to wear out to certain events, the answer is virtually always the same: "Dress up as much or as little as you like.” People can be very casual or decide to take their style up a notch, and it all somehow works without feeling out of place.
The lifestyle offered is...For over 40 years, the Vail Valley has been synonymous with the American alpine experience. Situated high up in the Gore Valley and surrounded by the magnificent White River National Forest, the Vail Valley is home to the world-class, state-of-the-art, ski resorts. Vail and Beaver Creek is the site of the annual Birds of Prey World Cup Ski Race, and the 1989, 1999, and the 2015 FIS Alpine Word Ski Championships. Just 100 miles from Denver, visitors flock year-round to enjoy the sheer beautify of the Rockies, old-world European charm, luxury accommodations, ideal climate, and countless cultural events and recreational activities.
The Vail Valley is very relaxed and outdoorsy. From people that are here for the love of skiing, snowboarding, hiking, bike riding, fishing to the type of people that are more here to enjoy day-to-day life and activities such as outdoor concerts, farmers markets, special events (like the Burton U.S. Open and the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships), great golfing, and a great climate. People have the attitude that they can work smart and play hard. More and more people that spent much of the year here travel and use technology to enjoy the career they want and still maintain the Vail lifestyle.
The most popular building type you'll find is...mountain contemporary and mountain traditional or some combination of both. Mountain contemporary is becoming more and more popular, but some buyers really enjoy a more rustic mountain feel for their mountain home. Regardless, even more traditional mountain properties are becoming more streamlined with cleaner lines and a bit less rustic than 20 years ago. Most people design their homes to bring the outdoors inside and to also have great exterior living space.
The average home price is...It varies considerably according to neighborhoods and communities. Vail Village, Lionshead, and Beaver Creek are much more expensive than some of the other outlying, but close, areas.
The area's greatest highlight is...There are so many things to enjoy but Vail and Beaver Creek ski mountains are the big draw in our area and are at the focal point for what has become much more than just two world-class ski resorts.
Beaver Creek Resort
The area's best driving-distance getaways...We are the getaway for people all around the word, particularly in the Denver Front Range area, New York, Florida, California, and Mexico. Locals often “get away” to the coastline for a little beach fix each year or to Denver to take in some professional sports. Locals love their Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, etc. My husband and I have season tickets and owned a home for years in Downtown Denver to take in our city fix. Denver is only about an hour and a half drive from Vail.
The best spots to dine casually are...We truly have phenomenal restaurants in the Vail Valley. My favorite casual restaurant in Edwards is etown or The Rose. In Vail, I love to grab pizza and pasta at Vendettas.
The best spots to dine fancily are...Almost everywhere in the Vail Valley you will feel comfortable in blue jeans, but for a place that you can comfortably dress up or the best upscale restaurant hot spots that I love are Matsuhisa and Elway’s in Vail Village. Elway's is an excellent steak house and is owned by its namesake and of my all-time favorite quarterback, John Elway of the Denver Broncos. Spago is located in the Ritz Carlton Bachelor’s Gulch at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain. It has a wonderfully cool vibe and excellent food. Juniper is my favorite restaurant in Edwards and should absolutely be a place you frequent.
Spago
The best spots to dine with a large group are...There are many hotels and restaurants in the area that will cater to a large group. With enough notice, they are happy to accommodate any large party. Larkspur in Vail Village can usually handle any size but is often closed to the public for special events. Also, on-mountain dining at Beano’s Cabin or Vail Mountain Club can be great for larger group experiences.
The best spots to find entertainment are...You can find tons of outdoor entertainment from the obvious, skiing, hiking, biking, skating, yoga, snowboarding, paddle boarding, kayaking, snowmobiling, four wheeling, camping, mountain climbing, and ice climbing to name some. You can also enjoy events both outdoors and indoors around Solaris, Ford Amphitheater, The Vilar Center for the Arts, and many less major events all over, from local live music to local theater. You can enjoy the various farmers markets that take place through each of the various small towns in our Valley. There is simply too much to do in this Valley it is impossible to keep up with it all–food festivals, beer festivals, dance festivals, art festivals–you name it.
Both Vail and Beaver Creek have a very vibrant apres ski atmosphere during the ski season. During the summers, Friday Afternoon Club, or FAC, is fun for people of all ages throughout the Valley. The Westin Riverfront Hotel restaurant, called the Maya, by Chef Richard Sandoval, has a great FAC during the summer season on their huge patio that overlooks the Colorado River with a backdrop of Beaver Creek Ski Slopes. Also a fun, lesser known place to go, is the Wolcott Yacht Club. It is a little off the beaten path but worth the visit to Wolcott. Don’t let the tongue-in-cheek name throw you as there are no boats to be found.
The best spots to go shopping are...Vail is not known as a shopping destination, but we certainly have a number of fun shops and stores. We have a great pedestrian vibe and little traffic through the area, which makes it fun to stroll. Edwards has a great little shopping area called Riverwalk with great shops and boutiques.
The best spots to meet new people are...You meet new people everywhere here. Colorado in general is a very friendly place and our valley is one of the friendliest. Although there is a tremendous amount of luxury and wealth in the Vail Valley, it is not a pretentious place. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with just about anyone.
The best place to tee off is...Cordillera has four of the most incredible golf courses, and I am lucky to have been a long-time member. I love it–so much so that my husband and I are building a new home on a gorgeous lot in the Valley Club at Cordillera. Our lot has a beautiful spring-fed creek and amazing expansive mountain views. We can’t wait to work through the process with our amazing architect, Hans Berglund. We are only in the early design phase but are already ecstatic with what is developing.
Cordillera
