Sports Bar
PUMPHOUSE BREWERY & THE RED ZONE
540 Main St., Longmont, 303-702-0881 Erie Winner: The Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill Louisville Winner: Mudrock’s Tap & Tavern Honorable Mention: Buffalo Wild Wings (Longmont, Superior); Grossen Bart Brewery (Longmont)
When your team is playing, you have to enjoy it in the proper environment. Don’t stay at home on the couch with a half-empty bag of chips. The sports bar is so much better. Your team needs you to rally with other fans to cheer them on. Your team also needs you to order plenty of nachos and beer in order to secure a win. Voters give the big No. 1 foam finger to Pumphouse Brewery, which consistently has the sports playing and the food coming. Hit The Red Zone, inside of Pumphouse for a more heightened sports bar experience — with 33 TVs, surely one will be playing your team’s game, whatever that may be. Go, team, go!
Bank/Financial Institution
ELEVATIONS CREDIT UNION
1900 W. South Boulder Road, Lafayette, 303-443-4672 777 21st Ave., Longmont, 303-772-7776 1079 S. Hover Road, Suite 100, Longmont, 303-443-4672 300 S. McCaslin Blvd., Louisville, 303-443-4672 Runner Up, East County: Chase Bank (Various Locations) Honorable Mention: First Bank (Various Locations); Wells Fargo (Various Locations); Boulder Valley Federal Credit Union (Louisville)
It’s a testament to Elevations Credit Union’s success that they serve more than 110,000 folks across the Front Range of Colorado — and these aren’t just folks, these are members, each one an owner of this not-for-profit financial institution. Elevations has grown from 12 members and less than $100 in assets to a bank that manages more than $1.5 billion in assets — and that’s pretty impressive. If you’re not already banking with Elevations (but it looks like most of you do), drop in to one of their various locations in Boulder County, and learn more about how Elevations can make your money work for you.
Music Venue
NISSI’S
2675 Northpark Drive, Lafayette, 303-665-2757 Longmont Winner: Dickens Opera House Louisville Winner: Waterloo Lyons Winner: Oskar Blues Grill & Brew Honorable Mention: The Roost (Longmont)
There’s nothing quite like experiencing live music, which makes iconic Nissi’s invaluable to life in East County. Whether it’s a new band just starting out or one of the many cover bands playing tried-and-true favorites, Nissi’s hosts live music several nights a week. And you never know what genre of music you might find — anything from jazz to bluegrass to classic rock to R&B. Plus, newly remodeled in 2015, there’s more room to bust a move on the enlarged dance floor. Nissi’s diverse musical offerings draw an equally diverse crowd that ensures you’ll have a great time.
Place to Play Pool
BREAKERS GRILL
380 Main St., Longmont, 303-772-3839 Lafayette Winner: Dillingers Food & Spirits Louisville Winner: Henry’s Bar & Grill Honorable Mention: Eagle Grill (Longmont)
Whether you’re stripes or solids, there’s nothing like a good game of pool to release the stress after a long day. You need skill, precision, strategy and just the right touch to get every ball in the right hole. And not to mention, all the crazy positions you’ll twist in — obviously to impress your date with your mad skills — can give you a nice workout. When you’re itching to get your pool on, head over to voter favorite Breakers Grill for a good time. Along with multiple pool tables, Breakers also has a dance floor, darts and a stocked menu of yummy food and drink.
Public School (K-8)
PEAK TO PEAK CHARTER SCHOOL
800 Merlin Drive, Lafayette, 303-453-4600 Runner up, East County: Lafayette Elementary School Louisville Winner: Louisville Elementary School Honorable Mention: Ryan Elementary School (Lafayette); Louisville Middle School (Louisville)
The mission of Peak to Peak Charter School is really clear. The school wants to provide “broad access to an exemplary K-12 liberal arts, college preparatory education that challenges students to achieve their academic potential. Be a community that values and recognizes scholarship, academic achievement, and creativity. Provide an environment in which each student is known, respected, and valued as an individual of great potential and promise. Prepare students to become active and responsible citizens of an interdependent world,” according to the website. Based on the enthusiastic voting that poured in for Peak to Peak, they must be fulfilling that mission awfully well.
Festival/Event (non-music)
LOUISVILLE DOWNTOWN STREET FAIRE
Downtown Louisville, 720-722-2044 Lafayette Winner: Lafayette Peach Festival Longmont Winner: Longmont Farmers’ Market Honorable Mention: ArtWalk Longmont (Longmont); 2nd Saturday ArtWalk (Lafayette)
When we created this category, we were not thinking music festivals/events like Telluride Bluegrass Festival or events like Coldplay at the Pepsi Center. Our readers were smart enough to figure this out which is why they still chose Louisville Downtown Street Faire as their favorite East County festival/event. Now we all know that live music is at the center of the street faire events, but they are also far more than that. They are community in action. As the webpage likes to boast, it’s a place to spend a few summertime hours where “babies don’t cry, dogs don’t bark and wise elders feel nineteen again.” Can’t say it any better than that.
Advanced Education
FRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
2190 Miller Drive, Longmont, 303-678- 3722 Runner Up, East County: Southwest Acupuncture College (Boulder) Honorable Mention: Rolf Institute of Structural Integration (Boulder); Roma’s Catering (Longmont)
A cure for cancer, landing on Mars, solutions to global warming and flying cars — all things that have yet to be achieved. The world needs more educated people with innovative ideas. If you’re looking to learn some history, develop a new skill or finally understand math, then head to Front Range Community College, voted the number one advanced education institution in East County by our readers. The course offerings cover almost any topic one would want to learn about including art, business, health, social science, math, information technology and more. Plus, FRCC also offers resources throughout your learning experience and after you’ve graduated. Enroll in a class, and study hard, you smarty-pants.
Place to
WiFi STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY
Locations throughout East Boulder County Runner Up, East County: Bittersweet – Café & Confections (Louisville) Honorable Mention: Brewing Market Coffee (Longmont); Cannon Mine Coffee (Lafayette); Panera Bread (Longmont, Superior)
The Starbucks brand has made its name by providing reliable service throughout the world, and that includes reliable WiFi. If you just need to be around people, but also get some work done, go to Starbucks. If your home Internet stopped working for some unknown reason and you’re racing to meet deadline, go to Starbucks. Aspiring writer who needs some great people watching to draw inspiration from? Starbucks. Traveling through and need to check in with friends and family? Starbucks. And hey, you can even live stream at Starbucks without depleting your neighbor’s bandwidth. There’s a reason Starbucks was once again voted as the best place to WiFi — it’s tried and true.
Art Gallery
FIREHOUSE ART CENTER
667 Fourth Ave., Longmont, 303-651-2787 Lafayette Winner: pARTiculars Art Gallery & Teaching Studio Louisville Winner: Curating the Cool Honorable Mention: Creative Framing Art Gallery (Louisville), Muse Gallery (Longmont)
East County has a well-established, yet still growing, arts scene. And the Firehouse Art Center has been a central part of this renaissance for over a decade. Housed in Longmont’s historic firehouse, this art gallery features a variety of exhibits throughout the year featuring local, regional and national artists in both solo and group shows on a breadth of topics covering the environment, feminism and multiple cultures. Plus, they host a variety of community events such as First Friday Films and Pecha Kucha night. Firehouse Arts Center is a must-see in downtown Longmont.
Place to Dance
NISSI’S
2675 Northpark Drive, Lafayette, 303-665-2757 Runner Up, East County: The Avalon Ballroom (pretty far east) Longmont Winner: Dickens Opera House Lyons Winner: Oskar Blues Grill & Brew Honorable Mention: The Speakeasy (Longmont)
Sometimes, ya’ll just got to get out and dance. After a hard day at work or when there is reason to celebrate, dancing is the best way to get out your pent-up energy, be it frustration or joy. That’s why it’s good to have Nissi’s. Nissi’s is the best place, according to our readers, to get out on the dance floor and move rhythmically to music. That music is often live, though sometimes it’s your favorite recorded tracks blasted over the speakers. Either way, get your dancing shoes on, and go to Nissi’s the next time you need to “boogie” down.
Private School
DAWSON SCHOOL
10455 Dawson Drive, Lafayette, 303-665- 6679 Longmont Winner: Mountain Peak Private School Louisville Winner: The Patchwork School Niwot Winner: Shepherd Valley Waldorf School Honorable Mention: St. Louis Catholic School (Louisville)
School days, school days, dear old Golden Rule days,” goes the 1907 song by Will Cobb and Gus Edwards. The lyrics are a sentimental reflection of spending days together in school. When our readers are looking for a place that will help their children look back on their school days with the same sentimentality, they look no further than Dawson School. The Dawson community is dedicated to helping students build unique character while arming them with the skills they need to thrive in a complex world. Respect, compassion, courage and integrity are the points of virtue that drive Dawson’s mission to create a rich and rigorous scholastic environment.
Public School (9-12)
CENTAURUS HIGH SCHOOL
10300 S. Boulder Road, Lafayette, 720-561- 7500 Longmont Winner: Silver Creek High School Louisville Winner: Monarch High School Honorable Mention: Peak to Peak Charter School (Lafayette); Niwot High School (Longmont)
Public school is great. School lunches, recess, detention, trips to the principal’s office, chatting with the cute guy or girl in the hallway, projects… it’s all good. Remember dioramas? Do they still make those? One place to find out is Centaurus High School, our readers’ vote for best public school for grades 9-12. It has cutting edge technology, teachers and facilities to ensure that Lafayette teens get the best education. They’ve got extracurricular activities like no one’s business and Centaurus prepares their students for the real world like it’s their job. Wait, it is their job!
Museum
WOW! CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
110 N. Harrison Ave., Lafayette, 303-604-2424 Longmont Winner: Longmont Museum Honorable Mention: Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art (Boulder); Agricultural Heritage Center (Longmont)
Cool! Yay! Woo-hoo! Our readers voted WOW! Children’s Museum the number one museum in East County. Wow! has a consistent lineup of activities to stimulate those imaginations and churn those brain cells. It provides a welcoming environment for kids to explore a plethora of topics through first-hand experience. Your kiddos can also enjoy various fun events scheduled throughout the year. These are the future leaders of tomorrow so the sooner the better to teach them how fun learning can be. It’s so much fun your kids will be begging to come back for more.
Non-Profi
t LONGMONT HUMANE SOCIETY
9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, 303-772-1232 Lafayette Winner: Sister Carmen Community Center Louisville Winner: The Art Underground Honorable Mention: WOW! Children’s Museum (Lafayette); Community Holistic Health Center (Lafayette)
What would life be without our furry family members? Cats and dogs bring us immense joy and comfort — they sleep by our sides at night and cuddle with us when we cry. They lovingly offer up their bellies for a good rub and make us laugh when nothing else will. It’s no wonder our readers voted the Longmont Humane Society as the best non-profit in East County — these are the folks who dedicate their time to the welfare of the animals that infinitely improve our lives. And it’s not just cats and dogs: the Longmont Humane Society provides temporary shelter to small mammals and birds who are lost, abandoned or surrendered. Check out their website, longmonthumane.org, to see a list of animals who are in need of a loving forever home, tips on caring for your new family member, training classes or ways you can get involved as a volunteer.
Open Mic
OSKAR BLUES HOME MADE LIQUIDS & SOLIDS
1555 S. Hover Road, Longmont, 303-485-9400 Lafayette Winner: Cannon Mine Coffee Louisville Winner: Waterloo Honorable Mention: Dickens Opera House (Longmont)
In a world where success is measured by the amount and size of stuff hanging on the walls and from ceilings, Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids is surely the most successful place in the world. No really, it is. This giant, hoppin’ restaurant/bar/venue is best known as the place with the giant Oskar Blues silo and the always-full parking lot… and it’s a big parking lot. This constant popularity helps to explain why this establishment is the favorite spot around for an open mic night. What musician with his or her eyes set on the prize of making it to the top wouldn’t want to play before a packed house of fun-loving folks who love their music? And at Oskar Blues they get to play on the same stage that hosts national touring acts on the weekends. Looking for an open mic? Our readers tell us this one is the best.
Live Jazz Venue
NISSI’S
2675 Northpark Drive, Lafayette, 303-665-2757 Longmont Winner: The Speakeasy Louisville Winner: Bittersweet – Café & Confections Honorable Mention: Ziggi’s Coffee (Longmont); Gravity Brewing (Louisville)
Jazz is the soul of America. That sounds like a famous quote, doesn’t it? Jazz is renowned for its improvisation and the craftsmanship displayed by the musicians who play it. Our readers say that no place is better to take in the jazzy tunes than Nissi’s in Lafayette. They not only have an exceptional venue for live music, but they provide drinks and food like no one’s business. It’s a great place to spend a night with some relaxing, smooth jazz, or to get wild with some hot, vibrant jazz action.
