Most folks accelerating on US-287 don’t give a second glance at the south Longmont neighborhood fronted by some standard-looking business buildings. Once locals and visitors venture into the Prospect New Town neighborhood, they know they aren’t in suburbia any more — or at least not in most suburbs they’ve ever encountered.
Strolling down embowered, meandering avenues with names like Ionosphere Street, Tenacity Drive and 100 Year Party Court, the difference is refreshing and palpable. The home designs change from house to house and block to block. They also aren’t all painted beige. The houses have porches facing the street, not garages.
Prospect was opened in the mid-1990s following the New Urbanist philosophy intended to design liveable, walkable neighborhoods as an alternative to suburban sprawl.
Over the years, Prospect has also become an under-the-radar Longmont dining destination. Several new culinary attractions have opened recently, including the resurrection of a historic venue once visited by celebrated beat writer Jack Kerouac.
At 10 a.m. on a recent Wednesday, 5-year-old Cavegirl Coffeehouse is bustling. There’s a line for coffee drinks and gluten-free goodies while a work group in a living room-like corner engages in team building. Most tables are full.
According to Jacob Erdman, Cavegirl’s manager, community comes naturally here.
“Prospect is very quiet and neighborly,” he says. “You can live here and not drive. A lot of people stop in with bikes, strollers or with their dogs. They bring their laptops and use Cavegirl like an office.”
Cavegirl and most other neighborhood eateries provide ample outdoor dining options including street-level and rooftop patios.
The coffee stop’s menu is designed to be inclusive. “We focus on organic coffee and gluten- and dairy-free baked goods and make everything in-house,” he says. “When new customers taste our doughnuts, it changes their mindset about how gluten-free tastes.”
From pad thai to spaghetti carbonara
“We open our garage doors on nice days so the whole place is like a patio,” Erdman says. “Some of our regulars grab something and eat on the lawn in the park next door.”
As the manager of Prospect’s longest operating eatery, Ben Chansingthong has seen many restaurants migrate in and out of the neighborhood. His family opened Urban Thai 12 years ago and took over a nearby spot in 2021 to launch Carciofi Pasta & Lounge.
“We have local regulars,” Chansingthong says, “but most of our Urban Thai customers come from Erie, Lafayette and from Longmont outside the neighborhood.”
Chansingthong does have a word of advice for diners who have watched too many episodes of the viral Hot Ones series: “Don’t order anything ‘Thai hot’ unless you really can handle it,” the grinning manager says. “I always get Thai hot, but I’m Thai.”
Sister eatery Carciofi has a more laid-back, dimly lit vibe. “If you are on a date, you can sit at the bar and have wine and antipasti,” Chansingthong says. “Carciofi is lounge-y, but you can also sit down at a table for dinner. It can get a little loud later in the evening.”
Getting social
Longmont Social opened three months ago with a grand concept: “It is really a space for community with something for everyone,” says owner Josh Holder.
The space boasts areas for indoor cornhole, ax throwing, golf simulators and a virtual escape room. A taphouse serves Colorado craft beers, including some brewed at Holder’s Westminster Brewing Co., while a separate alcohol-free bar offers kava beverages and energy teas.
Longmont Social isn’t a co-working space, but “we welcome folks with laptops to work here,” Holder says. “They can get coffee drinks or bring their own in.”
Food is dished by the Gourmet Ghost truck parked behind the building’s spacious, dog-friendly patio. The menu includes wraps, charcuterie, Styria Bakery pretzels and, notably, barbecue.
“The one thing the neighbors wanted us to have was a good barbecue,” Holder says. “They missed the food that used to be served at The Rib House.”
Holder grew up in the town of Louisville and worked at The Huckleberry and Empire. “I loved the community feeling there,” he says. “Prospect gave me that same feeling, so I decided to open here.”
One added bonus: Customers who order local produce and food online through the Boulder County Farmers Market can retrieve it from the walk-in refrigerators at Longmont Social.
Where Kerouac napped
The newest culinary and cultural addition to Prospect is actually a historic Longmont institution transplanted from Main Street.
Not to be confused with Johnson’s Corner truck stop on I-25, Johnson’s Corner Gas was a Longmont roadside oasis from the era when US-287 — Main Street in Longmont — was the Front Range’s major North-South highway.
Designed by Colorado architect Eugene Groves, the art deco-style building opened in 1937. During the 1950s, the station was one of the first stops novelist Jack Kerouac made in Colorado on a cross-country trip fictionalized in On the Road.
The building was saved from demolition when it was moved in 2003 to a Prospect New Town lot where it has sat unused and dusty for two decades.
After major renovations, the rechristened Johnson’s Station is set to open Sept. 13 as a restaurant, bar and event venue.
“We wanted to preserve as much of the building and its history as possible while bringing a lively indoor-outdoor gathering spot to Longmont, a place that seems to be growing rapidly,” says Giovanni Leone, a co-owner of Johnson’s Station.
The original gas station has been expanded with a ground-level patio and a cozy, second-floor seating area. A new rooftop patio will be served from bars built into Airstream trailers. Out front, a retro neon Johnson’s Gas sign has been installed, along with vintage gas pumps.
“For the food, we want to serve upgraded nostalgic items like burgers, fries and shakes … like a 1950s diner, along with salads, tacos and full beverage service,” Leone says.
With new eateries opening and Johnson’s Station finally coming back to life, New Prospect seems poised to finally be discovered … again.
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