Our Habitat in Gunbarrel

Image Courtesy of Vincent Horn

With its open spaces and mountain views, our townhome and apartment community captures the inviting and adventurous spirit of Boulder, Colorado. Just six miles northeast of Downtown Boulder, Habitat Apartments is located in the growing neighborhood of Gunbarrel.

While Gunbarrel feels like its own town, it is technically a census-designated place (CDP) that’s a part of Boulder County. While it lacks its own municipal government, it does have its own sense of community and its own unique history.

From its early development, Gunbarrel has attracted those looking for a quiet home outside of Boulder’s city center. In the early 1960s, brothers Everett and George Williams moved their families out of Boulder proper and into Gunbarrel Hill, south of the town of Niwot. They were ready to retire from their housing development business but ironically ended up being the key players in developing a residential community. The Williams Brothers teamed up with developers from both the City and County of Boulder to build a new Boulder Country Club in Gunbarrel. To offset the costs of building a new golf course, the land surrounding the Club was parceled, sold, and developed as residential homes, with water and sewer service provided by the City.

The Williams Brothers desired to build a diverse community in Gunbarrel, which would meet the standards of the City of Boulder. While Boulder developers and inspectors had a major hand in building Gunbarrel, the neighborhood expanded into its own special locale, with a mixture of residential and commercial spaces. With its open land and future potential, a few corporations took the opportunity to build complexes in Gunbarrel: IBM has a 500 acre compound on Diagonal Highway, Celestial Seasonings has its main factory on Sleepytime Drive (named after their famous herbal tea), and the world-renowned advertising company Crispin Porter + Bogusky has an office on Gunpark Drive.

Image Courtesy of Aiden Grey

With the help of the Gunbarrel Green Homeowners Association, along with new businesses and residential complexes, Gunbarrel continues to be a unique and thriving community within beautiful Boulder. The 9,000+ residents of Gunbarrel not only get to enjoy sunny Front Range views and access to Boulder’s lively downtown, but they are also experiencing the neighborhood’s recent increase in jobs and continued business growth. Habitat residents are within walking distance of the proposed Gunbarrel Shopping Center, which promises to be a bustling retail and dining center. With its spacious, well-maintained grounds and local amenities, Habitat is a great rental complex in Gunbarrel.

Renters looking for an affordable and flourishing place to call home would really appreciate living in Gunbarrel. As Boulder’s population grows, expect Gunbarrel to continue growing into a popular neighborhood for renters and homeowners alike. With its suburban history coupled with its future retail expansion, Gunbarrel is likely to become an even more diverse and exciting place to live.