Downvalley Tavern is scheduled to open in July in the space formerly occupied by Blue Creek Grill in El Jebel. Midvalley’s newest restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner, serving neighborhood Italian comfort food with a creative flair, according to owners Chef Drew Scott and his wife, Bonnie. (more…)
It’s official – Whole Foods Market has signed a new agreement to open a store at Willits Town Center in Basalt. No details have been released yet regarding the store size, the terms of the agreement and the projected opening date, although a source says more details are expected to be released this week. (more…)
New Pizza Shop
New York Pizza, Aspen’s most popular pizza restaurant, is opening a second location in the Roaring Fork Valley. The pizza shop has signed a lease for a space at the Orchard Plaza shopping center in El Jebel, formerly occupied by Subway and just steps away from City Market and Movieland theater.
Wendy Lucas and Co. opened its doors four years ago in Basalt at the height of the Aspen real estate market. Marcos Rodriguez, an entrepreneurial business man new to the Aspen area, purchased the real estate firm this week for an undisclosed amount.
There will not be any immediate changes on the surface of Wendy Lucas and Co. Wendy Lucas, the former owner and managing broker, will remain the managing broker. The office will continue to be based out of the Willits area in mid-valley Basalt.
The new owner, Marcos Rodriquez, acquired Aspen Homes Realty in September 2009 and the long-established firm, Aspen Real Estate Co., in December 2009. He started Aspen Preferred Properties in November and Aspen Business Brokers in December. He also owns KSNO, KUUR, TV Aspen channel 19 and the website www.aspenglenwood.com.
Since it started in 1992, Butch’s Lobster Bar has been a Snowmass Village favorite.
Every Friday and Saturday night throughout the summer it’s now a Basalt favorite too. Butch Darden, the owner, is a former lobsterman from Cape Cod. He brings his lobster cart to downtown Basalt on Fridays, stationed in front of the Phillip’s 66 near the intersection of Midland Avenue and Two Rivers Road.
I have enjoyed countless Friday nights in Basalt over the past couple of summers enjoying lobster expertly prepared to order by Butch. My family enjoys it on my parent’s deck overlooking downtown Basalt, but customers can also enjoy outdoor seating at nearby picnic tables or simply lounging in the grass.
Butch’s is truly an authentic East Coast Seafood Restaurant, with over fifty items on the menu. The Basalt menu includes plenty of other seafood favorites, including crab legs and fried clams.
Come get your seafood fix at Butch’s Lobster Cart on Friday & Saturday nights in Basalt, or in Snowmass Village at their main restaurant.
Downtown Basalt
Basalt will launch its own farmer’s market this summer, beginning on Sunday, June 21st and continuing for 17 consecutive Sundays through October 11th. (more…)
Basalt’s TownCenter Booksellers will close at the end of March which is heartbreaking for members of the Basalt and Roaring Fork Valley community. Many customers feel that the bookstore is more than a retail store – it is a community gathering place and a store that adds to the small-town character and charm of Basalt. (more…)
As the downvalley community in the Roaring Fork Valley has grown, so has the demand for more educators and bigger schools. In an informal meeting held last week, Superintendant Haptonstall and Principal Suzanne Wheeler-Del Piccolo addressed some rising concerns of 50 parents, including the crowding in Basalt schools and lack of long-tenured educators. (more…)
Land Title Guarantee Company released this week their report on the 2008 real estate market for Aspen and Pitkin County. Many were expecting bad news for the Aspen real estate market, so it wasn’t a surprise that some of the figures for 2008 were the lowest since 2003.
The sales volume for all of Pitkin County was $1.37 billion, a 46% drop from last year. Keep in mind that 2006 was a record high year for Pitkin County with a sales volume of $2.6 billion, and 2007 was just slightly lower at $2.5 billion. The sales volume for 2008 was at the same level as both 2003 and 2004 which were $1.1 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively.
The silver lining for 2008 was the median sales price for single family homes. Pitkin County’s single family median home price was $5.1 million, up 10% from 2007. Single family home prices went up 4% in Aspen and 7% in Snowmass Village, and Basalt real estate showed a16% increase for single family home sales in 2008.
From this report, we can confirm that real estate in Aspen, just like the rest of the world, will go up and down in sales prices and volume. Yet, the first rule in real estate–location, location, location–will always apply, making Aspen luxury real estate always in demand.
Ajax Tavern is just steps away from the Residences at The Little Nell
