Fiber Fool

I love my town. Pretty much the only thing that would make it better were if my family were here. A huge part of what I love about Fort Collins is the sense of community and city pride. I also love our local businesses and feel they play a major role in those things I like about Fort Collins. I also try to shop and dine local as much as possible to support these businesses.

Since I am sure we are not alone in a lack of resources (time being a big one for me right now) for a summer vacation I thought it would fun over the course of the summer to show you some of the gems of Fort Collins. I’m hoping other local businesses will be willing to participate and let me come take some pictures to share with you guys. My goal is to do so each week this summer.

So, won’t you take a stroll with me through a bit of Historic Old Town Fort Collins with me?

If you wander north along the east side of College Ave (Hwy 287 N), hang a right when you get to Walnut Street.

Go ahead and cross Walnut. Head in the southerly direction (many of the streets down here are oriented to the Cache la Poudre river, not the cardinal directions).

About half way down the block you should see the historic firehouse building.

When you arrive, don’t forget to look up and admire the architectural details!

Upon entering, glance forward and to the right wall and you’ll find four sections of bestsellers - a sure bet if you are looking for something to read but don’t have a specific title in mind. There is a section each for paperback and hardcovers of both fiction and non-fiction.

The shop is long and has almost three distinct sections. The middle section is probably the area I frequent the most - the mysteries! But they have all manner of fiction and non-fiction for all ages. I never cease to be amazed at the selection. They have what I’d like on the shelves much more often than another unnamed big box bookstore in town. Their staff is friendly and helpful as well, but without being pushy.

Don’t mind the glimpses of bare shelves. The day I took photos they were sorting through their books and preparing for a huge sidewalk sale that started yesterday and runs through the weekend in Old Town. It coincides with A Jazz Experience, where several local venues are hosting various jazz groups of all types all weekend long. There are even two outdoor stages with free shows! So if you are in the area you may like to take advantage of free entertainment and great deals!

This is another section I like to check when I come in and I’m sure you are not surprised by this one either. See, Old Firehouse Books sells both new and used books so you never know what treasures you might find. I like to pop in and check the shelves fairly regularly and I keep a list on my phone of titles I’m interested in.

I love that Old Firehouse Books offers new and used books. I can trade in books and can then use my credit to discount future purchases (their web site has the trade details) which helps me buy local but still save some money. They also have customer accounts and for every $100 you spend (which they track with the computer so you don’t have to carry yet another loyalty card in your wallet) you get a $5 coupon.

I also love that Old Firehouse is an active part of the community. Many of their events make use of other local businesses. For example, next week there is a Barbecue and Beer Tasting with a new local brewery, Equinox. And Saturday, July 31st Cricket McRae will be having a book signing and they are having a cheese tasting to go along with it from the local Windsor Dairy! They also host many different types of book clubs and their e-mail newsletters are informative about upcoming releases and titles their staff are enjoying (which reminds me that each staff member has a recommendation shelf you can peruse too).

You can find Old Firehouse Books online at http://oldfirehousebooks.com/ where you can order books, download e-books, and sign up for their newsletter. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. They post some really interesting links and send reminders about upcoming evens. They also blog at http://oldfirehousebooks.blogspot.com/.

Here ends the first look at one of my frequented places in Fort Collins. I would love if some of you out there would join me on Fridays and share some of your favorite local businesses with your readers as well so I can add them to my every growing list of places I’d like to visit when time is not so scarce.