My first experience with Fort Collins was in a relationship.
I was dating a girl who started attending Colorado State, and my first time in the city was visiting her family for graduation. I started getting to know the town better as I would visit her to carry on our long-distance relationship. It didn’t take terribly long for me to fall in love with FoCo, and this was a major influence in my decision to choose CSU.
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One of my first big interactions with Old Town was on an anniversary. We had a lovely meal at Sonny Lubick Steakhouse, and then walked around for a while. It just so happens that our anniversary fell in December, which is when Old Town is prettiest, in my opinion. The lights strung across College Avenue, combined with the light snowfall, just added to the romance of the evening.
During my freshman year, I went on another romantic date in Old Town. We had dinner at Austin’s, dessert at the Chocolate Cafe and bought flowers from a man in Old Town Square. Not only was there so many options in Old Townfor our date, but being able to walk from campus was incredibly convenient.
Even coffee dates in Old Town in the middle of summer are romantic. Grabbing an iced mocha from Mugs and goofing around in a thrift store is simply fun. I think that’s part of why Fort Collins is so perfect for dating — it’s hard to not have a good time with someone.
Simply put, Fort Collins is beautiful, and that’s a contributing factor to why it’s so easy to be happy here. Campus is beautiful. Old Town is beautiful. Even City Park can be perfectly romantic when there’s no geese around. Being surrounded by beauty, whether with someone else or on your own, makes itdifficult to not enjoy yourself.
There’s also always something to do in town, especially around campus. No matter your ideal first date, there’s something for everyone. From museums to food to activities, Fort Collins is full of ways to entertain a first, or twentieth, date.
Best of all, the people in Fort Collins make the experience all the better. Many restaurants and attractions are owned by locals, and there have been many times when that’s made my experiences all the more personal. People love living here, and that makes the city a happier place to live. Dating in a place where the locals love what they do beats going out somewhere where nobody will give you the time of day always.
Walking through Old Town, on a date or not, always makes me feel happy. And if there’s anything I want to share with someone else, it’s that.
