There’s a scene now in downtown Aspen—no question about it. There has been for decades. Dating back to the 60s, Aspen has been a hot bed for adventurous spirits, charging skiers, and passionate people. But, before people were dancing during apres in their ski boots and real estate prices soared sky high, Aspen was a sleepy little mountain town with its mining heydays in the rearview mirror and a stunning mountain looming above.
Klaus Obermeyer made his way to Aspen in 1947 at the urge of visionary Friedl Pfiefer. When Klaus arrived Aspen was a far cry from what it is today. What was Aspen like in 1947? We asked Klaus for his firsthand memories of the beginning of Aspen. Here’s what Klaus remembers from the bygone era in Aspen…
“Aspen was a ghost town. You could buy a house for $400. There were lots of houses for sale because people left when the mining stopped. There were no parking problems in 1947,” remembers Klaus laughing. “We’d park our cars at the Hotel Jerome for the winter and never touch them until the snow melted. That’s where the Ski School meeting place was, across from the Hotel Jerome. Aspen started little.”
The Jerome was the center of life back then.
