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In Park City, Park City Culture and Nightlife, Park City Market, resources

Serious Fun — And Business — at the Park Silly Sunday Market

indexAt the Park Silly Sunday Market, it’s not all fun and games.  Yes, there are goofy hats and feather puppets and a bandstand where shoppers can shake their booties. But the market, which celebrated its 100th festival Sunday, is also a place for serious entrepreneurs to test new products and launch new ventures.

“It incubates businesses,” said Kim Kuehn, who founded the Park Silly Market in 2007.  Among them: Red Bicycle Breadworks, started by Brent Whitford and Brad Hart. Hart set up a stand at the first market and then solicited products from area farms. He asked Whitford, then working at Chez Betty restaurtant, to provide bread.

“I made 16 loaves one day, brought them over on the trailer of my red bicycle, and the rest was kind of history,” said Whitford, who moved to Park City from Connecticut a decade ago. “Sixteen became 40, became 80, and 100 and more and more. We decided we might have something here. Being able to showcase what you’re doing to such a large audience in a matter of a few hours and being able to market yourself face to face and explain exactly what you’re doing is pretty exciting.”

The Park Silly Market, which started with about 40 vendors, now has more than 160 booths; about half are operated by Utah natives — a quarter from Park City itself. Last year, more than 132,000 people attended the market.

Click here to read the entire article.

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In Park City, Park City Market, resources

Park City Real Estate Is On The Rise

Real Estate in Park City Utah is continuing to show increasing signs of life. Despite the economic crisis across the country, the housing market in the Utah mountains appears to show no effect. Sustaining a few bumps on the road from time to time, some general trends may explain why this may be happening.
Historically, homebuyers have come to Utah for the winter skiing and other attractions, though as of late the slowing real estate market has created somewhat of a stall. According to trulia.com, the average listing price for homes in Park City has a 1.6 percent increase. The figures began dropping steadily in August, and slowed down in September.

The rise in average list prices in some of Summit County’s more popular neighborhoods is even more dramatic. In 84061, the week over week increase was 10.5 percent. In 84033, the increase was 36.9 percent.

The average selling price for a home in Park City is $573,400. The selling price for nearby homes is considerably lower than the asking price, so shoppers looking for a deal have some wiggle room.

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In Park City, Park City Market, resources

Why Fall is a Great Time to Buy Park City Real Estate

1. Experts believe that home prices (nationally) will appreciate 10% over the next 4 years. The Case-Shiller home price index, which is generally a very conservative indicator, has shown increases in home prices the past two months.

2. If you are looking for ski property in Park City, this is the time of year when such properties are not rented and easy to view. If you arrive during Christmas and think you are going to get inside the best income generating properties, think again.

3. Those families who missed the summer selling season are more realistic about pricing and more motivated to negotiate.

4. Interest rates are low. I mean REALLY low. Those who can qualify for loans are looking at rates that start with the numeral 3. Eighty percent of the buyers I have worked with this year chose and qualified for financing. The other 20 percent elected to pay cash. Inexpensive money is out there. With home prices inching back up, the homes are appraising for purchase price or more.

5. In the long term, property ownership creates wealth.

 

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In Park City, Park City Market, resources, Vail and Beaver Creek, Vail and Beaver Creek Market

Mountain Real Estate Markets Gain More Stability

Real estate sales continue to improve in Park City and Vail. The market has improved dramatically in the last three years.

In Park City, property sales were up four per cent during summer and median property prices rose 11 per cent from the year before.

“It’s a slow but steady improvement,” said Mark Seltenrich, the statistician from the Park City Board of Realtors. “The biggest trend is that the really cheap properties, the low-priced condos or low-priced lots, are not there anymore.”

Curt Singleton, executive director, told The Park Record the rebounding market is reflected in the expanding roster of sales agents affiliated with his organization. “More people are getting back into real estate.”

From Vail comes much the same story, with the bottom-end foreclosures being cleared out in the down-valley markets at Eagle and Gypsum. Several agents told Mountain Town News that they have had multiple offers on properties, the first time in some years for that to happen.

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In Park City, Park City History, resources

Great Museums to Visit In Park City

Park City was one of the first ski resort towns in the United States and was founded by Mormon pioneers. It has an interesting history, which we covered a few months ago on the Park City Peaks blog and tourists who come to our tranquil town enjoy finding out how it was established.   If you’re curious about Park City, there are several excellent museums in the area which have plenty of excellent information, local artifacts and more.

Museums to Visit in Park City

Park City Museum: With a five star rating on Trip Advisor, this museum shouldn’t be missed and is essential for any Park City vacation. It details the history of the area and its evolution from a silver mining settlement to a world class ski town. There are informative exhibits, events, tours and more. Click here to take a five minute video tour of the museum.

The George Eccles 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum: Also located at Utah Olympic Park is this collection dedicated to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, which were hosted in the area. This state of the art museum features exhibits dedicated to each of the sports at the Olympic Winter Games including cross country skiing, curling, alpine skiing and more. They even have a stunning collection of Olympic medals on display as well.

Click here to see all museums worth visiting in Park City.

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In Park City, Park City History, resources

A Brief History of Park City

Thousands of people visit Park City every year for its excellent skiing, beautiful scenery and vibrant local culture. But many visitors do not know that it also has an amazing history which began after the area was settled by Mormon pioneers. Park City was home to one of the biggest silver mining camps in the country and has an interesting heritage just waiting to be discovered. The area has since become a premier skiing destination and has been home to many world class athletes as well as hosting the famous annual Sundance Film Festival.

Early Mormon pioneers traveled through Park Cityto establish Salt Lake City before they returned and built a toll road. The basin at the top of the canyon was good for grazing and some families settled in the area. It was known as “Parley’s Park City” at the time. Silver, gold and lead was discovered in the area and it flourished until almost becoming a ghost town when the price of silver dropped and The Great Depression arrived.

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In Aspen, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Jackson Hole, Park City, Steamboat Springs, Telluride, resources, Vail and Beaver Creek

Ski Resorts Are For Non-skiers, Too

Ski resorts are for non-skiers, too.

If you mention the word ‘vacation’ to most people, the chances are they will immediately think of sun-soaked resorts in various parts of the globe. They will conjure up images of long, unspoilt beaches, crystal clear oceans, luxurious hotels and a variety of exciting restaurants offering the very best examples of local and international cuisine.

However, not every holiday has to be about swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling. Although most people look to spend their annual vacation doing nothing more strenuous than topping up their tans, it should be borne in mind that there are plenty of alternatives which don’t involve burning to a crisp on a lounger.

All over the world, from the iconic beauty of the Swiss Alps to the millionaire’s playground of Aspen in Colorado, there are hundreds of ski resorts which are just waiting to be enjoyed. One of the sad things about them, however, is that they remain undiscovered by people who have no intention of taking up skiing.

Click here to read the entire article.

 

 

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In Park City, Park City Ski Resort, resources

Canyons Earns Top 10 Ski Resort Ranking

Utah’s Canyons Resort has been named a Top 10 North American ski resort in the latest SKI Magazine reader survey.

The recognition — the Canyons earned the 10th overall ranking — marks the first time the Park City-area resort made it into the Top 10 of the magazine’s annual list.

It was lauded for adding 300 prime acres of intermediate and advanced trails and for widespread upgrades in both the resort village and on-mountain dining.

“Canyons has made a clear commitment to elevating its ranking through its infrastructure investments in the past three years,” Chris Phillips, the publisher of SKI Magazine, said in a statement announcing the ranking.

Mike Goar, Canyons’ managing director, said work on the resort is continuing.

This year will see the addition of new lodging and dining properties, three all-new terrain parks and continuing work on an 18-hole championship golf course, he said.

Click here to read the entire article.

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In Park City, Park City Access, Park City Ski Resort, resources

SkiLink Solution, Or Just Another Idea

Skiers and snowboarders board a gondola on a crisp Saturday afternoon eager to reach new runs.  As they glide over the mountain, surrounded by the fresh powder, they laugh at the thought of the long drive they normally would have taken to go from Park City to Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Talisker Inc., owner of Canyons Ski Resort, and other proponents of the SkiLink gondola hope to make such a scene a reality, by connecting Canyons Ski Resort in Park City and Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Before they can move forward they must receive Congressional approval. However, opponents are trying to push alternatives to the gondola.

Tom Richardson, founder of Ski Our Canyons Responsibly, a group that has given support to the project, said this provides a whole new experience for skiers and snowboarders in Utah.

[/media-credit] A comparison of the proposed SkiLink gondola to the drive on Utah highways.

“This is world class stuff we’re talking about,” Richardson said. “It puts us in the league of many of the large resorts in Europe.”

Richardson said snow sport enthusiasts will have 5,200 acres of runs, making it the second largest ski complex in North America.

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In Park City, Park City Culture and Nightlife, Park City Recreation, resources

Live It Up At The Sundance Film Festival

imagesEvery January, the best and brightest in filmmaking descend upon Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. Founded by Robert Redford in 1985, the festival is a nonstop celebration of independent movies, launching blockbuster hits such as Precious, Napoleon Dynamite and last year’s breakout film, Beasts of the Southern Wild.

This year’s Sundance Film Festival takes place from Jan. 17 to 27 and extends throughout Park City’s hotels, restaurants and breathtaking landscape. Home to the “Greatest Snow on Earth,” the Park City area offers world-class skiing in addition to trendy boutiques, high-end art galleries and nightlife.

For an unconventional hotel experience, try the celebrity-frequented Washington School House. Built as a school in 1889, Washington School House graduated to a new level of luxury with a complete interior renovation, featuring amenities such as a heated pool, complimentary breakfast, ski valets, and a 24-hour concierge.

Anyone visiting a state with 14 ski resorts has to make time to hit the slopes at least once during Sundance. A recent multimillion-dollar project at Canyons Resort introduced the heated-seat chairlift — the Orange Bubble Express, providing the ultimate in comfort for the ride up the mountain. If skiing isn’t your preference, head to Main Street for some pre-event shopping at Flight Boutique, for contemporary items by kensie and Elizabeth & James.  Afterward, wear your new threads to dance the night away at Downstairs, a nightclub opened by Danny Masterson of That 70’s Show.

A trip to the Sundance Film Festival is not complete without a meal at Sundance Resort’s Zoom, opened by Robert Redford in 1995. The sophisticated, American restaurant serves locally-sourced fare like slow roasted beets with Utah goat cheese and Koosharem Valley Utah trout.

Click here for the complete list of suggestions from SheKnows.