The Things You Only Notice When You’re Not in a Hurry

The Things You Only Notice When You’re Not in a Hurry

Dear Boulder,

The things you notice when you’re not in a hurry are often delicious.

They start with walking instead of rushing. A slower turn off Pearl. A storefront you might normally pass while mentally ticking off the next thing. And then curiosity does what it does best, it pulls you inside.

That’s how I found myself at Süti & Co., a new Scandinavian-inspired coffee shop tucked just off Pearl Street. No plan, just time. Inside, the space felt calm and intentional, but it was the food that really anchored the experience. Trays of homemade, European-inspired pastries — simple, beautiful, and clearly made with care. The kind of pastries that don’t shout for attention, but reward it. Buttery, balanced, quietly excellent.

There’s something refreshing about a place that knows exactly what it is. Süti doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. It leans into clean flavors, thoughtful sourcing, and a slower kind of indulgence — coffee meant to be sipped, pastries meant to be savored, not inhaled between meetings. It feels very at home in Boulder right now.

Slowing down changes how the rest of downtown reveals itself, too. When you’re not rushing, you notice the age and beauty of the buildings along Pearl Street — the brickwork, the proportions, the details that have survived decades of trends. These structures weren’t built for efficiency. They were built to last. And they pair surprisingly well with a warm pastry and a quiet table by the window.

I love how Boulder layers itself this way. New businesses settling into historic bones. Modern tastes unfolding inside old walls. Coffee cups resting on windowsills that have watched generations pass through.

January gives us permission to notice these things. The sidewalks are less crowded. The pace is gentler. There’s room to wander without agenda, to let appetite and curiosity lead the way.

Maybe that’s the real gift of slowing down — not just noticing more, but tasting more. Letting a city meet you where you are instead of rushing past it.

With affection,

Chiara B.