The Evolution of Goss Grove
A neighborhood steeped in history is adjusting to constant change.
The Evolution of Goss Grove is a multimedia journalism project I created with Zoe Mardiks and Bailey Craig during our time at the University of Colorado Boulder. Together, we explored the history and transformation of one of Boulder’s most unique neighborhoods, combining written storytelling, photography, and video to capture the voices of its residents. My role involved conducting interviews, gathering background research, and shaping the written narrative to highlight the voices of Boulder residents and the neighborhood’s evolution over time. This project reflects our shared passion for human-centered storytelling and our commitment to creating work that informs, connects, and gives a platform to community perspectives.
Andrea Montoya was one of the main voices featured in The Evolution of Goss Grove. Our team interviewed her and documented her story as part of our research into the community and its evolving identity.
Excerpt from The Evolution of Goss Grove
Enclosed by a stone and mortar wall lies a house where native flowers engulf every square inch of the front yard. Only a thin gravel walkway escapes the greenery, and it leads to a perpetually ajar red door. A woman’s voice leaks out of the home, inviting friends and neighbors in.
Inside, each step is met with creaking wooden oak floors. Off to the left is a set of stairs leading up, and off to the right, an extended window box lets the sun’s warm glow into the home through a cracked window held together by blue painter’s tape. The window is purposefully not fixed, as changing out the glass would require workers to step on the flowers carefully curated outside, harming any pollinators that call the yard home – Andrea Montoya’s home. Montoya’s historic Goss Grove home on 18th St. was built in the 1870s, but for the past five decades, she has inhabited the space after moving in with her husband in 1974.
With each passing decade, Montoya and other neighbors have noticed an evolution. What once was a neighborhood populated by diverse families and longtime locals now features an expanding population of students and renters. This new wave mirrors Goss Grove’s contentious past as longtime residents navigate the tensions of maintaining their neighborhood's charm amidst a changing city and university.
Montoya’s historic Goss Grove home on 18th St. was built in the 1870s, but for the past five decades, she has inhabited the space after moving in with her husband in 1974.
With each passing decade, Montoya and other neighbors have noticed an evolution. What once was a neighborhood populated by diverse families and longtime locals now features an expanding population of students and renters. Along with these, students and renters come with tensions within the neighborhood, such as noise levels and lack of maintenance. This new wave mirrors Goss Grove’s contentious past as longtime residents navigate the tensions of maintaining their neighborhood's charm amidst a changing city and university.