OCR Text |
Show BR Park City Lifestyle MIKE ANDREWS Champagne Taste: Beer Budget by Randy Hanskat ou've seen those movies where the hero fakes his way into high society, usually in an attempt to woo the girl. He is invited to the snooty soirees, the riding trips, the polo games. And the girl digs him. But then one day his true lack of means is discovered and he is roundly booted out of the circle of the rich and famous, to return to his formerly normal life. I’m waiting to be found a fraud. You see, | live in the midst of the rich. They live in 10,000-foot “cottages. es.” They drive $75,000 Hummers. They prefer restaurants with exotic animals from faraway places on the menu. They actually use their cell phones, and stomach the bill. They can even still afford to ski. I live amongst them, yet mine is a middle class existence — a 1,780-square-foot house, an '88 Honda Civic, a child with nary a Polo outfit, a wife sans any pricey surgeries for tucks, suctions, lifts, or miscellaneous infusions. I play golf at the muni. I even mow my own grass! But they must think I’m filthy rich, trust funds stacked to the sky. Why? Because it seems just about everything in Park City these days is intended for the rich. I had this epiphany when I contemplated buying coupons to ski this season. Having a one-year-old, I no longer seek season passes, but mere five-coupon books. Back in the '93-'94 season, those coupons at the Park City Ski Area were $30 per day. Now those five coupon beauties are $42 per day at what is now poshly deemed the Park City Mountain Resort. That's a 40 percent increase in four years, for those of you scoring at home. Inflation in those four years has gone up about 12 percent. But the resort has been busy, adding, oh I don’t know, maybe four new runs up to this year. I wish I got raises like that. I thought coupon books were supposed to be a “value.” So, how is Park City’s “discounted” coupon worth more than full-ticket prices at Alta, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, Solitude, Brighton, and Sundance? See, they've got to believe ] am an heir to the Gettys. Another disappointment is the new resort, called The Canyons. These guys had the shot to come in and lock up the locals, They could have-offered, say, $25 coupons, a $300 season pass; just to say we're new in town but care about locals and don’t necessarily see them .as a major profit source. Wrong, $35 coupon-breath. Looks like they think it’s Aspen, Utah style. Thats why I feel like Curly at the Debutante's Ball, without a pie to throw. Irs no different when eating out. On Main Street, you get baked ostrich, buffalo ‘tavioli, free-range chicken, for a mere $20 or $30 a plate. First off, I don’t even. want to think about cooking ana ostrich. How ‘big would the oven need to be? And ravioli seems pretty good the way the Italians do it — I don't see any buffalo grazing around the Tower of Pisa. As for the free ranging poulet - who are the cowboys who bring in these doggies or chickies or whatever they are? Are there free range-chicken drives? Foo foo. Main Street's swimming in it. A couple years back I heard there was a new “home cooking” place going in at the bottom of Main Street. Cool, I thought. My middle-class taste buds were stoked, as visions of meat loaf, roast chicken, and pork chops danced in my head. And | could afford to eat there regularly! Wrong. Who knew a chicken breast and mashed potatoes could run $16? At least maybe that great middle-class golfer’s dream could come true — to one day save enough to join a country club. Hey, Park Meadows is going private, and it can't cost that much, the season's only five months. Wrong-o, dimpled ball boy. Irll take 50 Gs. Whaddya: expect, living in Beverly Hills? Even my neighborhood has gone bonkers. I live in stucco suburbia, not the mansions of exposed cedar beams, Venetian marble, and heated driveways. It’s a tract-home subdivision. So, why is the guy up the street trying to get a half million for his 2,500-foot abode? Rich man’s burg, | tell ya. When | came here in 1983, you could afford to buy a house in Old Town, eat out at Janeaux’s, and ski the local areas. ParkWest sold season passes a couple years for $99. Subarus were the car of choice, not Range Rovers. Funny thing is, our other car is still a Subaru. I guess I’m just not cut out for this rich guy stuff. But aoe. tell °em, don’t expose my sham. I’m not ready to leave just yet. @ PARK CITY COUNCIL Help Return to Park City Government An Independent voice for the average citizen A council man who will BE RESPONSIVE CONCERNS A council man who willll A council man who will invoah fe OUI SIDE *- A THE CONSULTANTS council shape the man w future to t YOUR QUESTIONS s NOT wee build solutions ho beli VE of Park TO YOUR ASK THE TOUGH for ou problems VOICEs awk RESPONSIBLE ALTERNATIVE N N WT ATT MIKE ANDREWS > PARK CITY C ,OUNCIL To participate in our ca to the pec 647-9807. These styles will take you from the back country to the brew pub in rugged ele- Bite Main Street Me | ia gance and tap notch comfort, ensuring you Park City’s Fastest Finest, Quality Photofinishing weather any 523 Main Street storm in comfort. © One-hour Photo © Two-hour Slide Processing (E-6) ¢ KODAK Create-A-Print™ © Black & White Processing ¢ Custom Enlarging, Negatives or Slides * Portrait & Commercial Studio © Passport Photos * Unique Photo Frames & Accessories 649-6465, 518 Historic Main © Park City, Utah & Jackson Hole Wyoming 801-645-9427 ADVENTURE DESIGNS FROM JACKSON HOLE nr |