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Overview
The arrival of the railroad in 1870 further solidified Denver's status as a thriving metropolis. Banking, minting, food processing, agriculture, and manufacturing were just a few of Denver's early industries, laying a solid economic base on which the town could easily grow. Livestock, tourism, and service industries brought even more jobs and wealth to the area at the turn of the century. After World War II, oil, gas, and technology helped dismantle Denver's "cow town" image and ushered in its current incarnation as a prosperous, thoroughly modern city.
Denver's famously sunny weather and its proximity to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains are two of its most attractive assets. A wealth of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, and snowboarding, are mere minutes west of Denver proper. Sports enthusiasts and nature lovers who inhabit the city are abetted by low humidity, mild year-round temperatures, and over 300 days per year of sunshine. It's not hard to see why a significant segment of Denver's – and indeed Colorado's – population is composed of transplants from all over the US and beyond, eager for the agreeable climate and outdoor opportunities that the city offers.
Denverites like to play hard, but they work hard, too, finding employment in a variety of sectors. Federal jobs abound – Denver's metro area is second in the nation in its percentage of people employed by the US government. Thanks to Denver's location between coasts, jobs in distribution, trade, and manufacturing are also in abundance. Telecommunications corporations like Qwest Communications and Comcast, as well as mining and energy companies, round out the list of biggest employers. Many companies are located in Denver's dense downtown area, resulting in the nation's tenth largest central business district.
A thriving arts scene also enlivens the Mile High City. Denver Art Museum is undoubtedly one of the city's crown jewels, especially following a 2006 expansion led by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. Today, Libeskind's futuristic, angular addition reaches across 13th Avenue to the original museum building, a castle-like 1960s creation designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti. The dialogue between the stalwart older building and its showy, steely sibling is indicative of Denver's engaging mix of well-established, traditional galleries and hip, cutting-edge art spaces. First Friday Art Walks, along a six-block stretch of Santa Fe, are a superb way to see a cross-section of galleries, where you'll find everything from accomplished watercolors showcasing the Front Range to sophisticated contemporary sculpture and photography. LoDo (Lower Downtown) is another art-rich area, rife with galleries and home to the new location of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The city also gets behind its top-notch sports teams, notably, the Denver Broncos and the Colorado Avalanche. Football fans flock to INVESCO Field at Mile High every fall, where the beloved Broncos enjoy a phenomenal home field advantage thanks to living and practicing at high altitude. The legendary tenure of quarterback John Elway, and the back-to-back Super Bowl wins that concluded his career, are still fresh in Denver's memory, and every season brings new hope for a repeat performance. A short journey away at the Pepsi Center, the Avalanche also bear Denver's hopes on their shoulders. The team has won the coveted Stanley Cup twice since the franchise moved to Denver in 1995, bringing the city's enthusiasm for the sport to fever pitch. Other major franchises in Denver include the MLB's Colorado Rockies, who routinely hit it out of the park at Coors Field, and the NBA's Denver Nuggets.
As befits a city so diverse in its cultural makeup, Denver's dining scene is a mélange of flavors, ingredients, and influences from around the world. The city's population is 30% Hispanic, and happily, many of Denver's finest restaurants boast dressed-up Mexican and Latin American fare. Try Tamayo, a hip eatery in Larimer Square that serves upscale south-of-the-border eats, along with superb views of the Front Range. If you're in the market for something more casual, an easygoing taqueria is never too far away. The city's history as a livestock center still has some currency, as evidenced by the multitude of great steakhouses and New American restaurants to be found here. Sure bets like Sullivan's and Elway's are always a great way to impress clients or simply enjoy a fantastic meal yourself.
Although its gold mining days are distant memories, Denver retains plenty of old-fashioned charm amid its modern touches. Within city limits, brick houses from the early and mid-20th century line the grid of numbered streets. These structures – quaint, individual, and distinct – provide a welcome complement to the bustling downtown area just a few blocks away. Denver is rife with such instances of old and new peacefully co-existing, an attribute of the city that fascinates residents and attracts visitors, both eager to explore the city's proud past and promising present.
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