Denver
Slices of Life
2008 10Best Bet - Award Winners
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DOWNTOWN. Take a sophisticated break at the Brown Palace Hotel for afternoon tea, where you can order "a pot of properly brewed English tea" accompanied by a selection of savory sandwiches or sweets treats served with Devonshire cream. For added ambience, live harp or piano music contributes a note of sophistication to the hotel's grand atrium during tea time. Elegant and dressy.
DOWNTOWN. Have a ball shopping at the Ballpark Flea Market, which specializes in vintage and antique clothing and furniture, home and garden accessories, and handmade jewelry. Located in a handful of parking lots near 21st and Larimer Streets in the city's Historic Ballpark Neighborhood, the open-air European-style market takes place without fail, no matter the weather.
LODO. If Higgs boson, stem cells and outer space – among many other scientific topics – keep you intrigued, then Cafe Scientifique is for you. Held once a month at Denver's Wynkoop Brewing Company, each free meeting has a fresh topic and a guest speaker who takes questions from the audience as they swig microbrews and munch on chips and salsa. Come early or stay late for a meal of traditional pub fare in the main restaurant and continue the intellectual discussion. Meetings are held once a month and begin at 6:30pm; visitors are encouraged to arrive early.
LODO. Expand your experience of local life by walking or bicycling the riverfront loop through one of the Mile High City's fastest growing neighborhoods: the Central Platte Valley. Start on the Cherry Creek path at Larimer and 14th Streets, and then head west to Confluence Park and the South Platte River. Turn north and then east to cross a bridge that leads to Riverfront Park. Finally, head over Millennium Bridge, and you're back in LoDo.
CHERRY CREEK. Cherry Creek Farmer's Market offers not only fresh melons, corn, peaches and other locally-grown produce, but it also delivers live music, homemade tamales and other unexpected treats. You'll certainly run into local folks at the expansive market and see what tempts and draws them when homegrown goods are at the ready. The open-air market is centrally located at the corner of First Avenue and University.
DOWNTOWN. Denver Art Museum, known for its broad collection of Native American art, is also still showing off its "new" wing – the Frederic C. Hamilton building designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, which opened in 2006 (45-minute tours daily at 1pm). The distinctive, geometric-shaped building is something to see, as are the Museum Residences, a condominium project also designed by Mr. Libeskind that takes advantage of proximity to the museum and offers amazing views.
CHEESMAN PARK. This expansive series of gardens serves as an amazing repository of Denver's horticultural treasures! Themed gardens spread across 23 acres and feature intriguing specimens from all corners of the globe. In fact, 15,000 species of plants and 20,680 of fungi are represented. During the chill of winter, you can even soak up the heat of a tropical jungle in the conservatory. Tours of the entire gardens and the conservatory are offered each Saturday and Sunday year-round at 11am and 1pm, as available.
Get a taste of turn-of-the-century resort life at this facility, which is set between the roaring river below and the stunning Rocky Mountains above. Swim in the bracingly chilly mineral springs pool, which is filled from artesian springs, and take the waters, just as actors, politicians and celebrities once did. Near the entrance to Eldorado Canyon State Park, where rock climbing is a major attraction. Approximately 30 miles from Denver.
Customize your First Fridays Art Walk any way you want, picking and choosing destinations from a selection of neighborhood art districts each month. Galleries in Lower Downtown (LoDo), along Tennyson Street in Highlands, in the Golden Triangle, in River North, or on Santa Fe Drive all open their doors to welcome art lovers and looky-loos. They stay open late to accommodate and instruct, and local businesses support the cause too, as restaurants, shops, and bars get in on the fun and the foot traffic too.
CITY PARK. Tattered Cover is not just a book-lover's paradise but a place to hang out all day and into the evening, enjoying pastries and coffee, curling up on one of the antique chairs or sofas to read, or taking in one of the many events, including author readings and book signings. There are three locations in Denver – one in LoDo, another on Colfax Avenue in a restored theater, and the third in Highlands Ranch Town Center. Instead of looking like a tourist, it's satisfying to blend into the background and experience the city like a local. Here, we'll let you know about the locales that city residents frequent. On the list are places like Saturday farmers' markets, summer music concerts, and even historic churches that pull folks in each Sunday. We'll direct you to bypass the tourist traps and get a feel for what it's like to live rather than to sightsee.
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Instead of looking like a tourist, it's satisfying to blend into the background and experience the city like a local. Here, we'll let you know about the locales that city residents frequent. On the list are places like Saturday farmers' markets, summer music concerts, and even historic churches that pull folks in each Sunday. We'll direct you to bypass the tourist traps and get a feel for what it's like to live rather than to sightsee.
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