Travel Log: Denver
I recently traveled to Denver for the Open Source Hardware Summit and had the chance to explore around the city. It was also the weekend of the Great American Beer Festival and Zombie Crawl, so Denver was packed! Here are some fun things to do in Denver (items in bold font are places I’ve been to).
Neighborhoods
Denver’s many neighborhoods each have distinct personalities, lending Denver a larger city feel while still being walkable. Some of my favorite neighborhoods were:
LoDo (Lower Downtown)
Union Station in LoDo is the first stop for many arriving in Denver, especially if you take the train from the airport. Union Station is surrounded by restaurants and hosts a Farmers Market on Summer/Fall Saturdays. Stop by the cozy Tattered Cover Book Store to curl up with a book and a coffee. The area surrounding Union Station also has neat brick buildings that take you back to the 19th century.
Nearby Larimer Square and 16th Street Mall are popular tourist destinations as well. A good place to go for restaurants and bars. If you want to shop, go during the day.
Civic Center
I rarely find civic centers very interesting, but Denver’s Civic Center is full of beautiful buildings and sculptures. Visit the Art Museum, Colorado History Museum, and the Public Library. Civic Center Park, between the State Capitol and City Hall, is also a wonderful green, and hosts rotating food trucks for lunch during the summer.
River North (RiNo) Art District
Denver’s RiNo district has become known for its abundant street art, with many pieces commissioned by local businesses or galleries. At first, I was confused where to go within RiNo, because street art doesn’t last forever and so there’s no one location on Google Maps. I found most of the pieces to be between 28th and 33rd St. on Blake St., Walnut St., and the alley in-between.
RiNo is also home to a few breweries you can check out during GABF.
Food
- City O’ City — Denver’s most popular vegetarian restaurant. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night drinks. Rotating art installations.
- Olive and Finch — All day brunch and bakery. Awesome skillet hashes.
- Civic Center Food Trucks—daily rotating food trucks on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the summer and early fall in Civic Center Park.
- Amethyst Coffee — naturally lit coffee shop with tasty oatmeal. Their baristas also put together a city guide. The building Amethyst Coffee is in, the Metlo, is also very sleek. The Metlo used to be a Motel but was refurbished into a modern office space in 2014.
Art
Denver has a huge art scene. You can visit galleries during the day, or you can do a grand tour during art districts’ different open houses, usually on the first or last Friday of each month. My favorites were:
- Art District on Santa Fe — expect paintings, photographs, antiques, and even a dedicated violin store. Food trucks and more on First Fridays.
- 40 West Arts District — a collection of art galleries and studios where you can meet the artists
- RiNo Art District — street art
Other art districts are listed here: https://www.denver.org/things-to-do/denver-arts-culture/denver-art-districts/
In addition, check out the Denver Arts Museum, free on each month’s first Saturday. The surrounding Civic Center has lots of neat sculptures, too.
Urban Parks
- City Park — Denver’s equivalent of Golden Gate Park is home to an MLK, Jr. monument, trails, soccer fields, lakes, the Museum of Nature and Science, and the Zoo.
- Cherry Creek Trail — be in the middle of Denver yet feel removed along this trail. Ramps from street-level to the trail are present at major intersections.
Fall Events
Fall is a popular time for Denver, and if you like blue skies and sun, it’s the perfect time to visit. Some Denver events that occur in the fall
- Great American Beer Festival (September or October)
- Zombie Crawl (October)
- Indigenous Film & Arts Festival (October)
- Denver Arts Week (November)
- Denver Film Festival (November)
Housing
When visiting a new place, I try to better understand at least one social issue important to its residents. In Denver, the rising cost of living is clearly on people’s minds.
Once an affordable retirement destination, the Denver area has seen skyrocketing rents and home prices in the past few years, largely due to the influx of people to the region. Denver’s population has grown by 93,000 people since 2010, 15.5 percent of its population. Previously $1200/month luxury 1-bedroom apartments now rent for $2200/month. Homeless people sleeping in Denver’s formerly industrial neighborhoods are being swept out as high-rises are constructed over former warehouses.
Many Denver residents I spoke to attributed the population growth to Colorado’s legalization of marijuana in 2014. One resident had even moved to Denver explicitly because for legal marijuana. “It’s a good thing, more people wanting to come to your city,” mentioned that resident. However, Denver lacks the tenant protections of San Francisco or New York, so people priced out of Denver have had to move elsewhere in Colorado or to a cheaper state.
Like San Francisco, it’s a weird consequence where a “good thing” (an excess of jobs in SF) has lead to displacement. Unlike the Bay Area, however, Denver is building constantly. Construction cranes and half-built homes were all over the place, so relief to the housing demand surge may be in sight.
Hope you enjoy Denver! Leave a note if you want more recommendations.
