We're not a prideful bunch at Denverite. More of a humble and shy group of journalists with existential dread hoping you all want to talk to us and show us what's going on in the city.
Maybe that's just me talking, but one of the things we are actually proud of is that we go to all parts of the city to tell stories. This year, the Denverite squad was definitely out and about.
We found weird houses, new restaurants, spaces for comedy and poetry. We talked to regulars who stand on the same corner everyday. We visited neighborhood staples, and neighborhoods some long-term residents have never heard of.
Let's take a tour of Denver, and hopefully you'll get some items for your 2024 bucket list.
First, let's head to the Northside.
Isaac visited Panadería Rosales, one of the first Mexican bakeries to open in Denver in 1976. They're serving up conchas, bolillos, pan dulce and marranitos, which are Mexican pig-shaped gingerbread.
They're also serving up a slice of memory pie. The Northside has experienced high levels of displacement due to the cost of living and gentrification. Despite the gentrification around it, the panadería has made an intentional effort to preserve the quality of its bread and its own cultural identity.
Speaking of preservation efforts, History Colorado's Museum of Memory Initiative has a whole section on the Northside. With each closure, demolition and relocation of businesses, homes and people, the history of the area gets chipped away and those pieces are lost. Through the initiative, History Colorado and residents who participated hope the stories never get lost or forgotten.
On walks and drives around the city, we found an activist, a flamingo and a cool house.
If you've passed the Capitol in the last year or two, you've probably seen Rowshan Kia standing on Lincoln Street with big signs covered in language like, "DEMOCRACY FOR IRAN." Kevin hung out with Kia one Saturday to find out more about the activist.
Kyle drove past Denver Fire Department Station 23 on Federal Boulevard, looked up and said, "Is that a flamingo?" It was, so he went to ask why.
Kevin and I were walking along Syracuse Street off of East Colfax when we spotted the craziest house covered in mosaic tiles. So, we knocked on the door and met Steve Hartbauer, whose premise was essentially, "Why couldn't I cover my house in tiles?"
And, of course, we like to head out for a drink.
When the crew spent time on Tennyson Street for our Street Week special, I stopped at the Berkeley Inn to find out why this neighborhood bar is still around after 89 years.
We also visited some bars across the city that have since closed down. Kevin hung out with the staff at Green Russell for their final night as a speakeasy beneath Larimer Square.
Isaac spent one night at El Chapultepec, Denver's once bustling but now shuttered jazz club. 87 Foundation held a show at the space to bring attention to the cultural touchpoints that the city will lose if it does not prioritize the revitalization of arts, culture and nightlife.
Most importantly, we use the bathroom and we wouldn't be Denverite if we didn't choose the weird loos. Rebecca did her due diligence, traveling around the city to see what bathrooms were the funkiest... in a good way.
Here are more places we reported on in 2023 that you may want to check out, too:
When civil rights attorney Irving Andrews moved into his City Park West home in 1972, the same segregation he fought in the courts barred him as a Black man from opening a law office downtown. So he opened his office on the upper floor of his home at 2241 York St. Now his home is a landmark.
Speaking of landmarks, Lavender Hill is Denver's first Queer Cultural District. It covers parts of Capitol Hill, City Park West, Cheesman Park, Baker and Five Points. It's not an official district but the hope is to get official city recognition in coming years.
If you're looking for more history, The Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library reopened this year. The new look and layout purposefully centers Blackness.
Need snacks in Five Points? Little Bodega has everything you need from detergent to chips to community.
Looking for the purrfect chill spot? Head to a cat cafe. There are two locations in Denver proper, and both are filled with the cutest feline friends.
Looking for something more musical or poetry-based? Isaac has the details on Meadowlark Bar's musical residency, Off The Cuff, a weekly jam-session-style performance of professional BIPOC musicians. We also have a list of spaces where local poets go to woo us.
DVSN WEST reopened on Colfax this year after closing in 2019. It's all about streetwear, hip hop, and the outdoors.
Elyria-Swansea has historically been an industrial area, leaving residents with smog and railroad tracks. But at a corner lot, you'll find an urban paradise: Focus Point Family Resource Center's community farm.
Sun Valley is an area some long-term Denver residents have never heard of, but it exists and it's rapidly changing. History Colorado wants to preserve that history.
I love finding pockets of culture in Denver. So, when I learned about Tí: Cafe Ta, a Vietnamese coffee shop on Broadway, I went for the drinks and the history.
