SMILE HIGH CITY
Sam Rkaina finds a lot to like (and a lot of beer) in hip and thriving Denver, Colorado
Denver might not the first place you think of when it comes to holidays in the US, but this appealing city is enjoying something of a renaissance.
Fresh mountain air, a thriving cultural scene and more breweries than you could cover in a dozen pub crawls – the capital of Colorado has plenty to offer.
With an increasingly hip reputation, this year it was placed in the top 10 American destinations by both the Lonely Planet and AAA travel guides.
And after Norwegian launched its first direct flights to the city last month – with prices starting as low as £179 one way – it’s now easier than ever to get there from the UK.
Denver was born out of the gold rush of the 1800s, and you’ll still see the occasional cowboy hat echoing the Old West, but like all great cities Denver looks to the future as well as the past.
It’s called the Mile High City because it’s exactly that height above sea level, but in 2014 that nickname earned new meaning when the city legalised cannabis, perhaps not surprising given the open minded, easy going feel that gives Denver much of its appeal. With a population of 650,000, Denver is small in US terms, but this gives it a whole different feel to the likes of New York. Here’s how to get the best of it. PROPPING UP THE BAR If there’s one thing Denver has become known for in recent years, it’s a thriving brewery scene.
Perhaps that’s not surprising as the first building put up in the city was a saloon! The city brews more beer than anywhere else in the US, with more than 100 brewpubs, breweries and tap rooms in the metro area alone. It also hosts America’s largest beer festival, so if you know your IPA from your pilsner, you’re in for a real treat.
There are countless ways to enjoy the Denver Beer Trail, with organised tours on foot, bus, bike and even tuk-tuk for when you’re too tipsy to take yourself home. KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURHOODS If you want to get the most out of Denver, you’d better get used to
Born out of the gold rush, city has echoes of Old West
acronyms. Denver appears to have taken a tip from New York in coming up with abbreviated names for its trendier neighbourhoods, with LoDo, RiNo, LoHi, NoDo, SoCo and SoBo for starters.
LoDo is Lower Downtown, one of the oldest parts of the city and one of the main spots for nightlife. It includes Union Station – both a train station and home to bars, breakfast cafes and bookshops.
And Larimer Square, Denver’s oldest block, is lined with Victorian buildings housing boutiques, speakeasies and fine restaurants.
RiNo stands for River North Art District and it’s where the hipsters hang out. With impressive street art, great food at Denver Central Market, bars in old shipping containers and galleries on every corner, there’s plenty to keep you busy.
ROCK ON
If you have even the slightest interest in live music, the Red Rocks amphitheatre (redrocksonline.com) is an absolute must.
This 111-year-old venue is built into the stunning surroundings of Red Rocks Park, 10 miles west of Denver.
Around 10,000 music fans enjoy views across the city while nestled among the natural formations.
Everyone from The Beatles to Daft Punk has played here over the years in what is arguably one of the most atmospheric music venues on the planet.
CULTURE VULTURES
Although Red Rocks is definitely worth the trip, you don’t have to travel out of town to enjoy the arts.
Denver Art Museum was founded in 1893 and houses a world class collection across a number of different buildings.
Most striking of these is the 2006 Frederic C Hamilton extension, shaped like a steel ship that has somehow becoming stranded in the city centre.
Friendly staff are particularly proud of their educational programme, and it’s a great place to take kids who might otherwise find art “boring”.
The city is also home to Denver Performing Arts Complex, one of the largest of its kind in the country.
Housed under a striking glass canopy, the site includes 10 performance spaces staging operas, ballet, theatre and symphonies.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SEE?
There’s far more to do in Denver than we can possibly list, but here are a few of the highlights.
Denver Botanic Gardens has 23 acres of themed greenery, complete with an amphitheatre that hosts concerts in the summer.
The 121-year-old Colorado State Capitol building has a dome covered in real gold leaf, with free tours on weekdays.
The Molly Brown House Museum lets you see the home of the Titanic disaster survivor, famously played by Kathy Bates in the 1997 movie.
Denver Convention Center hosts more than 400 events a year from beer festivals to comic conventions, but what you’ll really notice from outside is the massive blue bear holding it up.
The 40ft sculpture I See What You Mean by artist Lawrence Argent was installed in 2005 and has become one of the iconic images of Denver.
GETTING ABOUT
Unlike many American cities, Denver can be negotiated on foot – but if you want to save on shoe leather, there are plenty of other options.
Rather helpfully, there’s a free shuttle bus that runs up and down 16th Street between the Civic Center and Union Station – literally just hop on and off.
Denver was the second metropolis in the world to develop a citywide bicycle scheme, with Denver B-cycle giving access to 85 miles of paved trails.
Much like London’s Boris bikes, you can pick up one of 700 bikes from 88 docking stations spread out across the city for a small fee. E-Tuk Denver (etukride. com) offers a number of city and brewery-led tours in electronic tuktuks, with friendly drivers sharing their infectious enthusiasm for their home state.
WHERE TO STAY
Kimpton Hotel Born Denver (hotelborndenver.com) in LoDo is perfectly placed right next to Union Station.
Recently opened, this contemporary, luxury hotel has all the amenities you would expect plus a few muchappreciated extras.
The hotel restaurant, Citizen Rail, is excellent, you can use bikes for free – and make sure that you don’t miss the free wine hour at 5pm in the lobby.