Denver has long been one of the country's great centers of lesbian and gay
culture. The GLBT community here is highly visible - socially,
professionally, and politically - and gay-friendly restaurants, bars,
hotels, and other businesses are easy to find in a number of prominent
neighborhoods. With several new or expanded high-profile museums, easy
access to skiing and hiking, a sunny climate, and relative affordability
compared with other big urban centers, the Mile High City makes for a
highly appealing vacation destination, whether for a couple of days or a
full week of exploration.
The city's bustling, modern downtown skyline is dominated by soaring
skyscrapers. Here you can wander along 16th Street, a popular pedestrian
mall filled with mostly upscale chain shops. Or explore artsy Larimar
Square, a restored Victorian block of hip boutiques and cafes - be sure
to check out the Market at Larimer Square, a coffeehouse-bakery-deli
where a cool crowd enjoys mocha lattes, hearty breakfast burritos, and
hefty pastrami sandwiches.
Larimar Square marks the edge of dapper LoDo, which began as the city's
shipping and retail center in the late 19th century. As recently as the
1980s, however, the neighborhood had been reduced to slums and abandoned
brick warehouses. LoDo's comeback began when artists started converting
these classic redbrick buildings into galleries and studios. A flood of
restaurants, coffeehouses, and shops followed, as did stately Coors
Field, home to baseball's Colorado Rockies. You can easily spend a few
hours exploring this attractive district, perhaps dropping by the
Tattered Cover, one of the country's most beloved independent
bookstores, which has an outstanding GLBT section. Another retail must
is Rockmount Ranch Wear, a circa-1940s outlet for authentic Western
shirts, belts, hats, and bolo ties - this is the very shop that provided
those down-home sexy shirts worn by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in
Brokeback Mountain.
South of downtown you'll find Capitol Hill, which is anchored on one end
by the gilt-domed State Capitol building. It overlooks a grassy mall
surrounded by the Colorado History Museum and the spectacular Denver Art
Museum, which underwent a dramatic expansion and redesign in 2005. The
Capitol Hill neighborhood, which extends east from the Capitol building,
is where many of the city's GLBT residents live. On sunny days, check
out lovely Cheesman Park and the nearby the Denver Botanic Garden.
If you're keen on shopping, head a few miles southeast of downtown to
the Cherry Creek area, where you'll find numerous opportunities for
browsing and bargain-hunting at upscale Cherry Creek Shopping Center and
Cherry Creek North. These two premier shopping destinations contain a
mix of top chain and independent stores. In the evening, try out one of
the neighborhood's fine restaurants, such as trendy Ocean, a haute
seafood eatery, or North, which serves exceptional modern Italian fare.
Dining is one area where Denver has truly come into its own in recent
years. If you're a serious foodie, sample one of the restaurants run by
Denver's acclaimed expert on innovative Mexican cuisine, Richard
Sandoval. Best bets include Tamayo, near lively Larimer Square, and
trendy Zengo, a boldly decorated space just north of LoDo, where
Sandoval fuses the best of Asian and Latin cuisine, serving everything
from sushi to ceviche. Continue to page
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The Hunk
