The vibes inside the old Lowenstein Theater at Colfax Avenue and Elizabeth Street where the Tattered Cover will open on Monday are warm and friendly, which should come as no surprise. Store owner Joyce Meskis seems to have a knack for finding the charm in adventuresome locations.
Tomorrow, the Tattered Cover will close its doors in Cherry Creek at 6 p.m. for the final time, forced out by rising rents. On Monday, at 8:45 a.m., the ribbon will be cut at the new location just about a mile north, across the street from East High School, up from Greek Town and down from a Maaco auto shop.
Cherry Creek it’s not. There isn’t a fancy steakhouse in sight, nor any $3 million condos. Neiman Marcus? Not. Saks Fifth Avenue? Don’t even ask. What is there is a mixed neighborhood filled with energy. Artists and musicians, construction workers, yuppies in big, turn-of-the-century homes. Area restaurants tend to be small mom-pop places or fast-food chains.
The bookstore complex will include a large Udi’s restaurant, Twist and Shout music store, the Denver Folklore Center and Neighborhood Flix Cinema and Cafe.
Store manager Roy Laird said everyone is excited about the new place. “It has a really good feeling,” he said. “It has so much character.”
Indeed, the thick green carpeting, earthtone colors on the walls, old globe chandeliers all provide appealing warmth. The extra-high ceilings and huge windows give the store a sense of openness.
Paul Frazier, a custodian at East High School, said the neighborhood can barely wait for the opening. “It’s a rejuvenation of the neighborhood. Everyone is so pumped up,” he said.
Constantine Atabaev, owner of the Pizza Express, a block east, says “The people traffic will be better.”
In Cherry Creek, the mood is understandably more sedate. The neighborhood, after all, is where the original store got its start. (The Tattered Cover now has two other locations, in LoDo and Highlands Ranch.) Nicole Kubly, a clerk at Whole Foods in Cherry Creek, “hates” to see the Tattered Cover leave. “They helped make this area successful and now they’re being forced to leave because of their own success,” she said.
But Cherry Creek’s loss is Colfax’s gain. A grand opening for the public is set for July 7-15, with entertainment and local authors. An independent bookstore that has persevered in a chain and online era, the Tattered Cover has been an icon in Denver for decades. We wish it well in the new location.
