Showing off our city, we’re told, is one of the benefits of hosting the Democratic National Convention in late August.
Makes sense. We show visiting family and friends what we think makes Denver special, so a once-a-century political gathering deserves a similar overview.
We are a friendly city, with the open spirit of the West, aware of our unique properties and determined to maintain this character and the environment that nurtures our spirit.
I suspect convention planners and area residents have quite different views on what is significant, so here is a sampling of what many of us who live here believe makes the Queen City of the Plains unique and memorable.
Colorado’s 1894 Capitol Building is a good starting place. After all, how many capitols have a dome covered with real gold? That 24-karat luster is a glowing testimony to the pride that miners had from their discovery and the resulting 1859 “Pikes Peak or Bust” gold rush. Pause on the Mile High step and look to the mountains, across Civic Center’s park-like sweep of green lawn and towering trees stretching westward to the City and County Building. This grand and precious public space is the heart of the city, where we gather in times of joy and sorrow; it has been under constant assault in recent years by a minority who seem determined to build something there. No wonder the Civil War cannon in front of the Capitol is aimed, they say, at the Denver mayor’s office.
The 16th Street Mall, with a handsome crosshatch of granite pavers and a tracery of fine trees down the middle, may be the prettiest Main Street in the country. American downtowns have lost much of their appeal, but our inviting mall is a magnet.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is the second-largest performing arts center in the nation, with outstanding productions, though sports facilities may get more attention.
Lower Downtown — LoDo, to the locals — is a lively entertainment venue, with the city’s earliest and most innovative lofts and condominiums, as well as bars, restaurants and galleries. It remains because Denverites had a perceptive awareness of the value of historic preservation four decades ago, and chose to save the area, rather than see it replaced by high-rises. It’s been called the nation’s largest intact collection of Victorian brick commercial buildings.
Our neighborhoods retain their individual character and appeal because of that same respect for historic buildings, an enduring appreciation of architecture and cohesiveness. Ordinances support preservation efforts, and a percentage of the proceeds from Colorado’s three mountain gambling towns go to statewide preservation projects. Denver and Colorado citizens don’t just preach preservation of historic buildings and open space, they vote to protect both, even with a pricetag.
We particularly cherish our trees because the city sprouted on the prairie, where grass reigns and there are no trees. Every tree you see was specially planted and cared for by someone, long ago or today. Street trees in our older neighborhoods have their own history. When Denver Tramway needed to negotiate contracts with the city, Robert Speer, mayor from 1904-12 and 1916-18, wouldn’t even talk to the company until it had planted hundreds of trees along the streets. Then they’d talk.
If you like to see for yourself, a new brochure from Historic Denver and other groups will tell you where to head, whether visitor or Denverite. It’s called “Denver Story Trek,” and it describes the people who shaped the city and the landmarks they left us. Pick up the free brochure at the Denver Visitors Center on the 16th Street Mall at California Street, go online to or call 303-562-2407.
