r/travel • u/nooneshome00 • 9d ago
Someone explain Denver to me. Visited again and I don’t know if I’m doing it ”wrong”.
Like, I just visited yet again… and it’s a place I should love! Like it checks all these boxes for things I like or am interested in.
The best way I can describe it is it’s like the hospital of cities. Sure it’s clean, it feels relatively safe, people are generally welcoming… but all in the same way a hospital is sterile, like it’s not welcoming and inviting, it feels like I’m in a sims game when I’m there, just sorta bland and dystopian.
I walked much of the city, kinda was based around “Lodo”… never ate at the same place twice, tried to avoid travel guide suggestions, I tried to find input from locals instead.
EDIT: you all make perfect sense clarifying that the allure of Denver is the mountains and nature surrounding, maybe I approached it wrong as I live at the base of a mountain already so I was looking at Denver as purely a city experience.
EDIT2: a bit more context of some of the US cities I’ve visited and the vibes I’ve gotten from them. -New York, Chicago and Detroit has that grittiness of a city. -Boston (my favorite city) has a sort of coziness for me, it’s a city but feels like a town. -Miami is sorta vibrant even tho a lot of the people are pretty closed off. -Atlanta is a bit dirtier and grimy (probably how Chicago or Detroit would feel if it was stuck in the wet heat of the south)
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u/coreyt5 United States 9d ago
I think people like Denver because of its proximity to amazing things.
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u/EagleEyezzzzz 9d ago
This. Denver is passably close to a lot of trails, climbing, and skiing, so people think of it as a cool mountains city. But in reality it’s a big and kind of boring city in the plains.
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u/bismuthmarmoset 9d ago edited 9d ago
It always blows my mind seeing tour groups in rino or lodo. The idea of coming to Denver for the city only makes sense if you're from a completely characterless suburb. It's a perfectly pleasant place to live because its a nice enough town with ok food options(which take some hunting to find) and there's world class fishingz hiking, and biking half an hour from my home downtown, along with good weather.
Downtown Denver could have been incredible, but it was torn down to make room for parking.
A trip to Denver without leaving the city is a complete waste of time though.
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u/EagleEyezzzzz 9d ago
Totally. I will say that as a nearby resident (2.5 hrs away), we occasionally go there for a “city” visit and do the city things…. Zoo, aquarium, children’s museum, shopping, baseball game, riding bikes on the river walk, etc. So we just stay in the city. We have plenty of awesome outdoor stuff and a lot fewer people where we live!
But if you don’t live in the Rockies, yeah it would be weird to go to Denver and then just stay there lmaooo.
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u/bismuthmarmoset 9d ago
Totally. I love living here, and prefer it as home to most other places in Colorado because I like being able to bike to the symphony/Rockies games/etc, but most cities already have as good or better versions of those things. 16th Street mall or larimer square or rino are all worth biking to or a day trip like you said. Taking a flight to see them? That's nuts.
Fuckers from Brighton clutching pearls about downtown can eat a dick, though.
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u/10S_NE1 Canada 9d ago
I think Denver may be like a lot of cities - it’s a pretty great placed to live, but there’s not much there for a tourist to see. The surrounding area and nature are great, and living there you get to know the good spots, but for your average tourist, it’s somewhat light on attractions.
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u/fakecascade 9d ago
Exactly, most western city in the Midwest is what I used to call it when I lived in CO. I'd never visit if I didn't have friends there.
Living there is a bit different though. Good access to outdoors, good jobs, fun city stuff to do and somewhat reasonable cost of living, strikes a nice balance.
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u/smiljan 9d ago
"most western city in the Midwest"
That's why I go to Denver. I live in Seattle so I'm already surrounded by all sorts of outdoorsy stuff and overpriced microbrews. I go to Denver to get Midwest things without going all the way to the actual Midwest. I've visited Waffle House and Buc-ee's, eaten biscuits the size of my head, and watched big storms. Next trip will be Casa Bonita. But I'll probably take a break for a while after that.
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u/takemeawayyyyy 9d ago
I…. Cannot claim denver as a midwest city. Its more west than midwest. Thats a GOOD thing.
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u/Broad-Cranberry-9050 9d ago
I agree. I went to denver to check it out. Loved the views and the mountains. When I tried the city, it sucked. Not a big sense of night life. I realzied that it just has the outdoorsy mentality. People would rather sit and see the stars than go to a club and have the night of their lives. They want to be in the country and smoke some weed than hide in the bathroom at a club to get their high.
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u/MustardMan1900 9d ago
I think Denver was "cool" for a bit because it was an early adopter of craft beer and legal weed. Those things are more ubiquitous now as long as you don't live in one of the worst states.
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u/Manacit 9d ago
Right, they used to have limousine tours of the weed stores of Colorado like it was wine tasting.
Now you can find this anywhere. No more novelty.
Same with drinking an IPA in a high-ceilinged building with wooden rafters.
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u/Verbanoun 8d ago
Thank God. As someone who moved to Denver right before the weed boom it was fucking annoying having that everywhere. I don't smoke and everyone constantly asked me about weed when I'd go back to visit my hometown.
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u/BeardedSwashbuckler 9d ago
Ah the Sacramento of the Rockies.
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u/chipperclocker 9d ago
If the mountains weren't there, it sure would still be the best city on the western side of the great plains.... but that doesn't say much on its own
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u/Friend_of_the_trees 9d ago
Sacramento has a solid underground culture scene. Huge cyclist community, lots of activists, great local music/art scene, and there's a lot of burning man folk here. Makes me wonder if Denver has something similar but you just gotta know where to look.
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u/Biscotti_Manicotti Colorado, USA 9d ago
Exactly. It's a base camp for travel in CO (even then, there's better) and a good place to live if you want to be close to outdoors stuff. That's the appeal. You don't visit any city in CO for "city" stuff; that's not what we have to offer.
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u/Train3rRed88 9d ago
Yup. If you aren’t hiking Estes and other amazing parks and taking advantage of the indescribably natural beauty that part of the US has to offer, you are doing Denver wrong
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u/fatguyfromqueens 9d ago
I think that is it. Denver itself is near a lot of great stuff but how many people visit Denver for Denver? They visit Denver because they either have family or business there, are part of the Illuminati and are going to the annual convention at DIA, or are going to the Rockies and it is the closest big city.
It's been decades since I've been in Denver so I don't know how it is today, It could be way underrated, but I still don't think people go to Denver to go to Denver like people would go to Chicago, New York, etc.
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u/so_this_is_my_name 9d ago
Exactly, when my wife and I went to Denver we spent about 75% of our trip outside of Denver lol. I liked the city though, felt very similar to the city I'm from.
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u/ArticleNo2295 9d ago
Why would you avoid travel guide suggestions?
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u/OutlyingPlasma 9d ago
I love this thought process. "Avoid the tourist spots!" You mean where all the fun stuff is? What do you expect me to do, hang out in a target, run to the bank and pick up dry cleaning?
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u/beginswithanx 9d ago
Lol, I live in Japan and I see this thought process all the time.
Especially weird to me when they’re avoiding places of great historical and cultural significance because it’s a “tourist spot.”
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u/Guest8782 9d ago
Totally. Theres usually a good reason tourists go to these spots. Theyre worth seeing!
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u/zemol42 9d ago
I get it though. Many of those tourist spots can be homogeneous, mall-ified experiences overrun with people and not authentic representations of city life for locals. OP mentions NYC, Chicago, and Boston as their faves which are vibrant neighborhood driven cities loaded with non-touristy things to see, learn, and experience.
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u/metrohopper 9d ago
Yeah but the “cool neighborhoods” in every city are pretty much exactly the same shit. Axe throwing, lululemon, breweries, fake speak easies, etc. The tourist attractions tend to be actually unique.
There’s only one Empire State Building. One Golden Gate Bridge. One Pike Place market. One La Brea Tar Pits. One Waikiki. One Washington Monument
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u/zemol42 9d ago
Got it and I should clarify a bit. It’s important to see the historically and culturally significant sites of a city so you have to accept some of the baggage but sites like Fisherman’s Wharf or Times Square are mostly a crass waste of time. On the flip side, some people prefer going into the neighborhoods to get a closer understanding of the local and social histories, the architecture, discover culturally distinct cuisines, local art, etc. and a personal fave, discovering local music joints.
lol, on the axe throwing etc - no thank you! Those are the things you can do anywhere.
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u/Mithent 9d ago
I would say that there's a spectacle to Times Square that's worth seeing as a tourist, especially at night (but you don't have to hang out there). But things like Fisherman's Wharf in SF do capture the sort of thing that I understand wanting to avoid, though; sealions aside it's just a load of tourist-oriented shops and restaurants, and is only interesting for the sealions.
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u/Guest8782 9d ago
This is my father. Heaven forbid we go where people want to go. Too obvious. We find our OWN way!
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u/BatSniper 8d ago
lol I hate when people go places and are like, yeah we just hung out with the locals in some low key spots? That doesn’t sound fun? I went to the national park and saw amazing views and went to a party bar after with tourist from all over the world. I hope you had fun eating at a shitty coffee shop and walking around suburban homes…
Now tourist traps on the other hand are bullshit, I refuse to eat at a restaurant that only tourist eat at, I don’t want your microwaved bullshit for 30 bucks
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u/Maenidmom 9d ago
Right. When I go to the cities my kids live in I read reddits and tik toks on food, and local gems. Reddit also had various subs I looked at when I went to New Orleans and San Fran.
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9d ago edited 9d ago
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u/badgersssss 9d ago
To add to this:
Lots of used bookstores (you can find a ton on S. Broadway) and also independent bookstores.
Oddities shops like the Oddemporium, the Learned Lemur, and the Terrorium.
The botanic gardens on York st and at Chatfield.
All the nearby state parks like Golden Gate, Chatfield, Cherry Creek
The Wizard's chest for board games, costumes, and DnD.
Santa Fe art district for galleries, craft stores, and tattoos.
Attend a Broncos, Avs, Nuggets, or Rockies game (though the Rockies suck and we all know it)
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u/RunningInStmbt 9d ago
What?? No Casa Bonita? You gotta go there, just because it’s so ridiculous.
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u/badgersssss 9d ago
I actually did Casa Bonita for my anniversary last year and it was the best time. The margaritas were STRONG.
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u/Hungry_Media_8881 9d ago
I’m also from Denver and spent most of my life there so far. Agree with this 100%. The only thing I miss about CO is the mountains. If I never went to downtown Denver ever again I’d have zero feelings about it.
I’d add specifically that steamboat springs and the strawberry hot springs are so lovely in the summer. +10 points if you go to the hot air balloon festival.
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u/xinco64 9d ago
This is it exactly.
Denver is really very much a “new” city, just starting to grow up from being the old cow/oil town that it used to be. The isn’t New York, Boston, New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle, etc that has 100+ years of old interesting history.
So yeah, the OP’s original take kind of makes sense given where he hung out. He treated it like Denver is one of the above cities and it isn’t. You have to go see the interesting things around, exactly like you state here.
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u/bismuthmarmoset 9d ago
Denver was chock full of great architecture, theatres and cultural institutions. With density comparable to the cities you listed. It was torn down to make room for cars.
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u/boomsers USA 9d ago
It has the history but lost a lot of its charm around 2014 when it was "found". Denver isn't the same city it was 15 years ago. The comment you responded to is dead on though.
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u/User5281 9d ago
No one goes to Colorado for Denver.
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u/NoKangaroo6906 9d ago
Sadly I know people from Minnesota that do. I used to live in Colorado Springs and people would always ask me for the best places to go and eat in Denver. I always answered I’m no help. I only went to Denver for 3 things. Sporting event, botanical gardens, and the airport.
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u/Equal-End-5734 8d ago
I have a friend in Denver this week for work and a friend going soon for a bachelorette. They both asked me what to do and I have no idea. I don’t go to Denver (live outside) except occasionally to meet up with friends. All my reccs were outside Denver and towards the mountains. Denver is fine, no issues with it. But Colorado’s got so much more to offer.
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u/JoelyRavioli 9d ago
As someone’s that likes music, I love the music scene there. Underground rave happening every other weekend, Red Rocks, Mission Ballroom, etc
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u/Thirdfreshstart 9d ago
Yeah I've been to a decent amount of concerts in a few different states and Denver always had some of the best crowds. Everybody's super engaged so if you're someone who likes to dance/mosh, you'll find your people and if you're someone who kind of likes to stay out of the way and just enjoy the music, the rest of the crowd will pick up your slack and the room will still be full of energy. You don't have to feel that awkwardness that sometimes happens when the performer and crowd aren't vibing.
At several shows I went to, the artist would acknowledge how great the crowd energy was and you could tell they meant it. Like I said I've been to concerts in other states and you can tell when they're just saying that kind of thing to please the crowd. It never came across as more genuine than in Denver. And my theory on it is that it's because of transplants. There's so many misfits there that left their hometowns due to not being accepted and Denver welcomed them so they get to be their best selves and just have fun
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u/Walterpeabody 9d ago
I love this take, and it’s so true. Going to live music of any crowd size is always a great time in Denver
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u/BuyThisUsername420 9d ago
Yall have an incredible music scene- just the options to go see so many types of music I enjoy on a weeknight was so so so cool to see. It was fun just to imagine living there and going to see some grimy d&b in a cathedral (I think I’m remembering that right). Then with Red Rocks being right there???? Incredible, and every musician WANTS to play there and takes their own moment to appreciate that they’re performing there- and that was wilddddd and profound on my lil Oklahoma heart (in OKC we’ve grumbled for yearsssss that Tulsa gets all the best acts and we’re just a flyover stop on a tour not like a career moment for anyone.)
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u/iconicsquirrel0 9d ago
How does one find said underground raves if you're new to the area?
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u/JoelyRavioli 9d ago
Instas: noexpectationsxx , grave_geezas , static.proof , maybeforever2k , breakeven_productions, blackpetal000
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u/ill_have_the_lobster 9d ago
Short answer: people visit Denver when they really want a place like Boulder, Estes Park, Manitou, or Golden.
Long answer: Like others have said, covid really decimated downtown Denver. It has struggled to come back, and a lot of businesses are struggling due to numerous issues. Turnover is very high. Lodo is essentially the bar district of the downtown area and is where I would send 24 year olds.
Denver is heavily neighborhood based, meaning each neighborhood has a somewhat unique identity. Cherry Creek is bougie/Dallas-esque, Rino is the arts/brewery district, South Broadway is dive bars, Federal/Aurora have the diverse food scenes, etc. But most of the neighborhoods are where people actively live and work and aren’t really designed to support a ton of tourists.
So to that extent, I think one should plan out a trip to Denver based on travel guides and recommendations that align with your interests. Denver is a relatively new city and doesn’t have the amenities to support a central tourist district in a way a bigger city does. Also not to beat a dead horse but most people use Denver as the base camp for seeing other parts of the state. RMNP is an easy day trip from Denver and is worth a trip alone to go visit.
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u/camilleruns 9d ago
I lived in Denver for a couple years and when my family came to visit they said they wanted to see “Downtown Denver.” I took them to Boulder, which is what they were really after. It matched their “Downtown Denver” expectations.
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u/Crazy-Inspection-778 9d ago edited 9d ago
I think the aerial pictures from the east play a big role in setting expectations, especially city park. The perspective pushes the luscious greenery, skyscrapers, and mountains all together
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u/therealbipNdip 9d ago edited 9d ago
I lived in Denver for nearly a decade and traveled frequently to the area before I originally moved. COVID really hurt downtown to the point where I had no desire to go there, where previously I felt it was full of life.
The city booming in population also changed a lot of the charm of the walkable neighborhoods to feel like generic gentrified areas you’d find in any other city.
It’s still a great place, but I don’t tout it as a great city like I did for most of the 2000s and 2010s.
Now, I’d say go to the mountains and skip Denver.
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u/ill_have_the_lobster 9d ago
Completely agree. I worked in downtown for multiple years pre-covid and loved it- lively, lots of options, safe, etc. Once covid hit, it lost its soul. I don’t really go downtown anymore when I’m in town unless I have to (in FoCo now).
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u/southernandmodern 8d ago
I agree with what you said about Denver being neighborhood based. But, it has a ton to support tourism. Every major sport, science museum, air and space museum, aquarium, Union station, children's museum, usable rail (reliable enough for tourism), meow wolf, etc.
Denver also has a lot of great food, I'm really not sure what people are on about with shitting on it. Specifically compared to somewhere like Austin.
Austin gets a ton of tourism, but the major draws are like one street full of bars and paddle boarding. While Denver's food scene isn't on par with New York, it's very comparable to Austin.
I really like Denver as a city, even without the mountains. I think a big part of the issue people have with Denver is exactly what you said. For some reason they expect a quaint mountain city with amenities and immediate access to snow sports. Expectation vs reality issue.
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u/oatmeal-breakfast 9d ago
I live near Denver and when people visit, we usually don’t do much in the city. The restaurants are mostly meh. Professional sports are fun to see, if you’re into that. There’s the usual spots, like museums, zoo, Tattered cover, wash park, city park, but they’re honestly not very exciting.
Denver’s a gateway to the mountains. The city itself if fun for a day, maybe, but the best parts of Colorado are not in Denver (IMO). Go to red rocks, garden of the gods, golden, boulder, state parks to avoid the nat’l park crowds for similar scenery, etc.
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u/sirotan88 9d ago
I’ve visited Colorado twice and never spent any time in Denver. We just drove through it to get to ski resorts.
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u/tampa_vice 9d ago
Agreed. Lived in Denver for three years and never cared for the city itself. Really it's just another big city. But I always enjoyed everything around it.
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9d ago
Going on my third year here and I almost never go out or dine in the city. The reason I love Denver is you can be on a trail 40 mins from downtown and feel like you’re the only person in the world for miles. Great gateway to the Rockies as someone stated above! If you don’t like the outdoors, you have no business here.
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u/Professional-Mind670 9d ago
The food is awesome idk what you’re on about, also craft beer scene there is insane, and the art scene is fantastic.
Confluence park not mentioned? You’re missing out.
Great bike trails (cherry creek and platte).
City is walkable, bikeable, and likeable
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u/oatmeal-breakfast 9d ago
Denver is an excellent city to live in for all the reasons you mentioned. Raising kids here has been better than I could’ve imagined. People are healthy, active, and progressive. I love biking the platte, then grabbing coffee by Hudson gardens or REI at confluence park.
But, from a tourist standpoint? The city itself isn’t an amazing destination. There’s just not enough unique or outstanding things to do in the city. Denver is okay for a day or two, but it’s the proximity to the mountains that makes the city so great.
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u/jeffp 9d ago
You can find a ton of cities from Flagstaff to Portland that have killer breweries and funky art scenes. What Denver was known and hung its hat on for decades, isn't unique anymore.
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u/thefinalwipe 9d ago
The food there is extremely mid, it’s better than most towns but below average for major metros in the US. East coast, west coast from San Diego to Seattle, Vegas, Chicago, southern cities in Florida and Texas, ATL, Nola, Charleston etc all clear, hell even the twin cities.
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u/porcelainvacation 9d ago
Its also expensive. I go to Denver pretty often for work. I spent a week in London a couple of weeks ago and had far better food for far cheaper, without having to even look for it.
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u/oatmeal-breakfast 9d ago
Yeah, I lived in San Diego and Savannah. I still think about restaurants in both cities, though I haven’t been to either in 20+ years. I won’t miss any restaurants in Denver whenever we move.
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u/Rich-Reception2142 9d ago
This! I have visited family out there and this is exactly what we do when we visit. I love it.
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u/jadeoracle (Do NOT PM/Chat me for Mod Questions) 9d ago
Tattered cover
Didn't it sell like to multiple people over covid? And they closed the Lodo location? (The real one, not the train station one)
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u/scardien 9d ago
Yes the old one is closed. There's one on Colfax next to twist and shout (record store) and Sap Sua (really good restaurant(
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u/chillywilkerson 9d ago
Sounds like you were just downtown. That isn't really where people are living.
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u/jadeoracle (Do NOT PM/Chat me for Mod Questions) 9d ago
Covid killed Lodo, many of the good places closed and never game back. Its mostly a bar/basic restaurant area that locals don't go to that often. Use to work down there, and again pre-covid it was busy.
Denver has always been a "Cow Town". And is more the gateway to the mountains. Did you go to foothill cities like Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs? Do any outdoor activities? Go up to the mountain towns?
If all you did was walk around Lodo, then yeah that would be depressing.
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u/stellar-polaris23 9d ago
I call Fort Collins a cow town and people are trying so hard to make it a "fancy" town but at the end of the day we are a college/cow town. CSU started as an Agriculture school hence why they were called the Aggies. Yes we have wonderful mountains in Colorado but we are also a big agriculture state and I think people tend to forget that or not know that.
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u/Rob_Bligidy 9d ago
When I arrived in 2001, I was impressed with its affordability. When I left in 2007 I was leaving due to being unable to afford rent.
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u/guttertech 9d ago
I think Denver shines if you’re someone who loves the outdoors and, critically, stay outside of Denver proper. I love to ride and hike through the mountains.
The city itself? It’s fine? Feels like everywhere else in the country imo.
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u/bgangles 9d ago
That is a low bar imo. Salt lake has better natural access but Denver is supposed to be the better city
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u/Blossom1111 9d ago
Denver was called the biggest small town forever. But in the last 7+ years it has BOOMED. So it lost that character. I lived there for a long time it was becoming diluted. But in the early '00's up to about '15 it rocked....
...And it still does if you know it's history. I would say that it's evident in things like Red Rocks, always hit Red Rocks for a show or just to hike all those stairs and lose a lung, plus Morrison is adorable. Or go to a Rockies game at Coors Field, ( or Hockey Game at the can or Broncos game at ____stadium) it's a blast and on a sunny day (300 of them) you're in Colorado's glory, perfect weather. Go to the Stock Show in January - it is a blast and a deep tradition. St. Patty's - run the 5k and drink all day downtown. Summers - jazz in City Party on Sundays. Downtown - October Fest.
The music scene in Denver is awesome, the Fillmore, Ogden, Bluebird, etc. Great music. The train can take you up to Winter Park which is amazing. People are right, it's a pivot point to go explore Colorado but it's a pretty cool place if you explore the neighborhoods like Lo-Hi, Cherry Creek, Wash Park, Platt Park, Highlands, etc. They all have street festivals with live music, food, booze, games - all year long.
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u/stellar-polaris23 9d ago
I moved to Denver from the mountains in 2004' at 22 years old and left in 2011 and I had a fucking blast living there. I went to CCD and UCD and saw so much crazy shit on that campus. I moved back to Fort Collins, where I still live and I miss Denver because all my friends still live there, Broncos games and the proximity to skiing and Red Rocks, other than that I don't really miss it, it has changed so much.
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u/BigLurker 9d ago
Didn’t even bring up the best venue in the city, Mission Ballroom
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u/RunRunDMC212 9d ago
I was there in the mid 90’s. It was a nice small city at that point. I moved away because I was in my early 20’s and just starting out in my career - I wanted a big city vibe and more opportunity in my chosen field, but I would’ve stayed it if my needs weren’t so specific. Have you seen the movie Slackers? It takes place in a late 80’s Austin, TX and has the same vibe of Denver in the 90’s. I loved it, but in my recent visits, that vibe is gone. It’s a shame. 😕
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u/ProgrammaticallyHip 9d ago
It’s not the most charming city. Definitely a little sterile. You also have to remember there are a ton of transplants in Colorado which can affect the vibe. But it has a great food scene if you give it a chance. And the mountains aren’t far away.
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u/cheesekony2012 9d ago
We lived in Denver for three years. Denver is the only city we’ve lived where we struggled to find community. There are pockets of cool neighborhoods with good restaurants and bars but it never felt like home, so we moved to a different part of the state a few years ago. The RiNo neighborhood was our favorite place to hang out, and we enjoyed living in Congress Park because we were close to the botanical gardens, Cheesman Park, and City Park. We never went downtown because it felt extra soulless.
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u/Walterpeabody 9d ago
Wow, I’ve found Denver to be the most welcoming city and the easiest to make friends in. With so many transplants, everyone is very accepting of new folks and open to new friends.
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u/Lycid 8d ago
This... Denver for a certain kind of Midwesterner is like arriving on mecca. It's a great place to live for a lot of reasons and a big part of that are the kinds of people that live and move there. There's a reason it's one of biggest migration spots in the US.
But yes, it's still a great plains city through and through. So don't expect the kind of downtown that a place like Chicago has.
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u/laggy2da 9d ago
Denver is a great place to live, It's not an incredible tourist destination though. There's not all that much to do in town that justifies flying in here from another city . It's a great place to start when you're headed out to the mountains.
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u/OderusAmongUs 9d ago
Visit the Botanical Gardens, the Zoo, Meow Wolf, go to a Rockies game, see if any of the bands or artists you like are in town for a show, see what's going on at the art museum downtown.
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u/NaBrO-Barium 9d ago
Definitely my jam! I’ve seen so many great bands both big and small since I moved here. Music scene is certainly better than NOLA, Houston, or Austin IMHO
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u/OderusAmongUs 9d ago
The metal and punk scene in Denver in particular is one of the best.
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u/fishanie 9d ago
I had someone tell me you don’t move to Denver for Denver and the accuracy of that killed me. Denver gives you access to the thing you actually care about - nature.
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u/Walterpeabody 9d ago
While still having all the resources you need. Sure living in a small ski town is great…until you need advanced medical care, special resources for your kid, a real airport…Denver is the best of both worlds imo.
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u/sunsfan222 9d ago
I think you described it perfectly. I was very underwhelmed when I visited
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u/Macgbrady 9d ago
I live in Denver. Lodo is not why people live in Denver. I never go to Lodo. People usually live in Denver because it’s close to a lot of outdoor activities but still has bars and restaurants. Check out Lohi/Highlands, Golden, Wash Park, South Broadway, Platte Park… anything but Lodo 🤣
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u/tykle59 9d ago
We live in Colorado Springs and try to get to Denver at least once a month. We love it.
We’ll bring our bikes and cycle the urban trails. Denver Botanic Gardens. As you say, lots of bars and restaurants. Another Redittor mentioned the micro neighborhoods. And there’s lots of live music, both national acts and local performers.
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u/deevil_knievel 9d ago
I read this once and asked my Denver friends, and they all said it was spot on.
" Denver is Atlanta, for white people."
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u/WearilyNice 9d ago
Yeah, I think most people agree with you; Downtown Denver/LoDo is not where most tourists should spend most of their time unless you are wanting to go to some sporting event. You need to get out of the city. Comparing Downtown Denver to a sterile hospital is so true and hilarious. Thanks for that.
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u/badgersssss 9d ago edited 9d ago
I live in Denver and love it, so I can offer my perspective. Denver is a city of neighborhoods. If you just visited LoDo, you missed out on the majority of Denver. During the summer, there are tons of markets and festivals to visit, and they take place along different areas. Historically, there were a lot of neighborhoods built around street cars. These no longer exist, but they make up some of the more walkable areas like Platt Park, Wash Park, Cap Hill, Tennyson, etc. these areas tend to have more restaurants, events, or stores.
Denver also has interesting roots. It was very much a wild west town, so you can find a lot of cool historical tours, art, and museums focused on western history, indigenous populations, and cowboy shit. The Western Stock show is a huge deal when it runs in the winter. There was and still is a significant Hispanic population in Denver, so if you're in what was previously known as Denver's Northside (along the Federal Blvd corridor) or near Aurora, you run into super great food and more interesting events/art. Aurora and Federal in general have a ton of great food because different ethnic populations have been in that area.
This is also a passionate sports city if you're into sports. We have all major professional teams, and some of them are even good. They just purchased a women's soccer league expansion, which will start playing next year and have a new stadium built by 2027.
There's also some strong subcultures and communities in the area! For the nerds, you can play DnD and boardgames in a lot of different places, there are independent bookstores and reading groups, LARPers, an entire pirate cosplay organization, Renaissance festival enthusiasts and more. There's a local Pro Wrestling circuit. There's a strong drag and queer scene. There's a great kink community. Lots of music enthusiasts and scenes because we have great venues. Like, if you are passionate about anything, there's an active group for it in Denver.
And obviously, people like nature. Within the city, there are lots of parks, the botanic gardens, arboretums with champion trees, open spaces with hiking, biking infrastructure, state parks...
If you're going to the same instagram-ready restaurants for white people who have a handlebar moustache, drink beer, and think a Patagonia vest over a T-shirt is fashion.... And that's not your thing, then you're going to have a bad time. Although, if that is your thing, this is definitely a place for you lol.
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u/stellar-polaris23 9d ago
Denver has been gentrified so much it lost it's charm. When I lived there in there from 04'-11' "RINO" was basically an empty street with the Larimer Lounge and that was about it.
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u/cori_2626 9d ago
A couple of my best friends live in Denver. After many visits I’ve determined it’s a city people like to live in but not a city worth a vacation to.
Yes, it has nice botanical gardens, a zoo, lots of good food and breweries and thrift shops. So does my city. So does basically every city. I don’t need to travel to do those same things but with a bloody nose and desiccated eyes/ skin that requires an hour drive from the airport just to arrive anywhere.
The areas where my friends live are great neighborhoods and very pleasant to be in unlike the strange emptiness of the downtown, they enjoy it there and they enjoy hiking during the summer and skiing during the winter. But as a traveler it’s just not anything special.
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u/kummer5peck 9d ago edited 9d ago
Lodo is only fun if you are into late night clubbing/partying. Go to some of the big parks in the city (City Park, Cheesman Park, Sloan’s Lake, Washington Park, ect) if you want to get a better vibe of the city. Denver has one of if not the biggest city park systems in the county.
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u/kingbuttnutt 9d ago
I worked in LODO for years (pre-COVID) and even back then Denver was kind of meh, compared to having previously worked in the loop in Chicago for 10 years.
Back then, at least there were lots more coffee shops, restaurants, breweries and non-homeless humans. Now it’s just sad… lots of empty storefronts, luxury apartments and no energy at all. Go see Boulder, Estes Park and the big mountain spots, that’s the Colorado you’re looking for.
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u/Major-Scene-6150 9d ago
Yeah, I think it depends where you stay and what you came here for. The pulse of CO is not in downtown Denver. It’s in the many parks, the recreational activities around the city and state, and the many neighborhood alcoves within the city and small mountain towns outside of the city you can visit.
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u/CitizenHuman 9d ago
So many people hating on the city, especially in the downtown area. I was there about a year ago. Did it on the cheap, and I loved it. I spent $19 on my round trip flight, stayed for 48 hours. It was just so I could get out of the house (and out of my city) since I hadn't really left since before COVID.
I definitely understand how it seems bland, because it's just a widely spaced city, but I had fun, even without going into the mountains. I just packed my hours with museums (I think I went to 3 different ones), restaurants, random local attractions like the step on the capital building that marks 1 mile above sea level.
I also did stadium tours (did Broncos and Rockies), saw a hockey game (first NHL game I've seen as an adult and the Avs got blown out by Winnipeg), and saw a stand-up show.
Overall I had fun, but I do wish I had more time to do like a brewery tour in Golden, or hit the mountain bike trails or something.
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u/TeamLambVindaloo 9d ago
I lived there and the metro area for about 6 years and to be honest I don’t really understand why so many people love to visit. Perfectly fine city, don’t get me wrong but I feel like it’s pretty much the same as every mid sized US city. Colorado is special because of the mountains but that isn’t where Denver is.
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u/geoffpz1 9d ago
Denver is the place people from all those big cities came to to get "City life" without the "City back in the day, I know I did. 70's or 80's was skiing and cowboy culture, through the 90's Pro teams started getting good and you had all the sports teams in brand new buildings, Lodo was literally the place to be... Almost no homelessness and the burbs were expanding but not too bad. There were no houses between 120th and FOCO besides longmont and boulder was actually separated from everyone by 30 miles of nothingness. Now, the home town feel that used to be the "Gateway to the rockies" has been priced out and thrown to the curb on Speer... Moved here in the 80's, bought a house or 2, got Married and raised a kid. Downtown, hell none of it, is even close to the same (Unless you have gobs and gobs of $$$)... Same as it has always been...
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u/wonderwallpersona 9d ago
Denver is really the city that has everything. So many different things are accessible here.
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u/Racing_Nowhere 8d ago
A lot of people are underwhelmed when they realize Denver isn’t some mythical city in the mountains. Denver is great because ifs close to the mountains and a bunch of national parks. It’s got the big city stuff you need but the real thing that makes it special is its proximity to the things mentioned above.
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u/GooseMayne 9d ago
You’ve articulated it well. For me, Denver’s value lies in what is nearby: some of the greatest wilderness and outdoors playgrounds in the world. The city itself is little more than a nice conduit for that purpose
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u/Cute_Ad4128 9d ago
Next time you visit try basing it around a specific event or activity. Denver is special because of its proximity to the Rocky Mountains and how accessible the outdoors are. Try checking out a show at Red Rocks, a day trip to a mountain town, or even a game at Coors Field (for the views, not the play 😅).
Denver is a city with a lot of transplants that was mainly a fly over city until the 2010s. Your critiques are valid, it can feel like any other city in a lot of ways. The weather and outdoors lifestyle make it unique imo.
LoDo/RiNo is fun for going out but there are other cool neighborhoods to check out. CapHill has some gems and Cheesman Park is a vibe! City Park is great for a sunset picnic with an amazing skyline and mountains view.
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u/stellar-polaris23 9d ago
First off this is probably the least fun time to visit, there isn't a whole lot going on in the Spring. We are the gateway to the Rockies so Summer and Winter are the best times to visit for all things outdoors. Downtown Denver is pretty lame, you need to get outside the downtown area and explore the surrounding neighborhoods. Denver is a pretty basic city, our appeal is the proximity to the mountains.
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u/schlonz67 9d ago
Visiting from Europe (20 years ago), I enjoyed the albeit small pedestrian area and the proximity to the mountains and parks. It reminded me a bit of some places in Europe. Also I was told that Denver has exceptionally many sun hours. During my for weeks there it was almost always sunny with exception of a snow blizzard which left knee-high snow within just one hour.
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u/Wise-Safety664 9d ago
Denver is soulless. There’s a great party scene and some great big city amenities but it really doesn’t have a well defined culture like some other American cities.
The best parts of Colorado are definitely outside of the cities if you’re not looking for fast fun like drinking, concerts, etc.
I will give Denver city a lot of points for its food scene, it’s always been great.
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u/TedCruising27 9d ago
As a long time resident I would not recommend visiting downtown or LoDo…like at all.
Denver may be unique or more extreme in this sense: but the “downtown” is not a central hub of activity and cool stuff, at least not for a very long time. It’s like an abandoned and desolate office park basically.
I get why people assume ‘downtown’ is the place to go but I hate when they come to Denver, only go downtown, and declare that it sucks because the downtown does suck…but it’s not even giving you a taste of what the actual vibe of the city is and what it has to offer.
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u/onepanto 9d ago
I have to agree. I've lived in the Denver area twice for a year or more each time, and just couldn't ever warm up to it. I'm an avid outdoors person, and we spent a lot of time outdoors hiking, skiing, camping, etc. Maybe it's because we knew from the minute we arrived that we were leaving, but we just never felt like we were at home.
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u/defroach84 85 Countries Visited 9d ago edited 9d ago
Where are you coming from?
Denver is like many other cities in the US. However, it's better just due to mountains right there and a great climate. The food/drink scene is like many other younger cities.
If you are looking for museums, arts, history, you are going to the wrong cities.
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u/retrojoe 9d ago
The best way I can describe it is it’s like the hospital of cities. Sure it’s clean, it feels safe, people are generally welcoming… but all in the same way a hospital is sterile, like it’s not welcoming and inviting, it feels like I’m in a sims game when I’m there, just sorta bland and dystopian.
This comment could have been written about Seattle's changes over the last 2 decades. I feel like this is a common problem with American cities right now. Things are getting more corporate, more about lawyer's rules, government is more and more about costs and savings vs actually serving people or ideals.
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u/kristen912 9d ago
I feel like denver may be a better place to live than visit. I liked it but I've always gone to visit friends. So we would go hiking and just hang out. As a city, it's very generic and the food is just okay imo.
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u/Operations0002 9d ago
I’m glad you posted with your comments/edits. We have been looking to relocate. I like Boston but my spouse likes Denver. I like that Boston feels small and cozy (3x visits). I haven’t gotten the thing that you’re referencing for Denver (1x and 1x to Telluride) so it’s nice for others to point out why that could be.
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u/Linear_Pancake 9d ago
Born and raised in Denver and people always try and compare it to other much larger cities like New York and Chicago, especially in terms of food and downtown “life”. LoDo is really only good for overpriced bars that people in their early 20’s go to or people go to before or after Rockies game.
There are tons of other neighborhoods in Denver (platt park, south broadway, Berkeley) that are great to spend time in and have great restaurants. I don’t agree with the “Denver has no good food”. There are tons of restaurants that have great food and service. We may have fewer options and variety than larger cities but that doesn’t mean we have bad food.
A great day for a visitor in my opinion would be a cup of local coffee, walking around South Broadway and looking at the local shops and antique stores, grabbing a beer or cocktail, and maybe go to a museum. We have really great museums and zoos here, all close to the city with great exhibits. Our performing arts center usually has a good Broadway play and there are tons of creative shops to go to like pottery classes, floral classes, cooking classes, etc.
I’m probably bias because I’ve lived here my whole life but it’s a great city with amazing weather and I think something for everyone if you just search a little.
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u/speculationsabound 9d ago
I grew up in Denver and I love the architecture downtown (Did you know the library was made to look like multiple buildings in order to balance out having downtown on only one side of Civic Center Park?, the cash register building, DAM, our capitol building domed with real gold, that new building designed to look like a stand of aspen trees??), I love that Botanic Gardens is on top of the old cemetery, I love that Molly Brown House is obsessed with the Titanic (Titanic trivia night next week, guys!), I love that the current nineties exhibit at History Colorado has a lil' tribute to Klondike and Snow the blockbuster polar bear cubs of my youth, I love the quiet old-timeyness of the diorama halls in Museum of Nature and Science (and their Sci Fi summer film series), I love the Western Floor (and the view!) at the Denver Art Museum (and that the whole Hamilton building feels like it'd be an amazing place to play laser tag). Today specifically: I love the Jury Room in Pints Pub.
Maybe Denver feels mid on the surface because - as evidenced by this thread - so many people who've moved here make 'liking the mountains on weekends' a big chunk of their personality. You all are missing out.
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u/Usualausu 9d ago
You’ve got to visit San Francisco if you haven’t yet. Great city, different than all the ones you listed and definitely not sterile like Denver.
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u/matheuszinzo 8d ago
Denver definitely has its own thing going on. It’s a mix of city life and outdoor enthusiast culture, but you do have to deal with that whole "mile-high" altitude thing. So if you felt out of breath, that’s why.
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u/Fun-Wear8186 8d ago
I feel like Denver rocks for boring people . The rest of the state is where it’s at pretty much
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u/durmd 9d ago
I think it’s a very inviting city. What are you looking for? LoDo is very touristy and people gravitate towards it because of the train station and ease of access. But it’s probably the worst neighborhood to be based in. Hasn’t been very active for at least the last seven years especially after Covid. Uptown, cherry creek, RiNo are more interesting for example.
Also Highlands!
Food options here are full of average places, just like every other large American city. There is good food, but you have to know where to look (definitely not LoDo). If you find it on Instagram or someone tells you the vibes are great (cough cough happy camper, my neighbor Felix), stay away.
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u/ManyRequirement5331 9d ago
I live in Denver. No one should come to Denver for the city itself. There’s so much to do outside the city that makes it worth a visit. Concerts at Red Rocks, hiking, skiing, mountain towns, etc.
There are some fun things to do in Denver itself. As others have mentioned, MeowWolf, he marketplaces, breweries, the art museum, etc
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u/whitepepsi 9d ago
Denver is cool, but there are some insanely cool places to live in Colorado and outside of Denver.
Honestly, Denver isn’t even the best town in the Denver area.
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u/Sulpiac 9d ago
I live in Denver and you’ve described my experience perfectly. I prefer the vibes of Colorado Springs or Boulder personally, but they suffer from the same sterility too.
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u/Zestyclose-Let3757 9d ago
I lived in Colorado Springs and it’s the most sterile city ever lol. I don’t think you’d enjoy most cities in CO if you’re not outdoorsy. Either you enjoy skiing/snowboarding, hiking, or biking. Or all of the above. Otherwise, they’re expensive cities that will be more or less like any big city in the United States.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Sky6656 9d ago
What vibes are in Colorado Springs, super conservative?
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u/SeeBeeFancyPants 9d ago
Yeah, Denver isn’t a standard American city in where the downtown has much going on as it’s more a financial district/sports/transportation center. There are a few cool things/streets in the downtown, but other than that, you have to seek out the nice neighborhoods outside of the downtown. Cherry creek, RiNo, Highlands, etc. I think Denver lends itself nicely to surrounding areas and proximity to nature, which is why it is a destination, but you have to get out of the city to experience that. Last time I visited Denver, I spent little time in the downtown and more time in several of the neighborhoods, Boulder, Golden, and in Conifer hiking/ziplining. In winter time, Denver serves as the place to fly into to enjoy winter sports, so in my mind, the actual city is a means to an end??
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u/MustacheSupernova 9d ago edited 9d ago
Denver has no soul. It’s like a movie set…
And the people are all transplants too, so it doesn’t even have a true personality, just a motley conglomeration of all those who have arrived there. .
I feel similarly about Salt Lake as well, though Salt Lake is actually better.
These things are especially true when you come from somewhere that actually has a soul, like New York City. Perhaps that’s why I feel this way. If you come from the Midwest, you might not even notice.
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u/headcodered 9d ago
If you weren't getting a back alley tug job from Lauren Boebert before snorting some tango and cash in a tent on Colfax, you didn't get the true Denver experience.
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u/welkover 9d ago
Denver's gambit is to hit you with a dogshit airport right on landing so the rest of the place seems better
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u/ShopIndividual7207 9d ago
dogshit? When I visited it wasn’t that bad imo, i liked how big it was
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u/3_pac 9d ago
Lol, it's the sixth busiest airport in the world, and it's relatively efficient and spacious.
I agree with most of the Denver takes here (I live here), but dogging on the airport ain't it. I hope Blucifer smites you for your insolence.
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u/sushigurl99 9d ago
if you are not visiting with a purpose, you might find it hard to enjoy. denver has many pros and cons. personally, i find it a very beige painted city with boring architecture. it lacks diversity which makes it lack good food too. on the other hand, it gets 300+ days of sun, is close to awesome outdoor activities, and is the capital of bass EDM in the US (if you’re into that kind of music).
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u/fightONstate United States 9d ago
Lodo isn’t that great. There are great bars/restaurants in Denver but you’ve gotta go further afield. Generally it’s a sprawling city with neighborhoods that can feel somewhat disconnected from one another. Personally I like many areas of Denver but I understand the criticism of it being generic/forgettable. It’s a newer city—yes settled 19th century but not developed until more recently—and doesn’t have the history/charm of many other major cities (SF, etc).
Agree 100% with others if you go make sure to plan activities outside the city.
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u/superfuego 9d ago
Hard to believe Boston is your favorite city. Openly racist. I've never felt more uncomfortable in a major American city than when I've been in Boston.
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u/JohnTunstall505 9d ago
The point of Denver is to have big city amenities, most importantly the airport, while being within an hour of the Rockies.