Denver: Some Fun Facts about a Fun City
Denver is among the fastest growing large cities in the Unites States. With such so much to see and do in the Mile High City, that is no surprise. Other cities, such as those found in parts of Texas and the upper Midwest, are quickly growing due to the temporary financial incentives they offer, but people are moving to Denver because they want to enjoy the lifestyle that can be had here and are in it for the long haul – no boom and bust for this old Frontier town. With a semi-arid climate featuring over 300 days of sunshine annually and the largest system of urban parks of any city in the country (200+), those that seek an active outdoor-focused lifestyle find that Denver is a satisfactory place to call home. These outdoor enthusiasts also contribute to Colorado being the state with the lowest percentage of obesity.
It is not just the presence of the parks that makes the city so desirable. There are festivities occurring across the city in the parks throughout the summer – and they are highly attended! From music festivals on a large scale to more family-friendly events like Jazz in the Park at City Park to the saturation of twenty-somethings at Washington Park on any given Sunday, picnic blankets cover huge swaths of grass in the parks all summer long. As for winter sports, the ski resort at Winter Park actually sits on a mountain owned by the City and County of Denver. Other mountain parks owned and operated by Denver offer families the opportunity to get into the high country when the higher mountains are covered in snow. Denver is also not very far from some of the best skiing that the United States has to offer.
Not into the outdoors so much? Denver is an incredibly fun city for the modern urbanite. Recently, the culinary scene has been exploding with new options. Probably due in part to the young and educated crowd that Denver hosts (the Denver metropolitan area has the second highest percentage of college graduates in the country), there has been an increase in restaurants serving only organic and/or farm-to-table dishes. Also on the topic of food, Denver is the birthplace of many well-know fast-casual restaurants such as Chipotle, Quiznos, Smashburger, Noodles & Co. and others. Additionally, Denver is known nationally as a leader in the craft beer industry, always ranking in the top three best cities for beer in the country if not number one. Dozens of microbreweries can be found throughout the city and even now in its suburbs. Wheat Ridge, for example, attracted a microbrewery to its revitalized West 38th Avenue corridor (which was done in part to attract some of the young and hip folks that seem to be populating the metropolitan area in hoards). The burgeoning beer scene might be fairly attributed to the success of Wynkoop Brewery, which was founded by Colorado’s current governor John Hickenlooper and helped reinvigorate the Lower Downtown neighborhood, known commonly as LoDo. LoDo is undoubtedly the center of nightlife in the central Denver area and contains over 70 bars, clubs and restaurants. Larimer Street, a principle LoDo thoroughfare featuring the posh Larimer Square, was named for the founder of Denver and is the oldest street in the city. The entire LoDo neighborhood is recognized regionally as a huge success in historic preservation and urban reinvestment.
If it hasn’t been obvious yet, Denver certainly enjoys its beverages. Fittingly, the first permanent building in the city was a saloon. For such a large and modern city, Western heritage has remained strong in Denver. Each year Denver hosts the National Western Stock Show, the world’s largest stock show by number of animals. It can be argued that Denver is the cultural heart of the inner region of the American West as it is the largest city in a 500-mile radius. This removed location also provides Denver with great economic security given its importance as a hub of government, telecommunications, distribution services and transportation. In regards to transportation, Denver International Airport is physically the largest United States Airport at 53 square miles. This makes it easy for people from all over to visit and see what Colorado and its capital city have to offer.
Denver has much to offer for and seems to be able to satisfy any taste. We at CAP Management certainly take advantage of the fun location with each business day. Our location in the heart of the city on the 16th Street mall ensures that there will always be something to interest us. Our location is also a factor in the amount of fun that we have in the office. While the atmosphere of Denver’s Central Business District is professional, competitive and of a national scale, it also attracts people with various interests from all over and because of that the neighborhood is quite vibrant. CAP Management is located at 910 16th Street – right in the heart of all the fun. Give us a visit if you are interested in how our suite of services may benefit your HOA!