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The futuristic Hamilton Wing of the Denver Art Museum,
a redesigned Skyline Park, expanded Colorado Convention
Center, and stunning Hyatt Convention Center Hotel
have recently joined the already impressive array
of downtown attractions.
Still to come are a Four Seasons Hotel, Ritz-Carlton,
and upscale residences in the former Security Life
Building. Meanwhile, epicurean delights abound at
dozens of area restaurants.
World-class theatrical productions and symphonies
play year-round at the renowned Denver Center for
the Performing Arts, home of the sparkling new Ellie
Caulkins Opera House, Buell Theater, Boettcher Concert
Hall, and Denver Center Theater Company. Nearby,
the historic Art Deco Paramount Theater with its
pearly facade of glazed terra cotta hosts a diverse
assortment of national acts.
Another pleasant surprise is the area's wealth of
parks, trails, tree-shaded plazas, and other quiet
enclaves. The lively 16th Street Mall - Downtown's "Main
Street" - provides free shuttle service from
Civic Center Park to Skyline Park, Commons Park,
the Platte River Greenway, and Union Station, future
home of the Intermodal regional-transportation hub.
Three stunning pedestrian bridges, including the
landmark cable-stayed Millennium Bridge, allow downtowners
to stroll across the Central Platte Valley to “Denver’s
Left Bank” - home to Paris on the Platte (one of
Denver’s oldest coffeehouses), My Brother’s Bar,
Corks (a wine boutique), REI, and other quaint shops
and bistros - and up to Highland, west of I-25.
Shopping and upscale restaurants abound along the
Mall anchored by the newly renovated Tabor Center
shops and restaurants (including an ESPN Zone), located
next to the historic D&F Tower. |
Denver Pavilions hosts a plethora of trendy
shops and eateries, Barnes and Noble, and a fifteen-screen
United Artists Multiplex featuring stadium seating.
In addition to a Virgin Megastore, Maggiano's Little
Italy, Corner Bakery, Hard Rock Cafe, and Nike
Superstore, look for outdoor concerts and festivals
throughout the year.
Mini-districts such as Larimer Square, Writer's
Square, and Sakura Square, offer distinctly different
takes on the urban experience. At Sakura Square,
heart of Denver's Japanese community and site of
the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, you'll find
the Denver Buddhist Temple; Pacific Mercantile,
purveyors of authentic Japanese foods, china, and
sundries; authentic Japanese restaurants; and a
Japanese-language bookstore.
The brilliant kaleidoscope of diversions transforms
daily life Downtown into an unending celebration. |
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