General Denver Tips

Best park - Note: Denver has blocked off parking at local parks so just be prepared for a
little extra walk
City Park​- Worth walking around around sunset if you’re reflecting on what you learned at the
the museum.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science​ - Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of museums
to choose from. This one just happens to be the most impressive. Includes an exhibit on
geneology, mummies, dinosaurs, space, and plenty else year round. Check out their
special exhibit online.
Denver Zoo​ - Eh, it’s a zoo. Also located in City Park.
The Denver Botanic Gardens​ is also here and worth checking out for anyone who
admires botany.

Honorable mentions
Cheesman Park​ - claimed by the gays, this park is a great option to get away from downtown
without going too far out of town.

Civic Center Park​ - The park in front of the capital. It is also the Capitol of where stoners gather
to smoke on 4/20 at 4:20

Notable Neighborhoods

16th Street -​ Downtown’s central place to shop and grab a bite to eat. It’s the heart of downtown
spanning from Union Station to Civic Center Park.

Larimer Square- ​Right off of 16th Street & Larimer. The place to be if you’re feeling posh.

LoDo- ​ The heart of Denver’s Night Scene. Right across the street from ​Coor’s Field​ and
remains busy at night even if there isn’t a baseball game. Popular places include ​Beta ​(once
dubbed the best nightclub in the US), ​Jackson’s Hole​, and plenty others. Expensive daily,
crowded on weekends.

Colfax -​ The longest street in the US. Also the best bet if you’re looking to find hookers.

Broadway Street-​ Honestly my favorite street in Denver. There are a wide variety of places to
eat, drink, and have a good night.

Auraria Campus, historic district​ home of three colleges. ​Tivoli Brewing Company​ (900 Auraria
Parkway) is the closest brewhouse to downtown without being downtown!
Other notable neighborhoods: ​Globeville​ and ​RiNo ​ are among the newest developing
neighborhoods in Denver. I guarantee there’s a few new breweries and restaurants that have
popped up this season.

Dispensary
LivWell ​- (432 S Broadway, multiple locations) honestly you won’t be able to roll out of bed
without seeing a dispo, especially if you are staying down Evans (known as the “Marijuana
Mile”). However, as for affordability and selection, Livwell is reasonable and reliable. Don’t be
shy to ask what specials they have and how much the after tax price is, oh, and bring cash!

Food
Radha Govinda’s ​- (1400 Cherry Street) - An absolutely delicious vegetarian buffet! This is
where you’d find me nine times out of ten if I’m in the city.

Stanley Marketplace-​ (2501 Dallas St) - This is as close to Aurora as I’ll ever recommend - but
it’s worth a mention! This is an urban food court. - definitely worth looking into for lunch! It’s
somewhat near the Airport, so it may be a great option if you need to kill time before a afternoon
flight.

Cherry Cricket​ - (2641 E 2nd Ave) Although it’s in the heart of Cherry Creek, Denver’s most
expensive neighborhood, this place used to be a biker bar. Now, it’s one of the best places to
grab a burger.

Little Man Ice Cream ​- (2620 16th Street)​ ​ - I honestly haven’t been here, but it’s famous for
having the best ice cream in Denver, if not the entire rocky mountain region. I wouldn’t be
surprised - since it’s such a cold state in the winter the city isn’t crawling with ice cream options.

Snooze (700 Colorado Blvd.)​ - Alright, it’s not local, but it is the quintessential place to grab
AUTHENTIC brunch! Other brunch options include ​Blue Bonnet,​ ​HashTAG​ and ​Syrup​.
Honestly, my favorite brunch places are in Fort Collins, but the cool thing about Denver is that
there seems to be a new brunch spot every season - so feel free to look for the latest trend.

Santiagos​ (multiple locations, but don’t get the ones you see at the gas station! They aren’t as
good) - Santiago’s is a Colorado staple for a simple & delicious breakfast burrito. They are
affordable, simple, and keeps the city running. The fun part about Santiago’s is you never know
how spicy it will be, the only consistency here is inconsistency. I recommend ordering a half &
half santiago’s burrito (half spicy green chile, half mild).

Tacos Rapidos​ (2545 W Alameda) - The best late night bite. I am recommending Alameda
Street in general for mexican food. Down the block you’ll notice a handful of other options that
will be delicious, authentic, and open late. Note: Colorado/New Mexico is especially famous for
their Green Chile.
Coffee
The Bardo ​- (238 S Broadway) - Honestly my favorite coffee shop. It’s cozy, away from
downtown, open till midnight, friendly baristas, fast wifi….I could go on.

Leela Cafe​ - (820 15th Street) - Denver’s 24 hour cafe! Great if you need an espresso at 2am,
or if you want somewhere to chill late at night downtown without loud music and sloppy drunks.

Dazbog Coffee​ (multiple locations) A simple, local cafe. It’s Russian, but instead of
compromising our elections, it’s providing a good latte!

La Belle ​(2423 S University Blvd.) An honorable mention. Great and cozy. Good option if you’re
in South Denver. Also has good restaurant options around the area.

Alcohol
A Note on Breweries​: There are a few breweries to choose from in Denver (Wynkoop, Great
Divide, Etc.). I’m sure they are worth checking out. However, the best breweries are out of town.
Longmont has an entire brewbus that will take you from brewery to brewery (Left Hand and
Oskar Blues are the most notable). Fort Collins has the best brew tour in the state at ​New
Belgium​ (other notable tours in Fort Collins include O’Dell and Budweiser).

Stadium Inn ​-(1701 Evans Ave) - Best Dive in Denver. It has a younger audience thanks to
being next to the University of Denver, and is far more affordable than most other bars in the
Denver Scene.

Malls
Cherry Creek Mall ​- In the heart of the wealthy Cherry Creek neighborhood. For those fancy
shoppers. There’s an Urban Outfitters and whatnot. Most else is gonna snatch your whole
paycheck.

Flatirons Mall​ - actually in Broomfield, but it’s honestly the best place to go if you need retail
therapy.

Hiking
If you’re looking to hike, then you gotta hike on outta Denver! The city is close to nature, but is in
no way a nature place.

Most affordable parking downtown

1331 Speer Blvd - only $1 after 6pm! UNBELIEVABLE DEAL! You must park on the roof of
building, do not park on the first floor of king Soopers.