10 Surprising Things to Learn About Denver
Sometimes I’m really surprised by the misconceptions connected to the city of Denver. I’m also struck by the fact that once people believe something about any city-it’s really hard to get them to believe that they’re wrong LOL! I thought I would share 10 surprising things to learn about Denver. Stuff that you would never know if someone didn’t tell you.
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Book a Tour
I often say that you “Visit Philly and Experience Denver” I’ve even recorded a podcast episode about how Denver is a great city to experience vs. randomly roam around. I also think it’s important to combine a tour to the mountains, walking tour or other natural experience while you’re in town. The vast majority of Denverites combine outdoor experiences in their day to day life. But, if you’ve never driven in the mountains before or dealt with snow-booking a tour is a much better way to enjoy those experiences. I’ve included a few Denver tours as well as mountain focused tours below.
Where to Stay
There are a large number of well-situated hotels throughout the city of Denver. I’ve shared some of my favorites below.
Denver is a High Altitude Location
It is no coincidence that Denver is called the “Mile High City” it sits at an elevation 5,280 feet above sea level. There’s a reason why we have a 5280 Magazine, we taunt other sports teams who are in town about the altitude and you see Denverites un-ironically carrying water bottles everywhere that they go.
Denverites will also enthusiastically caution you against exercising or doing any strenuous activities the first couple of days that you’re here. Share the good news that one drink will feel like two if you’re heading out for a drink and to pay attention to your body. Do you have a headache, nausea or feel dizzy? You may be exhibiting signs of Altitude Sickness. This is not medical advice, speak to your doctor before going to any high altitude location if you have concerns about your or someone else’s health.
The Sushi is Really Good
For a landlocked state located just to the left of the middle of the United States, the sushi is really good. You may be wondering-how is that possible. Denver isn’t close to an ocean. Sushi relies on the highest level of freshness, sourcing and quality. In the past year there has been a lot of reporting about why Denver’s seafood is good. And there are two specific reasons why.
The first is that there is a family that runs a number of Japanese restaurants in town. Including what is arguably the best sushi restaurant in the state of Colorado. This family is originally from Japan and in order to source their restaurants many years ago-they worked directly with markets in Japan to deliver fish to their restaurants.
The other very clear reason why Denver has consistently good fish quality is Denver International Airport. It is served by direct flights from the West and East Coasts and weekly direct flights to Tokyo.
Denver’s Local Coffee Scene Is Incredible
If you’re someone who loves sitting a nice coffee shop, eating something yummy, people watching or getting some work done, you’ll love Denver’s coffee scene. Denver has an incredible number of independently run, local shops that use local roasters for sourcing their beans. If you’re looking for:
- Great quality beans
- Multicultural shops
- Women owned shops
- Baristas with coffee knowledge
- Shops with internet
- Shops without internet
- Coffee shops with patios (this is standard)
- Aesthetically beautiful shops
Then Denver is a must visit for coffee shop aficionados. There’s a reason why you’ll find me working from one of the many shops located around town. It’s cheaper than working from a co-working space, fun, friendly and very welcoming.
Pastry Shops in Denver are Phenomenal
This is a phenomena that accelerated after the COVID pandemic. For a place where people are wildly focused on fitness, don’t necessarily seem to eat a lot of carbs or gluten or butter. Denver’s pastry shops are incredible and there are a wide variety ranging from Japanese, French, hybrid and the list goes on. I used to live in Paris which has set my standard for pastry quality. Denver is competitive with Paris and other cities known for great pastries. This is a wild assertion given that we have to deal with high altitude baking in the state of Colorado.
The Weather is (Consistently) Pretty Nice
Coloradans are low-key a little shady because we’re committed to letting people believe that the weather is bad here. I’ve literally seen people lie on social media about the weather. Or, maybe someone visited one time and it just happened to be during one of our once a year arctic blasts (that’s when I’m writing this post). I’ve actually recorded a podcast episode about our weather (listen to it here). There’s a reason why we have so many patios!
Ranked #2 in the US for Women Owned Businesses
Women are a core part of the Denver economy and is ranked #2 in the United States for women owned businesses. If you’re looking to support small, locally owned businesses while you’re in town or if you live here-it’s pretty easy to do. Maybe you’re thinking about starting a business. There are a number of fantastic resources available to help entrepreneurs thrive with their work.
One of the Best EDM scenes in the United States
The last EDM (Electronic Dance Music) festival I went to was Decadence. I do want to disclose that I actually worked the event and then had the opportunity to attend for free. It was amazing. I’m still pulling sprouts out of my hair. But, in all seriousness, Denver has a ridiculously vibrant EDM scene. It’s absolutely worth flying into town for one of the many festivals, sets, etc. happening throughout the year.
You Can Take the Bus to the Mountains
One of the major changes to transportation in the past 10 years was the introduction of Bustang. It is a transit system that services towns across the state of Colorado. It is so popular that they are having to increase service to meet the needs of the riders. The buses are clean, almost always quiet, there’s a bathroom and wifi (sometimes it doesn’t work) I absolutely love taking the Bustang around the state because I have started to really dislike driving certain routes. Yep, I’m talking about I-70 and I-25.
If you’re looking to visit popular mountain towns, one of your favorite ski resorts or take a quick day trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park-a Bustang can likely take you there.
Incredible Art and Theater Scene
Denver is known as a sports city, it should also be known for its incredible art and theater scene. Walk around town to check out all of the beautiful murals. Head to one of the many free or inexpensive art experiences curated for citizens and visitors to enjoy. Because of local support of SCFD funding art and theatrical experiences are accessible to many vs. the few. Denver also is home to the Denver Center for Performing Arts which is considered by many to be the second largest theater district in the United States.
One of the Best Music Cities in the U.S.
It is so wild to me that Denver has become one of the best music cities in the United States. With concerts ranging from Rap, R&B, music from across Latin America, Jazz, EDM, Rock, Country and everything in-between there is music to be enjoyed every day of the week. Denver has a wide variety of venues large and small to enjoy. Last year I shared where I would rank Denver compared to other music cities and I think you’ll be surprised where Denver landed on my top 10 music cities list.
10 Surprising Things to Know About Denver
One thing that didn’t make the list that I do want to share is that Denver has a huge patio culture. There are patios at most restaurants, coffee shops and bars. The reason is that the weather is pretty nice throughout the year. On chillier days businesses use outdoor heaters to warm up the air.