Denver

Denver is both the largest city and the capital of the state of Colorado. Denver is located on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Denver is nicknamed the “Mile High City” because its official elevation is one mile or 5,280 feet above sea level. Originally named Denver, Metro Denver spans 10 counties and has a population of 2.9 million people (with approximately 700,000 people actually living within the City and County of Denver).

 

Denver is a haven for outdoor recreational activity, boasting the nation's largest city park system, with over 200 parks spanning approximately 20,000 acres including City Park that features over 300 acres. This is in large part due to the City Beautiful movement dating back to the early 1900’s, when world-renowned landscape architects were brought to Denver to design many of the area’s larger parks and greenways. Many Denver streets have bike lanes, and there are over 850 miles of paved, off-road, bike paths. In addition to city parks, Denver has acquired mountain parks and ski resorts. The most well known of these parks is Red Rocks Park, which many know for its scenery and musical events which are held at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

 

The City and County of Denver is defined as 78 official neighborhoods. The character of these neighborhoods varies from large skyscraper buildings to houses of 20th century to modern styles. Some of the well known neighborhoods include LoDo (short for Lower Downtown), The Highlands, LoHi (short for Lower Highlands), Uptown, Capitol Hill, Park Hill, Congress Park, Lowry, Stapleton, Golden Triangle, Washington Park, Bonnie Brae, Platte Park, DU, Hilltop, Crestmoor, Southmoor Park, Virginia Vale, Virginia Village, Mayfair, Montclair, City Park, Observatory Park, Cheesman Park and Sloan’s Lake.

 

Downtown Denver is one of America’s liveliest, cleanest and most pedestrian-friendly cities. The heart of downtown Denver is the 16th Street Mall, a mile long pedestrian mall lined with outdoor cafes, restaurants, and retail shops. Shuttle buses provide free transportation up and down the mall and pick up at multiple stops on the mall. LoDo, Denver’s downtown hip historic district, has more than 90 brew pubs, sports bars and music clubs.

 

Mass transportation in Denver is managed by the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and operates more than 1,000 buses in the Denver and Boulder metro areas. RTD also operates 8 light rail lines with stops at 54 stations, including major spots like the Theatre District, Convention Center, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Pepsi Center, the 16th Street Mall, Park Meadows Mall, and recent addition of the I-70 corridor connecting downtown with Denver International Airport (DIA).

 

Denver’s arts and cultural world is thriving, with award-winning theater, world-class music, stimulating museums, and spectacular visual arts. The Denver Center for Performing Arts Complex is the crown jewel of these facilities and has ten performance venues on its four-block, 12-acre site, making Denver’s performing arts scene equal to any U.S. city and is the second-largest such complex in the nation after Lincoln Center in New York City.

 

Denver is also home to many nationally recognized museums, some of which have world-renowned connections, including the Denver Art Museum designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, as well as The Denver Museum of Nature and Science, The Clyfford Still Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the Children’s Museum to name a few.

 

If you are a sports enthusiast, Denver is the place to be! Denver is home to eight professional sports teams representing four major sports. Denver Zoo has evolved into an impressive 80-acre wonderland in Denver’s beautiful City Park.

 

With over 300 sunny days a year and Denver’s proximity to the mountains, its beautiful year round weather, active outdoor living, and its robust business community, Denver has gained a reputation as one of the great cities of the US, and its growth has given Denver more than just a place on the map!