Goods & Services >>

• Best Place to Get Jail Threads Without Going to Jail
  Where the Buffalo Roam
  Denver's jailhouse certainly doesn't rock, but those bright-orange jumpsuits sure are purty. If committing a crime, getting arrested and doing time in the pokey isn't worth it for you, though, why not just pretend? Where the Buffalo Roam, a novelty shop on the 16th Street Mall, sells orange... More >>
• Best Graffiti Supply Store
  Art-N-Soul
  Since it opened in February, Art-N-Soul has become like a Star Wars' Mos Eisley Spaceport for Denver-area graffiti artists who appreciate the difference between a fully conceptualized work of street art and a hastily thrown-up "tag" that's all autograph and no picture. Open from 11 a.m. to 7... More >>
• Best Place to Buy Nitrous Oxide
  The Joker
  Got gas? It's not just for dental patients anymore. Quasi-legal and relatively harmless, recreational doses of nitrous oxide are widely available hereabouts in the form of "whippits." Small aluminum cylinders of pressurized gas, whippits are sold in head shops and adult bookstores under the... More >>
• Best Place to Get Whips With Your Whippits
  The Crypt
  Adult Entertainment Center
  You can get reasonably priced cases of whippits (around $20) and sensibly priced whips ($30, more or less) at the Crypt. There's a bigger selection of novelties next door, but the pickin's are pretty good here, too. The rest, as they say, is up to you. Just whippit good. More >>
• Best Way to Make Your Patriotic Mark
  Dark Millennia Studios
  Now you can wear your heart on your sleeve and your flag on your biceps -- and have something more than a permanent blemish to show for it. Last October, in the wake of September 11, the epidermis etchers at Dark Millennia Studios instigated this offer, though word from the Millennial staff is... More >>
• Best Place to Find a Frock to Strip Off
  Diamond Cabaret Boutique
  Most of the customers who frequent the Diamond Cabaret have one thing on their mind -- and it isn't shopping. The palatial skin palace boasts some of the most beautiful topless dancers in town, a quality that attracts a largely male clientele. But the club also offers a diversion for female... More >>
• Best Hot-Sheets Motel
  Mon Chalet
  The room decor inside Mon Chalet comes from the Hollywood Porno Playground school of interior design. Neon accents, water-column lights, mirrored ceilings and walls, and giant whirlpool baths are standard features in Mon Chalet's ten deluxe and semi-deluxe suites, as are king-sized beds, whether... More >>
• Best Shag on Colfax
  Mod Living
  Fancy a shag (rug)? How about a '50s dinette set, an authentic lava lamp or a vintage flapper dress? Mod Living crams all of the above, and much more, into its understated space on East Colfax; it's a veritable museum of affordable art and furnishings for the nostalgia-minded decorator. Ranging... More >>
• Best Store Anywhere on Colfax
  Decorables & Antiques
  Did you know that Queen Victoria had quite an impressive collection of Chinese snuff boxes? The friendly and resourceful owners of Decorables do, and they'll be happy to tell you all about it as you browse the elegant and eclectic aisles of this airy antiques gallery, which makes its home in a... More >>
• Best Store Anywhere on Broadway
  ARC Thrift Store
  Antique Row is charming, as are many of the eclectic boutiques and specialty stores that line commercial stretches along South Broadway. But the thrill of pawing through miscellaneous merchandise is often tempered by the reality of sticker shock -- something that convinces many of us to browse... More >>
• Best Store on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall
  Peppercorn
  It's fun trying to stump the sales staff in Peppercorn's kitchen department, but no matter what you ask for -- a kitchen scale, grilling equipment for summer, pastry bags, woks, an ice-cream maker, pots and pans, toasters, KitchenAids or shells for your coquilles St. Jacques, chances are they'll... More >>
• Best Downtown Store -- Porn Division
  Diamond Lil's Adult Emporium
  Diamond Lil's is a porn shop and proud of it -- as evidenced by the enthusiastic lighted sign that invites the curious and carnal-minded alike inside. Located in a historic building that began as Kopper's Hotel and Saloon in 1899, Diamond Lil's happens to be the only remaining porn shop downtown... More >>
• Best Downtown Store
  Walgreens
  The 16th Street Mall is a shopper's paradise -- that is, if you're in the market for some overpriced, faux-Native American souvenirs or maybe a nice wig. For those who actually live and work downtown, there's no beating Walgreens for sheer practicality, economy and reliability, not to mention... More >>
• Best Alternative to Walgreens
  Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine pharmacy
  Chinese medicine has become increasingly popular the last few years, and the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine is your one-stop shop for alternatives to Western health care. When the acupuncturist upstairs prescribes Chinese herbs, you'll be able to find them at the school's... More >>
• Best Place to Buy Rose Hips and Lizard Lips
  Apothecary Tinctura
  Change is good. While Apothecary Tinctura has already earned a reputation for having an ocean of potions (just kidding about those lizard lips), the shop's move from its Congress Park location to a new 6th Avenue spot added some zing to its yang. But you'll still find the necessary ingredients... More >>
• Best Self-Care Boutique
  Peace of Mind, Body & Soul
  Peace of Mind, Body & Soul owner Mary Beal calls her place a "self-improvement and self-care boutique." And such improvement and care comes easy with the offerings at Peace of Mind. In addition to on-premises massages and psychic readings, you'll find incense, candles, aromatic oils, crystals,... More >>
• Best Couples' Massage
  Indulgences Day Spa
  We guarantee that Indulgences won't rub you the wrong way. Unlike those hoity-toity spas that make you feel like you should shower before you enter, Indulgences is down-to-earth, even boisterous. The owner is friendly, the employees are friendly, the other customers are friendly. And one of the... More >>
• Best Place to Get Your Chakras Aligned
  Feature Park Entrance
  FlatIron Crossing
  Offering up to three massage chairs and occasional live music, the Feature Park Entrance almost makes FlatIron's "retail resort" designation believable. "The massage has been really popular," says mall marketing director Chris Stallman. So has an aqua-massage kiosk (located near the food court),... More >>
• Best Bulk Buddhas
  Cargo Imports
  Cargo's merchandise appeals to browsers who share an affinity for far-off lands: East Indian and Tibetan artifacts are among the most popular items. And even if you adhere to a monk-like budget, you needn't leave the store empty-handed. Because Cargo's owners know that a spiritual quest doesn't... More >>
• Best Crucifixes
  Gerken's Church Supplies
  Members of the flock and vampire hunters alike will delight in selecting a cruciform to suit their individual taste, budget and wall space from among the treasure trove of icons for sale in this warehouse-sized religious-supplies store in the heart of the historic Baker district. Though Gerken's... More >>
• Best Thangkas
  Nepali Bazaar
  Incredibly, the folks who create Thangkas -- generally Buddhist monks who live with their heads in the clouds at the top of the world -- don't consider them works of art. Rather, each intricately complex banner, colorfully depicting mandalas, Buddhas or bodhisattvas, is intended as a kind of... More >>
• Best Yentas
  Colorado Jewish Social Network
  Congregation Emanuel
  For the past dozen years, the Colorado Jewish Social Network has been playing matchmaker for Denver singles looking for a soulmate. Members of the network, who pay annual dues of $90, can peruse binders full of questionnaires and pictures of other Jewish singles in search of Mr. or Ms. Right.... More >>
• Best New-Age Horse Doctoring
  Dr. Gayle Trotter
  Equine Acupuncture and Chiropractic Services
  People do it, so why shouldn't horses? That was the question on Dr. Gayle Trotter's mind after the equine surgeon at CSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital observed firsthand the benefits of acupuncture treatment for his own lower-back pain. Trotter went the extra mile to learn more about the... More >>
• Best New Dr. Dolittle
  Kate Solisti-Mattelon
  "Lying at our feet, curled up at the foot of our beds, are beings capable of teaching us everything we are seeking. We have only to learn how to listen," writes Boulderite Kate Solisti-Mattelon in her book Conversations With Dog. Solisti-Mattelon, who has written or co-written several other... More >>
• Best Place to Pamper Your Pussy
  Cat Cradle Cattery
  When you leave town, it's only fair that your cat get a little vacation, too. And since you want to be sure your four-legged friend is well cared for, the best place to take him or her is to the Cat Cradle Cattery, a little house tucked away in a wooded area off busy Kipling. A delightful couple... More >>
• Best Pet Travel Guide
  Doggone
  Coloradans love their dogs and like to take them everywhere. Robyn Peters, publisher of Doggone (The Newsletter About Fun Places to Go and Cool Things to Do With Your Dog), understands this. Peters, who bases her business out of Boulder, personally checks out many of the dog-friendly places... More >>
• Best Dog Taxi
  Canine Cab
  Angela Gazzara started her Canine Cab business last August because her busy schedule was often in conflict with her dog's needs: visits to the vet, grooming appointments and, of course, doggie daycare. While her goal was a dog-transportation service for busy pet owners, Gazzara also realized... More >>
• Best Place to Get in Touch With Your Dog's Feelings
  A Pet's Paradise
  What's Fido thinking, anyway? If you have the slightest interest in figuring that out, A Pet's Paradise offers periodic psychic reading sessions for pets with expert Pattie Koop, who also uses her powers to locate lost pets at no charge. In addition, the new-age pet supply, which carries a large... More >>
• Best Place to Rest Weary Feet -- and Paws
  Loews Denver Hotel
  Dog may be man's best friend, but not necessarily yours. If you have vistors bringing along their four-legged companions, put them up at the Loews Denver Hotel. Like the city of Denver, Loews touts itself as "pet friendly" -- and then some. The hotel offers pet room service, with vet-approved... More >>
• Best Place to Rent a Dog
  Maxfund Animal Shelter
  As any canine-conscious apartment hunter knows, finding a landlord who's willing to rent to a dog owner can be a challenge. But even if your cramped Capitol Hill walkup isn't suited for a full-time pooch, your innate need to bond with man's best friend needn't go wholly unsatisfied. Maxfund... More >>
• Best Place to Greet an Animated Cat
  Hello Kitty World
  She's cute, she's cuddly, she's friendly -- and she's everywhere. Ever since the Japanese toy company Sanrio unveiled Hello Kitty in the '70s, little girls the universe over have been snapping up pens, packs, umbrellas and underwear bearing her image. And although Miss Kitty is now available in... More >>
• Best Motorcycle Accessories
  Hoodlums Gear
  Owning a motorcycle in this state doesn't have to be a two-season experience: Many people ride with pride all year long. But on those brisk February days, it's nice to have something warming your face as you speed along. Hoodlums Gear, manufactured in Colorado, was created for just that purpose.... More >>
• Best Place to Rent a Car That Goes 160 MPH
  Rent-A-Vette
  Sure, they rent 'Vettes -- for $299 a day. They also offer Porsche Boxsters and Mercedes CLK roadsters for the same price. Dodge Vipers and 911s are $100 more; new Ford Thunderbirds are $249 per day; and BMW Z3 convertibles are a bargain at $199. Note: Mileage is limited to 100 miles per day.... More >>
• Best Place to Go If Your Daddy Took Your T-Bird Away
  Oldies But Goodies
  Oldies But Goodies should be the first stop for any classic-car aficionado. Despite its small lot, this South Broadway dealership has an impressive collection of vintage automobiles, ranging from those without engines to those that have been lovingly restored to their previous grandeur. From the... More >>
• Best Place to Buy a Communist-Bloc Engine
  Cold War Remarketing
  While America is fighting a new kind of war, with Russia as an ally, it's important not to forget the past. Now you can actually own a piece of the past, thanks to Cold War Remarketing, a local auto dealership that sells Unimogs, Pinzgauers and other vehicles from the Red Scare days. The... More >>
• Best Place to Fix Your Speedometer
  Deluxe Speedometer & Radio Service
  Speed is relative, the universe is expanding, so why does your vintage '57 Chevy's speedometer say you're traveling at 5 mph? Better chug on over to the dean of those devices, Russell Rullo, at Deluxe Speedometer & Radio Service. With more than fifty years of experience, Rullo (along with his... More >>
• Best Propeller Physician
  Jim's Prop Shop
  When queried, most boat-shop owners said they sent their broken propellers to Jim's Prop Shop, and who are we to swim against the tide? Owner Jim McCune charges between $45 and $150 to fix maimed props, depending on what sort of sea damage you've done. And although Jim's specialty is fixing... More >>
• Best Map to Take on a Plane Out of DIA
  Spin Maps
  So you begged for a window seat, but now you're just staring aimlessly down on windswept plains, unknown deserts or the canyons below. What could possibly make your long flight more interesting? A little help from the Durango-based Spin Map company, which manufactures passenger flight maps for... More >>
• Best Thing to Do When You Have Two Extra Hours at DIA
  Que Bueno!
  Concourse B
  It used to be that if you got to the airport early, you'd head up to the official U.S. Post Office in the main terminal to pay your bills (on the theory that the best flight insurance is making sure your survivors won't find any embarrassing past-due notices), then do some banking, enjoy a... More >>
• Best 24-Hour Business
  W.H. Smith
  Main Terminal
  You're taking the last plane out of Clarksville, and you forgot your book. And your gum, your bottled water and your earplugs. Not to worry: W. H. Smith keeps one of its six airport shops open all night, and it's conveniently located in the main terminal, right outside the security checkpoint... More >>
• Best Place to Find Sewer Help on New Year's Eve
  Colorado Sewer Service
  You're dressed up in your best Soup-and-Fish or evening gown, just about to trip the light fantastic on New Year's Eve, when you detect a murky puddle oozing up from the basement drain. Who ya gonna call? Try Colorado Sewer. While they can't work miracles, they do work that evening. And with a... More >>
• Best Online Portal to Opportunity
  Emily Griffith Opportunity School
  The Emily Griffith Opportunity School (EGOS) has been an educational resource for over 85 years, but even Miss Emily herself would be amazed to see its 21st-century outreach. Folks seeking careers in everything from aviation to manicuring can click on the school's site and start flying. Visitors... More >>
• Best Online Pipeline to Yesterday
  Denver Public Library
  Western History Photography Collection
  The DPL's impressive effort to post thousands of images from its photography archives - images of Colorado and the West stretching over a century and a half, with extensive collections dealing with everything from the Ludlow Massacre to the changing face of Denver's downtown--is a cyber surfer's... More >>
• Best Personal Book Shoppers
  Highlands Ranch Library
  Admit it: You have plenty of time to read, but not enough time to browse the local library. At the Highlands Ranch Library, adult patrons can have librarians select titles that match their tastes simply by filling out an application including information on favorite authors and books read in the... More >>
• Best Talking Library
  The Colorado Talking Book Library
  The Colorado Talking Book Library (CTBL) was created to give disabled book-lovers more options. The government-funded program offers Braille books, taped books and playback machines. You must apply and meet certain requirements to use the facility, but once you do, it's completely free,... More >>
• Best Cultural Nook
  Hijos del Sol Galería de Cultura
  Small and unassuming, Hijos de Sol is a good deed in every way, from the stunning Leo Tanguma mural that dresses up the neighborhood and announces the little store's existence around the corner, to its humanitarian intent to ensure that profits from coffees and handcrafts go to the Latin... More >>
• Best African Imports (2 Comments)
  African Experiences
  Aficionados maintain that African art tells stories. That's African Experiences owner Miles Forsyth's story, and he's sticking to it. Originally from South Africa, he returns to his home continent every year to visit and to hunt down merchandise, and he's been wildly successful. The walls of his... More >>
• Best Cigar and Pipe Store
  Prince Philip's Pipes and Tobacco
  Prince Philip's Pipes and Tobacco treats you like royalty, with a marvelous selection of all-legal imports and an extremely knowledgeable and customer-oriented proprietor, Jon Cacherat, to help guide you in your selections. Celebs and working stiffs fire up stogies and trade tips on pipe tobacco... More >>
• Best Road Trip Destination for Western Paraphernalia
  Savage-West
  Far outside the city lights lies the Savage-West, a Western memorabilia store. Owner Kris Hurley deems her diverse inventory "ranch and farm junk." But whether you desire the sun-bleached skulls of long-dead longhorn cattle, brightly colored Mexican blankets or just Western antiques, Savage-West... More >>
• Best Place to Dress Like a Cowboy
  Rockmount Ranchwear
  Yee-haw! For years, Rockmount Ranchwear Co. was only a wholesale operation, shipping Western wear around the world from its headquarters in a LoDo warehouse. But this spring, Rockmount decided to share the wealth -- of history, of fashion, of fun -- by allowing visitors to buy Rockmount products... More >>
• Best Place to Dress Like a Member of the Idle Rich
  Limeade, a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store
  The real Lilly, who retired in 1984, first stuck her foot in the door of Camelot in the early '60s, when her hand-sewn signature shifts in breezy tropical prints caught on in Palm Beach, soon to be embraced by Jackie Kennedy and a whole generation or two of East Coast preppies. To her credit,... More >>
• Best Place to Dress Like (or in) an '80s Rock Star
  Five & Dime
  For almost ten years, Lynn Pastore has been selling retro clothing out of her 13th Avenue storefront, but her latest line is a stretch -- sometimes literally. The Five & Dime's suddenly doing a booming business in old rock-and-roll T-shirts, the forerunners of all those souvenirs that would soon... More >>
• Best Place to Buy Not-So-Cheap Elvis Sunglasses
  The Bent Lens
  The King may be dead, but his style lives on. The Bent Lens now sells a fabulous pair of the King's sunshades by Neostyle, the original maker of Mr. Presley's infamous specs. These rock-n-roll replicas are every bit as decadent as the original: Plated in 14K gold with star-making rose-brown... More >>
• Best Dress-Up -- Adult Division
  Red Rocks Community College Theatre Department
  Plan to make a dramatic yet affordable entrance at your next Halloween party with a little help from the Theatre Department at Red Rocks Community College. For $150 plus security deposit for the weekend, you can dress from head to toe in Renaissance splendor, and for about $5 more, you can find... More >>
• Best Dress-Up -- Kids' Division
  Dolls and Kids Closet
  What a treasure trove of costumes, toys and other accessories for let's-pretend play! And what a great place for kids to explore the creative side of dressing up themselves and their doll friends, with workshops, classes, playtime fun for tots and birthday-party packages. Dolls and Kids Closet... More >>
• Best Place to Find an Emergency Halloween Costume
  Flossy McGrew's
  Eleven months of the year, Flossy McGrew's blends right into a commercial stretch of South Broadway, another vintage-clothing shop among the funky fringe of Antique Row. But each October, the massive warehouse-like store becomes a must-stop destination for costume-happy shoppers who range from... More >>
• Best Place to Buy a Man's Hat
  Duncan's Men's Store
  We're not talking ten-gallons here. This is the place to find a fine fedora, a happenin' homburg or a bitchin' beret, in felt, straw and the occasional canvas golf number -- anything that tops off your masculine attire. More than half of Duncan's business in the historic Five Points location... More >>
• Best Ladies' Slippers
  Lula Maxine
  Simple and elegant. Who wouldn't want to slip their tootsies into Denver-based Lula Maxine's handmade slippers? Square-toed, with a seam down their silk dupioni or woven plaid-and-houndstooth middles, they absolutely scream comfort. And they look great, too. The retail price tag can be a bit... More >>
• Best Place to Get Fleeced
  Ouray Sportswear Factory Outlet
  If you don't mind being a walking advertisement for a ski resort, the Ouray Sportswear Factory Outlet is the place to find a fleece jacket or vest that won't set you back the price of a lift ticket. The South Broadway store gets all of the surplus merchandise that its parent company, SCI (Ski... More >>
• Best Outdoor Gear Kits (7 Comments)
  Frostline Kits
  Frostline Kits in Grand Junction manufactures high-quality, unassembled, winter gear kits. These kits include an instruction manual, cut-to-size fabric, down or other fill materials, and all the thread and finishing items needed to create a top-notch jacket. The only thing you have to do is... More >>
• Best Fishnet Long Underwear
  Wiggy's Inc.
  The sight of a brawny outdoorsman in fishnets may not turn you on, but it makes sense. Wiggy's Inc., a Grand Junction outdoor-outfitting company, has been making traditional supplies since 1986, and it sells some of the best long underwear in the world. The black or white nylon fishnet material... More >>
• Best Cleaned-Up Videos
  CleanFlicks
  These days, gratuitous sex scenes, foul language and violent extravaganzas are a given in the world of movies. Understandably, most parents are concerned with the effect such raw stuff has on their children. That's where www.cleanflicks.com, a video-editing company, and its rental outlets,... More >>
• Best VHS Store
  The Video Station
  The best-stocked video store in the Western states, Boulder's Video Station carries some 60,000 titles in VHS and DVD format, including the rarest and most exotic items extant. Want to see Larry Clark's seething Bully (rated NC-17 and thus unavailable at the chains) or revisit the collected... More >>
• Best DVD Store
  Theatre Video
  Chain stores generally have enormous stacks of DVDs, but they're often short on personalized service or employees who know the difference between The Sorrow and the Pity and The Sound and the Fury. Theatre Video, for its part, has a much better selection than most independent outlets, with tons... More >>
• Best Independent CD Store
  Wax Trax
  The economy has taken a bite out of Wax Trax: At the end of February, the vinyl store was closed, with its stock being moved into the used store across the street. But the three Wax Trax branches that remain -- a new store, a video store and the aforementioned used store -- are still Denver... More >>
• Best Mom-and-Pop Music Shop
  Universal Music
  This store's name says it all. Here you'll find everything from geeky school-band instruments (and a host of instructors expert in their use) to pro gear that would do Van Halen proud. What you won't find is superstore attitude. According to Gary Patterson, who owns the business with four of his... More >>
• Best Place to Sample Soundbites From Area Artists
  Twist & Shout
  Though larger than most independents, Twist & Shout is a community-spirited music retailer. Owner Paul Epstein is an active member of the Colorado Music Association and even occasionally appears on cable-access television to talk about his favorite bands. No surprise, then, that Epstein's store... More >>
• Best Public Wanking
  Guitar Center
  Those who despise discordance would be wise to stick to Guitar Center's acoustic room, where the quiet people dwell among the mandolins. Out on the main floor, a dizzying number of guitars and amplifiers are available for the strumming, squealing and soloing pleasures of aspiring wankers from... More >>
• Best Vintage Upholstery Goods
  American Fabric Upholstery Goods Company
  Anna Woneis, owner of the American Fabric Upholstery Goods Company, is happy to give visitors a tour of her place, which involves room after room of vintage fabric, much of it from the still-trendy 1970s. Although some the patterns should have been impeached with Nixon, many of the old-timey... More >>
• Best Last Hope for Old Leather
  B-D Company
  B-D Company, a venerable upholstery supply shop, has a number of solutions for restoring old vinyl, cloth, plastic and even leather furniture to something like new -- magic sprays, dyes and cleaners that are hard to find, accompanied by expert advice. Don't give up on that ottoman; put it in... More >>
• Best Cheap Luggage
  Samsonite Company Store
  For the busy traveler, there is nothing more irritating than cheap luggage, the junk with wheels that fall off. Now you can buy durable, expensive luggage at cheap-luggage prices. The Samsonite Company Store unloads high-quality luggage for up to 50 percent off retail prices. They stock luggage... More >>
• Best Cheap Appliances
  Sears Outlet Store
  There are a lot of places around town that offer scratch 'n' dent appliances at a discount, but the Sears Outlet Store has a consistent selection that never seems to dwindle. And even if the front of that stainless-steel fridge has a wee scratch on it, the warranty still applies. Some of the... More >>
• Best Cheap Computers
  Surplus Computer Store
  Spending two grand on a PC that needs an upgrade before you even get it out of the box just doesn't compute. Visiting the Surplus Computer Store in Littleton, home to an army of discounted new, used, and off-lease computers and accessories, is a better use of gigabytes. It would take a giant... More >>
• Best Place to Recycle a Defunct Monitor
  PC Brokers
  Obsolescence is a genetic computer disease. It often costs more to fix or upgrade an old computer than to just buy a new one, which is the reason computer monitors have been piling up in landfills across the nation. These days, you must dispose of your monitor properly; you can't just kick it to... More >>
• Best Free Software
  Bugnosis

  Privacy Foundation

  Last summer, it seemed like the biggest threat to personal privacy was the surreptitious use of cookies and Web bugs by data aggregators to track our unsuspecting travels through the Internet. To give consumers a fighting chance by revealing exactly when we were being "bugged," the technical... More >>
• Best Vestige of the Dot-Com Boom
  Mobius Venture Capital Hotbank
  Just when you thought nobody had a couple of million bucks to risk on your hot new techno-idea, here comes Mobius Venture Capital Hotbank, just a microchip's throw from Boulder. Formerly Soft Bank Venture Capital, this fund's Web site claims $2.5 billion under management, with hundreds of the... More >>
• Best Recipe for Success
  Work Options for Women
  It's not easy finding a job if you have little work history and no skills, which is why Work Options for Women is such a great program. It teaches women coming off welfare how to work in restaurants, training them in everything from proper kitchen hygiene to baking and cooking. And what cooking!... More >>
• Best Place to Save the Earth With Arts and Crafts
  Creative Exchange
  Much to the delight of teachers, scout leaders, artists and community groups throughout the metro area, Creative Exchange has found a new home at Buckingham Square. This nonprofit agency is dedicated to redirecting items discarded by area businesses into the hands of crafters, especially... More >>
• Best Birdhouses
  Dianna Giese
  More garden sculpture than birdhouse, each creation by Dianna Giese is a found-object tour de force, weathered-wood creations with architectural details fashioned out of rusted metal hinges, old bits of trellis, bent kitchen utensils, cast-off bolts and screws, cast-iron finials and the like.... More >>
• Best Gift That Keeps on Giving
  Judy, Judy, Judy
  Have yourself a merry little Christmas: Judy, Judy, Judy makes it easy with the re-gifting barrel it sets out every holiday season. Go ahead and help yourself to someone's white elephant -- but be sure to leave that awful reindeer sweater your Aunt Sue made for you for the next lucky customer... More >>
• Best Holiday Handcraft
  Carol Hermann
  Bloomin' Beads
  First of all, seed-beading, like many kinds of needlework, is no easy craft. Not only is it impossibly tiny work, but it also requires a near-maniacal attention for detail. In the sage words of somebody's grandmother, you could go blind. So figuring out how Louisville beader Hermann fashions her... More >>
• Best Place to Find an Organ Donor
  Salvation Army Thrift Store
  All thrift stores are not created equal. The merchandise at the Salvation Army's Northglenn location, just off 1-25, ranges from practical to playful, with prices that always remain within a safe zone. And though the store stocks a respectable selection of staples like furniture, clothing and... More >>
• Best Flea Market
  A Paris Street Market
  What could be better on a sunny Saturday morning than this stroll through a wonderland of hand-picked junk and one-of-a-kind treasures? Spearheaded by the folks who run Details, a downtown Littleton bath and body shop, the market debuted last summer to delighted crowds, and this year expands... More >>
• Best Antiques Market
  Cherry Creek North Open Air Antique Show
  Market founder Leslie Lee of the Cherry Creek North shop Willow Antiques says last year's early-September cold snap put a damper on this event's debut, but face it: It's an opportunity just begging to happen, a classy array of local and out-of-town dealers offering high-end jewelry, pieces of... More >>
• Best Place to Have a Garage Sale
  Dairy Queen
  There's no better rite of summer than spending a blistering-hot Saturday or Sunday casing garage sales looking for toys, trinkets and good buys. But, darn it if garage-sale-hopping wouldn't be even better with something to cool you off -- something like ice cream. At least that's what Dalene... More >>
• Best Sale Alert
  Cherry Creek Shopping Center's weekly e-bulletins
  In this hectic day and age, we can't all spend our days cruising the mall for deals; even the most dedicated shopper could pop an artery (or at least twist an ankle) trying to keep up with every store. But in the last year, retail foraging got a little quicker and a little easier for Cherry... More >>
• Best Mall to Visit When You're Eight Months Pregnant
  FlatIron Crossing
  Women heavy with child or parents wrestling with strollers aren't handicapped in the traditional sense, but neither is it very easy for them to shlep a mile or two before reaching a store. Recognizing that, FlatIron Crossing has designated two spaces near handicapped spots at every major... More >>
• Best Snugli Revival (1 Comment)
  Weego
  You may recall Snuglis, those front-slung baby carriers created in the 1970s by Mike and Ann Moore of Evergreen, who modeled them after an idea they picked up in the Peace Corps in Africa. After their grandkids came along, the Moores saw a need for new, improved Snuglis. The new carriers can... More >>
• Best Online Store for Cloth Diapers
  Wee Bees
  Many people shy away from using cloth diapers for fear of leaks, accidents and irritated, wet babies. But Rhonda and Gary Wiebe, owners and founders of Wee Bees, assert that having a dry baby in cloth diapers is entirely possible. Although their Web site offers a wide variety of baby products,... More >>
• Best Nursery Outfitter
  Cradle and All
  In the best of all worlds, babyhood should be like a little slice of heaven. This downtown Littleton shop -- heavenly itself with its faux-cloud murals as a backdrop -- is the place to furnish the right nursery for the job. Among its treasures: Heirloom-quality, hand-painted, child-sized... More >>
• Best Kimonos for Your Kiddos
  Pacific Mercantile Company
  Though the Sakura Square supermarket has long wowed LoDo dwellers with its array of exotic miso pastes, fresh fish and Asian spices, Pacific Mercantile also has plenty to please the little doll in your life. Japanese toys and candy, as well as beautiful pint-sized silk kimonos and slippers, are... More >>
• Best Supplies for Blooming Babies
  Red Carpet Baby!
  One thing Montessori-trained proprietress Emelia Metzger knows for certain is babies. And one thing she learned during her former career in early-childhood care and instruction is that our everyday retail world is pathetically lacking in good old-fashioned, quality educational toys in natural... More >>
• Best Help for Parents Needing Sleep
  Dr. Barton Schmitt
  Children's Hospital
  Before you have children, sleep deprivation is something you try to make up for on the weekends. Once you have a baby, you realize that they don't know about weekends, and you suddenly find yourself running about a quart low on essential z's. Will it ever end? Dr. Barton Schmitt, a professor of... More >>
• Best Easy Awakening
  The Travel Zen Alarm Clock
  Now & Zen
  Although time is an illusion, the best way we've found to keep track of it is the Travel Zen Alarm Clock from Boulder-based Now & Zen. "The ultimate lifestyle clock" is a yoga and meditation countdown timer, progressive chiming alarm clock, travel clock and musical instrument all in one. The... More >>
• Best Place to Reconnect With the Past -- and Your Childhood
  Blinky's Antiques and Collectibles
  Blinky's Fun Club, the long-running children's variety program that once found a home on Channel 2, has been off the air since 1998. But the show's star, Blinky the Clown (aka Russ Scott), hasn't been pulled out of syndication. Six days a week, Scott can be found in the very cramped environs of... More >>
• Best Toy Store Suited to Short Attention Spans
  Denver Toy Library
  Smiley Branch Library
  Parents, you know how it is with kids and toys: The contraptions your tykes beg you for unmercifully for weeks on end usually land under the bed, oh, about two minutes after they finally get them. But there is a remedy: Rather than selling your soul to Toys R Us in order to keep up with juvenile... More >>
• Best Fundraiser Alternative (1 Comment)
  Beautycares
  With the taste of Girl Scout cookies still fresh, it's hard to think about the school fundraising season ahead. If you're lucky, this year the co-workers' kids will be hawking something useful like shampoo or conditioner rather than gift wrap or yogurt-covered pretzels. Beautycares, the... More >>
• Best Boulder Shopping Deal
  Community Benefit Card
  Boulder Independent Business Alliance
  Think globally, shop locally, and save some green with the Boulder Independent Business Alliance's Community Benefit Card. Started as a way to help local businesses compete with big-box and national chain retailers, the Community Card costs $15 a year and offers discounts at more than eighty... More >>
• Best Free Carpooling Service
  SchoolPool
  RideArrangers
  Summer vacation is a couple of months away, but many parents are already thinking about transportation arrangements for the coming school year. (They get that way.) If you're thinking of carpooling, the Denver Regional Council of Governments' RideArrangers SchoolPool program can put you in touch... More >>
• Best Bus Schedule
  RTD's Talk-N-Ride
  Any dedicated bus rider will tell you that trying to figure out a printed bus schedule is a literal pain in the neck: By the time you've added the estimated minutes between your stop and the timed stop notated on the schedule, you've already missed the bus you needed to catch minutes ago. Or... More >>
• Best Student Travel Agency
  ACC Travel
  If the travel-and-tourism industry comes back, students at Arapahoe Community College will be ready to help customers book trips with the experience they've amassed as interns at ACC Travel, which is run by the school's travel-and-tourism department. They don't get paid, but they work like pros,... More >>
• Best Place for the Nosy But Cheap (1 Comment)
  www.backgroundcheckgateway.com
  So, you want to know everything there is to know about a prospective employee, tenant, business partner, date, fiancé, soon-to-be-ex-spouse -- but just can't bring yourself to shell out the big bucks to a private investigator for a background check? Log onto... More >>
• Best Friend of Nosy Bosses
  Vericept Corporation
  (formerly eSniff)
  Employers who want to keep their workplace computers free of recreational use or abuse by workers -- who should have better things to do than spend all day bidding on kitsch on eBay or checking out the latest trends in video games -- now can turn to Vericept (www.vericept.com.). The Englewood... More >>
• Best Friend of Nosy Co-Workers
  FastTracker
  Fatline Corp.
  At the other end of the workplace surveillance continuum is the oh-so-Boulder FastTracker, software that allows everyone in a company to share their best Internet practices and the information they collect. Instead of the boss surreptitiously spying on individual workers, all employees know... More >>
• Best Place for Disgruntled Co-Workers
  The Conflict Center
  As layoffs continue to rise, so does conflict, anger and resentment among those remaining on the job. Rather than let bad feelings fester into workplace violence, managers are learning how to manage conflict through programs offered by the Conflict Center. Workshops are conducted by local and... More >>
• Best Help for Men in Tough Times
  Divorced Men Have Feelings Too
  So, you're sitting around in your newly leased one-bedroom apartment, wondering what happened to all the things you really cared about: the boat, the big-screen TV, your marriage. Rather than wallow in self-pity, crack open Divorced Men Have Feelings Too ($14.95, PDB Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box... More >>
• Best Help for Women in Tough Times
  Sista's in the Spirit
  Charlene Ferguson
  Imagine what life would be like if it were more like TV commercials, where an offhand remark about your kids to your hairstylist would summon up your personal self-help guru bearing armloads of books she wants you to read. Actually, life is like that, if you get your 'do done at one of the... More >>
• Best Office Visits for the Elderly
  Group Office Visits
  Dr. John Scott
• Best Hospital Amenities
  Longmont United Hospital
  A trip to the hospital isn't supposed to be a day at the spa, but it doesn't have to be dreadful, either. Longmont United Hospital was named "A Hospital With a Heart" last year, for good reason: Family kitchens and dining rooms, quiet rooms for meditation, and health-education libraries on every... More >>
• Best Amenity in a Hospice
  Hospice of St. John
  Talk about a stirring story! Every Friday afternoon, volunteer Marty Slattery sets up shop at the Hospice of St. John, dispensing cocktails and comfort to the terminally ill. Back in the days when he was a drinker, Slattery tended bar; when he needed to fulfill a community-service requirement,... More >>
• Best Amenity at a Supermarket
  Gas stations at King Soopers
  You thought the ATM next to the checkout was convenient. Now you can fill up on your way out of the parking lot at King Soopers and City Market locations across the state. Parent company Kroger has been pumping petroleum products from mini-convenience stores since 1998; the metro Denver area now... More >>
• Best ATM Drive-Through
  Compass Bank
  Not only is Compass building goodwill with ATM users by not soaking them for fees (even if they aren't Compass customers!), but they tend to offer more pleasant surroundings for the cash-hungry on the move. This drive-through is well-designed, clean, well-lit and nicely landscaped. If only... More >>
• Best Custom Rugs
  Allure Custom Rugs
  Anyone who's shopped for floor coverings recently knows they usually come in two types: the wrong color that fits your space perfectly, or the perfect pattern that's only two feet too wide for your room. You can find the third type -- exactly what you want in exactly the size you need -- at... More >>
• Best Staircases
  StairMeister Log Works
  Step up to a custom look in your little log cabin with a handcrafted spiral or curved stairway from StairMeister, a Boulder company that has carved out a niche business by offering replacement stairways for the standard steps included in most log-home kits. Tad and Kimberly Horning's shop off... More >>
• Best Cheap Home-Improvement Items
  Bud's Warehouse
  Denver's Home Improvement Thrift Store is a fabulous community resource on many levels. It recycles usable building materials not accepted by regular thrift stores, so it's good for the environment. It sells building materials (everything including the kitchen sink) for up to 70 percent less... More >>
• Best Tool Service
  Schlosser Tool & Machinery Co.
  A sharp tool is a safe tool. The guys at Schlosser Tool & Machinery have been keeping Denver woodworkers sawing safely for more than half a century. Bring your old hand blades -- saws, chisels, augers, anything but power tools -- to the service department and get them spiffed up for a whole new... More >>
• Best Mop Shop
  Eze Mop Co.
  Back when Denver really was a dusty old cowtown, the Jurenka clan came to town to clean up -- or at least give its good citizens the tools to do it. You might think that the venerable Eze Mop Company hasn't changed much since its founding more than fifty years ago, but you're wrong, pard.... More >>
• Best Place to Buy a Parking Meter
  Antique Center on Broadway
  Ka-ching! Now that the city's cramming parking meters along every possible inch of asphalt downtown, why not cut yourself in on the action? A batch of Denver's old, obsolete parking meters have found quarter at Mike Kaplan's booth in the Antique Center. Fork over $22.50 and one of them can be... More >>
• Best New Use for the Old DIA Toll Plaza
  Parking
  It may be one of the first airport amenities specifically designed for cell-phone users: In light of the security changes at Denver International Airport that eliminated the 45-minute free parking spots in the passenger pickup area, airport officials have designated the old toll-plaza area (torn... More >>
• Best Denver Invention That Immobilized the World
  The Denver Boot
  Back in the early '50s, some Denver cops were bemoaning the problems involved with towing cars -- and an inventor friend, Frank Marugg, shouldered the task of coming up with a better way to handle parking scofflaws. Enter the Denver Boot, the now-notorious clamp that paralyzes the front tire of... More >>
• Best Key to the City
  CashKey
  In the big picture, a CashKey may seem like relatively small change -- but it can certainly change the lives of those who always have trouble finding a quarter (much less eight quarters) to feed Denver's ever-hungry parking meters. A $15 deposit nets you a programmable key from the Denver... More >>