Goods & Services >>

• Best Free Service (2 Comments)
  DVD rentals
  Going to the library has never felt so naughty. Walk into the Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library and you'll be greeted at the door by DVDs -- rows and rows of them. The bookshelves here are a mere backdrop; the establishment has long since embraced that which draws in its patrons. And the movie... More >>
• Best First-Friday Freebie
  Friday Night Blow Outs
  First Friday is one of Denver's most reliable monthly happenings. Thanks to Matthew Morris Salon, a chic beauty spot on South Broadway, culture-consuming Denverites can look their best while scoping the city's hot spots for high and low art. During Friday Night Blow Outs, held the first Friday... More >>
• Best Hotel Bargain
  Comfort Inn Downtown
  Situated across Tremont Street from the legendary (and extremely expensive) Brown Palace Hotel, the Comfort Inn Downtown affords many of the same luxuries at a fraction of the price. Towering over the Brown at 24 floors, the Inn is less polished than its five-star counterpart, but the... More >>
• Best Dollar Store
  Dollar Tree
  Those who enter the Dollar Tree to slum for 99-cent chatchkes and crappy closeout merchandise might be surprised when they emerge from one of the chain's metro-area outlets with a cart full of things they actually need. Dish towels, extension cords, Tupperware, lightbulbs, work gloves, fabric... More >>
• Best Strip Mall for Cheapskates
  JCRS Shopping Center
  JCRS is best known as the home of Denver's venerable tourist trap, Casa Bonita, but that's only the beginning of the low-rent excitement. Where else in town can you find a Save-A-Lot grocery store, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar discount stores and an ARC Thrift Store -- not to mention a post... More >>
• Best Cheap Car Wash (1 Comment)
  Octopus Car Wash
  Mag chloride still stuck to your car? Dog slobber on the windows and fur on the seats? Maybe a spilled Big Gulp left sticky spots on the console. For just $6.99, Octopus Car Wash will have you in, washed, waxed and on your way. For the more deluxe treatment -- which you'll want for that pet hair... More >>
• Best Retailer's Slogan
  "Corporate Gifts Suck! Please Buy Local!"
  Colorado Springs has way too few activists, but Adam Leech, who owns Leechpit, a punk-inspired vintage music and clothing store, is one of the strong. He made his message clear last December by setting loose a small army of store regulars with signs and fliers declaring "Corporate Gifts Suck!... More >>
• Best Easy Philanthropy
  Buffalo Exchange
  Finding time to give back to the community is hard, especially when you're a hipster. Between kickball games, fixing your scooter and hating on local bands getting press, there's hardly enough time in the day to perform punk-rock karaoke, let alone give back to the less fortunate. And even if... More >>
• Best Federal Monument
  Federal Heating
  A Statue of Liberty has carried a torch for Federal Boulevard since the early '80s. Bob Ramsour, the late owner of Federal Heating, loved building metal figures, and over the years, a collection of his creations, including an Uncle Sam and a skiing tin man, have adorned the neighborhood. But... More >>
• Best Reggae Monument
  Caribbean Marketplace
  A dancing portrait of Bob Marley stares down from the Caribbean Marketplace, marking the spot where the streets of Jamaica meet the streets of Denver. Bob's smiling face and swinging dreadlocks welcome visitors to the tiny shop. Colfax is a concrete jungle, but it's nice to have a little Rasta... More >>
• Best Spot to Get Lei'd
  Little Grass Shack
  In Hawaii, flower leis are used to celebrate everything from pre-school graduations to parole-board hearings. But while islanders can buy leis from the local Wal-Mart, here at 5,280 feet the fragrant tropical necklaces are hard to come by. So praise Pele for Little Grass Shack, which sells... More >>
• Best Place to Buy Your Freak Flag
  Heaven Sent Me
  Heaven Sent Me is the de rigueur destination for Pride weekend, but it's also open year-round for all your GLBT needs. Owner George Blackert has assembled scads of multi-hued cards, gifts, magazines, bumperstickers, flags, clothing, jewelry and boy toys, all of which burst forth from every... More >>
• Best Cop Shopping (1 Comment)
  Colorado State Patrol Protective Association Store
  Trooper groupies will love this place -- if they can find it, tucked inside the state patrol's training academy. The shop offers CSP-branded T-shirts, polos, fleeces, mugs, golf tees, stuffed bears -- even a miniature patrol car for Junior. Our personal favorite: the CSP dashboard notepad,... More >>
• Best Store in Belmar
  A++ Boutique de Force
  At A++ Boutique de Force, six local fashion- and design-forward businesses join forces to present a powerhouse showroom on Belmar's artsy Block 7. Collectible sneakers rub shoelaces with vinyl toys, costume jewelry and mod tees while fine art and prints create a backdrop for trying on the best... More >>
• Best Store on the 16th Street Mall (1 Comment)
  Cook's Fresh Market
  When cute cooking couple Edward and Kristi Janos and their meat-cutting partner, Bill Roehl, moved their specialty grocery shop, Cook's Fresh, to the city, downtown denizens rejoiced. Loft dwellers no longer had to satisfy themselves with visiting the website, www.cooksfreshmarket.com, or face... More >>
• Best Downtown Neighbors
  Cali & Mo and Lilly Partain
  Cali & Mo and Lilly Partain simply can't be mentioned separately. The sister stores, on the second level of the Pavilions, are the brainchildren of boutique entrepreneurs/friends Allison Leyn and Vicki Raichart, and both express a love of vintage -- but in different and equally charming ways. If... More >>
• Best Store in Cherry Creek
  Macy's
  When shoppers first began comparing Foley's apples to Macy's stars after Federated Department Stores rebranded its stores, there didn't seem to be much difference -- just new signs replacing old. But the slavering few who'd shopped a Macy's elsewhere knew to be patient. Their wait paid off:... More >>
• Best New Store on Broadway (Since March 2006) (4 Comments)
  Fancy Tiger
  From the moment partners Matthew Brown and Jaime Jennings opened Fancy Tiger, its blend of DIY mentality and hipster fashions meshed perfectly with the neighborhood and adjacent social centers hi-dive and Sputnik. And like a good bar, it has something for girls and guys alike: hip make-your-own... More >>
• Best Store on Old South Gaylord Street
  Pome
  Pome has a little bit of everything and anything, all arranged to keep you oohing and aahing from the door to the back counter. There are even goodies to keep the kiddos looking and wishing while their moms are shopping. In fact, some of Kate Feinsod's best customers can't even see over the... More >>
• Best Store on West 32nd Avenue
  Studio Bead
  A delightful shop commanded by adorable owner Joy Barrett, Studio Bead is not like any other place on the block -- or anywhere else. One month, it's all vintage bags with freshly beaded and charm-hung handles, the next it's a Frida tribute show. But always there's a well-culled selection of... More >>
• Best Store on Littleton's Main Street
  Savory Spice
  Mike and Janet Johnson's new Savory Spice on Littleton's Main Street is as engaging as their first location at 15th and Platte streets downtown. And, as with the old store, you can smell it coming -- which is downright divine. Once you enter, choose from smoked paprika, granulated garlic,... More >>
• Best Store in Olde Town Arvada
  Olde Town Pickin' Parlor
  The Olde Town Pickin' Parlor might be the closest thing to nirvana for a serious acoustic-guitar fingerpicker. Just walking in the store, which opened in 1991 (long before the "new" Olde Town), is enough to get your salivary glands working overtime. There's the vast selection of Martin and... More >>
• Best Store on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall
  Powell's Sweet Shoppe
  Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory wasn't bad, as remakes go, but it can't hold a lollipop to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the first cinematic adaptation of Roald Dahl's sweet-and-sour novel -- and Powell's Sweet Shoppe's decision to construct a shrine to the latter,... More >>
• Best Store Almost on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall
  Bliss
  If shopping is your Bliss, you'll find it here. Just a short stroll down Pearl Street from the mall proper leads you to this rambling store filled with scented Illume candles, a huge selection of stationery and cards, adorable embroidered tea towels and aprons, elegant Cavallini stamping kits,... More >>
• Best Store at Denver International Airport (1 Comment)
  Radio Road
  No time to pack? No problem. Radio Road has you covered -- literally. You can outfit yourself from head to toe at the store, which opened last year on Concourse A at DIA, and whose only other outlets are at a handful of airports scattered across the country. That's because Radio Road is designed... More >>
• Best New Store on Colfax (Since March 2006) (1 Comment)
  Constance Love
  Chandra Moseley's reimagined vintage store rose last fall in the same Colfax spot where her grandmother kept an antique shop for years. Among the pink-and-white-striped walls, she sells handpicked used clothing, glassware, costume jewelry and whatever else strikes her fancy. But vintage bags are... More >>
• Best New Old Store
  on Colfax
  Twist & Shout
  Sooner rather than later, most record stores are likely to vanish from the commercial landscape -- but rather than passively waiting for this sad day, Paul and Jill Epstein are raging against the dying of the light. The sprawling new Twist & Shout, relocated last year from its former home on... More >>
• Best New Old Bookstore
  Tattered Cover Book Store
  Some longtime Tattered Cover fanatics still miss the old Cherry Creek location, which was a bit roomier than the store's new digs in the Lowenstein Center on East Colfax. Still, today's TC is plenty praiseworthy: The design, which incorporates elements from the theater that once operated on the... More >>
• Best New Used Bookstore
  Miss Prothero's Books
  Nan Wigington named Miss Prothero's for the character in Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales" who descends the stairs to ask, "Would you like anything to read?" There's more than enough here: Wigington keeps her orderly, pleasant shop stocked with hardback editions of literary titles,... More >>
• Best Cheap Books
  Goodwill Industries
  Tired of paying high prices and library late fees for your favorite novels? Goodwill Industries is the place to go. In between the secondhand clothes and the well-worn furniture, you'll find the used-book section, where paperbacks are 99 cents and hard covers run $1.99. A patient and diligent... More >>
• Best Place to See a Book Come to Life (7 Comments)
  Sage Moon
  Alas, it's spring. And where in Mugglesville will you pick up your new Quidditch gear? Unexpectedly, you can buy it all -- Quidditch goggles, a fine broom, a flighty golden snitch, a Hogwarts banner and officially licensed house robes, scarves and ties -- in the back of this Littleton... More >>
• Best Book to Taste
  130 Years and 130 Dishes
  Last year marked Colorado's 130th year of statehood, and what better way for the Colorado Department of Agriculture to celebrate than to dream up an imaginary feast, with the menu planned by residents? The Department put a call out for recipes made with Colorado-based ingredients, culled them... More >>
• Best Flea Market
  Sweet William Market
  Sweet William Market popped up last spring like its floral namesake, all pure and perky and lacking pretension. Owners (and Stapleton residents) Kim Kouba and Lizzie Kienast stitched together their open-air flea market by choosing a ripe collection of vendors offering lots of quality retro,... More >>
• Best New Farmers' Market
  Civic Center Park
  If you love farmers' markets and you work downtown, you've gotta love this one, a weekly foodie fiesta in one of Denver's most secretly lovely parks. Civic Center's often spectacular summer gardens provide a bucolic backdrop for strolling among vendors of fresh, home-grown organic produce and... More >>
• Best Arty Markets (2 Comments)
  Dana Cain
  Dana Cain is so hip it hurts. She has that knack for knowing which old stuff is especially new again, and has used it to build an empire of totally entertaining collectibles expos. First, she's the entrepreneurial brain behind the Collectors Supershow toy extravaganza, which recently joined... More >>
• Best Design Shop
  P Design Gallery
  Design-forward couple Paul and Pifuka Hardt took a leap when they opened P Design Gallery in the RiNo arts district last summer. With the flip of a light switch over the showroom floor, Denver entered a brave, new modernist world that stretches from Brooklyn's burgeoning design enclave to... More >>
• Best New Counterculture Hangout
  Idle Hands Boutique and Gallery
  Remember when wearing skulls was a sign of rebellion, back before you could find them at Wal-Mart? Jen McMillan does, and her new gallery, Idle Hands Boutique and Gallery, showcases a wide range of all things counterculture. McMillan's hope is to bring back the meaning behind the symbols that... More >>
• Best New Hipster Hangout
  Joy Engine
  Stocked with vinyl art toys like custom MUNNY dolls, designer T-shirts, top-of-the-line spray paints and original artwork by such up-and-coming locals as Ray Young Chu, Jason Thielke and Scot Lefavor, Joy Engine feels like it should be on Colfax Avenue or Santa Fe Drive rather than off the Pearl... More >>
• Best Chocolate With a Message (7 Comments)
  Original Hip Hop Chocolates
  Box-cutters were the beginning of Original Hip Hop Chocolates. Marcus, the artist and creative genius behind the concept, was pondering their significance after 9/11, contemplating how something so commonplace could be a weapon. So he made box-cutter chocolates in an attempt to face and conquer... More >>
• Best Coffee Brewed in an Oversized iPod (3 Comments)
  NOVO Coffee
  NOVO Coffee doesn't actually brew your cup of joe in giant iPods, but its stylized metallic coffee machines, called Clovers, resemble them. They have the same modish aura, as if they, too, promise to change the way we do things. You can find the Clovers in action at the residential complex next... More >>
• Best Place to Battle Over Cappuccino
  Mile High Buzz
  Denver's wired caffeine addicts rejoice over the Mile High Buzz blog. The site features a growing rundown of local coffee shops, describing the decor, menu and perks like WiFi. Plus there's a handy interactive map for finding the closest latte, and a somber graveyard that lists beloved cafes... More >>
• Best Candles
  Ambiance de Provence
  Frenchman Stephan Poullier's charming store is buoyant with all things Provencal, including the Mediterranean region's distinctive sun-washed pottery, oilcloth and table linens, as well as fine French soaps and stunning glass pieces. But don't miss the candles, which are both fun and functional.... More >>
• Best Dish Towels (1 Comment)
  Max & Me
  This swell little Tennyson Street boutique is piled high with lots of cozy T-shirts, jeans and designer-wear for grownups, plus adorable gifts for babes (the little kind), from teensy tees printed with jeweled-navel Buddhas and pirate ships to ultra-snuggly animal-hooded towels and Käthe Kruse... More >>
• Best Knitting Shop
  LambShoppe
  Knitters are a unique bunch, and they stick together like a herd of, well, sheep. LambShoppe is a smartly appointed meadow where those noble knitters can network, learn, and replenish supplies from the handsome rows of rich, dark floor-to-ceiling wood shelves. Whether you're ready for a good... More >>
• Best Do-It-Yourself Jewelry
  Desert Gems
  Since its move from way-north Broadway to Lakewood, this gem of a store has become a prime gathering place for bead artists, metalsmiths, rock hounds and others interested in designing their own necklaces, earrings and whatnots. From clasps to cabochons to an astonishing variety of beads, all... More >>
• Best Do-It-for-You Jeweler -- Metal
  Anesha Jewelry by Amy Kahn
  Amy Kahn delivers one helluva Big O. The rest of her "O" collection of jewelry is pretty fine, too, but that giant silver (or gold) circle floating in the middle of your chest attracts mad attention. It's simple and sleek and perfect for all occasions. Locally, Kahn is every independent shop's... More >>
• Best Do-It-for-You Jeweler -- Gems
  Lee Alexander Jewelery
  If fashion makes a statement, then Lee Alexander Jewelery is the exclamation point at the end. Designer Christa Rost is known for her larger-than-life gem creations, featuring everything from quartz to carnelian. Her piece de resistance, however, is the crystal quartz necklace that showcases one... More >>
• Best Crafts Shop
  Willow
  Helen Rice's Willow is one of those hidden finds, a showcase for local artisans. Small and friendly, it's pleasantly filled with bright Fimo clay makeup brushes and quilted fish mobiles, handpainted furniture and pottery plates etched with leafy fossil patterns, not to mention a candy-colored... More >>
• Best Disco Knockout (1 Comment)
  GlowFur
  GlowFur garments are the ultimate nightlife accessory, thanks to their internal battery-powered light system that can be switched on and off like a lamp. Designed by Colorado Springs entrepreneur David Lee, the illuminated faux-fur coats, boleros, handbags, scarves, leggings and bikini separates... More >>
• Best Punk Knockout
  FashioNation
  Long before that corporate punk invaded Denver, there was FashioNation, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year. The homegrown boutique took its name from an episode of the 1960s Batman TV series in which the vixenish villainess Catwoman plotted to steal clothing from a fashion show... More >>
• Best Woman to Make You a Knockout (1 Comment)
  Susan Matthews
  Clothes make the woman -- and Susan Matthews creates some stunners. In addition to doing basic alterations, she restyles clothing for the transgendered community, helping clients to fill out fabulous frocks or power-pack their pants. She's also developing a series of interactive workshops to... More >>
• Best Man to Make Your Daughter a Knockout
  Jaider Sanchez
  Jaider Sanchez knows a thing or two about turning a girl into a woman -- or a man into a woman, for that matter. This drag queen/stylist is the expert that many Denver padres turn to when it's time for their daughters to celebrate their fifteenth-year quinceañera. They know that Sanchez will... More >>
• Best Clothing for Real Women (2 Comments)
  Harriet's San Francisco
  Here's the skinny on too many women's boutiques: The clothes they sell fit only willowy sylphs, teens and anorexics. But the rest of us -- and that means most of us -- want to look good without having to fit into one of those narrow, clingy, nipple-loving things that hang on countless... More >>
• Best Cheap Shoes (5 Comments)
  True Love
  Sarah Lilly-Ray has raised the cheap shoe to stiletto-heel heights at her Broadway footwear emporium, where the prices rarely climb above fifty bucks a pair. And what pairs! Lilly-Ray's shelves are proficiently stocked with nearly 100 styles of inexpensive shoes, from ballet flats to knockoff... More >>
• Best Expensive Shoes
  Strut
  Tiptoe into Elyse Burja's posh shoe palace, breathe in the sexy aroma of butter-soft leather and keenly crafted stacked heels, and you'll know how shoes become a fetish. Swoon over the black Bronx peep-toe pumps with front-buttoned straps or a pair of teetery, strappy Kaju wedges. Never have... More >>
• Best Recycled Shoes (1 Comment)
  Bruise
  Bruise carries what must be the premier selection of pre-owned sneakers, including Adidas, Puma, Nike, Reebok, Converse and other favorites of the city's fleet-footed. Owner Dennis Bodley claims to personally scrub, oil, polish and waterproof every pair he puts on the shelves, so what's old can... More >>
• Best Recycled Clothing
  Potential Fashions
  Don't know what to do with that worn pair of jeans, a skirt from three seasons ago or your stash of old T-shirts? Chances are good that Tricia Hoke and Kimberly Robertson of Potential Fashions would have more than a few ideas. These ladies have made an art form out of reconstructing thrift-store... More >>
• Best Handbags
  Kismet
  The relationship between a woman and her handbag is a little something like Kismet. Some people search for years for the right purse, carrying some ratty old thing while they look. One bag's not big enough, another's too heavy; the black bag doesn't go with your new brown shoes, but the brown... More >>
• Best Handbags for Cowgirls (1 Comment)
  Zelda's
  There's only one place for a cowgirl to stash her keys and cash: in a classic tooled-leather saddlebag slung freely over her shoulder. Zelda's stocks the archetypal Western-wear purses in several shapes and sizes, plus plush cowboy-boot slippers, bejeweled belts, sterling silver and turquoise... More >>
• Best Stuff to Put in Your Handbag (1 Comment)
  Sephora
  Finally, Sephora made it to the Mile High City. No more trips to New York and San Francisco to indulge in its plethora of tubes, pots and compacts. A veritable playground of choices, Sephora lets you peruse on your own or with the help of a skilled cosmetologist, picking and choosing from just... More >>
• Best Duds for Little Hipsters (1 Comment)
  Rare Bird Vintage Clothing
  There's so much to love about Rare Bird Vintage Clothing, from the artful, ever-changing window displays to the great prices on cute couture from every decade. Owner Ian Nelson pairs old clothes with new ideas, which makes this Capitol Hill closet an ideal dress-up destination. The fun isn't... More >>
• Best Duds for Little Prepsters (3 Comments)
  Petite Patoot
  Last summer, Brigitte Dornbirer moved her savvy upscale kids' boutique from a southwest Denver warehouse to a more visible commercial space on South Broadway, and we've fallen in love all over again. Gone are the haphazard hours and obscure location, replaced by an adorable cornucopia of gently... More >>
• Best Prayer Party
  Denise Barnes's Kick-Ass Peace Prayer Gatherings
  Every first Sunday at the Mercury Cafe, Denise Barnes hosts meetings for people who want to pray an alternative way. "Many religions today have kind of lost their passion," she explains. "Part of the idea is just to wake things up a little bit; God must be really bored, too. And one of the rules... More >>
• Best Drive-Up Prayers
  Kingdom of Glory Christian Center
  If you don't have time to attend church services, Kingdom of Glory Christian Center will make sure that God gets the message. It's installed a handy, drive-up prayer box in an old mailbox at the entry to the church parking lot just off Welton. From your hands to God's ears, this is guaranteed to... More >>
• Best Headwear for Jews
  Aharon's Jewish Books and Judaica
  Did you ever wonder where Orthodox Jews get those black fedoras? Around these parts, they get them from Aharon's, and they aren't just any hats; they're Borsalinos, handmade of pure Belgian lapin-fur felt. That makes them some of the finest chapeaus in the universe -- as Boy George can attest.... More >>
• Best Tattoo Removal Service (3 Comments)
  Ink-B-Gone
  Do you really want a wrestling match between Devil Girl and Captain America to forever ripple across your pecs? Getting rid of the mistake is a little easier since Ink-B-Gone opened its doors near Sixth and Broadway last year, offering state-of-the-art, scar-resistant laser removal services at... More >>
• Best Anti-Smoking Aid (1 Comment)
  JuJu Central
  Tracy O'Shaughnessy and Carole Wilke saw how hard it was for a friend to stick to her stop-smoking vow, so the two local women created JuJuStx to provide a little incentive. The bamboo toothpicks are infused with the natural sweetener Xylitol and other energizing ingredients and come in four... More >>
• Best Aphrodisiac for Men
  Oskar Blues Old Chub Stick
  Modern men don't want their kissers to taste like a mango. It's supposed to be the women walking around half-naked smelling like a fruit bowl, like those Polynesian ladies in a Gauguin painting, right? But beer-flavored? Now that's a different thing entirely. Lyons brewer Oskar Blues offers the... More >>
• Best Place to Shave
  Melt Products
  Face it: After years of scraping the hair off your mug with laser-sharpened Gillette Mach 3s, your skin is left with all the sensitivity of wallet leather. Daddy may have taught you how to shave, but unless he was a metrosexual daddy, he probably wasn't very versant in product. Supplement his... More >>
• Best Beauty Fix (4 Comments)
  CRAVE Parties
  Maintaining a career and balancing it with a personal life is a challenge for modern women. When you throw in the desire to look fabulous all the time, suddenly there aren't nearly enough hours in the day to research new beauty products or fashion and still fit in the all-important pedicures,... More >>
• Best No-Boys-Allowed Parties (2 Comments)
  Hip Chicks Out/ Mystique Erotique
  A grip-and-grin with Pam Grier. Valentine's night just for the girls. When it comes to putting together the hottest ladies-only parties in town, Hip Chicks Out is unrivaled. Get on the website's mailing list to find out what saucy events are coming up, then dress to impress and hit the town.... More >>
• Best Online Shopping
  www.talulahonline.com
  Robin Lohre's Miss Talulah's and Talulah Jones boutiques are wildly popular, thanks to their ever-changing merchandise. And now the same cool stuff is available without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. Log on to talulahonline.com and shop for embellished satin handbags, embroidered... More >>
• Best Dog-Proof Furniture (2 Comments)
  The Livable Home Store
  Pets. We love them, but we don't love their detritus. The clumps and snowstorms of freshly shed hair, the naptime drool, the secret spraying spots. Luckily, the furniture in Amy McCawley's Livable Home Store makes the mess less permanent. Everything comes with stain-, soil- and odor-resistant... More >>
• Best Canine Accessory
  The PetPeek
  Best Friends has the perfect solution to bored Rover's lack of a backyard view. The PetPeek is a hard plastic dome that, with a little basic woodcraft, fits into a privacy fence and allows your mutt a safe, enclosed-bubble glimpse of the world beyond. Demand has been so strong that the company,... More >>
• Best Attempt to Take Over the World
  Firehouse Animal Health Centers
  When Firehouse Animal Health Center opened in the old Firehouse Car Wash, it brought high-end veterinary service to an area with money to burn and dogs to pamper. Head vets Jed Rogers and Beth Spencer drew in customers with high-tech equipment, warm bedside manners, mod furniture in the waiting... More >>
• Best Way to Leave This World
  Tender Touch Animal Hospital
  Tender Touch Animal Hospital is known for its routine well care, but the staff also excels at easing the pain of loss. The hospital's private "comfort room" is furnished with a sofa, chair and rugs in soothing shades of eggplant and sage, candles, a water cooler and tissues for terminal-patient... More >>
• Best Garden Shop for Serious Gardeners
  Birdsall & Co.
  You can get your compost and beefsteak tomato plants at any of the big-box stores, but when it comes to quality tools, trellises, decorations and fountains -- the kind of thing that transforms an amateur's backyard plot to a horticulturalist's refuge -- Birdsall has the goods. Decorative... More >>
• Best Place to Shred
  Action Recycling
  Soon after the zombie hordes of mailbox- and trash-can-pilfering meth addicts descended on our city, everyone had to rush out and buy a paper shredder. Sadly, the sheer volume of credit-card offers alone was enough to burn out the motor of the cheapest model. Tossing a dead shredder into the... More >>
• Best Senior Senior Seminar
  VIVA
  If you were too busy raiding panties and packing phone booths to pay attention to that tweedy professor half a century ago, here's your second chance. DU's VIVA (Vibrant Intellectually Vigorous Adults) program is for true seniors -- those 55 and older who want to keep using their noggin rather... More >>
• Best Solution to College Binge Drinking (1 Comment)
  Student Emergency Medical Services
  As college administrators around the country struggle to combat binge drinking, one student group at the University of Colorado at Boulder has a brilliant idea: Keep students from killing themselves by providing trained EMTs at parties. "I just thought it would be great if college kids could... More >>
• Best Alcohol Delivery System
  Pocket Shot
  Fair warning: "Pocket Shot condemns underage drinking and the irresponsible consumption of alcohol." But tidy, responsible consumption? Pocket Shot is all about that. This Colorado invention fills a flexible plastic sealed pouch with a shot of vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey or gin -- perfect for... More >>