Set the WAYBAC Machine for three decades ago and check out the results below.
The Broker Unlike so many other businesses in Denver Now, The Broker restaurant, at 821 17th Street, remains very much a going concern, with its website boasting that it's been "an award-winning Denver tradition for over 35 years." Less likely to win plaudits are the outfits and hairstyles of this couple, who seem to be thinking, "Thank goodness someone else looks as ridiculous as I do!" Denver Avalanche Before there was the Colorado Avalanche, there was the Denver Avalanche -- an indoor soccer team. The text accompanying this groovy photo reads in part, "Denver fans have taken to the Avalanche, coming to games in great. numbers. This fan support is phenomenal for a team that has only existed since 1980." Well, maybe not all that phenomenal. After all, this Wikipedia page reveals that the Denver Avs folded in...1982. Continue for more Denver Now showcases of Denver businesses then -- in 1982. Denver Jean Co. The Denver Jean Co. was located at 3333 South Tamarac Drive -- a fact confirmed by a few lingering shadows on the Internet. Otherwise, the business has been lost in the mists of time, and that's too bad -- because this guy's combination of a mod hair, smoldering expression, leather jacket and ultra-tight jeans (with an apparently stuffed crotch) deserve to live on forever. Aurora Mall The Aurora Mall is still with us, if not a number of businesses captured in this image, including Fashion Bar. But while this shot was presumably intended to make it seem trendy and cutting edge, it looks to 21st Century eyes like the sort of the place people would be well-advised to run from rather than toward -- like a set from the original Dawn of the Dead. Continue for more Denver Now showcases of Denver businesses then -- in 1982. Jim Butcher The Denver Now page for this now-defunct clothier, once found at 1590 Court Place, reads in part, "Jim Butcher, a unique and quality western wear store conveniently located in the heart of downtown Denver, in the Hilton Hotel, on the new 16th Street Mall [our emphasis] specializes in the finest apparel for both men and women of discriminating taste." None of the people in this photo appear to fit that description -- but because they look ready to shoot anyone who questions their style, it's better to keep those thoughts to yourself. Fairmont Hotel The Fairmont could be found at 1750 Welton, currently home to the Grand Hyatt. Presumably the change in ownership was accompanied by an updating of the decor and accessories -- like the TV set scene here, which is roughly the size of a cheap microwave oven. Still, the most eye-catching part of the photo here is the woman splayed out on the bed like the star of a softcore porn movie of the era. How does Emmanuelle by the Hour sound? Continue for more Denver Now showcases of Denver businesses then -- in 1982. KDEN KDEN radio was heard at 1340 on the AM dial, the current home of OpenAir, the Colorado Public Radio new-music outlet. Yet this photo remains shockingly timely: It looks just like today's Westword newsroom and staff. Really. We swear. Mammoth Gardens Denver Now asserts that Mamoth Gardens was "a multi-use facility unlike any other establishment in the country...adaptable to conventions, concerts, sporting events, trade shows, banquets or virtually any activity that requires vast floor space." As a bonus, "the Uptown Restaurant and Bar overlooking the central arena features one of Denver's most unique and popular menus." By later that decade and into the next, however, the place had deteriorated into a dump, and arguably the worst place to see a concert in the city. But thanks to a complete makeover, it reemerged as the Fillmore Auditorium, which actually deserves superlatives. Continue for more Denver Now showcases of Denver businesses then -- in 1982. The Hoffman Partnership Inc. Although the men in this picture look mighty tight, the principals of the Hoffman Partnership, based at 1439 Larimer street and specalizing in "architecture, interior design, graphic design, master planning, engineering, project development, and site selection and acquisition," have apparently gone their separate ways. Too bad, because that model they're looking at seems almost as hip as the family home in The Brady Bunch. Michael of the Carlyle/Peter's Place While Peter's Place is no longer at 755 South Colorado Boulevard, Michael of the Carlyle salons continue to be found in the metro area. We can only hope the professionals there can make customers look as fierce as this model, whose fluffy hair, cocked head and choker that looks like it might actually choke someone scream Eighties-style "sexy" to us.More from our Lists & Weirdness archive: "Photos: Denver Now showcases Mile High businesses -- as of 1982."
