Best Proof That Colorado Is Still the Center of the Universe 2001 | National Institute of Standards and Technology | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Proof That Colorado Is Still the Center of the Universe

National Institute of Standards and Technology

National media outlets long ago shifted their attention to more catastrophe-ridden states (after all, the networks couldn't show that clip of JonBenét forever), but Colorado still sets the pace for the rest of the country. That's because the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the hundred-year-old independent agency that started out as the National Bureau of Standards, has a laboratory in Boulder that maintains the nation's atomic clocks. Got the time? You will if you check time.gov, as fifty million others do every day.

Best New Building

Avaya Communications

Sitting dramatically on a rise above West 120th Avenue -- and just across from Chili's -- is the stunning Avaya Communications building. The work of world-famous Connecticut architects Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo, the Avaya is clad in no less than a dozen kinds and colors of glass. Its most distinctive feature, though, is a 300-foot ocular atrium set on a diagonal (which yokels have mistaken for a satellite dish). The building is a real coup for Westminster, perhaps the last place you'd expect to find Colorado's first great architectural work of the 21st century.

Best New Building

Avaya Communications

Sitting dramatically on a rise above West 120th Avenue -- and just across from Chili's -- is the stunning Avaya Communications building. The work of world-famous Connecticut architects Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo, the Avaya is clad in no less than a dozen kinds and colors of glass. Its most distinctive feature, though, is a 300-foot ocular atrium set on a diagonal (which yokels have mistaken for a satellite dish). The building is a real coup for Westminster, perhaps the last place you'd expect to find Colorado's first great architectural work of the 21st century.

Best TV Weathercaster

Marty Coniglio, Channel 7

Marty Coniglio is a reliable presence on Channel 7's underappreciated evening newscast, and a generally accurate one. Better yet, he seems more interested in offering information about the latest weather conditions than in showing off every technical gizmo in his arsenal.

Best TV Weathercaster

Marty Coniglio, Channel 7

Marty Coniglio is a reliable presence on Channel 7's underappreciated evening newscast, and a generally accurate one. Better yet, he seems more interested in offering information about the latest weather conditions than in showing off every technical gizmo in his arsenal.

Best New Building in LoDo

Millennium Building

Most of the new buildings in LoDo are little more than three-dimensional wallpaper that blends into the background. But every once in a while, an inspired designer comes up with an idea that is compatible with Lower Downtown Historic District requirements and also stands on its own as architecture. Such is the case with the Millennium Building, which was built with remarkable speed in a former parking lot. This postmodern edifice, by Denver architects Parkhill-Ivins, shows a real eye to detail; for example, it's faced in brick that has been laid in fancy patterns -- clearly a response to its historic neighbors. Sure, LoDo needs parking -- but it needs good-looking buildings such as this one even more.

Best New Building in LoDo

Millennium Building

Most of the new buildings in LoDo are little more than three-dimensional wallpaper that blends into the background. But every once in a while, an inspired designer comes up with an idea that is compatible with Lower Downtown Historic District requirements and also stands on its own as architecture. Such is the case with the Millennium Building, which was built with remarkable speed in a former parking lot. This postmodern edifice, by Denver architects Parkhill-Ivins, shows a real eye to detail; for example, it's faced in brick that has been laid in fancy patterns -- clearly a response to its historic neighbors. Sure, LoDo needs parking -- but it needs good-looking buildings such as this one even more.

Best Radio-Station Slogan

"The 50,000-Watt Voice of the West"
KOA-AM/850

If you've got it, flaunt it.

Best Radio-Station Slogan

"The 50,000-Watt Voice of the West"
KOA-AM/850

If you've got it, flaunt it.

Best Room With a View

The Dome

Inside a golden atrium of rectangular windows and ornate woodwork, more than 5,000 feet above sea level and 93 steps above the third floor of the State Capitol Building, you'll find the best panoramic views of Denver and beyond -- way beyond. On a clear day, you can see Pikes Peak, Lookout Mountain and practically all the way to Kansas from the Dome. You'll also find tour guide Ted Polito, who dispenses trivia, historical brochures and personal anecdotes five days a week. Ted has Down's syndrome, but that hasn't stopped him from becoming one of the state government's most reliable, entertaining employees. He dresses like a cowboy for his job, and when he's not offering up tidbits about Colorado's past, he's practicing to become the future Garth Brooks. High above Denver, surrounded by blue sky and sunlight, he's on top of the world.

Best Of Denver®

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