The Lyfties Reveal Denver's Most Popular Destinations of the Year

Lyft has unveiled the inaugural 2016 Lyftie Awards for Denver, crowning the most popular destinations for Lyft riders in the Mile High City. Familiar spots took the top honors in six categories, with lower downtown cementing itself as the city's most trafficked neighborhood. And the winners are...

Most-Visited Restaurant
Avanti
3200 North Pecos Street
The new-age food hall and beer haven in lower Highland is made up of repurposed shipping containers and features seven different culinary experiences at any given time. It's hard to imagine anything more Denver: artistic, environmentally friendly design, delicious and diverse food, and a tap list that will please even the most discerning beer snob.

Most-Visited Bar
The ViewHouse
2015 Market Street
Its prime location, rooftop patio and lawn games kept customers coming back to the ViewHouse in 2016. It doesn't drip with Denver culture like Avanti, but it's hard to miss and can accommodate the masses streaming out of Coors Field after a Rockies game.

Most-Visited Transit Stop
Union Station
1701 Wynkoop Street
Since its renovation in 2014, Union Station has become much more than a transit stop. You can grab a meal, shop for books, drink a craft cocktail, and play a game of tabletop shuffleboard, all without leaving the building. There's never a dull moment at Union Station, especially since the A Line train opened with direct service to and from the airport.

Most-Visited Event Space
The Pepsi Center
1000 Chopper Circle
Home to the Colorado Avalanche, the Nuggets and countless national headlining concerts, the Pepsi Center was the most frequented event space in 2016. On December 23, Lyft announced it would become the official ride-share partner of the Pepsi Center. Denver Lyft general manager Gabe Cohen says the partnership will include designated pick-up and drop-off areas, on-site Lyft ambassadors and exclusive app updates for Lyft riders.

Only in Denver
Native Roots Dispensary — Downtown
1555 Champa Street
Weed legalization continues to make strides across the nation, but Denver's still the king of pot. Barely a five-minute Lyft ride from Union Station, curious tourists couldn't resist stopping in for a treat at Native Roots in 2016.

Trending Destination
Cervantes' Masterpiece & the Other Side
2635 Welton Street
A far cry from the Pepsi Center, the iconic, gritty Cervantes' in Five Points continues to draw crowds almost every day of the week.

General manager Cohen says he's dropped off Lyft passengers at all of this year's Lyftie winners, but he's hesitant to pick a favorite. “It’s very tough to choose just one," he says. "I live very close to Avanti, and so am a frequent customer. As a Denver native, it’s been really fun to watch Union Station grow into a beautiful and unique destination. And Cervantes' has been such a staple of the local music scene for such a long time. And, of course, we are big fans of our partner, the Pepsi Center."

In 2017, Lyft will roll out the Amp, an electronic device that aims to ease what Cohen calls "the pain point of the last fifty feet of a pickup." The device, which resembles a large pill with an LED display, sits on a car's dashboard and flashes a certain color when it matches with a rider. The rider, who sees the same color flashing on his or her phone, can more easily identify the driver.