The House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee disappointed homeless advocates this week when it voted not to pass along a bill that could have negated laws that prevent homeless individuals from sitting on the sidewalk and sleeping in public places. The Right to Rest bill had been introduced in April,…
The bagel sensation Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen is going to have a gluteny friend next door by early next year. A new bakery, The Rolling Pin, is the brainchild of Rosenberg’s current pastry chef, Jay Thomas. If all goes as planned—which doesn’t always happen when opening a new business in…
Denver’s Road Home is nearing the end of its first decade, and the program, tied to a federal goal of ending chronic homelessness in ten years, clearly still has a long way to go. A recent audit confirmed that the city has not done enough with the $63 million it’s…
Homeless advocates across Colorado hope to combat local laws banning individuals from sitting on sidewalks and sleeping on the street with a proposal scheduled to be heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on April 15. If approved by legislators and signed by the governor, they say, the…
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Denver’s Road Home, the city’s ten-year plan to end homelessness. But homelessness continues, and now Denver’s Road Home and Mayor Michael Hancock’s office have launched a series of community meetings around the city to discuss DRH’s achievements and the current homeless situation, and…
The new behavioral health services center to serve mainly homeless individuals is one step closer to becoming a reality with the release of a Request for Proposal from the city for a service provider. In December, the city approved the purchase of the 26,000 square-foot building at 405 South Platte…
After hosting the Handmade Homemade Market (HaHo), a venture that has helped launch dozens of small craft businesses, Stephen Toma and Dani Lanworthy are taking their concept to the next level with a shared workspace. But they need a Kickstarter campaign to reach its goal in order to take that step, and…
When Randall James Borne learned that he had to close his five-year-old restaurant and bar, Randall’s at Pierre’s, to make way for a new townhouse development, he immediately sought out a new space. He wanted to reopen as soon as possible, but soon discovered that the space he’d found in…
The Denver Rescue Mission broke ground on a new community center to serve the homeless at 17th and Lawrence streets this week, and city officials came out in force to mark the occasion. But the Ballpark Neighborhood Association, which has fought the project, calls that groundbreaking “premature.” See also: Denver…
When Hannah Ulbrich decided to go back to work full time after a few years as a stay-at-home mom and adjunct literature professor, she was presented with an opportunity by her friend Sinjin Eberle, then owner of Copper Door Coffee Roasters. When he mentioned one day that he was planning…
Two Rivers Coffee closed its doors in Arvada last weekend, but only to open a new, larger location a few doors down on Saturday in the same shopping center. Two Rivers shares the strip with Natural Grocers and Great Harvest Bread Co.; owner Eric Yochim says the trio of businesses…
Walking into Pablo’s Coffee cafe in the Alamo Placita neighborhood, you’ll notice the noise: not that it’s too loud, but it’s louder than other cafes because everyone is talking — to the baristas, to each other, and to strangers. There are a few people on computers or reading, but for…
There’s no better way to try Novo Coffee than in one of the company’s two Denver cafes, one on East 6th Avenue and one downtown. “Our retail locations are a great way to showcase our coffee,” says president and co-founder Jake Brodsky. “The fact that we do it in our…
The holidays are not all about celebration; this time of year is tough for people with psychological or addiction problems. But Colorado residents in a crisis related to mental health or substance abuse now have an easier time seeking help: The new Colorado Crisis Services is coordinating various state programs…
The red and black colors of a new Ink Coffee cafe adorn the former Cash From Clutter building at 2851 Larimer Street, across the street from the neighborhood’s five-year veteran, Crema Coffee House. At first, the addition made me wince: on a street that has small, local businesses popping up…
At the December 22 meeting, Denver City Council approved the $2.3 million purchase of a building at 405 South Platte Rive Drive; the structure will soon house a 46-bed behavioral health crisis center for the homeless, the Solutions Center. See also: Homeless: Committee Okays $2.3M Solutions Center Plan Over Some…
Crema Coffee House is arguably one of the pioneers of the River North neighborhood. Owner Noah Price opened the hole in the wall cafe at Larimer and 29th streets five years ago. At the time, the the tiny space fit a dozen or so people comfortably; the rest of the…
If you were ever doubtful that a Welton Street renaissance would arrive in Five Points, Dunbar Kitchen and Tap House will relieve those worries. The new restaurant with classic cocktails, shelves of local liquor, a brick-and-wood décor and Southern-tinged menu is a surprise in the mainly quiet Welton Street strip…
Last Wednesday evening the garish holiday lights on the Denver City & County Building were dimmed to allow a smaller glow to brighten the front of the structure: the flicker of about 200 candles held in honor of the homeless who passed away on the streets of Denver this year…
When Malissa and Scott Spero came back to the states after a year of teaching in Korea, they were ready for a change. Before the trip, Malissa had worked at the China Center at the University of Denver and Scott was a graphic design student. “We realized we could do…
After more than a year of delays, the Meadowlark Kitchen quietly opened its doors two weeks ago to little fanfare. The small eatery next door to the popular underground bar and music venue, the Meadowlark, originally announced the beginning of construction in September of 2013, but contractor delays pushed the…
A report on hunger and homelessness released last week by the U.S. Conference of Mayors revealed that while local services are still not meeting the full needs of this city’s hungry and homeless populations, Denver is, on average, doing better than the many of the other cities studied in the…
