Best Of Denver® 2003 Winners
Shopping & Services
Best Fine Art Masquerading as Rock Posters
Lindsey Kuhn's Swamp Co. Posters
In the last decade, Swamp Co. proprietor/artist Lindsey Kuhn has silk-screened thousands of his signature day-glo pop-art rock posters, promoting the concerts of Fugazi, Beck and Ween in the process. Kuhn began his career in the Mississippi skate-punk scene, relocating to Texas for a spell before finally settling here in 1999. His business is part DIY, part speculative: Kuhn provide the music-venue customer with a stack of posters free of charge, then squirrels away another stack to sign and sell as limited-edition prints. The strategy works just dandy, as the rock poster has evolved from disposable ephemera into collectible fine art over the last twenty years.
So you're at a bar, and a certain creepy someone is refusing to leave you alone unless you give him or her your phone number. What to do? Tell the heavy breather in question to call you at 303-575-1696 -- digits that just happen to dial up Denver's Rejection Hotline, a local service of the Web site www.rejectionhotline.com. Although the Hotline's recorded voice is briefly understanding ("I know this sucks, but don't be too devastated"), it's anything but in the long run, hinting that the person being dissed may be "short, fat, ugly, dumb," suffer from "bad breath" or "body odor," give off a "stalker vibe," or is about as much fun as "playing leapfrog with a unicorn." There's no better way to tell that certain unwanted someone to take a hike.
Best Free Seasonal Service
soberRide Free Cab Rides New Year's Eve
Carousing in LoDo got a whole lot easier -- or at least a bit more sensible -- last New Year's Eve, thanks to the soberRide program underwritten by AT&T Wireless. Folks who'd overdone the bubbly and lacked the means or foresight to book a room downtown for the night were provided free cab rides (up to $50 in value). From 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., chariots awaited, available at cab stands or through a toll-free number. And New Year's revelers got home safely to sleep off their excesses in the comfort of their own beds. But come to think of it, wasn't the name a bit misleading?
Best Free Service at DIA
AMPCO System Parking
Denver International Airport
Sometimes it seems like DIA doesn't want anyone to leave. Is there some kind of strange force field that sucks the juice from car batteries, flattens tires and disguises vehicles parked in the sprawling economy lots and distant car-parks, rendering their owners powerless to drive far, far away? Perhaps -- but it's no match for the good people at AMPCO System Parking, who scour the premises for infirm autos and offer gratis jump-starts, lock-out assistance, tire inflation and guidance for the hopelessly lost. Armed with a license-plate number, they can locate a car for the weary traveler who's just
plumb forgot where he parked it. AMPCO's attentive employees don't accept tips, so be sure to at least smile and wave as you pull out and motor on.
Best DIA Survival Guide
How to Be a Frequent Flier: Version 2.0
E. Larry Beaumont
After over two million hours of air travel, the average American would pull out his or her hair. But Littleton resident E. Larry Beaumont didn't do that. Instead, he wrote a book to help other frequent fliers survive the perils of air travel unscathed. From pre-travel planning, check-in and boarding to flight and arrival, Beaumont takes travelers through the experience with the least amount of pain -- and loads of humor. Included with the advice are humorous stories and suggestions for making travel experiences as enjoyable as possible, often at the expense of others.
It's not easy finding something for nothing at the Cherry Creek Mall. Certainly there are deals to be had, but nothing, not even the free perfume samples, matches the value of the free air compressor behind the mall (near Chevy's). No doubt intended for cyclists passing by on the Cherry Creek Bike Path, the air compressor also beckons to four-wheelers with low tire pressure. So the next time some bohemian friend says, "The Cherry Creek Mall blows, dude," reply "Yes, it does -- for free."
Former Bronco Chris Watson may have been traded to the Buffalo Bills, but his cousin Corey Carver is still rollin' here -- in a Yellow Cab limo. Carver followed the 1999 third-round draft pick from Illinois to Denver, where he started driving a cab and set up a limo business. He sold his company but retained a car, which he now drives for Yellow Cab. The nine-passenger Lincoln, resplendent in red velvet and decked out with TVs and a minibar, prowls the streets of Denver, ready to take fares to the airport or on a tour of all the best after-hours clubs. And if limos aren't your style, Carver also has a 1997 conversion van complete with captain's seats. At a mere 81 cents a mile, it's cheaper than the parking -- or DUI -- tickets you'd have in the morning.
Best Latte and Automated Massage Inside a Car Wash
Evergreen Car Wash and Detail
If you're self-indulgent enough to let someone else wash your car, why not take it to the limit? At Evergreen Car Wash, you'll never find yourself idling by the air-freshener display while your car gets the once-over. Instead, you'll enter a calm oasis of a lounge, featuring an espresso bar, leather massager/ recliners and works of high-end original art. Talk about killing time with style! Better yet, when it's over your car will be just as rejuvenated as you are.
How's traffic look today? Denver's city Web site offers computer users a way to find out quickly. The traffic pages feature maps that offer real-time views from cameras located at key intersections, like Broadway and Colfax, and 17th and Welton streets. Also included are links to a Colorado Department of Transportation site that provides access to cameras peeking at sections of I-70 and I-25. Before you drive, click.
Cats and dogs do the darnedest things. They like to eat floorboards, pee on bath towels when a litter box is available and stage passive-aggressive coups against their slumbering masters. Why, why, why do they do it? The staff that mans the Denver Dumb Friends League Animal Behavior Helpline has a few theories -- and they're willing to share with anyone who rings them up. After a telephone consultation (extension 346 for dogs, extension 348 for cats) during which a pet owner spells out the trouble, League workers propose a plan to correct the undesirable activity. If that doesn't work, the owner can call again and again. (The League also offers inexpensive classes on dog and cat behavior.) Phone in your pet peeves, or e-mail [email protected] at any time, and the staff will get back to you during business hours with sage advice. And that's the straight poop. Or the lack of it!
A dog and his owner are both happier when the four-legged one has learned to mind his manners. Even if your corgi seems incorrigible, trainer Terri Desnica can help. Desnica has been training canines for years, and she offers a seven-week basic obedience class at Hounds on the Hill, as well as a puppy kindergarten and advanced courses. With practice, your errant hound could become a well-mannered mutt in just a few weeks. Who knows? Maybe he can fetch a Best in Show award someday.
You don't have to be in the doghouse to visit the yellow house on 6th Avenue. This indie store is packed to the collar with natural food and treats, grooming products, toys and even doggie driver's licenses. Catering mostly to dogs and cats (and their owners), the store also has gear for fish, hamsters and turtles. Pets are welcome in the store -- but watch out for the resident black cat.
At this country club, Muffy and Biff aren't just nicknames -- they're status symbols woven into guests' collars and leashes. While you're off at the rat race all day, your furry companion will be racing around on the Golden Bone's padded floors and playing with other doggies in age-appropriate groups under the supervision of the pooch-loving staff. And, like some daycare situations, it's not all about the little ones. There are extras for parents, too: convenient weekday and weekend hours; social events, including wine and biscuit tastings, obedience classes, pet massage and psychics. And don't worry about separation anxiety -- just drive up, drop off and pick up a cuppa joe for the road without leaving your car.
Best Place to Rent a Down-and-Out Ritzy Pooch
St. Regis Hotel
Some hotels are pet-friendly, and then there are really pet-friendly hotels. Not only will the St. Regis Hotel in Aspen let you bring your pooch, but they'll even find one for you to borrow. Concierge Tim Sanders helps those missing the comfort of their canines find solace in a companion from the Aspen Animal Shelter. And they're on loan by the hour, day or week. In fact, a few couples have become so attached that they adopted their new furry friends. Sorry, no such luck for the feline fanatics among you. For more info, sniff out www.dogsaspen.com.
Sit. Siiiiit. Good dog! Now watch the birdie, but don't chomp on it. Of course, that may not be the exact way they do it at Doggone It, Every Dog's a Diva, but the result of their approach is an inexpensive way to commemorate man's best friend with photographs that illustrate each dog's personality. The service, which costs $54.95 and lasts about an hour, leaves owners with something better than a smelly bone: three different 5 x 7 prints, and a CD-ROM of all the good photos. Portraits can be taken of a dog alone, multiple dogs, or dogs with their owners. Free barking.
Best Place to Take a Dip With Your Dog
Maxfund Animal Adoption Center
Summers in Colorado may be dry, the fountains off and the lakes low, but the Maxfund Animal Adoption Center offers a little relief for your pooch's paws. With just a five-spot donation, Fido or Fifi can take a swim in the therapy pool. The Turkish baths it's not, but the water is cool and available year round, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- without an appointment. (They're closed Wednesdays.) And if you're short on funds but still need to get your unsuspecting mutt spayed or neutered, the no-kill shelter's new clinic offers low-cost surgeries right next door.
The ballyhooed "new urbanist" development at Lowry is a mixed bag, with much of it looking more suburban than citified. But the Town Center, by Denver architect David Owen Tryba, is true to new urbanism's best intentions: It's pedestrian-oriented and designed to a human scale, with parking lots hidden from view. The idea is to get people out of their cars and on their feet, and to make walking fun. The center has about two dozen retailers; stores face a narrow street that's lined with cheerful banners, wrought-iron benches and bicycle racks. Better for feet than the Foothills!
A branch of The Store That Must Not be Named may squat just outside Golden, but Meyer Hardware has been a downtown fixture for 58 years and has no intention of leaving. Owner Steve Schaefer took it over from his father, who took it over from his father-in-law. And now Steve's son patrols the aisles when on break from college. The friendly staff -- thankfully sans orange aprons -- is ready to assist with any project, whether you be a homeowner or contractor. They have nuts and bolts, flies and rods, doors and windows, hammers and nails, tents and tackle boxes, toolboxes and stoves. And that's just the beginning. Upstairs you'll find everything from red KitchenAid blenders to Calphalon pans -- and sometimes even Steve's mother, Marilyn, who also wraps beautiful confections during the holidays. And Tracy downstairs in hardware is an institution unto herself.
Best Scenic Hardware Store That Sells Food
Kneisel & Anderson Grocery and Hardware
Prospectors and silver swells stopped by this spanking-new emporium in search of fresh-baked bread, groceries and other items for everyday living, circa 1883: lamp oil, lye soap, maybe some stout twine and sturdy canvas. One 120 years later, the miners have faded, but local residents and tourists still stop by Kneisel & Anderson's historic building to pick up groceries and other necessities for today's living: light bulbs, antibacterial skin cleanser, duct tape and plastic sheeting. The oldest continuously operated business in Georgetown, now run by the fifth generation of the Kneisel-Anderson family, still sells food and hardware while retaining its Victorian charm.
Best Way to Get Movies, Smokes and Ice Cream Delivered
Zuvo
Using messengers on Vespas, Zuvo drivers bring not documents, but the real necessities of life to your door: DVDs, Two-Fisted Mario's pizza, Ben and Jerry's ice cream, chips and even toilet paper. And they do it in less than an hour. Zuvo, an online convenience store, was created by Boulderite Danny Newman a year ago and has been serving central Denver neighborhoods since last August. For just $5, you can rent a movie for three days; the downside is that there are only three drop-off locations. But if you place another order, they'll pick up all those previously viewed videos for free. That's one way to avoid late fees, which you can then invest in even more pints of Ben and Jerry's. Note: Zuvo service does not include hauling you to a gym.
Best Recycled Recycling Information
Second Life for Stuff in Denver
Sally Kurtzman
This handy little ten-page booklet, by former Rocky Mountain News columnist Sally Kurtzman, continues the service she started in the tabloid with "The Stuff Exchange." People with old-but-serviceable stuff are told how to get in touch with organizations that can put that stuff to good use. Second Life lists contact numbers for organizations in need of commonly found household items, and helpful tips on how to decide what goes where: trash, regifting to friends and family, donation, or storage to wait for a future trip through the decision-making process. Because the average Denverite throws out three and a half pounds of garbage a day, Kurtzman's old wartime advice to "make it do, wear it out, use it up, do without" makes sense even in the new wartime. E-mail Kurtzman at [email protected] for a copy.
Best Store on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall
Boulder Book Store
The Boulder Book Store is a browser's paradise, thoughtfully laid out and designed, full of warm woods and sporting an eclectic and extensive assortment of books (many accompanied by staff, public or media reviews). From the travel, history and cookbooks of the lowest floor, through the long shelves of literary works, to the health and spiritual offerings at the top of the building, you'll find almost anything you could want here -- as well as the occasional surprise, including bottles of olive oil and premium chocolate bars. The store is at the heart of the Boulder community, and owner David Bolduc has been a pillar of support for local schools, art groups and independent businesses over the last two decades.
As its name suggests, Earth Spirit peddles products of a slightly groovy nature: Incense, Zen artifacts, stones, herbal soaps, that kind of thing. But for all its hippie tendencies, the modestly sized Colfax retailer remains tethered to the ground, offering unique gifts and original works by artists both local and far-flung. Stocked with small stone Buddhas, paper lanterns shaped like stars and lots of lovely metalwork to hang in your window, it's the kind of friendly, folksy place you're always looking for. And the purchased wares are bound to come with a good-karma seal.
Thanks to Salma Hayek and Hollywood, iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo entered the North American consciousness in a major way in 2002. But at Manos Folk Art, Frida and her husband, painter Diego Rivera, have always been heroes: Images of the practically sainted pair turn up in many of the collage-style creations offered in the store's spacious new location on Broadway. Handcrafted retablos, Dia de los Muertos merchandise, pottery, furniture, jewelry, clothing, masks, milagros and makeshift shrines imported directly from Mexican villages dominate the inventory. And with a little digging, the geographically astute shopper can find imports from every continent.
Shopping is a religion in posh Cherry Creek, and Creator Mundi offers a spiritual reprieve amid all of the modern commerce. You can find God -- or, at least, a bronze, wood, or gilded representation of Him -- for a price that won't require the sale of your soul. The shop specializes in handcrafted religious icons, jewelry, statues, plaques and devotionals from German goldsmith Egino Weinert, the firm of Butzon & Bercker and the artisans of the Monastery of Maria Laach; the gallery-style store also gives glory to all kinds of ancient Christian art, from nativities to Byzantine-style paintings of the Madonna and child. And how's this for a unique gift: Creator Mundi crafts special-order monuments to celebrate the life, death or maybe just the birthday of faithful friends and family. How divine.
There aren't many reasons to brave T-Rex, but Crate&Barrel in Park Meadows is one. The huge homeware store has everything a grown-up needs to play house, from inexpensive flower pots to professional-quality pans. Long known for its extensive selection of glass and barware, Crate&Barrel is sure to have that funky element you need for your next tiki or martini party. Yeah, it's a chain store, but in the land of chain stores, this one deserves a little love.
Readers¹ choice: Nordstrom
There's a truth that's known to all dedicated bargain shoppers: Once you've snagged your first pair of, say, alligator slingbacks, for the cost of a self-service car wash, it's damn near impossible to go back to paying full price for anything. But when it comes to couture, there's a difference between inexpensive and cheap, and the wares at Nordstrom Rack definitely fall into the former category. Offerings from major makers and design houses are crammed into the large FlatIrons store along with toiletries, housewares and shoes, shoes, shoes. A repository for the huge retailer's overstock, Nordstrom Rack is a gift to astute shophounds who know how to filter through the castoffs to redeem that special, marked-down prize.
It was a familiar story last year: When Colorado Mills opened just in time for the holiday shopping season, it was a like a pilgrimage site. Denizens of the metro area faced west, and some actually even made it there to shop -- often with hungry children and bored dads draped around their necks, weighing them down like a string of freshly killed albatrosses. Who you gonna call? The store with the giant LEGO Hagrid in the window, of course, with package upon package of Harry Potter, Star Wars and Mickey Mouse kits just waiting to tempt old and young alike with their infinite possibilities. Which is what LEGOs are all about, after all. Build it, and they will come.
Best Regional Retail Addition to a Mall
Hanna Andersson Outlet Store
Colorado Mills
While it may not tout the best bargains or the frilliest frocks for kids in all of Colorado Mills, Hanna Andersson has a surplus of rugged, smart, sweet and comfy quality going for it -- something aficionados of the company's mail-order catalogue have known for years. Made from natural fabrics designed to last, in enduring European styles that also withstand the test of time, "Hannas," as they're called, are worth every penny, as good-looking as they are long-lasting. Don't miss the standard striped long johns for all ages in the back of the store: The family that shops for Hannas together, lounges together, it seems. And that's just what you'll all feel like doing after a hard trek to the mall.
Hells Angels have become heaven's angels at this church formed by born-again biker Gary Davis. After Davis had a religious awakening thirty years ago, he dropped out of a hardcore motorcycle club and devoted his life to Jesus. Davis went on to operate motorcycle missions for several years, before forming Church in the Wind in 1996. Every Friday night since then, former black sheep have been flocking to the biker ministry at Riverside Baptist Church. Rev up with the Rev.
Best Congregation for Hip-Hop Holy Rollers
SK8church Ministry
Meadows Shopping Center
Just about every Monday and Thursday night, skater kids come to this huge indoor skatepark in Warehouse 180 at Meadows that's leased by Foothills Community Church, and they have a divine time. While their grunge-wear and dyed hair would make them a perfect fit on the 16th Street Mall, they find a welcome from the Foothills congregation at SK8church. So between grinds and handplants, these kids manage to squeeze in some God time. All on board for saving grace.
Years ago, the three o'clock hour was a time when Christians united to pray. Alan Wostenberg hasn't forgotten that, and he's using technology to remind others of this time to pray. The idea started when he and his wife promised to pray for one another every day. He continued to forget, and programmed his computer to give him a daily reminder. The idea eventually grew, and Wostenberg established Psalm Weaver, a company that sends out psalms of the day to customers' cell phones and pagers reminding them to pray at the holy hour of three o'clock. For $19.95 per year and a $4 setup fee, the faithful can receive a psalm each day in abbreviated form.
Short of going to confession, a trip to the Catholic Store may be all that's needed to ease a heavy heart. This huge store carries rosaries of every shape and shade, vials of holy water, large statues of saints for the front lawn and tiny statuettes for the household shrine. Or shop on line at www.catholicstore.com. The devout will also find Bibles, communion veils and crucifixes. Hail Mary!
Lourdes almighty! The Church of St. Vincent de Paul is awash in holy water from the site in southern France where a peasant girl --later known as St. Bernadette -- reported seeing repeated apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1858. The mother of Jesus told the child to dig a grotto, and a spring sprang forth. Believers note that it flows to this day. Now, for a mere $2.50 donation, you can get a 2.5-ounce bottle of the special water.
In his previous existence, Bruce Moen was an engineer for Coors Brewing Co.; now he spends a great deal of time exploring the afterlife and helping "newgoners" to get on with their journeys to higher planes of consciousness. He regularly plumbs the depths of the place he says we go in death and dreams, bringing back enough experiences and insights to fill four books and justify a Web site. This summer, he will be holding a six-day retreat at an undisclosed location in the Rocky Mountains. Attendees will get to test Moen's contention that knowledge of the afterlife is available to anyone -- and if they're lucky, they'll get explore another plane of existence with their buddies. Everyone hold hands now.
Out of work? Looking to score? Or just need a little touch of Irish luck? Proprietor Mark Husson at Twelfth House has luck for sale. Put an angel in your pocket for just a buck. Beckon fortunes to come your way with enameled Chinese fish. Think green year-round with silver shamrocks, or return harmony to your love life and home life with a small jade elephant. It's easy to get lucky in this Old South Pearl St. Victorian brimming with new age-y good karma -- and most talismans are under $12, so you can afford an emergency supply.
Name a bustling outdoor spot (Ballpark Market? LoDo sidewalks?), and Denver psychic/mystic Dustin Ceballos can probably be found there at one time or another, sitting legs akimbo on a tattered rug, hunched over a patron's palm. Ceballos makes a living soothing the future solely for tips, finding customers by hawking his talents on crowded streets. Denver's antiquated "no public fortune-telling" law prohibits us from disclosing his exact location, but rest assured -- if you're approached by a dark-haired bohemian dude offering to read your tarot cards for pocket change, take him up on it. Five minutes and a few spare bucks are well worth it to find out what sort of fame, fortune and romance are at hand.
Best Stop Before Girls' -- or Ghouls' -- Night Out
Studio Lites
Drag performers and career monsters flock to Studio Lites, a teeny Broadway space crammed with lots of things to make her, him or it feel pretty. Zombie Webmaster Maris the Great comes to Lites for its green face paint and fake blood -- the kind of specialty cosmetics you're not likely to find at Walgreen's. And any self-respecting queen of show clubs like BJ's Carousel knows it is the place to stop before putting on her face. (You didn't think she was born with it, did you?) At home in the eclectic Baker neighborhood, the Studio traffics in wigs, makeup and other frou-frou stuff for fantasy or just for fun.
Shoppers normally too embarrassed to linger over lingerie are strongly encouraged to get over themselves when they step inside Pandora's Toy Box. Owner Kevin Larson emphasizes sensuality as well as customer care, with a hearty pro-pleasure vibe that's welcoming even to novices. Don't know what that large oblong contraption on the table is? Somebody will explain it to you, sweetie; all you have to do is ask. The boutique's merchandise moves from lacy to racy -- don't blush at the sight of crotchless skivvies or sex swings -- but it's all presented in a decidedly un-icky way. When shopping for gifts for a partner, or perhaps even seeking a battery-operated companion, think inside the Box.
Screw those whiny city anti-smoking ordinances. For some, nothing beats a fat stogie and a stiff drink after a tough week. Lucky for you, El Cid's tobacco shop in northwest Denver is moments away from anywhere, and it features more than a hundred varieties of fine cigars imported from various steamy Central American climes and lovingly housed in a terrifically aromatic walk-in humidor. Such special smokes are proffered by a thoroughly knowledgeable staff, hardcore leaf aficionados who can tell a Honduran from a Dominican in a single whiff. El Cid's sells hand-rolled Deseo and other Cubans (they're legal, because they're made with aged, pre-embargo Cuban tobacco from the 1950s) starting at around $6. High rollers must try the $46 Lars Teten: The tobacco leaves dry above a vat of steaming exotic oils, creating one sweet-smelling stinker.
If reat pleats, drapes, ankle-chokers, pachuco chains and chalk stripes are your style, then Craig Pea and Jay Salas are the vatos for you. During the past six years, they've sold more than a million dollars' worth of zoot suits and accessories, and outfitted everyone from Garth Brooks to Sugar Shane Mosley. With original designs, custom fittings and cutting-edge attitudes, they've managed to become the official clothiers of the Players Ball in Las Vegas. (Even Barry Fey has ordered one.) And they're just getting started in their zoot-suit pursuit. With a brand-new line of clothing, called Chingaso, geared toward the boxing community, they hope to dominate the Hispanic clothing market. "We do everything balls out," Pea says. "One day we will conquer the world."
If you want to look cool, it's all about denim. And to get the trendy styles and labels worn by J. Lo and Tom (Cruise, that is), swing by Hub for a pair of G-Star, Diesel or Miss Sixty jeans -- you might choose to live in Aurora, but you don't have to dress like it. An airy Larimer boutique and fashion emporium, Hub also carries funky tops, hip purses and suave shoes by all the cool names -- from Michael Stars to Seven to Jay Lindburgh. Catering to both lads and lassies, the Hub may seem a tad pricey, but if you're looking to impress, walk this way.
A sad classified ad might start: Wedding dress for sale, never worn. But that's just what you'll happily find at Puttin' on the Ritz, a resale women's clothing shop where many of the gowns in the bridal room come from stores that just don't do sales: All are priced between $99 and $800. That leaves more dough for a rockin' wedding band.
Imagine not having to worry about coordinating the colors of your wedding party and the decor because as you exchange your vows, you're surrounded by lush tropical foliage and a shimmering cloud of delicate floating wings in ever-changing iridescent hues. Once the staff of the Butterfly Pavilion realized that couples were surreptitiously renting the conservatory for their nuptials, they knew they had a new marketing venture. Now you can actually book the Conservatory for an after-hours ceremony amid the flora and fauna. So far, fourteen couples have said "I do" in front of the dragonflies and swallowtails. No food is allowed, and only about forty of your nearest and dearest can be in attendance, but for a romantic setting, the gazebo of the Butterfly Pavilion can't be beat.
If you've got money to burn, the mall shuttle can drop you at your boutique of choice. But dedicated bargain shoppers make a beeline for T J Maxx, where the varied inventory is as much of a thrill as the gasp-inducing prices. Along with women's clothing, the astute buyer can find everything from designer cosmetics to chic, 100 percent cotton towels. Take it to the Maxx.
Carolyn Fineran's Cherry Creek North boutique Tapestry went by the wayside a few years ago, but the charmingly eclectic spirit of the place hasn't faded: It's simply been reincarnated and given new life as Gypsies Collection. And so, Fineran is back, passing on her love of handcrafted, ethnic-
inspired textiles and jewelry to grateful and adventurous customers left bereft by Tapestry's closing. This time, Fineran's doing it like a gypsy, throwing occasional trunk shows that feature the wares of fellow travelers she's connected with during her many years as a retailer. From silk jackets appliquéd with vintage Chinese embroidery to stylish amulet-studded jewelry drenched in symbols as old as the world, the contents of her trunks run deep -- and definitely gorgeous. And you never know where Fineran will pop up next: Check her Web site for future dates, then saddle up your camel and go.
Young? Restless? Seeking style that's cool for the moment, yet as timeless as your grandma's wedding ring? Clatter up the steps of this store in an old Highland Square house, and you're home. In fact, you just might be tempted to hang up your coat in the entryway and stay forever, playing dress-up like you did as a kid. And what will you dress up in? A retro-style cocktail dress with silky flounces over slinky Cosabella lingerie? Flower-printed cotton socks? A feminine white-cotton-eyelet cowgirl shirt with snazzy pearl buttons? A bell-sleeved folk blouse in rich silks and velvet? Accessorized with a tooled-leather belt or a one-of-a-kind fabric bag by Best of Denver-winning local designer B. Shigley, or a geisha-girl button bracelet, or a pair of faux-jewel-encrusted bun-stabbers to keep your locks in place? For such a small place, the possibilities at Frolik are endless.
Too shy to wrap yourself in a sari, but you still like the look of the thing? Hang one on your window and light some incense for an exotic effect: You can get both at Nepali Bazaar's new storefront location in the Platte Valley, where proprietress Melissa Shakya sells the most beautiful ready-made, jewel-colored sari-cloth curtains ever to waft in the breeze. When the sunshine hits the fabric just right, all you need to do is stand there and enjoy it.
Best Place to Buy Gifts for an Aspiring Geisha
Pacific Mercantile Co.
Sakura Square gets that Gion feeling in the gift-laden aisles at the back of Pacific Mercantile Co., where flirty fans, kimonos, Chinese shoes, hair ornaments and bamboo screens entice Japanophiles away from more conventional grocery shopping. The merchandise ranges from practical to playful: Sake and sushi sets, rice makers and workmanlike woks are shelved alongside framed art, lacquer Tokyo-style lunchboxes and elegant imports for dress-up time. For the essential element of the exotic that it injects into LoDo, we give Pacific Mercantile Co. a deep bow.
If Madonna wore it three years ago, it's the bomb today among the hoi polloi. That's the story with exotic ethnic-wear. So dot your forehead and head to Tibet Imports, the place in town to buy lengha cholis: three-piece East Indian ensembles made up of a midriff top, flowing skirt and shawl in breezy, diaphanous chiffons with beaded or embroidered embellishments. While you're there, you might pick up a few accessories, as well, including beaded headdresses, engraved singing bowls, shimmery fabric mini-lanterns and batik panels for your walls. Once you get home, be assured: You'll be the main attraction. Raga on!
What are little girls made of? These days, nobody knows for sure, but before your little one grows up, dyes her hair purple, gets tattooed and endures 98 piercings, dress her in tulle and chiffon. Just this once. You may never again see anything sweeter. At Talulah Jones, you can buy the goods: pearly, translucent puffs of marshmallowy fabric for miniature ballerinas (including sizes for those who can't even walk yet, let alone spin a pirouette) that are studded with pastel roses, slathered among the layers like pats of butter in a puff pastry. Finish the look with the matching angel wings, and at least for a while, she'll be sticking her little foot in the door of heaven.
The joke goes something like this: Little Johnny proclaims that when he grows up, he wants to be a drummer. "But darling," his mummy says, "You can't do both!" Though he might not garner the approval of his mother, that aspiring tyke would find plenty to bang about at Rupp's Drums, where owner and legendary skinsman Bob Rupp sells tiny Ts for future masters of the snare, bass and kick. Bearing slogans such as "Will Drum for Food," the itty-bitty outfits are an early-childhood introduction to drummer pride; Rupp's also carries drum kits for kids who are ready to trade training wheels for tom-toms. It's a beat-iful thing.
Yes, both Buds ventures are faith-based, but you don't have to subscribe to qualify for the excellent bargains available at both. (Belay Enterprises, the organization behind Baby Buds, also runs Buds Warehouse, a building-materials thrift emporium on Brighton Blvd.) And what bargains they are, displayed on orderly clothing racks, sporting tags that range from Cherokee to Ralph Lauren and neatly arranged by size on a spit-polished 6,000-square-foot floor. In addition, Baby Buds has lightly used toys, books and baby equipment in good condition, a play area for kids in tow. To top it off, it's all kept in shape by a staff of low-income single moms, who are receiving on-the-job career training toward turning their lives around. Buds is the old win-win situation.
Best Bargain Baby Shopping -- New
Children's Place Outlet Store
Colorado Mills
If you're a typical consumer/parent, you probably know the Children's Place, a fast-growing chain brightening up malls around town and across the nation with inexpensive, stylish kidswear that manages to look cute, colorful and completely with-it for the short time it actually fits. And when the stuff goes on sale, it really feels like a sale: You can grab up three pairs of leggings or jeans and tops to match without emptying your pocketbook for the rest of the year. Now, imagine one of those sales -- only bigger. And better: Meet the outlet store, where there's a ton of merchandise and breathtaking markdowns on the markdowns. Dive in; there's plenty of room in the pool.
There's a growing retail niche hawking urbane fashions for wee clothes horses, and Posh is riding the wave: In addition to its accessories for adult city folk -- from flowing, flimsy dressing gowns to beaded flip-flops -- this Highland Square shop devotes its entire back level to out-of-the-ordinary baby attire, toys and furniture. And whether you're shopping for your own sprout or someone else's, it's an irresistible invitation to pick out something completely and inspirationally different: From the adorable kimono-styled Kidcosmic ensembles in poodle or cowboy prints to elaborate dotted-Swiss canopy beds, this is merchandise guaranteed to eschew the old cookie-cutter mold. Just the thing for the discerning junior individual.
Local sculptor Maggie Stewart was already an expert on the creation of art, but somewhere along the way she also figured out how to translate her talents into an art of creation. She came up with the idea of casting a bowl over the distended form of a pregnant woman's tummy, and her totally unique business, Mama's Belly, was, well, born. Order one, and Stewart will either cast it herself or set you up with a non-toxic plaster casting kit; after the mold is made, she'll finish the bowl in a bronze or Stone-Cast form. Every bowl is, of course, different, and -- since your newborn fits inside like it was made for her -- it makes the perfect backdrop for the cutest baby-announcement pics around.
Hey, just because the economy's in the dumper is no reason to quit playing dress-up. In fact, this might be the best time to try on a new identity without going broke. Disguises, a costume megastore, is a great place to start, with 15,000 costumes housed in what was once six strip-mall storefronts. It's now decked out with a hand-painted fairy-tale façade, a dressing room in a faux hollow tree and assorted fun and fantastic touches. Retired high school drama teacher Cindy Catanese has been selling homemade costumes for ten years, the last four from a much smaller Disguises at W. 6th Ave. and Garrison St. The new megastore opened in time for Halloween last year, and it provides costumes for local and high school theater productions, as well as individual masters of disguise.
This place is so big -- 23,000 square feet -- that you have to strategize before shopping. Just walking around and looking at the shoes won't do, because the thousands of pairs will soon make you dizzy. Instead, you need to know exactly what you're looking for -- say brown Italian-leather loafers -- and then head to that section. You'll discover about twelve different brands -- all Italian, all leather, all loafers. Off Broadway doesn't have the charm or offer the personal attention of smaller stores, but if you know what you're looking for, it's here.
Instead of the good old days of rushing to the gate just as the plane is about to pull away, security restrictions now require all of us to check in at the airport ages before our flights actually leave. Rather than hunkering down at Red Rocks Bar, board the train to your designated concourse for five minutes of relaxation at one of DIA's many shoe-shine stations. Settle into one of the plush leather chairs and put your feet in the metal stirrups -- these friendly chaps will chat you up about everything from last night's Avalanche game to what to bring the kids from your exciting insurance conference in Bismarck, North Dakota -- all while buffing your kicks to shine brighter than the Qwest sign.
Best Place to Get Groped for Cheap
Heritage College of Massage
Are you long on tension but short on cash? Heritage College of Massage performs full-body massages for just $19 -- quite a deal, compared to $60 or more for a rubdown at a high-end studio. Worried your spine will be karate-chopped mercilessly by some ham-fisted Massage 101 dropout? Relax -- the students who conduct the economy massage are advanced learners a step or two from graduation. Let these nimble-fingered newbies work you over with deep tissue, Swedish or other muscle-melting techniques. Massages are performed from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, conducted in a private cubicle and featuring a slathering of massage oil and accompanied by the strains of new-age music to soothe the savage beast.
Best Homegrown Cold Remedy to Go National
Cold Snap
Oriental Herb Company
Twenty-seven years ago, Don Hayes was practicing acupuncture in the Colorado foothills when his wife, Hannah, a teacher with an interest in Chinese herbal remedies, began mixing formulas for specific clients. Her own tendency to come down with colds increased her zeal. "And finally," she says, "because we're a little slow, we said, hey, we're making the same formula for everyone." That formula was Cold Snap, a potent cure that can now be found in more than 500 stores nationwide, from the counterculture Alfalfa's to the mainstream Walgreen's. Snifflers, what are you waiting for?
Best Homegrown Cold Remedy to Stay Local
Fresh Fat-Noodle Soup
Richard Lee Noodle House
Made fresh daily on the premises, Richard Lee's noodles bear no resemblance to the dried stuff you find in a box. Mix them with Asian vegetables, the meat of your choice and, especially, the house-made killer paste of a hot sauce, and whatever ails you will become a distant memory.
Best Follicle Restorer
Follicle Nutrient System (FNS), by Osmotics
Great moments in science: the discovery of penicillin; the cure for polio; and now, Dr. Ella Lindenbaum's research has yielded the Follicle Nutrient System (FNS). The natural, non-hormonal treatment increases hair thickness and strength. And while there's no truth to the story that Ozzy Osbourne was an early guinea pig, it is certain that the stuff has found a niche at hoity-toity stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. Got $65? Get hairy.
Those who've been waxed by Mila never return to anyone else. "We call her the rock star," says her co-worker, Stephanie Martinez. "She sings, she hums; she actually enjoys what she's doing. On Valentine's Day, she'll do you heart-shaped. There's always something special with her." A seasoned aesthetician, Mila also does facials, but she's known for unparalleled attention to molten detail -- from an eyebrow arch to a full Brazilian. "Oh, she's done it all," Suzanne says. "She could tell you stories..." Rest easy, however -- she won't.
Best Place to Get Transported to a Caribbean Rainforest
Spa Universaire
For a quick jaunt to the rainforest or a soothing Oriental waterfall, book a massage at the swank Spa Universaire in the Golden Triangle. Their nine destination-themed rooms are spicier than standard spa fare, bringing the exotic to your afternoon. The Rocky Mountain Room comes complete with Native American music and peppermint and fir aromatherapy, while the Safari Room offers up Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the scents of frankincense and bergamot. All you have to do is decide whether to indulge in a facial, massage or body wrap. Tough choices.
Best Place to Get Lost on a Rainy Day
W-O-W Antiques and Boutiques
This huge home-decor bazaar is a wonderful afternoon's ramble through a jungle of antiques and other cool stuff. No longer just a showcase for the antiques and antique-looking furniture created by Scott Soffa's SMS Studios and Mark Cameron's Ruins, the two-story Woodmen of the Word building now boasts sixty dealers who specialize in everything from rare collectibles to fanciful home accents. You're just as likely to trip over a rack of cozy robes sewn from vintage blankets as you are to find that gorgeous Louis IV reproduction chair that completes your collection. Who knows? Maybe you'll find a vintage umbrella to fend off the cold, wet weather.
Successful outdoor living is an art, and Silver Dollar has the proper accessories for the show. If it's an English lady's country cottage you desire, try the timeless cast-iron garden benches and lacy cast-aluminum tables and chairs. But if you're more Latin-inclined, Silver Dollar also stocks Mexican terra cotta and Talavera pottery. Choose from patina-finished weathervanes, rustic candle lanterns, iron trellises and sassy garden pigs. You know, all the necessities for when it's too hot do anything but lounge under a tree, sipping lemonade.
Backyard fountains are an apparently unfortunate business to be in during times of drought, but Jim Huddle of Paris Blue has weathered the storm -- or lack of it -- with aplomb. He carries a plethora of the sparkling jet d'eau, from Zen-inspired tabletop models to ostentatiously classical cherub-adorned ones resting on bubbly fish pedestals. Don't miss his zillion and one urns, trellises, colorful Mexican glassware and charming cast-iron garden ornaments to complete your Eden.
This tiny potting-shed of a shop caters to Golden Triangle condo dwellers whose plot of land consists mainly of a lanai. Sometimes two. So the colorful patio at Diane Stahl's Urban Roots displays dozens of planter-worthy herbs, annuals and vegetables, twining vines, rosebushes and perennials that will winter over in a balcony pot. Inside, you'll find a few well-chosen books, sturdy tools, seeds and bulbs, watering cans and other accessories designed to doll up small spaces. And she doles out some very sage watering and growing advice. May your porch flower over.
Timberline Gardens' co-owner and grower Kelly Grummons is a plantsman with an affinity for unique native plants, wildflowers and perennials. So while most nurseries stick to the standard bedding foliage, he's happily preparing drought-resistant gardens. The font of horticultural knowledge also lectures throughout the area and offers classes at his sixteen-acre greenhouse on everything from ornamental grasses to X-rated plants. For water-wise flora and coddle-free gardens, Grummons knows best.
In addition to this era's xeric concerns, many Colorado gardeners must endure the vagaries of microclimates and high altitude when planning their backyard Edens. It's not like everyone can go gather seeds from every alpine nook and cranny around the world in order to raise an interesting rock garden in town or biome-friendly patch higher up. Fortunately, Rocky Mountain Rare Plants owners Rebecca Day-Skowron and Bob Skowron have done it for you. Their store abounds in non-invasive and beautiful alternatives for high-elevation gardeners who are weary of the same old petunias and marigolds.
Best Gardeners' Connection to the Past
Rocky Mountain Seed Co.
With its charming wooden bins and old-fashioned ambience, Rocky Mountain Seed Co. offers a shopping experience as hardy and no-nonsense as the merchandise. For fifty years, they've been offering time-proven seeds geared to Colorado's climate. And while the lonely, downtown establishment now sticks out among high-rises, lofts and chic clubs, the area was once Denver's agriculture row, where farmers from the plains came to stock up on seed, feed, supplies and equipment. So come on down and set awhile in the vestiges of a bygone era; the prices are low, and the seed is good.
A huge retail floor filled with treasures normally found only at yard sales, discount outlets or auctions is hard to resist -- even if it somewhat stifles the joy of the hunt. Store owner Joy Wilson has a little bit of everything, from magnificent Chinese antiques to budget-fitting coffee tables; they're culled from estate liquidations, factory closeouts and attics everywhere. Discounts are deep, so your pockets don't have to be.
Best Place to Go Thrifting
DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Store
The DAV's better-known cousins, Goodwill and the ARC, can't hold a candle to the bonanza of finds in this clean, well-lit thrift store. And you gotta love the '80s soundtrack playing in the background. Most jeans run from $2.95 to $7.95, and infant and toddler wear is an easy-on-the-wallet $2.95. You'll also find toilet-seat covers, napkin holders, drapes and just about every other household sundry imaginable. Maybe even a pair of those au currant tiki mai-tai glasses.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that the Middle East has contributed much to the world's artistic heritage, including the fabled magic carpet. The wizardry remains, and it flashes in the brilliant design and exquisite quality of these hand-woven textiles. Pangaea Handmade Carpets owner T Robinson offers an exclusive collection of nomadic rugs, Turkish prayer mats, Caucasian runners, Anatolian kilims and Tibetan area rugs, as well as carpets from the great workshops of Persia. Ranging in price from $100 for a basic contemporary rug to $18,000 for a unique antique, each rug has its own personality and brings color, style and warmth into any room.
The goods inside Tesoros reflect Indian Hills' Native American connection: In the late 1800s, the area served as a summer campground for the Ute Indians, and the historic log building that houses Tesoros was once a trading post, among other things. That seems appropriate, considering the upscale store now trades in modern cultural artifacts: Rugs and blankets, pottery, antiques and rustic accents compete to catch a shopper's eye, and tribal touches brighten many of Tesoros' wares, from furniture to lighting fixtures and garden accessories. Outfitting a cabin? Just moved to town and really want to dig into that Western vibe? Head for the Hills -- or head to www.tesorosltd.com.
In an innocuous, squat building on Speer is a trove of hip, mid-century modern home furnishings by designers such as Eames, Platner and Mies van der Rohe. They've got the iconic Saarinen tulip chair and George Nelson ball clock. You can even get the Eames lounge and ottoman favored by fashion stylists. And if your walls are bare, consider the works by local artists hanging in One Home. It's a one-stop home shop for the mod family.
Nature's Own president Roy Young likes digging in the dirt. When he isn't manning one of the store's five Colorado locations or promoting environmental awareness, he travels the world in search of fossils; many of those specimens wind up on Nature's Own's shelves alongside rare minerals, handcrafted onyx, educational materials and lots of fun prehistoric products. The stores are a tree-hugger's dream, helmed by an earthy guy who puts his green behind his green beliefs: In November of last year, Young donated a month's net income from his stores to state environmental groups.
Specializing in custom-made and hand-carved portals, the Grand Entrance turns out some of the grandest slabs of wood -- and even bronze -- to ever sport a knob in these parts. Styles range from rustic to arts-and-crafts, and the workmanship is impeccable, particularly the gorgeous floral reliefs, Speakeasy trap doors, cast-iron appointments and distressed and antiqued surfaces. You'll drop a bundle on one of these beauties, but it will always be a pleasure to walk through.
Open sesame: Buds Warehouse has doors -- hundreds of 'em! Big ones, little ones, cheap ones, fancy ones, screen doors, trap doors, closet doors, garage doors -- even a hangar door -- all at the discounted prices that are the trademark of this poor man's Home Depot. And if you can't find what's in your mind's eye, file a request card online, and Buds'll watch for the door of your dreams.
Owners of the basement behemoths created at the turn of the last century don't have too many choices when it comes to keeping their boilers going strong. Luckily, Denver is home to the best. Doc Ball and his son, Rob, never met a boiler they didn't like, and their affections show. With their help, you'll be in hot water for the foreseeable future.
Underground rivers. Oil reservoirs. Toxic energy fields. Angry ghosts. With little more than a pair of L-rods, a hand-held pendulum and a clear mind, Greg Storozuk has found them all. He's a dowser, a diviner, a doodlebug, one of a growing community of men and women who tap into the universal consciousness to seek answers to the unknown. Initially a skeptic, Storozuk handled his first pair of L-rods on a cousin's field in 1972. After locating a water source, he began a lifelong study of the ancient practice. So if you're trying to divine some water -- or maybe just an angry spirit -- Storozuk is your drought or ghost buster.
There are occasions when a mere twenty-pound bag of ice just won't do. Say you need to build an igloo. Maybe you need to carve a giant pair of ice breasts for your brother's bachelor party. Or perhaps you just need cool shavings for a margarita block party. It doesn't happen every day, but it's nice to know the technology's there. Reddy Ice manufacturers 300-pound blocks of frozen water -- 42 x 21 x 10 inches of solid-state agua. Forty-two bucks for clear style; $60 if you really have to see all the way through the block. A few dollars more for delivery.
With two rooms packed to the gills with new and used power compressors, ladders, safety harnesses, masonry tools, brad nailers, hand tools and dry-wall benches, you're sure to find just what you're looking for at Charlie's Second Hand -- and it'll be at least 50 percent less than retail. The place has been in business for fifty years and is a long-held contractors' secret; they know when they really, really, really need a basin wrench, they can get it there for three bucks instead of $25. Almost makes you want to go install your own sink, doesn't it?
Best Restaurant-Supply Store Open to the Public
Platte Restaurant Equipment Co.
Farewell Williams-Sonoma; hello stainless-steel heaven. There's just something intriguing about a ladle the size of a basketball, a whisk as tall as your oldest child, or a wall of giant frying machines. But there's plenty you can use at home. How about a set of those ketchup and mustard squeeze bottles, or a diner-style napkin holder? And at pro rates, order up!
Everyone knows this person -- the one who covers every square inch of her fridge with cheesy magnets: Disneyland souvenirs, maps of the United States, "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy!" Screw that. True hipsters want magnets that titillate, mock or just make a point. Why not adorn the icebox with beefy, leotard-clad men whose identities are obscured by Mexican wrestling masks, '50s kitsch pastiche and, everyone's favorite, magnets that make fun of Dubya? Anyone can make a statement with cute vintage clothes, but it takes a special talent to let your fridge do the talking. Fortunately, All American Vogue can help on both fronts.
Best China-Painting Supplies
Kathy Peterson's The Good Stuff
If you've got CPS (china-painting syndrome), you know the quality of your finished product depends entirely on the quality of the materials you use. That's why Kathy Peterson, a recognized china- and glass-painting expert, offers only "the good stuff" -- porcelain blanks from Limoges and Arzberg, natural-hair brushes, paints in every color for any surface, gold paste, banding wheels, books. And you don't have to dig to China to get ideas. Her Web site features an online store, tips from Kathy herself, a list of upcoming seminars and useful links to the wide, wonderful world of this dazzling art form. Break in.
Pat and Jeff Garcia's recently relocated downtown emporium is like sunshine on a cloudy day. When you step inside Blu Zebra, you're guaranteed a smile. The crafty couple's outdone themselves with whimsical and outrageous handmades that can't be found every craft store in town. From Priscilla Draper's hilarious papier-mâché fat-lady scales to Janice Katz's Critters From the Hood -- fantastical creatures die-cut from rusting car hoods -- this is the stuff of a happy life.
Lions and tigers and bears! Giant fish, monkeys and hares! A stable full of crafted clay and ceramic animals greets curious shoppers at Curiosidades de Mexico, a northwest Denver coffer of crafts, housewares, religious objects, rugs, furniture and art from south of the border. Fancy a trout planter or a donkey chimenea? Head upstairs, where the merchandise ranges from the small -- say, some sculpted grapes from Guadalajara -- to the very large -- as in a Mexico City-style casita bar, complete with stools and built-in tequila racks. Bright, friendly and reasonably priced, Curiosidades is a wonder.
Yarnies of all skill levels would do well to make the drive to Peggy Anderson's heaven on earth for textile artists. A Knitted Peace offers a wide selection of imports -- from soft Irish merinos to scratchy Japanese wools -- as well as cute novelty bits and fluffy cashmere skeins you'll want to fondle until you notice the staff giving you the stinkeye. Aching to kip (knit in public), but not ready to fully out yourself? Take advantage of the comfy chairs or cozy worktables to bang out that sweater in sympathetic company. The KP ladies will gladly help you select a pattern and the right yarn for the job, and you can even hire them to finish those trickier projects in time for Christmas.
Best Place to Buy a Sewing Machine
AAA Creative Sewing Centers
AAA offers the best in Pfaff, Viking, Husqvarna and Brother machines at excellent prices. But what could be more frustrating than investing in a sophisticated contraption and discovering later that you have no idea how to work it? Thankfully, AAA sends you out the door armed with an arsenal of sewing-machine knowledge. And when that wears off, you're invited back to the store for free classes. You'll never sew alone.
Textile addicts, gather up your spare change and prepare to enter paradise. While Denver Fabric is known for its vast selection of high-end decorator and dressmaker fabrics, the Annex next door is loved for selling the same thing -- cheap. Bolts of discontinued treasures stretch to the ceiling, many at pennies per yard. Naturally, a Filene's Basement-like atmosphere pervades, but it's worth the fight.
Quilters are made, not born, and it usually happens when they encounter a place like Quilting Up a Storm, where the air is thick with color and inspiration. Crammed with books, classes and bolts of bright, contemporary fabrics, including a brilliant selection of batiks, the store focuses less on country kitsch and more on absolutely stunning modern quilts.
While most local sewing classes and shops now cater to country-cute crafts, the Emily Griffith Opportunity School still takes an haute couture approach. And last summer's revival of their millinery program -- one of the first courses taught when Miss Emily Griffith opened the school in 1916 -- was a splendid addition. Rita Smith of Classic Canyon Creations taught students to block and hand-stitch hats, helping them fashion everything from the pillbox to the cloche. Why sport a Kangol when you can go one-of-a-kind?
For those who refuse to say it with saccharin, the shelves at Decade await. Here's the place to find a wide selection of Roger la Borde stationery (the pastel kind with elongated people holding potted plants and juggling Santa hats) alongside modish and sparkly Rock Scissor Paper notes (previously found only on the Internet at recession-unfriendly prices). Our favorites are the spunky Squibnocket Cards, which are free of silly sentiments or precious images -- they're just blocks of whimsical, witty print that are sure to spread joy. Whatever your predilection, it's a reprieve from bland Hallmark hell.
Best Green Service for Greenbacks
Bike-Thru Banking
Pueblo Bank & Trust
Sitting in a line of fume-belching SUVs just to do some drive-through banking is almost enough to make you leave the bicycle at home. But not if you live in Boulder, where an estimated 10 percent of in-city trips are made by bike. Pueblo Bank & Trust has recognized the demand and opened a special Bike-Thru Banking lane just for customers on two wheels. Any would-be bank robber, however, should note that it's only fair that he make his escape on a tandem manned by a getaway cyclist.
Best Old-Style Banking Experience
First United Bank
Equitable Building
Banker Stephen Baltz wasn't made for these times. When he opened a First United Bank branch in the grand old Equitable Building, he renovated the space to resemble the First National Bank of Denver, which was located in the Equitable at the turn of the last century. Now, in what was most recently the dapper men's clothing store Andrisen Morton Co., you can make deposits through barred teller cages set in sleek, polished mahogany. But the pièce de résistance is the $150,000, 7.5-ton round vault door, a fin-de-siècle relic that still does the job proudly.
Best Old-Style Banking Experience for Kids
Young Americans Bank
Last summer, the Young Americans Bank, brainchild of local magnate Bill Daniels, moved into bigger digs after serving young financiers for fifteen years. All the old child-friendly amenities, such as height-conscious teller windows, are still in place, but the bank is now part of an entire town square. There's a town hall, television station, market, newspaper, hospital and snack bar all built for use by the bank's Young AmeriTowne program, which offers school kids a hands-on opportunity to run the town as accountants, editors, mayors and other community stalwarts. So maybe it's not totally realistic, but at least in this small world, the customer is still king.
The family minivan can have all the comforts of a rock-star limo, with snacks, drinks and toys all easy to reach. The Starr Car Seat Travel Tray is made of soft, durable, completely washable nylon, with a safe, flat surface and pockets and compartments on either side. It attaches to most convertible car seats and booster seats with Velcro. Alyson Simon started Starr Products last year to make the Car Seat Travel Tray for her young son. If the Mom-mobile is equipped with an optional on-board entertainment system, there's no reason to ever leave the back seat.
Local puppeteer Annie Zook is a one-woman powerhouse of a children's entertainer. She's a soft-sculpture artist who crafts her own puppets -- a director, actor and playwright, a shopkeeper, a museum curator and collector, and an art instructor who's been running her own theater for ten years. On top of all that, she throws one hell of a birthday party. A pre-show puppet playtime, a performance, use of a party room for cake and ice cream and a well-managed puppet workshop can all be booked at the Denver Puppet Theater. And if you want to go a little over the top, she can create a personalized script with details from the birthday kid's life. If that don't make 'em smile, nothing will.
At one time or another, every child has complained that there's nothing to do -- but this portion of the City of Denver's official Web site proves otherwise. Click on Denver City Youth Program Database, and you're off. Compiled with the help of local youngsters dubbed "YouthMappers," the site sports contact information and details about a slew of programs, services and activities designed with kids in mind.
Best Way to Learn How to Read This Newspaper
Conversations in English
Boulder County Library
This award-winning course takes a highly individualized approach to teaching; volunteers work with a maximum of six participants per instructor. There are Conversations in English courses five days a week, and the curriculum touches upon topics as diverse as history and parenting. Clearly, these conversations will lead to many more in the future.
Best Parenting Classes
Parents' Mathematics Institute
Community College of Aurora
Show of hands: How many parents have had palpitations when a graphing calculator showed up on the seventh-grade back-to-school supply list? Was it just the cost, or was it also the fact that you had no earthly clue what a graphing calculator does or why anyone would need to know such a thing? The good news is that the folks at CCA realize there are major mathematical concepts that have been discovered since you left junior high. They've put together a two-week, mini-crash course, the Parents' Mathematics Institute, for moms and dads of kids in seventh grade and up that covers elementary math concepts, including writing, solving and graphing inequalities, estimating answers and beginning algebra. The bad news is that the course, complete with an introduction to that pesky graphing calculator and separate workshops for kids, took place earlier this month.
With gallons and gallons of ink depicting the never-ending power struggle between spandex-clad goodie-goodies and animal-themed criminals, Mile High Comics Megastore in Thornton is the largest comics shop in the country, and the flagship of five metro locations. Mile High Comics president Chuck Rozanski started the company in 1969 and built it into the Superman of the comics retail/mail-order industry. With shelves of new comics, bins of back issues, toys and action figures from every possible merchandising deal, posters, games and other collectibles on its 11,000-square-foot floor, this place tempts young and old to travel great distances to unleash their inner Clark Kent.
Best Collection of the Golden Age of American Illustration
Fahrenheit's Books
Let the DAM be damned! The finest art in town may just hang inside the front door of Fahrenheit's Books. This great, if somewhat cramped, bibliophile's paradise is filled to the rafters (and then some) with bookish bounty, but the real treat is the collection of paperback pulp novels of the '50s and '60s that heralded the golden age of American illustration. Their intimate, front-of-the-store setting is perfect for displaying the eye-popping covers of torrid scenarios in the most lurid colors. The drapery of a single femme fatale's peasant blouse over her heaving bosom is sexier than all the porn at Kitty's South. Each cover is a beautiful little jewel of a thing, but en masse the effect makes Fahrenheit's Books the finest illustration art gallery in the city.
Best Alternative to the Terminal Annex
The Tattered Cover, LoDo
When the Terminal Annex on Wynkoop Street closed, oodles of lower-downtowners lost a convenient place to complete their postal chores. So here's to the LoDo branch of the Tattered Cover opening a shipping center to keep area residents from having to wait in already long postal lines throughout the city. As a bonus, the atmosphere inside the bookstore is infinitely more pleasant than the Annex's ever was.
Best Bookstore for the Dark and Brooding
Black and Read Bookstore
Underground movie rentals, creepy comics, horror paperbacks, obscure punk bands on vinyl: If it's spooky or subversive books and music you're after, you'll find it at Black and Read Bookstore. Never again must you search in vain -- or pay too much -- for avant-garde German synth-pop on CD or hard-to-find '80s death metal. New or used, Black and Read's enthusiastic, ill-groomed, goateed staff is happy to turn you on to obscure tomes or tunes. And in case you're stuck in Arvada with a pressing need for a new eyebrow stud, you'll always find one in their selection of jewelry and accessories.
Hue-Man Experience carries books, music, gifts and more, catering specifically to the often-overlooked African-American consumer. Since purchasing the store from its original founder eight months ago, new owners Joi Afzal, Kim Martin and Daryl Walker proudly offer more than 6,200 titles in their homey downtown space, along with Afro-centric wedding invitations, a children's corner, gift certificates and unique home and gift items. For sixteen years, Hue-Man has served as the local black community's leading source for fiction, relationship tips, health advice, African history, art and photography. If you're into literature and media with flavor, check out the Hue-Man Experience.
Best Store to Buy Books Condemning Consumerism
Breakdown Book Collective and Community Space
If you like your media saturation on a more manageable, not to mention liberal, scale, Breakdown Book Collective and Community Space is the place. After troubles at its former Platte Street location, the bookstore moved into the burgeoning Ogden arts district, and the place is again stocked with hundreds of titles on anarchy, pacifism, gender, race, sexuality and, of course, some ol' fashioned socialism. They also offer art, workshops, free classes and even the occasional basement show spotlighting everything from noise bands to hip-hop DJs. Just don't sign any lists. You never know where the FBI lurks.
The charity magazine table at the 6th and Corona Safeway is like manna from heaven for the magaphile. There's this month's Vogue and last month's Atlantic Monthly. There's Best Friends, the Utah sanctuary's quarterly glossy, and piles of old New Yorkers. And for just a quarter each, they're a bargain. The money is donated to local nonprofits such as Race for the Cure, so it's worth the dig through the niche shlock. Watch the table carefully in the third week of the month -- that's when most of the current lad mags and fashion bibles hit the table. And, hey, when you're done, drop it off again.
Every day is a book fair at the Arapahoe County Library's Koebel branch. Since Valentine's Day, a group of dedicated volunteers has been manning the used-book store inside the library's espresso bar. They sort the donated books, which are priced by an expert once a month, then sell them during regular library hours. Proceeds go to literacy programs.
Best Place to Stick a Book in Your Ear
Reel Books Audio Bookstore
New owner, new location, more space and more titles on tape and CD for rent and sale. Owner Benjamin Anzman has introduced new membership deals ranging from weekly to annual unlimited rentals, starting at less than $10 a month. The bestseller and new-books list at Reel Books is updated weekly. So even if you don't have time to flip pages, insert tape.
Best Public-Library Music Section
Schlessman Family Branch Library
In the past, music sections at most public libraries have been of little interest to anyone other than fans of Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. But the Schlessman Family Branch of the Denver Public Library is an enormous exception to this rule. The year-old library has approximately 10,000 items in its audiovisual section, including multiple copies of the most popular DVDs. Better yet, the CD selection is wonderfully eclectic and includes rock that's apt to appeal to even the most esoteric listener. (One patron reports having recently found discs by the Magnetic Fields, the New York Dolls and Beth Orton.) Because word of the branch's assemblage has spread, the shelves aren't always jammed -- but you'll always find something you never thought would be stocked in a public library.
There's only one place to surf while snacking on a pressed-beef lunch: the Arby's at 11th and Broadway. Their Cyber Cafe -- the only one in the state -- has two Macs with broadband connections for your dining pleasure. Just don't think it's a free-for-all. The corporate offices cracked down earlier this year after customers hacked into their PCs and changed internal settings and downloaded a new wallpaper. And don't spill any Horsey sauce on the keyboard -- the porn patrol would not be amused.
For the last half-century, OME Banjo Company founder Chuck Ogsbury has been the mind behind some of the best banjos money can buy. Gram Parsons, Bela Fleck and Pete Wernick are a just a few of the musicians to pluck these instruments that double as striking objects d'art. The company crafts traditional, jazz and bluegrass models, twanging out about 125 annually in best-of-the-best woods, such as curly maple, Honduran mahogany, Gabonese ebony and Brazilian rosewood. For serious banjo buffs, OME's top-shelf models have 23.5-karat gold plating. No gold records guaranteed.
Lurking around every one of Twist & Shout's cash registers, display racks and merchandise cases are employees who'll share a little -- or a lot -- of what they know without the music-snob sneer. Of course, if members of the Twist staff were feeling a little smug, we couldn't blame them: Fifteen years after vowing to cultivate the best record store in Denver, owner Paul Epstein and his wife, Jill, preside over a rarified retail gem. Why do we love it so? For starters, Twist has the city's best selection of new CDs from artists both mainstream and totally remote. It regularly hosts in-store performances by artists stopping through town on tour. (The Flaming Lips and Elvis Costello are recent drop-ins.) It's one of the few outlets where local musicians are invited to sell their merchandise without the hassle of consignment. We also love Paul's willowy white hair, the ample listening stations, the Little Homies for sale. Mostly, we love that Twist & Shout remains an actual family-style store -- complete with in-house cat! They shake it up, baby.
In these crappy economic times, independent music retailers keep locking their doors for the last time as big-box merchants and Internet piracy threaten their future. But Wax Trax, one of the original indie-store survivors, is cooler than ever after two decades. The outlet gathers together an enormous collection of new and used CDs, vinyl and 45s with prices that range from reasonable to ridiculously low. And it's got world-class cred: The original owners actually started the Chicago Wax Trax label, which gave the world heavy industrial music, after selling the shop to regular patrons. As a result, the store's run by fans of music, rather than people trying to make money off of music. Denver would be a lesser place without it.
Best Exit by a Video-Store Owner
Scott Woodland
Video Station
Many Boulderites were nervous when Scott Woodland sold the Video Station. It seemed impossible that any new owner could maintain such an erudite staff, the huge and unmatchable selection of films and the unmistakable spirit of the place. But so far Bruce Shamma and Sheri Lapres, who took over last summer, are making old-time patrons breathe sighs of relief. They seem as dedicated to film as Woodland, and the shelves of new releases look nothing like a Blockbuster. There are even some interesting new candies for sale at the counter, including violet pastilles from New York. The town owes Woodland much gratitude for his community-centeredness and the years building up this unique Boulder institution.
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