Shopping & Services

Miah Richards grew up poking around garage sales and Goodwill stores and selling finds on eBay, but some of his treasures were too good to give up; they began to overtake his living spaces. Ultimately, though, that resulted in more for you and me. Richards opened Fourth Place, a labor of love in the Golden Triangle, then stocked it with prime finds, including a stunning collection of vintage T-shirts, letter jackets, jean jackets and other streetwear. The personable Richards will talk vintage with customers all day if allowed, turning store visits into low-fashion costume parties.

We heart the I Heart Denver store and its founder, designer/entrepreneur Samuel Schimek. He started this enterprise devoted to local artists, makers and all things Colorado in 2011, and it's become the go-to spot for tourists and locals alike. Where else can you find a scratch-off poster that lets you note all the fourteeners you've climbed, or a shaker full of Colorado wildflower seeds, or shot glasses devoted to the Big Blue Bear? As the long-anticipated (long-dreaded?) renovation of the mall gets underway, I Heart Denver remains a bright spot illuminating all the creativity in Colorado. In fact, the city would be wise to just turn this entire stretch of 16th Street over to Schimek; we'd love to see what he could do with it.

Now that the horrific plans to turn DIA's Jeppesen Terminal into a shopping mall are dead, it's time to bring on the fun! Longtime Denverites fondly recall when the Tattered Cover was still in Cherry Creek North, the nearby Chez Jose was serving up fat burritos the size of a loaf of bread, and Kazoo & Company was the coolest toy store around. It closed in 2014, the victim of both the ease of online shopping and significant changes to the neighborhood. But a small part of Kazoo & Company survives at DIA, and it brings the kid in us joy to see it every time we're on Concourse B. It's not as big as the original, and it doesn't have near the astounding inventory. But it's an oasis of entertainment in an airport that can sometimes be a joyless place, and we'd like to see some of its magic spill into the terminal.

Before South Park's creators announced that they were taking over Casa Bonita, before Meow Wolf opened in the shadow of the viaduct, West Colfax Avenue was already starting a comeback. One of the prime drivers: Little Man Ice Cream Factory, which opened in 2019 as a production kitchen for the various stores in the Little Man empire, as well as a Willy Wonka-like tasting room whose decor is almost as tasty as the ice cream and other confections made here. But there are more sweet treats in this spot, including special events ranging from fundraisers to swing dances to yoga classes that draw people from the neighborhood — and beyond. Cool!

In April 2002, Marczyk Fine Foods opened the doors of its first market on East 17th Avenue, a place that celebrated quality ingredients and products — and local community. In 2011, the crew behind the store — husband and wife Pete Marczyk and Barbara Macfarlane, as well as brother Paul Marczyk — opened a second outpost in an old Safeway on East Colfax, a bigger store that featured all of the same amenities, along with a kitchen to up the ante on prepared foods and a next-door liquor store. Over the years, Marczyk's has added a bakery and an even bigger food-prep facility (with a lineup overseen by chef Jamey Fader), as well as events that draw traffic off of Colfax, but the goal of emphasizing both quality and community remains. Now, as the enterprise celebrates its twentieth anniversary, it continues to grow; there's always something cooking at Marczyk's.

FashioNation has the energy of a teenager...but it turns 35 this year. The store founded in 1987 by Paul and Pam Italiano as a safe place for punks, goths and other alternative kids to safely explore their identity through clothes got a new lease on life during the pandemic. Daughter Sydney made a TikTok documentary on the shop that went viral, bringing FashioNation a new generation of online shoppers. But we like stopping in the store on Broadway, to check out the Doc Martens releases, see the latest lines (including Forest Ink, run by a goth family), maybe catch a rock star or two, and celebrate that what's old is new again. Bonus points for the Babysitter's Nightmare alter-ego. These kids are all right.

Before Pearl Street got so tony, full of fancy eateries, Free People and shops stocking ladies' yogawear and running gear, there was El Loro, a store that would have been called funky back in 1977 when it first opened, popping up on the then-brand-new Pearl Street Mall. It's still funky decades later, part rock shop and part jewelry store — a place where college kids can buy affordable gifts from around the world, tarot cards and crystals to hang around their necks, and smooth polished stones or pewter charms to keep in their pockets. El Loro lacks all pretension, is tourist-friendly, and a great place to take kids shopping. We hope it stays that way for at least another 45 years.

Along with every April Fools' Day comes the biggest joke in Denver: the start of street sweeping, which seems to run like clockwork no matter what other services in the city are breaking down, or when your trash is now slated for pick-up. But at least Denver offers a free reminder that you're about to get a fifty-dollar ticket if you don't move that car: Sign up on denvergov.org for My pocketgov, which will send monthly alerts right before your street-sweeping day. After that, it's up to you.

If you don't know Brother Jeff, you don't know the heartbeat of Five Points, where Jeff Fard serves as switchboard, business booster and opinion-maker for the Black community at large. The new Black Dollar Saturday is perhaps his most grassroots initiative: He opens his Welton Street cultural center to Black entrepreneurs, artists, cooks and makers every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the spirit of Ujamaa, Kwanzaa's principle of Cooperative Economics. Come down and spend a dollar on soy candles, pencil portraits, plates of soul food, pickles, vinyl albums, jewelry or whatever happens to be on the tables each week.

Ink Lounge founder Stuart Alden has long been known for some of the coolest design work and screen printing for artists, bands, small businesses and nonprofits that are clients at Ink Lounge. But his "Good Ink Missions" really caught our attention this past year. These social-impact projects range from workshops with kids that create a dialogue about art with a purpose to running community fundraisers for local nonprofits — and Alden has really picked up the pace. Don't miss one of Ink Lounge's L!BERTee-Shirt Printing events: If you bring a T-shirt, Alden will donate his screen-printing services to raise awareness around a social issue.

Though Denver didn't get snow until late in the season, there was plenty of action in the new year — and the Twitter account uniting the community through it all has been @denversnow. Every time it snows, this Twitter account gleefully posts the details for its friends/followers, rejoicing in the precipitation. Rather than bemoaning commutes, cold or inconvenience, @denversnow helps Denverites celebrate the weather and every drop of moisture that lands. There's no business like snow business!

If you have done any kind of community advocacy work in Denver over the past ten years, you've crossed paths with Jonathon Stalls, and you've most likely crossed paths through his preferred mode of transportation: walking. On TikTok, Stalls takes us (and his 100,000 followers) along as he navigates our public transit systems. Whether by foot, bus, bike or wheelchair, when you follow his path on Pedestrian Dignity, you'll begin to see all of the barriers involved in getting from point A to point B, and these challenges range from woefully inadequate to fully outrageous and unjust.

Have you ever wondered why RTD's L Line has such a tiny service area? Why there's no connection between Denver and Boulder, much less stops at all of the subdivisions that fill the space in between? You're not alone. In the four-part podcast series Ghost Train, Colorado Public Radio's Nathaniel Minor explores the past, present and future of transit in metro Denver, starting from the 2004 vote to back FasTracks that was meant to make Denver a world-class city. But it's been a frustrating ride so far, and Ghost Train covers all the bumps along the way.

If you're a fan of This American Life or The Moth Radio Hour, you might already be a fan of Denver's The Narrators, a podcast along the same lines but with a Mile High spin. And if you're not yet a fan, you should be. Local entertainers, writers and raconteurs share true stories from their lives. The show — which will soon reach its 250th episode — began back in 2010 at Paris on the Platte with Those Who Can't star Andrew Orvedahl as host. These days, it's taped live weekly at Buntport Theater, where it's hosted by Ron Doyle and Erin Rollman; recent themes have covered such wide-ranging topics as blowjobs, grandmas, marital infidelity, culinary school, old friends, shoplifting, and using the outhouse at summer camp.

Sports-talk radio in metro Denver is far more vibrant than the news format right now — and in a crowded field, Darren D-Mac McKee is the most valuable player. He topped genre ratings for a decade-plus when teaming with ex-Denver Broncos great Alfred Williams, who got most of the credit. But even after Williams moved on to KOA, McKee has continued to excel in the high-profile afternoon-drive slot thanks to provocative takes, a wild sense of humor and the ability to make his partners (currently another ex-Bronco, Tyler Polumbus) sound much, much better.

If the coin shortage has you scratching your head, wondering where you'll find the change to do your laundry, Glendale Laundromat has you covered. This basic but clean facility has machines of many sizes, from two-load standards to eight-load mammoths — and most of them take credit cards. Rather than cycling through load after load, here you can finish a month's worth of laundry in just a few hours: Wash, dry, fold and walk away satisfied. Washer prices start at $2 for a double load, and dryers are 25 cents for six minutes.

Annoyed that Denver's street parking rates increased to $2 per hour this year? At least Pay by Phone can make your parking experience smoother. The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure started enabling Pay by Phone at meters across the city last year. The app's function is all in the name: Download it for free, find your parking zone and pay then and there. If you're not sure how long you might be, the app allows you to remotely add time. With Pay by Phone, there's no more digging for coins in your pockets — a good thing, because the quarters required to pay for a few hours these days might require a pack mule.

Although it's no fun to end up in the emergency room, Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center has a major perk for fans of the Avalanche, Mammoth, Nuggets and Rapids: The TVs here have Altitude Sports. Owing to a dispute with Comcast, Altitude TV isn't available to most Denver residents — but at St. Luke's, it's at the ready, tuned to everything from live games to 3 a.m. behind-the-scenes Nuggets footage. And while Altitude TV can't fix what landed you in the ER, it can help heal your spirits.

Founded by Angela Wilson, a Thornton mother whose son, Samuel, has intellectual and physical disabilities, Exploryst provides an online directory of businesses and activities complete with information regarding wheelchair accessibility, American Sign Language availability and more on accommodations. Everything from restaurants to outdoor experiences to Meow Wolf is included on the site, and Wilson maintains a blog documenting exactly how her family's experience went on their own adventures, offering inspiration for others.

Some health and wellness studios might make you feel the opposite of well (in mind, heart, body — or all three). But you'll be pleasantly surprised at Guided by Humanity, a place of radical inclusivity and intersectionality. No matter your ability, identity or financial status, there are options for you here. The offerings range from chair yoga to kids' yoga, mindfulness cooking, grief support and programs for folks who experience all manner of disabilities. If you're seeking a different kind of wellness path, sign up stat!

While Denver residents clamor for the city to invest more in pickleball, one of the country's fastest-growing sports, another metro parks department has gotten into the game. APEX Parks and Recreation District in Arvada sponsors tournaments, indoor and outdoor play, mixers, camps and clinics for picklers of all skill levels. People can work with the department to put on their own tournaments or set up private lessons, while less-structure-oriented fans of the sport can drop in at one of the district's four pickleball locations for a game.

Although Gates Tennis Center mainly focuses on the sport in its name, pickleball enthusiasts can enjoy themselves at the center's eight pickleball courts for just $6 an hour per person. But there's another major perk: three pickleball pros. If you want a private lesson, it's $60 an hour; grab up to five friends and you can split an $80 charge. Some of the tennis pros, jealous of how much fun the pickleball pros are having, occasionally step in to help with kids' classes, adding to Gates's pickleball coaching repertoire. Invest in your game or book a night of learning with friends; either way, you'll walk away slightly sweaty and fully satisfied.

The PickleBall Food Pub doesn't actually have food — it partners with nearby Marco's Pizza to let people order in — but it has a full bar and, most important, eight indoor courts. This facility in a former Sears store opened early in 2022 and has been a hit from the start. Reserve a court with friends for $30 before 5 p.m. most days and for $40 in the evening; you'll stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer while drinking a beer and dinking a pickleball.

Bowling with friends makes for a winning evening, but the cost of renting shoes and then playing multiple games can add up. The workaround to those pricey bowling nights? AMF Belleview Lanes, which offers unlimited bowling sessions at later hours on certain nights. The prices for unlimited bowling range from $14.59 to $15.99, with shoes thrown into the deal. The trick is to come with a small group and lots of stamina so you can get in as many games as possible.

The store is listed as Square One Games, but Games Workshop is the name on the side of the building. No matter what you call it, this shop is the best in town for gaming supplies. It stocks tabletop stuff for Dungeons & Dragons-like role-playing games: dice and intricate dioramic landscapes; miniatures of warriors and wizards and wraiths and wyrms; and all the shades of paints to bring those minis to life. While it's officially devoted to Warhammer and other Games Workshop-proprietary stuff, the sheer joy of rolling dice and demolishing your friend's elven armies is something gamers from any system can appreciate.

Hall of Justice Comics might not be the stately meeting place of the Super Friends from Saturday morning, but it almost feels like that when you walk through the door. Owner Jon Garnett got snake-bit by the comic-book explosion of the '80s and '90s, when everything coming out — Spawn, the Death of Superman, the five covers to X-Men #1 — was going to be worth as much as Amazing Fantasy 15 someday. That day, alas, will never come. But like any hero worth his underwear worn on the outside, Garnett persevered, and went from online retailer to brick-and-mortar proprietor faster than a speeding bullet. His selection and service? Truly heroic.

The Boulder Book Store was founded in 1973, four years before Pearl Street became a pedestrian mall, and today it's an institution. Its current 20,000-square-foot space houses more than 100,000 titles arrayed on three floors; the collection includes the latest must-haves as well as more obscure tomes in a dizzying variety of categories. This is also the area's top locale for bargain books, ranging from forgotten pulp masterworks to photo-heavy selections that will improve any coffee table. But above all, this store shows just how much a community can form around books and literary events. It's the write stuff.

Take a break from the workaday world and head to West Side Books, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in Highland this year. It's easy to lose track of time in the store's twists and towers of tomes — but despite its whimsical layout, each section is carefully labeled, making it easy to find what you're looking for, whether it's an unusual read or a highly sought-after title. And if West Side doesn't have it, staffers will do their best to locate a copy, no matter how rare. The store also hosts events for book lovers of all ages, including a few monthly book clubs.

When Sue Lubeck, the owner, heart and soul of the Bookies, passed away last summer on the eve of its fiftieth anniversary, it threw the beloved book store geared toward children and educators into limbo. The store was put up for sale, with faithful employees working on in hopes of continuing Lubeck's legacy. And in November, Nicole Sullivan of BookBar came to the rescue, taking the Bookies under her wing and pledging to work with the staff to continue the traditions that have worked so well for fifty years.

Families rule at Stanley Marketplace, so it's no surprise that when the new Tattered Cover ownership added that complex to its expansion plans, it focused on a store for children. The result is a new chapter in children's bookstores, complete with kid-sized shelving, a wraparound decorative mural, an event space, and storytimes under a tree that kids can climb. Plus — attention, parents — an after-story snack is just a few steps away. Another win for Stanley, another win for kids.

After more than thirty years of running Twist & Shout, the best record store in Denver and one of the best in the country, Paul and Jill Epstein sold the place to longtime manager Patrick Brown, who promises to keep it largely unchanged. And that's good news for anyone who loves vinyl, old or new, whatever the genre. Sure, there's other cool stuff at Twist & Shout — almost too much to take in on a single shopping trip — and if you can't find an awesomely weird birthday present here, then you're not trying hard enough. Still, Twist & Shout has always been about the music, and with Brown in charge, the song should remain the same. As an old friend of ours used to say, dropping the needle is the best drug there is.

When pioneering boutique retailer Stephanie Shearer decided to downsize her growing empire — which began with Soul Haus and Pandora on the Hill and eventually expanded to Trunk Nouveau at Stanley Marketplace — she had just the person to fill her EZE Mop space in Uptown. Former employee Ina Gasich (who goes by the handle Ina Minx) took over the spot and transformed it into Revolte, a wild and silly shop in the spirit of its predecessors, with a bent toward queer and retro kitsch and a "Keep it weird" motto.

Looking for some lingerie or pleasure toys? Have a thing for cannabis and houseplants? Please, Plants has you covered — or uncovered, if that's what you prefer. Perhaps the most unique adult store in the city (there's usually a sign out front reading "Bongs & Thongs"), Please, Plants offers sexy lingerie and trendy loungewear, as well as fun stuff like lubricants, massage candles, discreet vibrators and "spiritual" ones made from crystals. And, of course, there's a selection of plants, along with lighters and bongs that are best described as mid-century modern. The cherry on top: The store has same-day local delivery.

Matter is a book store. Matter is a gift shop. Matter is a poster shop, an art gallery, a design-forward graphic-art studio and a stationer. Matter is all about letterpress printing and hand-arranged type. Matter is really, really into typography. Matter is revolutionary. Matter is a local, BIPOC- and woman-owned business that believes in social justice, cooperative commerce and a post-racial, Afrofuturistic world. In a district of boutiques and breweries, what else could even compare? Designer/founder Rick Griffith not only knows how to make things look good, but also how to do good.

During the pandemic, neighborhood liquor stores gained new relevance. These were places where you could stock up on very necessary supplies, but also make some needed human contact. From its spot on South Broadway by Evans Avenue, Sobo Liquors serves a huge segment of the Denver community, offering both drive-through service for those in a hurry (or not ready to see humans) and very personal attention, with an on-staff sommelier and other staffers ready to make recommendations. The stock includes a huge craft beer selection you won't find at the nearby supermarket, including plenty of gluten-free options; there's also a welcome emphasis on quality spirits and wine, as well as a punch-card for frequent visitors. Drink up, Denver!

It's no secret that northeast Denver is close to a food desert, with no major grocery stores; in recent years, the City Park West, Whittier, Cole, San Rafael and Five Points neighborhoods have lost most of their corner bodegas, too. Entrepreneur Andrea Leo saw an opportunity and last fall opened Sun Market in City Park West. She offers a combination of affordable kitchen essentials, including produce (a section that's tough to keep stocked because of the demand), as well as some gift and gourmet items to spice things up.

The problem with plant stores is that they sell plants — whether the buyer has any idea what to do with those plants at home or just loves how they look in the store. Jessica Schutz of Green Lady Gardens doesn't believe in letting customers walk out without knowing exactly what they're getting into. At the very least, every plant comes with an instruction card, and if you ask for more advice, you'll definitely get it. The small but well-rooted shop also has an exemplary collection of pretty, artist-designed pottery to brighten up your new greenery.

All candles are not created equal. Once you've tried one from Candelaria, you'll understand this. Created in-house in small batches with natural, soy wax and lead-free cotton wicks, these candles are a connoisseur's dream, with clean scents inspired by rocks, ores, gems and minerals. In addition to the main attraction, Candelaria sells books and gifty items to further light up your life. Just as illuminating, the store donates a small percentage of every candle sale to a changing list of nonprofits and charities.

Ready to start shopping but don't want to drop big bucks? Greenwood Wildlife Thrift Shop & Consignment Gallery has fun finds in every category, from clothing to furniture to dishes. Those into vintage will have a blast browsing through old-timey ski sweaters and dresses, while those with more modern tastes will find today's name brands at a hefty discount. Greenwood also offers consignment by appointment, and has an online gallery for anyone who wants to thrift the day away without leaving the house. And you can feel good about every cent you drop here: All proceeds go directly to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Boulder County.

To Hell & Back and the Rummage Rats form a collective of two vintage and modern collectors on the second floor of ReCreative Denver, a vendor of recycled art materials. In addition to repairing old jeans and the like, the two businesses invite a few of their fellow vintage-pluckers to set up pop-ups under the Hell and Rats umbrella during First Fridays in the Art District on Santa Fe; this past winter, you could also find them at the Baker Bazaar, a recurring pop-up market at the L cocktail bar on Broadway.

Her decades-long passion for collecting vintage linens, china, silver, glass and textiles led Kathy Gomez to share her enthusiasm with others through Chickadee Vintage — but not before a lifetime of training in the art of interior decoration that started with growing up in her mother's house. Vintage collecting was an obvious extension of that upbringing, and so is Chickadee, an online shop where Gomez offers a wealth of linens from secondhand designer collections, from IKEA to Ralph Lauren, as well as other household treasures.

Chelsea and Michelle Mowrey, the mother-and-daughter team that runs Kitschy Witch, are clearly stuck in an anachronistic paradise of their own making, selling vintage finds from a wayback era — the 1940s. Back then, homes were adorned with pottery animal figurines and coconut-husk hula dancers as part of their daily decor, and holidays — a specialty at Kitschy Witch — meant spooky Halloween ephemera, tinseled trees with beaded ornaments, rosy-cheeked Santas, fuzzy Easter chicks and corny Valentines. Visit Kitschy Witch in downtown Englewood or catch its Instagram page every Sunday at 4 p.m. for live sales via the internet.

Although Antiques Row is disappearing from South Broadway, help is at hand. If you're on the hunt for furniture, a unique gift, fun things for your home or a display piece for your office, head to the magical place called Garage Antiques. This spot offers an overwhelming array of everything from dressers and coffee tables to vintage kitchen utensils and clothing from over twenty antique dealers. Slavica Slepcevic has been selling reclaimed and restored antiques from this spot since 2010; hop across the street to her other store, Garage Vintage, and you'll find the most beautiful, affordable retro '50s, '60s and '70s pieces. And be sure to say hi to Baby, the Australian Bare-Eyed cockatoo that will greet you at the entrance!

When you walk inside Ebisu Japanese Lifestyle Store, you'll be greeted by life-sized statues of anime characters, and you're likely to hear a slowed-down, emotional cover of a chart-topping pop song. But the unique decor and tunes aren't the main reason to head to Ebisu. This is the best spot in the area to get your Japanese beauty fix, since it stocks everything from makeup to hair dye to serums that will remove the oil from your bangs; you'll also find such basics as toilet paper and toothpaste, as well as a few aisles dedicated to irresistible snacks. The store's right across the parking lot from the H Mart, a Korean-American chain, in case you're inspired to shop for more Asian products.

With a following of over 100,000 on Instagram and over 20,000 on TikTok, 79-year-old retired psychiatric nurse Judith Boyd, aka The Style Crone, pushes the boundaries of the traditional fashion "influencer." And she doesn't just have you looking good; she also does good, by using her platform to elevate social justice issues such as climate change, fast fashion, ageism, human rights and animal-rights issues. Follow her to see some seriously beautiful outfits, hats and cool Denver locations that could inspire you to take equitable action.

Denver City Tattoo Club is almost a museum for historic flash from legendary tattoo artists. This is where iconic tattooer Kim Schaefer works, and it's run by Nicholas Pew, a walking encyclopedia on tattoo history in Denver and beyond. Everyone who works here is as friendly as they are talented, with a high level of knowledge about their craft. Although the shop has other offerings, this is where to get a traditional tattoo, particularly one steeped in history.

If you've spotted people around town with piercings in unique patterns with gorgeous jewelry, chances are good they were done by Sol Tribe Tattoo and Piercing's Casey Dilla Hosch (see for yourself on Instagram @casey.hosch.piercing). Under the mentorship of the late Alicia Cardenas, Dilla Hosch became one of those artists for whom you're willing to wait to get an appointment. In the wake of the tragedy that took the lives of Cardenas and her friend and colleague team member Alyssa Gunn Maldonado, Dilla Hosch has carried those lessons forward, stepping fully into the leadership role at this beloved shop. With Dilla Hosch at the helm, the incredible team of Sol Tribe artists continue to create a sacred, inclusive and intersectional space for the people they pierce and tattoo.

Dana Novara is a veterinarian who cares deeply about the animals and the humans she serves, and she and her team have created a veterinary clinic unlike any we've seen before. From an underwater treadmill (check Urban Paw's Instagram for pics of dogs in mermaid life jackets) to rehab on Bosu balls to temperature-controlled glass kennels, your pet will be treated to care that many humans only hope for. Novara has a strong commitment to community, works to achieve more sustainable practices in an industry that creates a lot of waste, and visits classrooms around Colorado, inspiring future veterinarians and animal advocates alike.

If you follow Jennifer Forman on social media, you've seen some hilarious videos of her adventures in grooming seriously grumpy-ass little dogs who are less than thrilled to be getting a haircut. All the while, the super-cool, tattooed, roller skating-loving human holding the scissors is laughing herself silly and giving them kisses, while viewers collectively hold their breath. With a brand-new location, this is the spot to take your reluctant fur baby; Forman will make the outside show what a sweetheart your pet is inside.