Best Of Denver® 2025 Winners
Shopping & Services
Our long nightmare will finally end this fall, when the last blocks of the 16th Street Mall renovation project will be completed. Yes, that's reason to celebrate, but it's no reason to change the name of that mile-long-plus stretch through the heart of downtown. While malls have gone the way of Forever 21 and the city has spent $100,000 to come up with a new name, there's already a perfectly serviceable one. Forget any cute branding: Just drop the "mall" and leave it at Sixteenth. Sweet!
Look, we understand that Civic Center Park has seen some ugly times and that it's due for an upgrade...at some point. The plans even look interesting. But is 2026 the year for this? Do we really want to tear up the park inspired by the City Beautiful movement — Denver's first National Historic Landmark — at the same time that Colorado is celebrating its 150th anniversary? Why not postpone a year and let the people celebrate in the heart of the state's capital, just down the hill from the Capitol?
We've been assured that it's too late to stop the $280 million (the feds kicked in $150 million) Bus Rapid Transit project that's supposed to transform East Colfax Avenue…and is screwing over businesses in the meantime by removing parking and blocking easy access. So for now, while those businesses await grants that could be too little, too late, there's only one way to aid them: Shop there! Get there by foot, bike or flying car, but get there and patronize the mom-and-pop stores that give this city so much character. And don't miss the Colfax Bar Crawl on April 12!
Colorado was one of the first states to adopt mail-in voting, back in 2013, and despite all the controversy over the last dozen years, this state remains the "gold standard," with strong participation in the political process and none of the shenanigans suggested by election deniers. If you're registered to vote, you'll get a ballot at the mailing address on your registration; you can even track the progress of your ballot from your kitchen table to the count! To check on your status, go to govotecolorado.gov.
Best Music Video by a Government Entity
"I Water That Way"
Denver Water
Think bureaucrats are all wet? Think again. Last summer, musical members of the Denver Water team joined together as the Splashstreet Boys, recording "I Water That Way" (a variation on the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way") to promote proper summer watering rules...and there wasn't a dry eye in the house once it hit the web. A sampling of the lyrics:
Yeah...my yard needs water when it gets hotter
Believe these dry days that I water that way
But we want lawns to survive
Concrete just won’t fly
So I say, I water that way
Best Name for an Old Colorado Concept
ColoradoScaping
Denver Water
Travel back in time with us to those days when Earth Day was just a sprout and Denver Water coined the term "xeriscaping" to describe a landscaping philosophy that focuses on decreasing the need for irrigation by using plants suited to the climate (and often a lot of rocks). But what's old became new again last year, when the agency gave the concept an update, renaming what some critics had dubbed "zero-scaping" to give Colorado's image a green sheen.
The El Jebel building in Denver's Uptown neighborhood, known for its onion-shaped turret-toppers, was reimagined in 2024 by Non Plus Ultra, a company that makes use of historic buildings caught in the tricky space between preservation and disuse. NPU fixed up the plumbing and restored many of the building's original features. Now the giant space, with a ballroom, reception rooms, coat-check spaces and the oldest working elevator in Colorado, can be rented for a variety of events. We're glad more people get to experience El Jebel's history and gorgeous design.
Like many people, we had reservations about the new hotel going up in a sliver of a lot off Colfax Avenue just past Civic Center Park. We called it the Cheese Grater; we compared its exterior to half-shut eyelids. But since the Populus opened last fall, we've become converts. Although we still wonder about the health of those trees planted in Colorado to offset the project's carbon footprint, we have no concerns about its cool eateries, sustainable practices and fabulous views — particularly of the City and County Building all lit up for the holidays. Time magazine just named it one of the 25 Great Places to stay or visit, and we'll second that.
Having trouble finding parking in Cherry Creek? Frustrated by those weird parking monitors? Join the club! The Clayton Members Club, that is. You're going to have to meet some eligibility requirements, but once you've passed muster (largely economic), you'll have access to special amenities that include discounts at the Michelin-rated hotel, a co-working lounge, access to a special Members Parlor Restaurant (though the other Clayton restaurants are top-notch) and parking! Let the Clayton put you in the driver's seat.
Just when you thought a single construction project on Broadway would never be completed, the new southbound on-ramp to I-25 from Broadway was suddenly finished...ahead of schedule and against all expectations. The new exit is a true pleasure, too, and not just because it replaced the hellish temporary route along with the archaic original that relied on a left turn against traffic. No, this new exit is all smooth, banked curves and easy merging onto I-25. Just don't miss the tiny sign and quick right turn off South Broadway.
Best Free Parking Near Denver International Airport
Peña Station NEXT
The property surrounding the light rail station at East 61st Avenue and Peña Boulevard is project-ready, with plenty of plans online and newly paved streets, but there’s no actual development in sight. This leaves free parking spots for blocks and blocks…if you dare. Leave your car parked by the curb and hop on the A Line for Denver International Airport. Besides the free (if illegal) parking, you’re getting a free ride on the train: There’s no charge if you’re only going one stop.
Best Way to Get a Visit From a State Trooper
Colorado State Patrol Outreach Program
For 89 years, the Colorado State Patrol has been a resource for safety on the road. Today the agency is responsible for the safe transport of hazardous materials, while the Investigative Services Section plays a leading role in chasing down auto-theft crimes such as chop shops; dogs on the Narcotics Detection Canine Team are trained to find narcotics, currency or weapons on the highways; and the Executive Security division provides security for the governor and other state officials. But ordinary folks can simply request a trooper for a talk at their workplace or a community event on subjects such as bullying, cybersafety, distracted driving and even Newton’s laws for crashes.
Bird is the new kid on the block in Denver, and its freshness shows when you take one of its e-scooters for a spin. The Bird scooters have the latest advancements, including wider decks, turn signals and wireless phone-charging mounts that don't launch your phone into the street when you hit a pothole (looking at you, Lime). The scooters also have less wear and tear than their competition. Plus, when Bird took over Lyft's dockless vehicle license in December, it only kept the newest generation of Lyft scooters in operation. So we can all thank Bird for getting those old, janky, skinny black Lyft scooters off of Denver's streets.
All you need to in order to use one of DPL’s five recording studios, located in the ideaLABS, is a library card and a reservation. Software and hardware vary by location, but most include basics such as Logic Pro X, GarageBand and FocusRite Scarlett 6i6 Audio Interface. Some of the studios have musical instruments, as well. The Central library has electric, acoustic, and bass guitars, and the Gonzales branch has a mandolin and a ukulele. Reservations can be made up to two weeks in advance, and each session is two hours.
Best Way to Read the New York Times for Free
Denver Public Library Databases
Whether you’re reading by hard copy or digital subscription, All the News That’s Fit to Print can put a big dent in your wallet. But with a library card, the searchable, complete text of today’s edition (and any date going back to 1980) can be yours for free through the Denver Public Library’s extensive list of online databases (which includes the Denver Post). With a few extra steps, you can view full-page scans of the Times as well as historical content and images dating back to 1851, plus access thousands of recipes from NYT Cooking and stories from The Athletic. With all the money you'll be saving, you’ll soon have enough for a trip to the Big Apple.
The cost of home-delivery subscriptions to the Denver Post is rising faster than the paper is shrinking, with people paying more than $1,000 a year for the privilege of having an actual copy at their door. That's why so many readers have gone digital-only, but sometimes you just actually need that newsprint in your hand — though you'll pay a pretty penny for that, too...upwards of 400 pretty pennies. But there is an option: Head to the Dollar Tree on East Quincy, where you can get the Sunday Post edition at a bargain $1.50 — for now, at least, until the vampire hedge-fund owner, Alden Global Capital, poops on this party.
These are days of struggle for independent bookstores, and many of those that have survived the tyranny of online shopping have done so via shrinkage. But not the Boulder Bookstore. The Pearl Street Mall staple still boasts three big floors of retail space, with shelf after shelf after shelf crammed with tomes of every description. Yes, you can find the latest bestsellers and approved-by-TikTok tales of dragon sex and more. But the space also makes room for scads of volumes that fall into more obscure categories — and the remainders section, where offerings are peddled at significant discounts, is the deepest and most interesting in the metro area. In this case, size matters, and the Boulder Bookstore makes the most of it. Bonus for the ongoing lineup of author appearances: You pay $5 (plus fees) for a ticket, but get a $5 coupon for your first book purchase.
When Tattered Cover, Colorado's signature bookseller, was purchased by Barnes & Noble last year, readers in the Mile High City prepared themselves for the worst. But thus far, at least, the quirky character that distinguished Tattered hasn't been exiled to the cobwebbed corners of nostalgia...and the retailer's flagship branch on East Colfax Avenue continues to feel distinctively Denver. The new owners wisely chose not to give the interior a major makeover, and the scruffy, lived-in atmosphere contributes mightily to a welcome sense of familiarity. But the shelves are again stocked, with the same eclecticism that initially lured bibliophiles to the brand. May it forever be so.
Since 1972, the Bookies Bookstore has been a treasured resource for educators, thanks to its smart collection of specialty texts that belong in every classroom — and the supply of titles aimed at a more general readership displays a similar level of intelligence. But this may not always be the case. Sue Lubeck, the store's original owner, died in 2021, and its purchaser, BookBar founder Nicole Sullivan, recently announced that if a new buyer doesn't step in by the end of April, the Bookies will have to close its new store on June 1. So stop by the Bookies today — and hope that it will be saved for many tomorrows to come.
Twist & Shout is the happiest sort of business story. Paul Epstein and Jill Parrish brought the store to life in 1988, and over the years that followed, the love and care with which they ran their operation was rewarded by way of a loyal fan base and a sterling reputation that traveled well beyond state lines. Then, in 2022, when Epstein and Parrish decided to retire from the record biz, they found the ideal successor: Patrick Brown, who had managed the store for 29 years. The ownership transition was utterly seamless, and under Brown's leadership, Twist & Shout hasn't lost one iota of its charm. The store is a monument to popular culture, offering vinyl, CDs, DVDs, books, clothing and assorted odds and ends whose sole goal is to produce joy. What goes ’round comes ’round.
Generations of music lovers have flocked to Wax Trax's double threats — storefronts devoted to new and used recordings located steps apart on East 13th Avenue. But in November 2023, the store opened a new outpost on Broadway that's developed into an idiosyncratic boutique with a quality all its own. Vinyl aplenty is on hand, but so, too, are home decor items, vintage clothing and random oddities so wrong that they're just right. The result is an unexpected but wholly enjoyable extension of a Denver classic.
Set back from Broadway in the most unassuming kind of mini-strip mall, Sold Out Vinyl Records is easy to miss but well worth discovering. The space is small but doesn't feel that way, since it's laid out with the sort of thoughtfulness that bespeaks an infectious fondness for vinyl and everything associated with it. Every long-player and seven-inch single is treated with respect and affection, and there need be no worries about quality, since only items in pristine condition are put on display — yet the prices are as reasonable as the service is amiable and solicitous. Shopping at Sold Out Vinyl Records is like being a member of the coolest club in town. Join now.
Fur has gone in and out of fashion, but used furs have recently come back into style..and political correctness. After all, the original animal owners can't wear them, and, in many cases, neither can the human owners who bought them. Jonval Leathers & Furs specializes in not just fur cleaning and repairs, but storage...and when a client fails to reclaim a fur after a number of years, Jonval assumes they never will. That's when the furs can be sold legally, and you can find some real bargains here.
Let's not split hairs: Getting a good haircut is a cinch compared to getting a good job once you've exited a correctional facility. R&R Head Labs specializes in offering services performed by justice-impacted expert barbers and other previously incarcerated community members committed to making a better world around them...and making you look great in the process. You'll leave the shop looking and feeling your best, knowing that you've made a cutting-edge contribution.
A good computer repair shop has become as important as a good, honest car mechanic — and just as tough to find. At Denver iPhone & Computer Repair, conveniently located in the heart of Capitol Hill, friendly staffers will give it to you straight, won’t upsell you, and will always look for the best way to fix your screens — at one-tenth the price of a visit to the Apple Store.
If you have a fever and the only cure is more puzzle, Missing Piece is for you! Erin Leidy started the business because “I have always loved puzzles,” she says on the exchange’s website. “I wanted to take my passion and create something special.” She did that by creating a puzzle exchange, so that people can find a new puzzle, conquer it, then bring it back — no muss, no fuss. And speaking of muss, she also created a puzzle cover to protect puzzles while you work on them. Join the Puzzle Exchange at the casual, avid or Local Denver Puzzler level, and let the games begin!
There is no shortage of entertainment at Akihabara Arcade, a massive barcade featuring Japanese arcade games as well as beers and snacks from the country and craft cocktails. While you’ll find standard arcade games here, from Mario Kart to Monkey Ball and Pac Man, Akihabara has several you’ve probably never seen before. There’s a giant patio out back where you can hang before you focus on a screen once more, and you can make an entire outing of it by catching a movie at the nearby Alamo Drafthouse before or after a visit here. (We recommend before, because you won’t want to leave this reigning king of barcades.)
When you walk into Art District Antiques, you can count on being greeted with a squawky “Hello!” Baby the cockatoo is always perched in a cage at the entrance of the store, beyond which is room after room filled with trinkets, oddities, art and furniture; upstairs are more rooms packed with vintage clothing. Art District Antiques (and its sister store, Garage Vintage) is a staple of the Art District on Santa Fe, and Baby the cockatoo is a staple of the antiquing experience at the store. If you’re caught between stacks of antiques and suddenly hear a loud, screeching racket, don’t worry — it’s just Baby, who’ll give you a warm greeting on your way out, too.
As soon as you walk into Alchemy Ritual Goods, you feel a wave of calm. Maybe it’s the incense, the sparkling crystals or the dried herbs, but this metaphysical shop is all good vibes. Founded by Lalania Simone, Faatma Be Oné and Flor Marquez, Alchemy offers an array of books on religion, spirituality, astrology, plant medicine, moon rituals and so much more, as well as handmade healing tinctures and spiritual supplies such as candles, herbs and incense. Spiritual readings, acupuncture, massage and yoga are available as well, and the shop also hosts community gatherings and classes. If you need a spiritual reset, look no further.
Havana Health Sauna brings all the relaxation and benefits of a traditional Korean sauna experience to Colorado. The spa offers unlimited access to multiple saunas, hot tubs and a cold plunge pool for $31 a day with no reservation required; a secure locker and a towel come with the price of entry. There are separate areas for each sex, since, following tradition, no clothing is allowed within the spa. Let loose, soak and steam, then emerge feeling far better than when you entered.
Best Place to Find an Outfit to Make Your Ex Regret Their Choices
Inspyre Boutique
Inspyre Boutique was founded by Britni Jensen over a decade ago, when she was looking for high-quality clothing at a price young professionals could actually afford. Catering to that group proved to be a smart idea: Jensen and her husband now own four Inspyre locations in the area. Inspyre’s pieces are classy yet fun, while the staff is attentive and will help you choose a look to let your ex know you’re in a better place. There are no fashion emergencies here.
Who needs dating apps and run clubs? Pitch-a-Friend helps Denver singles find a date the old-fashioned way: through Shark Tank-style sales pitches. Participants give five-minute slideshow presentations about their single friends, aiming to sell them as prospective romantic partners to a room full of strangers at local bars and restaurants. After the pitches, audience members can chat up the bachelors/bachelorettes during a mingling session. The unique dating experience launched in the Mile High City in December and has held around a dozen events since, with many more scheduled in the coming months. It's weird, but it beats swiping on Tinder.
Best Place for Teens on a Budget to Buy (and Sell) Used Fast Fashion
Plato's Closet
Geared to a young crowd, Plato’s sells gently used clothing, accessories and shoes for both men and women at low enough prices that a shopper is sure to go home with a trendy item or two (most of the merch is less than a year old). If you’re a seller, you don’t need an appointment; staff will look over your goods while you wait. Each store is individually owned and varies in selection; the Colorado Boulevard space is a bit more upscale, with items from Chaco, Free People, Aerie and Urban Outfitters.
Best Place to Pretend You're a Groupie for a '70s Band
Heady Bauer
Ready to get groovy? Legend has it that the founder of Heady Bauer traveled the festival scene across the country for over a decade, acquiring clothing, accessories and other items before opening a vintage shop and stocking it with the collection. Just off the Pearl Street Mall, Heady Bauer also has an open jam space on the shop’s upper floor, with instruments available for musicians of any level to hop in and experiment. Rad!
The LambShoppe is a haven for anyone who loves knitting, crochet or embroidery; staffers are eager to help on projects. But even those who aren’t wizards with needles will appreciate the expansive collection of buttons in every shape and color at the back of the store — everything from traditional circles to puzzle pieces, flowers and rectangles. It’s inspiring to check out the stock and think about how you can spruce up your old clothes with just a few stitches and a dope button.
Strawberry Mountain is a fun place to buy and sell secondhand clothes, but it also puts out a fantastic monthly style newsletter that shares news of upcoming events, offers guidance on creating outfits from clothes in the store, and provides styling and sustainable fashion tips. Nadia MacKinnon opened Strawberry Mountain in 2021, and the store quickly became a staple for Denver’s fashion community and a popular place to visit on First Friday. In an effort to slow down fashion and help locals create sustainable wardrobes, the store buys clothes and resells them at affordable prices. Strawberry Mountain also frequently collaborates with local artists. Lookin’ good, Denver!
Atomic Salvage is packed with vintage shoes, sweaters, dresses, pants, shirts and even trinkets like ashtrays, but it’s also a place to find hand-printed clothing and support a local artist. Owner and Instagram fashion influencer @thrifty.jules upcycles old pants, shirts, nightgowns, totes and more with her unique hand-printed designs depicting clowns, kewpies, tigers, crying hearts and a popular “biggest slut at the antique shop” logo in gothic font; she also makes chain jewelry and hair clips.
Aliyah Wallace is a Littleton-based fashion designer whose signature is cutting out the letters of old T-shirts and using them to spell out phrases like “Trans Rights,” “Dyke Power” and even “Bella, Where the Hell Have You Been, Loca?” Wallace’s clothes celebrate being queer and offer a fresh, unique and sustainable look to any wardrobe. “As soon as I moved here, I hopped straight into the queer culture in Denver, and it was more accepting and very out there,” Wallace says. “So I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t really have any limits. I can make shirts that say crazy things.’” Beyond putting phrases on shirts, Wallace upcycles neckties, makes jewelry and creates plenty of unique designs with her sewing skills.
Best Vintage Clothing Store for Trinkets
Fever Dream Vintage & Modern
If you’re coming from a stroll in City Park, keep walking to Fever Dream, a little store with a lot to offer in the way of vintage. Beyond the usual clothes, shoes and jewelry, the store keeps a large stock of vintage Denver matchbooks, kitschy knickknacks, pins and records. With a wide range of items and a wide range of prices, there’s something affordable for just about every kind of shopper.
Brass Armadillo is like a labyrinth — or a casino. Something about the aisles and aisles of antiques makes you lose track of time and reality. The Wheat Ridge mall is one of six locations across five states, and the antiquing experience it offers is suited to both amateur and expert curio hunters. The Armadillo has everything from old toys, books, postcards, clothes and furniture to animal skulls, taxidermy and creepy doll art. A lot of the merchandise is very affordable, making this a great place to hunt for home decor or trinkets to add to your collection — or to just while away an afternoon.
The Clothing Cycle aims to find a local solution to the global textile waste problem by organizing pop-up clothing swaps, events at which people bring in clothing items in good condition that they don’t wear anymore and swap them with clothes from the Cycle’s curated racks of secondhand, vintage and upcycled clothing. Shoppers can also donate funds instead of clothes and still take clothes from the events. Founder Katessia Robertson describes the Clothing Cycle as a “closed-loop fashion system that centers community and climate,” and it also shares resources with artists, clothing upcyclers, fashion designers and mutual aid groups.
Art supplies are expensive, but not at ReCreative, a used art-supply store in the Art District on Santa Fe where artists of all levels can shop for everything from needles, notions, fabric and yarn to paint, crayons, beads and markers that came in as donations and are priced low to make them affordable and accessible. Proceeds from the resale of the donated goods help fund the store’s programs: ReCreative frequently holds workshops and community events where people can connect with other artists, make crafts and learn mediums like embroidery, ceramics, beading and more. Need a hobby? ReCreative is sure to have something to spark your interest.
Best Visible Mending Workshop
Stich 'n' Bitch at Seventh Circle Music Collective
Artist Bucky Grant holds regular visible mending meetups known as Stitch ’n’ Bitch at Seventh Circle Music Collective. The events, put on through Artists in Sync, teach people how to mend and upcycle their clothes so that they can keep them longer. “I set up with scrap cloth, thread, buttons and other notions — needles, scissors, embroidery supplies — and invite people to bring clothes they want to mend to the workshop,” Grant explains.” A $5 Seventh Circle membership is required; a $10 donation is suggested. But you can also bring leftover art supplies to swap.
A convenience store run usually happens when you only need a few things and don’t want to go to the grocery store, or you have the munchies or are in search of a struggle meal. Capitol Market has everything a convenience store should have — slushies, ice cream, candy, snacks, basic grocery items, drinks and over-the-counter medications — but also a surprisingly beautiful selection of plants of all kinds, basking in the sunlight by the entrance. So a heads-up if you’re only running in for one thing: You might leave with a plant, too.
Something’s always blooming at Fantasy Orchids, the only greenhouse in Colorado that specializes in the flower. At the plant nursery, you can browse and buy rare types of orchids, and even board or trade your own. Maybe Colorado’s dry climate isn’t the best for these tropical beauties, but the staff at Fantasy Orchids will provide care tips, and orchid soil and fertilizer are available for purchase. Orchid lovers will be wowed by the range of colors, shapes and sizes of these beautiful flowers. Don’t want to go all the way to Louisville? You can purchase orchids and care supplies online, too.
Best Place to Buy Too Many Plants
Echter's Nursery & Garden Center
An Echter’s first-timer might not be aware of the range of plants, garden supplies and patio decor that this nursery has in its greenhouses. Seriously, pretty much any type of plant (houseplants and outdoor) you can think of is here; before you know it, you could fill a cart with flowers, cacti and weird plants you’ve never seen before. Echter’s also has a fun collection of plain and decorative pots, and if you buy one for your plant, the staff will re-pot it in the store for you. The garden center also hosts workshops and classes for those interested in keeping their plants alive.
In 2004, Mike and Janet Johnston opened the first Savory Spice shop in LoDo, and today there are close to thirty locations, seven of them along the Front Range. The stores are well stocked with spices from around the globe, and the knowledgeable staff will help you narrow down your selections. Customer favorites include Whiskey Barrel Smoked Black Pepper, Salted Caramel Spice, Peruvian Chile Lime Seasoning and Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste. There are also packets of blended spices to make taco soup, marinara sauce or huli huli chicken. Everything is available online, too, along with an extensive array of recipes to help you up your dinner game.
As late summer turns into fall, it becomes impossible to miss the smell of roasting green chiles in many parts of Denver. For devotees of Colorado’s homegrown Mirasol chile, though, it’s a matter of sorting through a haystack of Hatch roasters to find the Pueblo peppers. Heinie’s has been doing it for 75 years and knows where to get all of the state’s best produce — chiles from southern Colorado, melons from Rocky Ford, corn and peaches from the Western Slope. Repeat customers are rewarded over the course of the summer, as they get to see what’s coming into season next, what crops are in their prime, and what’s tapering off for the year and might be gone the next week.
Tom Clark Sr. opened the original Clark’s Market in Aspen in 1978, and the company has since grown to eight locations, including the Lowry outlet, which opened in 2023 with Tom Clark Jr. at the helm after his father’s retirement. Falling somewhere between Sprouts and Whole Foods price-wise, Clark’s is impeccably tidy and carries gourmet items as well as basic groceries. Reasonably priced grab-and-go meals include sushi, pasta dishes and stone-fired pizza. Flowers, baked goods, an array of cheeses, a friendly staff and a wine and spirits section make this a welcome addition to the Lowry neighborhood.
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