Best New Light-Rail Station 2007 | E. Louisiana Ave. and S. Pearl St. | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best New Light-Rail Station

E. Louisiana Ave. and S. Pearl St.

The innermost stop on light rail's new southeast corridor, Louisiana and Pearl is also the most citified, with its lot-free "kiss-n-ride" designation (don't even try to park in the nearby residential neighborhood) and Mark Leese's welcoming "Jurassic Leaves" sculpture/shelter aboveground. But down below, under the bridge where you catch your ride, the station becomes a truly moving experience: T-Rex traffic rushes by as trains come and go, while Denver sculptor Ira Sherman's interactive metal-and-neon "Stange Machine" snakes above the platform, whimsical and sleekly spooky at the same time. This is the ultimate urban-transport experience.

Best Tribute to Money

Colorado Business Bank

If 17th Street is truly the Wall Street of the West, then the Ideal Building -- which now holds Colorado Business Bank -- lies at the intersection of art and commerce. At the two-story entrance, menacing marble bison guard bronze doors decorated with American Indian dance motifs. Inside, a frieze encircles the richly appointed lobby, paying tribute to the theme of money in history and its sacred importance in our lives today. Designed in 1907 by engineer Montana Fallis for Charles Boettcher's Ideal Cement Company, Denver's first multi-level, all-reinforced concrete building celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year. With interest compounded.

Best Celebration of Finished Business

Frederic C. Hamilton Building Opening Weekend

Just where Daniel Libeskind's new building planted Denver on the cultural map is still up for debate. But the weekend-long completion celebration definitely put our city at the center of the party map! From the 10 a.m. Saturday opening under sunny skies to a chilly Sunday-night close, the 35-hour party attracted everyone in Denver who gives a DAM. Watching patrons bump into art and knock their heads on the angled walls only added to the fun, and throughout the weekend, it was impossible not to run into an old acquaintance or make a new friend.

Best Celebration of Unfinished Business

Highland Bridge Opening

The opening celebration for the Highland Bridge took that old Field of Dreams cliche -- "If you build it, they will come" -- and gave it a modern twist: "If you build it and are not quite finished but all the speeches have been written, the entertainment booked and the catering tents rented, they will still come." And they did come, even though the Highland Bridge connecting Highland with the Platte Valley was still clearly months from completion, for festivities that included speeches, the release of some doves that caused at least one fender bender, and fireworks that came as a complete surprise to the Department of Transportation, which oversees I-25.

Best Early-Warning System

CDOT Traveler Information

If you like to over-plan, are looking for a convenient excuse to cancel unwanted road trips or just want to enjoy the hassles of driving without leaving your home, let this Colorado Department of Transportation website put you in the virtual driver's seat. The site offers up-to-the-minute road conditions, weather information and travel times. Nervous drivers will particularly appreciate the one-click access to messages posted on any of the fixed variable signs stationed alongside various roadways, and voyeurs should enjoy the wide array of traffic cameras positioned around the state.

Best Political Campaign Souvenir

"Both Ways Bob" Flip-Flops

During the 2006 gubernatorial campaign, the highly partisan ProgressNowAction sent those who made a $10 donation something extra for their efforts: flip-flops emblazoned with the phrase "BOTH WAYS" and a photo of Republican Bob Beauprez. Proof once again that only a hypocritical stance and one false letter separate scandals from sandals.

Best Souvenirs in a Gas Station

Conoco

This isn't your father's Conoco station -- unless your father is Jackie Chan. In addition to the usual independent, urban convenience-store hodgepodge of noodle bowls, outdated hair dye, magazines, 3.2 beer, adult diapers and miniature pipes, the sign that greets drivers heading out of downtown on Speer Boulevard promises "souvenirs." And how! Nothing says "I've Been to Denver" more than a jade bracelet, a pair of brass knuckles, an elegantly engraved gutting knife or a throwing star. Okay, maybe a beer-mug magnet, but this Conoco has those, too.

Best Souvenirs by a Gravesite

Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave

William "Buffalo Bill" Cody may have been the greatest marketing man ever born, so he'd be proud to know that the Denver park that holds his grave also boasts the state's best souvenir store. Three years after Buffalo Bill was buried on Lookout Mountain, his foster son, Johnny Baker, asked Denver if he could build a structure nearby where he could display historic Buffalo Bill items and also sell some memorabilia -- as well as snacks. In 1921 he opened the Pahaska Teepee, a classic neo-West structure of spruce logs that quickly became a must-stop for Denverites motoring up the mountain to take in the stunning view. While the historic Buffalo Bill collection long ago moved into an actual museum built by Denver in 1977, the Pahaska is still a must-stop for anyone who loves souvenirs both cheesy (cow-chip frisbees) and classy.

Best CU Recruiter

Hank Brown

Remember the University of Colorado at Boulder before Hank Brown took over as president? The institution's reputation had fallen to subterranean depths after a series of public embarrassments and subsequent investigations, and previous prez Elizabeth "Betsy" Hoffman's ineffectual attempts to set things right only made matters worse. Enter former senator Brown. His steady leadership and open, plainspoken style surprised skeptics and silenced critics. Despite having given his notice -- Brown says he'll leave by early 2008 -- he continues to be CU's best advertisement, and a real recruiter.

Best Hair on a TV Personality -- Male

Chris Tanaka

Metrosexuality comes naturally to sportscaster Chris Tanaka. Rather than stick with the typical hair helmet favored by style-challenged on-air males, he rocks a spiky/sexy cut that tells members of the younger demographic that he knows about scoring in every sense of the word. There aren't many besuited TV dudes who can pull off such a daring look -- but on Tanaka, this 'do is far from a d'oh!

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