Personal Best: Kayla Jones Shares Her City

The Best of Denver 2022 is out, full of people, places and things we love about the Mile High City. For our 39th edition, we asked a few of our favorite, out-and-about Denver residents to share their personal bests. Here's what photographer Kayla Jones focused on:

Where's the best place to take visitors to Denver?

I love live music, and I think you can learn so much about a city by its live music offerings. That means a show at Larimer Lounge and grabbing dinner at Dio Mio, Hop Alley or Mister Oso before; in the summer, outdoor shows abound. We’ll put a picnic together for the free concert offerings at Levitt Pavilion, hit up the rooftop dance party at MCA called B-sides or go to City Park Jazz.

What's your favorite place in Denver?

Washington Park, because the possibilities are endless. We take the Cherry Creek bike path halfway down, then take Downing in. We’ll stop at Devil’s Food Bakery for coffee and pastries and then head over to the park. There’s a great rental shop where you can grab single or double kayaks, pedal boats and SUPs. A day in the sunshine, a great book to read and lots of people-watching is really restorative.

What's the best special-occasion spot in Denver?
Rioja. Denver doesn’t have many places with formal, impeccable service that are also warm and inviting. The food, from a James Beard award-winning chef, is vibrant and creative, and prepared with a lot of care and technique (try the fantastic housemade pastas or the grilled wagyu tri-tip). The room is definitely romantic, from the velvet moss green banquettes to the white-washed brick walls. Happy hour (with most prices under $10) and brunch are favorites, especially if you can get seats outside and take in the energy (and people-watching) of Larimer Square.

What's your go-to restaurant in Denver?

Bar Dough was the first restaurant I went to when I moved to Denver. I came in during one of the biggest snowstorms in years, and wondered if there would even be one person in there. Instead, I found it packed, hip-hop playing and snowshoes stacked by the host stand! I ordered the clam pizza (heaven) and many (many) glasses of happy-hour wine later, I made friends there that I still have to this day. A restaurant needs to have fantastic food for you to keep going back (try the lemon chicken, the burrata with wood-fire piata, and one of the best cacio e pepes I’ve ever had), but the feeling a restaurant gives you is just as important. The energy and vibe of that place is pretty amazing. Bar Dough can feel like a welcoming neighborhood spot, but also can be your (get dressed up) destination on a Friday or Saturday.

Where's the best spot to shop in Denver?

Five Points. Be A Good Person because the designs are cool and the mission is meaningful; Judith & Joe, which has cool men’s and women’s clothes, Colorado-made jewelry, gifts and vinyl records, and works hard at being sustainably-focused. And Modern Nomad for everything! From home goods to a wide array of fine and costume jewelry, plants and a great vintage selection, Modern Nomad has it all. It can feel like a party on the weekend, with the amount of people browsing in its big airy space. (The people-watching alone is also really fun!) Recital is a great place for plants, perfumes and gifts. Swing by Coffee at the Point or Whittier Cafe for your pre- or post-shopping coffee fix.

If you have a few spare hours, what's your favorite thing to do in Denver?

If work has been especially wild, I book the best $40 massage ever at Super Massage (treat yourself, and add hot stones for a bit more $$). And then depending on what I’m craving, I stop by Star Kitchen for dim sum, La Calle for tacos or, in winter, Pho Haus or Pho 96 for pho.

How about a free day?

Time at Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. MCA has some of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking exhibitions…but there’s definitely a sense of playfulness and interactivity in its programming, which I think makes it welcoming, surprising and fun. Definitely check out Black Sheep, Singing with Strangers and Meet the Maker. After MCA, I love to go to Mutiny Information Cafe to browse used books and vinyl records. I’ll pop into two of my favorite vintage shops after: Goldmine Vintage and La Lovely. I love to wander this city, so I’ll probably head to Five Points, grab a late lunch at Stowaway or Cart Driver, and check out the back alleys of Larimer to admire some street art. Once it’s 4 p,m, it’s cocktail time, and I’ll have to choose between either Fort Greene or Pon Pon (Matchbox if I fancy a $3 cocktail and a jukebox).

What's the best thing about living in Denver?

The people. Sure, I could say it’s Denver’s proximity to the mountains…and I do love that. But for me, it’s the people who make Denver the best. The people I have met are so creative and collaborative… .I came from cities where people, even friends, were highly competitive with each other, so it’s really refreshing to meet artists who elevate other artists, chefs supporting other chefs, small businesses lifting other small businesses up. And in the last two years, I learned how incredibly resilient Denver people are. I’ve never had a friend group so diverse in backgrounds, and I think that’s because there’s a lovely openness and kindness to the people who live here.

Kayla Jones is a Denver-based photographer. When she's not working, she spends time exploring her city with generous amounts of time in the mountains.