Reader: Denver Is the Capital of the Coolest State in the Country...Close Enough for Me

A dozen years ago, Denver ranked as the coolest city in the country, the place where all the young people were moving. That was the word from the Brookings Institute, a reputable resource for demographic info. Now we're happy to get a sixth-place coolest-city ranking from Betway, an online gambling company that analyzed the fifty most populated cities in North America based on "key factors associated with being cool," including vegan restaurants, record stores and tattoo parlors.

"What makes a city cool often goes beyond its reputation or famous landmarks – it’s the unique blend of culture that provides the energy," the Betway analysis concludes. "Denver fosters a creative and self-expressive atmosphere...combining a youthful energy with a thriving music scene."

In their comments on the Westword Facebook post of the coolest ranking, readers got plenty hot. Says Jonathan:

Wow, ranking a city "cool: based on vegan restaurants, record stores and tattoo parlors. Sounds pretty douchey.

Adds Michael:

Weird. When I think of cool, I definitely think the opposite of vegan restaurants.

Responds Ryk:

How should we rate — based on the number of Cracker Barrels?

Offers Aaron:

New Denver is a headache.... and conspicuously consumes cool to show off with sucky tattoos...

Adds Tovio:

EDM capital where almost no one dances. Weed capital where almost no one can afford to live. If "cool" refers to 20-somethings with trust funds, slanging shrooms and k, then "cool" it is.

Replies Hal: 

Denver is the capital of the coolest state in the country. Close enough for me.

Says Nancy:

Denver was cool when it was affordable, down-to-earth and diverse. Now it's downtrodden, expensive and exclusionary. I guess it's cool for the pretty, rich people.

Replies Victor:

Spot on. It’s become a rude, crime-ridden, overly expensive city that’s not warm and friendly anymore.

Counters Nick:

Denver is pretty cool. Does it have problems? Oh yeah. It will always be home to me.

Notes Rob:

Most cool things were pushed out years ago. You must be dreaming. We had bar crawls without designated t-shirts. We just found each other without cellphones and drank up and down Broadway.

Adds Alan:

 Or Colfax. And Colorado used to be rough around the edges and that's what made it so great. Now it's all catering to a crowd that wouldn't have survived in this state two decades ago.

Concludes Daniel:

I love how many comments say "Denver used to be cool X years ago!" but nobody can agree on what X is. So far I've seen 10, 15-20, and 25. Do I hear 30 ... 30 ... going for 30 ... do I hear 35 ... I've lived in Denver most of my life. Ten years ago, people were talking about how cool it was ten years before that. Fifteen years ago, they were talking about how cool it was fifteen years before that. Twenty years ago, well, you get the idea.

So I'll stake my claim: Denver was coolest when I was young and had a cheap apartment and no adult responsibilities and could stay up all night and still function the next day. Just like it was for everyone else.

Do you think Denver is cool? Do you think surveys based on vegan restaurants and tattoos are cool? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected]