Hannah Metzger
Audio By Carbonatix
Denver went into a frenzy on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The crisis? A misspelled street sign.
After a Redditor pointed out that the “California St.” sign at the 19th Street intersection in downtown Denver was actually spelled “Califorina,” the public and media couldn’t wait to pile on the City of Denver’s spell-checking. The Denver Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI) scrambled to remove and replace the sign later in the week.
According to DOTI, the street sign was fabricated and installed by a contractor, and the city will not be charged for the new, properly spelled replacement. But some readers wanted the the sign to remain as a local inside joke or cheeky tourist destination.
It’s not quite the Chicago sidewalk rat hole, but it’s a start.
Potential GPS navigation issues aside, most people didn’t notice the typo until the social media post — and after that, some of us still had to take a few moments to notice the misplaced “i.” Why not leave it up, as a reminder to always re-read your work?
Leave it! Tourist destination 🤣😆
—Jessica Shaw
I remember about 15 years ago CDOT misspelled mountain for the Lookout Mountain exit on I-70. They got roasted and went and put a tarp over it.
—Putin Khuilo
I’m so dyslexic I had to watch it twice and pause the video before I could read the difference 😭🤣
—Rane Smith
First Thing I thought of was the Beverly hillbillies. They should’ve left it the way it was.
—Beth Arlow
I wonder how many people saw this sign and either didn’t detect the misspelling or noticed it and said nothing.
—Michael Curtis
Hey thats how it’s spelled in Colorodo
—Divad Sorcron
Califorina rest in peace 😇
—Tom Shedrick
What do you think the city should have done with “Califorina” Street? How much would you pay to hang it in your basement? Share your thoughts in a comment, or email editorial@westword.com.
