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Best Locals-Only Bookstore

Local Editions Book Store

Think of Local Editions as a public service to Colorado authors: The store deals only in books published by locals in all genres, though you'll be surprised at how much variety the marketing model generates. Owner Ron Vejrostek, who is in the tax and finance business and has written a book on the subject himself, calls the shop a "mini book store," as it deals with only about 100 titles at any given time, but his tender loving care is evident in the nook, which is small enough to display all books facing out. And because Vejrostek strives to provide patrons with the most pleasant of book-browsing experiences, there's also a coffee bar, with hot java available for a mere buck.

Best Bookstore Shack-Up

BookBar/BookBed

Heaven for a bookworm? Holing up in a private room above a bookstore sounds like just the thing, and that's a real possibility that exists right here in Denver, on Tennyson Street. Already responsible for crafting an inviting venue where you can sip wine or nosh on tea sandwiches while you browse the shelves for something to read, BookBar owner Nicole Sullivan converted an upstairs apartment into an Airbnb destination and called it BookBed. It's the perfect getaway for vacationers who like privacy and the ambience of an urban neighborhood — and if they happen to be bookish, new reading material is just a staircase away, along with the strollable shops and friendly eateries of the Berkeley Shopping District. Book it, Denver!

Best Boutique Shack-Up

Sewn/Night & Day Vintage

When seamstress Jil Cappuccio left Denver for her native California, taking the bulk of her line with her, Kirsten Coplans — her partner in the Broadway handmade boutique Sewn and the creative behind the charming Pearl repurposed clothing line — recognized that she was left with an empty spot in her day-to-day merchandising mix. Serendipity led Coplans to fill that space with help from the cozy, vintage-inspired Night & Day Vintage boutique, fresh from the Golden Triangle, which made the place cozy again. Both boast a Best of Denver track record from awards given in past years, and Albuquerque-based Little Red Thimble makes it a triumvirate with a mix of vintage accessories and one-of-a-kind baby items tucked into crannies on the shelves: Just two more reasons to love this down-to-earth meeting of the retail minds.

Best Gallery Shack-Up

Gallery of Everything/Red Herring Art Supply/Wings Aloft Birdhouse Shop

Casa Bonita's not the only game left in the near-ghost town that was once the JCRS Shopping Center — now renamed the Lamar Station Plaza by the strip mall's new owners. Businesses are moving in quickly, including the Gallery of Everything, a longtime Lakewood consignment gallery and gift shop that also shelters a couple of other businesses under its wing in its new location: Kristen and Bob Autobee's highly selective Red Herring Art Supply, which focuses on hard-to-find items, and Sandy Nyland's Wings Aloft, an outlet for her clever handmade bird shelters. In the spirit of the 40 West Arts District — of which this aggregate is a member — the venue is by, for and all about artists and art-making (and providing housing for our feathered friends).

6719 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood
303-232-0086/720-427-5339
gallery-of-everything.com
redherringart.com

Best Vintage Shack-Up

Curating the Cool/Grooves & Games

Curating the Cool Facebook

We gave Curating the Cool an award for the Best Highbrow Junk and Eclectica in 2014 for good reason: The place is a veritable paradise for junkyard pack rats and all lovers of one-of-a-kind furniture and plain old stuff — really good stuff — with a constant turnover of new/old merchandise that keeps things fresh no matter how often you visit. But it just so happens that late last year, the purveyor of antiques and curiosities had a little extra space to fill. Grooves & Games took up the challenge, bringing in its own handpicked stock of vintage vinyl, retro video games and toys galore as a pop-culture counterpoint to Curating the Cool's more decorative focus. Come in and play!

Best High-End Shack-Up

The Art, a Hotel

The Art brings a modern beat to Denver that fits right in with the spirit and architecture of the Museum District. Designed to blend in with Daniel Libeskind's Hamilton wing of the Denver Art Museum and neighboring Museum Residences, it puts on a welcoming face for Broadway, where traffic used to pass by a blank parking-lot wall. But the best treasures are saved for those who get to walk in: A collection of artwork curated with a sharp eye by former DAM modern-art czarina Dianne Vanderlip adorns the interior, with works by artists both internationally known and locally revered. The beautifully envisioned and ultra-comfy rooms also sport art from the collections, and each floor has a theme specific to an artist. The fourth-floor, open-to-the-public restaurant is aptly named Fire; a huge firepit on the open-air terrace just outside the glass-walled eatery beckons those looking for an urban experience, with some of the best views of Broadway and beyond — not to mention creative and well-presented food. Want to really get to meet the cultural spirit of a town when you visit? The Art is a great place to start, for out-of-towners and curious locals alike.

Best High-End Hostel

Hostel Fish

If your vision of hostels comprises those bare-bones spots you backpacked to when you were traveling through Europe — when you were so broke you had to debate whether to pay extra for the luxury of a hot shower — Hostel Fish will come as a surprise. The upscale hostel, which opened last year in the renovated Airedale building, right above Ophelia's, has everything a young business traveler (or a social older business traveler) could want: a great setting right at the edge of LoDo, tech-savvy services, and accommodations that range from solitary to communal. Get in the swim at Hostel Fish.

hostelfish.com

Best Intellectual Exercise

University of Denver Enrichment Program

Most "lifelong learning" programs seem cobbled together, a way of occupying professors' free time while providing a little extra "enrichment" to their institution. But the University of Denver's popular and varied offerings range from art- and music-appreciation courses to writing workshops and cooking classes, culture-soaked trips abroad, lectures on current events and more. The instructors include some faculty but also quite a few professionals in various fields, immersed in the topics they're presenting. Think of these sessions as booster shots for the mind and spirit, without the tedium and hefty tuition bills of full-time higher education.

Best Service for Artists

Colorado Attorneys for the Arts

The cops just shut down your DIY gallery opening because you were charging for beer. A website just lifted your image without permission. What's an artist to do? Contact Colorado Attorneys for the Arts, a new program offered by the thirty-year-old Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, which recognized that the demise of Colorado Lawyers for the Arts left a major hole in services available for local artists. Through CAFTA, the CBCA will connect qualifying artists and creative organizations with volunteer attorneys who'll help them through the legal thicket so that they can concentrate on what they do best: make art.

303-282-5135
cbca.org

Best Craft Classes

The Craftsman and Apprentice

Tap into your creative side with a craft class at Craftsman and Apprentice. Whether you're interested in baking, wood carving, knot tying or hand lettering, this creative factory has you covered. Craftsman and Apprentice opened in late 2014, and its classes — offered for kids and adults in a very hands-on teaching style — quickly started selling out. It's a great place to acquire a new skill or just have fun with friends. Either way, it's never too late to learn.

craftsmanandapprentice.com
  • 1325 E. 22nd Ave., Denver, 80207 Map

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