Shelby's, however, remained a friendly gathering place for everyone from lawyers to bike messengers to Panthers fans. But the Nelsons knew the bar's days were numbered; they owned the business but not the building, which was on a lease with a ninety-day demolition clause. And after the sale of the property and some of those surrounding parking lots last year, they recently got the notice that those ninety days for Shelby's are up on June 30.
They plan to keep pouring through June 23, but regulars are already in mourning...and awash in memories. Recalls Robert:
Oh, the questionable decisions made there.Adds Jesi:
Aw, damn. First bar I was ever served underage and where I also celebrated my 21st, officially.Says Marcia:
Sad. Great little bar.Responds Karen:
Oh, no, every good dive bar is closing!!! What’s next, Bar Bar!?!Replies Brian:
What is happening to Denver?Responds Kristin:
Things change.Counters John:
Developers suck entire bags of dicks.Adds Rachael:
Holy cow... apparently someone wants to close anywhere older than two years!Concludes TN:
Everything that was Denver and defined Denver is disappearing.Keep reading for more on Shelby's, and other Denver dives.
Sarah McGill
Westword
"Phil's Place Will Become the Embassy Tavern"
Westword
The building now occupied by Shelby's started life as a funeral parlor in 1906, but the building has housed a bar of some sort for close to a century. For much of that time, it was the legendary Pink Lady.
State historian Tom Noel, aka Dr. Colorado, visited the Pink Lady when he did research in the early '70s for his groundbreaking work, The City and the Saloon: Denver 1958-1916. In 1979, the bar became Shelby's, and it's emassed many more chapters over the past four decades.
But now Shelby's, and the building that houses it, are about to become history. Have you visited Shelby's? What do you think about what's happening to Denver's neighborhood bars? Is there one you particularly miss? Post a comment or email [email protected].
