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The ’70s were not very good to Colfax Avenue. Playboy dubbed it the "longest, wickedest street in America." And when columnist George Will visited in 1978, he proclaimed that "the fear that war may blow civilization to smithereens loses some of its sting when you see Denver’s Colfax Avenue."
But even then, this 26.1-mile strip that goes through the heart of Denver was truly the living, beating heart of the city. Today it's a stretch of incredible activity, with blocks full of bars and restaurants — some old, some new, some fast, some slow, some elevated, some as divey as they get.
Photographer Brandon Marshall has embarked on a mission to document every bar and restaurant along Colfax, starting at ground zero: the point where east meets west, right across from the State Capitol. You can now see the first leg of his trek — all the spots from Broadway east to Race Street — in our inaugural Colfax slideshow.
Keep Westword Free... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Denver with no paywalls.
