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NEWMARKET SERVICES

ublisher of 95 U.S. and 32 International Relocation Guides, NewMarket PServices, Inc., is proud to introduce our online version. Now you may easily access the same information you find in each one of our 127 Relocation Guides at

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Denver Information Guide [ 5 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

The NewMarket Services Information Guide is designed as a valuable resource tool for you, the newcomer to Denver/Boulder. It is our intent in producing this publication to standardize important and helpful information on your new community in a format that is most useful to you.

Important telephone numbers, packing and moving suggestions, and much, much more useful information is found throughout the Guide pages. Selected area businesses, many offering significant savings are found in the Denver/Boulder Business Directory Section, sorted Welcomes You! by category.

The Guide can save you both time and money while providing you a continuous resource tool as you become more familiar with the metroplex. We do hope you find our Relocation Package to be of assistance to you. If you do not find something you need, or if you have any suggestions for future issues of the

Guide, please give us a call. We will be happy to assist in any way.

(866) 595-3792 Toll Free From everyone at NewMarket Services Welcome to Denver/Boulder!

6 ] Denver Information Guide Denver Information Guide [ Volume 10 [ Number 11

www.newmarketservices.com LOCAL INFORMATION The State of Denver 8 Area Codes, Important Phone Numbers 11 Travel Information 12-13 Vehicle and Voter Information 14 About Denver 9, 15 History of Denver 16-17 Denver Neighborhoods 18-20 Weather 15 Where to Stay 20-21 Publisher: NewMarket Services, Inc. Dining and Nightlife 21-22 President: Patrick Morgan Things to Do 23-26 Recommended Tours 27-29 Managing Editor: Rebecca Wallace Media 30 Executive Editor: Jason Gerali About Boulder 31-32 Contributing Writer: Amy Tennant Historical Background 33-34 Where to Stay 35-36 Executive VP Sales & Marketing: Robert Fischer Dining and Nightlife 36-37 Regional Sales Manager: Beth Hurley Things to Do 38-39 Art Department: Sprague Design Recommended Tours 40-41

Graphic Designer: Dean Sprague MOVING NewMarket On-Line: Total Web Design, Inc. Smooth Transitions 43-44 IT and Web Development: Larry Bongiovi Choosing a Moving Company 43 Packing Tips 43-44 Research Assistant: Stephanie Cooper, Lora Price Staying Organized 44 Circulation: Little Drummer Boy Dist., Inc. Settling Into Your New Home 44 Phoenix Office: What’s All the Talk About? 47 PO Box 30534 Pre-Move Checklist 48-49 Relocating Your Pet 50 Phoenix, AZ 85046-0534 Phone: (602) 923-3415 MOVING WITH CHILDREN Fax: (602) 923-0774 Reinforce the Positives 51-52 Toll Free: (866) 595-3791 Choosing a School 51-52 Chicago Office: Selecting Child Care 52-53 902 North Ashland Education 54-57 Chicago, IL 60622 Phone: (312) 226-6288 FITNESS & HEALTH Fax: (312) 226-6290 In the Kitchen 59 Toll Free: (866) 595-3792 Physical and Mental Well Being 60-61 Volunteering 62 NewMarket currently publishes Information Guides for 95 North American and 32 HOUSING International Markets. To order your NewMarket Information Guides for $3.50 Making the Right Choice 64-65 each, please contact NewMarket Services Choosing the Right Home 66 toll free at (866) 595-3792. Home Inspection Checklist 67 In preparing this publication, every effort Homecare Basics for New Homeowners 68 has been made to assure the accuracy of Security 69 the information contained herein, but Home Buyer’s Glossary 70-71 authenticity cannot be guaranteed. Listings are subject to omission, error or change Take Control of Your Energy Costs 72 without notice. Who’s Who in Building 73 Selecting a Builder 74 All material in this publication is copyright Selecting a Contractor 75 protected and can only be reprinted with Banking & Mortgage Information 76-79 permission of the publisher.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY Business Directory Listings 80-84

Denver Information Guide [ 7 THE STATE OF COLORADO

organized as a United States territory on February 28, 1861, and WY Colorado attained statehood August 1, 1876, (earning it the moniker the “Centennial State”). Colorado women were granted the right to vote starting on November 7, 1893. Economy Salt Lake CIty Agriculture, especially the raising of cattle and sheep and Denver/Boulder production of dairy goods, is economically important in the state. Crops include wheat, hay, corn, and sugar beets. Since the 1950s UT manufacturing has been the major source of income in the state. CO Food processing is a major industry; others include the manufacture of computer equipment, aerospace products, transportation Colordo Springs equipment, and electrical equipment; printing and publishing; and the production of fabricated metals, chemicals, and lumber. Federal facilities including army and air force bases, prisons, and the Denver AZ Mint, as well as regional offices, contribute greatly to the economy. Santa Fe Tourism plays a vital role in Colorado’s economy. The state’s climate, scenery, historical sites, and extensive recreational facilities Phoenix NM bring millions of visitors annually. Numerous resorts in towns such Albuquerque as Vail and Aspen attract visitors year-round as well as during ski season. Besides fine hunting, fishing, and skiing there are many special events held in the state, including arts festivals, rodeos, and olorado is a state in the western United States. It is one of fairs. only three states (the others are Wyoming and Utah) that Chave only lines of latitude and longitude for borders. It is one of the four states that make the Four Corners Monument at its southwestern-most point. Fast Facts The Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain 54 peaks that are POPULATION:. 4,301,261 14,000 feet or higher, known as fourteeners. The mountains are CAPITAL: Denver timbered with conifers and aspen to the tree-line, at an elevation of TIME ZONE: MST (UTC-7) about 12,000 feet in southern Colorado to about 10,500 feet in northern Colorado; above this only alpine vegetation grows. The STATE MOTTO: “In God we trust” Rockies are snow-covered only in the winter; most snow melts by LARGEST CITIES: Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs mid-August with the exception of a few small glaciers. NICKNAME: Centennial State. History The word “Colorado” was selected by Congress in 1861 as the HIGHEST POINT: Mt. Elbert, 14,433 feet name for the territory that is today a state. The name has its origins CAPITA PERSONAL INCOME:. $34,561 in the Spanish language, where it is directly translated as “colored,” STATE SALES TAX: 2.9% and is often taken to mean “reddish colored.” In Colorado, history Numine spans millions of years, as documented by the spectacular MOTTO: (Nothing without Providence) geography, timeless national monuments and epic stories. It’s a heritage that includes massive dinosaurs, ancient Native American ruins and ghost towns bearing the memories of the Old West’s most notorious characters. The territory that ultimately became Colorado was added to the United States by the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and the 1848 Mexican Cession. The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 brought many settlers to the Denver area, though the population collapsed following an initial mining boom. The Colorado Territory was

8 ] Denver Information Guide ABOUT DENVER

OVERVIEW

enver is the capital and largest city of the state of Colorado. It’s nicknamed “The Mile-High City” because its official elevation, engraved on the fifteenth step of the Dstate capitol building, is one statute mile above sea level. Denver is a geographically isolated city sitting exactly one mile above sea level and over 600 barren miles from the next closest major city. Concealed from the west by bold foothills and towering 14,000-foot peaks, and protected to the east by an expansive and unforgiving high desert terrain, it is a place where everybody seems to be from somewhere else. Denver has a semi-arid climate with four distinct seasons. While Denver is located on the Great Plains, the weather of the city and surrounding area is heavily influenced by the proximity of the Rocky Mountains to the west. The climate, while generally mild compared to the mountains to the west and the plains further east, can often be very unpredictable. Measurable amounts of snow have fallen in Denver as late as Memorial Day and as early as Labor Day, and trace amounts have been recorded in every month of the year. Residents enjoy Denver for world-class skiing and biking, serene hiking and intense rock climbing. They move here from far and wide to imbibe famous microbrews, stand in the humbling presence of massive peaks or find prosperity in the booming computer and telecommunications economy. Denver’s west-central geographic location in the Mountain Time Zone (UTC -7) also benefits the telecommunications industry by allowing communication with both North American coasts, South America, Europe, and Asia in the same business day. Denver’s location on the 105th meridian at over 1 mile in elevation also enables it to be the largest city in the U.S. to offer a ’one-bounce’ real-time satellite uplink to six continents in the same business day. Qwest Communications, EchoStar, Starz-Encore, and Comcast are just a few DENVER VITAL STATISTICS of the telecommunications companies with operations in the Denver area. Zip Code: 80202 - 80262 Denver’s economy is based partially on its geographic position and its connection to County: Denver, Jefferson, Adams some of the major transportation systems of the country. Because Denver is the largest city Population: 622,130 within 600 miles, it has become a natural location for storage and distribution of goods and services to the Mountain States. Denver is also approximately halfway between the large Median Age: 35.8 cities of the Midwest like Chicago and St. Louis and the cities of the West Coast, another Median Income: $37,633 benefit for distribution. Over the years, the city has been home to some large corporations Unemployment Rate: 5% in the central United States, making Denver a key trade point for the country.

Sales Tax: 7.20% Geography also allows Denver to have a considerable government presence, with many Cost of Living: 120.3% federal agencies based or having offices in the Denver area. In fact, the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area has more federal workers than any other metropolitan area except for the Home Appreciation: 7.89% Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Along with the plethora of federal agencies come many Homes Owned: 47.92% companies based on US defense and space projects. Lockheed-Martin and Ball Aerospace Home Median Value: $211,163 are examples. Being the capital of the state of Colorado also gives many state jobs to Denver.

continued on page 15

Denver Information Guide [ 9 NATIONAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION PHONE NUMBERS

National Health Organization Mental Health Simply dial plus the number below 1-800-*… National Alliance for the Mentally Illness (NAMI) 950-6264 Allergy National Down Syndrome Society 244-4444 Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AFFA) 727-8462 National Mental Health Association Resource Ctr 969-6642 Cancer Neurology American Cancer Society 227-2345 National Alzheimer’s Association 272-3900 American Institute for Cancer Research. 843-8114 Christopher Reeve’s Paralysis Foundation 225-0292 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America 955-4572 American Parkinson Disease Association 223-2732 National Cancer Institute (CIS) 422-6237 Epilepsy Foundation of America. 332-1000 Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF) 754-6490 United Cerebral Palsy Associations (UCPA) 872-5827 Children’s Health Huntington’s Disease Society of America 345-4372 American SIDS Foundation 232-7437 Brain Injury Association of America Family Hotline 444-6443 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) 344-4823 National Headache Foundation 843-2256 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 223-1138 National Multiple Sclerosis Society 344-4867 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Alliance 221-7437 National Stroke Association 787-6537 National Reye’s Syndrome Foundation, Inc. 233-7393 Patient Care Spina Bifida Association of American 621-3141 Medic Alert Foundation U.S. 863-3425 or 432-5378 Infectious Diseases National Hospice Organization 658-8898 AIDS Hotline, CDC National, National STD Hotline 342-AIDS Shriner’s Hospital Referral Line 237-5055 (Spanish) 344-7432 Visiting Nurse Association of America 426-2547 (Hearing Impaired) 243-7889 Physical Disabilities Internal Medicine American Council of the Blind. 424-8666 American Diabetes Association 232-3472 American Speech/Language/Hearing Association 638-8255 American Heart Association 242-8721 or 968-1793 National Easter Seals Society 221-6827 American Kidney Association 638-8299 Woman’s Health American Lung Association 586-4872 Endometriosis Association. 992-3636 Arthritis Foundation 283-7800 Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. 221-2141 Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, Inc. 932-2423 *This is a Toll-Free Number! Lupus Foundation of America 558-0121 This is only a partial list of national health organizations. National Kidney Foundation 622-9010 Contact the National Health Information Center (NHIC) Spondylitis Association of American (SAA) 777-8189 at (800) 336-4797 for a more complete list.

NOTE: This general information is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional as it relates to your specific situation.

10 ] Denver Information Guide IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

Area Code(s) Services The area codes for Denver are 303 and 720. Boulder Housing and Human Services (303) 441-3140 Emergency Children’s Services (303) 441-3564 City of Boulder Children, Youth and Families (303) 441-4045 All Emergencies 911 City of Boulder Services Citizen Assistance (303) 441-3388 Fire Safety (303) 441-4355 Conflict Resolution/Mediation (303) 441-4364 Police (303) 441-3334 Directory Assistance 411 Dept. Homeland Security Concerns/suspicions (866) 457-8477 Ice Busters Shoveling for Seniors (303) 441-3239 Financial Services Senior Services (303) 441-3911 Automatic Teller Information Support Networks ATM Locator (800) 248-4286 Crisis Pregnancy Center (800) 395-4357 MasterCrd ATM (800) 424-7787 Family Violence Prevention (720) 913-8450 VISA Plus System (800) 843-7587 Rape Crisis Line (800) 721-7273 Lost or Stolen Credit Cards American Express (800) 233-5432 Teen Link (Various Topics) (800) 235-9678 AT&T Universal Card (800) 423-4343 Transportation Diners Club (800) 234-6377 Boulder Municipal Airport (303) 440-7065 Discover Card (800) 347-2683 City Parking (303) 413-7300 JCB (800) 736-8111 Getting Around Town GO Boulder (303) 441-3266 MasterCard (800) 826-2181 Bicycle Registration (303) 492-2322 VISA (800) 336-8472 Bus Information City (303) 441-3266 Lost or Stolen Travelers Checks Neighborhood Permit Parking Program (303) 413-7300 American Express (800) 221-7282 RTD: (303) 299-6000 Thomas Cook MasterCard (800) 223-7373 Ride Arrangers (303) 458-POOL Travelers Check Customer Service (800) 645-6556 VISA (800) 227-6811 Utilities Government Cable Qwest, www.qwest.com (800) 491-0118 City Hall (720) 865-7800 Comcast. www.comcast.com (800) com-cast City Clerk (720) 865-8400 Electricity and Gas Denver Government General Information (720) 913-4900 Xcel Energy (866) 895-4999 Information (Denver City Government) (720) 913-4900 www.xcelenergy.com Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-1040 Phone Mayor’s Office General Information (720) 913-4900 Qwest, www.qwest.com (800) 244-1111 Social Security Administration (800) 772-1213 Waste and Recycle Libraries/Parks BFI (303) 431-3755 Waste Management (303) 797-1600 Boulder Public Library (303) 441-3114 Water Boulder Reads Program (303) 444-5599 Denver Water, www.water.denver.co.gov/ (303) 628-6000 Library (303) 441-3100 Open Space and Mountain Parks (303) 441-3440 Parks and Recreation (303) 413-7200

Denver Information Guide [ 11 TRAVEL INFORMATION

Airports Asiana, us.flyasiana.com (800) 227-9262 Denver International Airport (303) 342-2000 British Airways, british-airways.com* (800) 247-9297 8500 Peña Boulevard Cathay Pacific Airways, cathaypacific.com (800) 233-2742 Denver, CO 80249 China Airlines, china-airlines.com (800) 227-5118 www.flydenver.com China Eastern Airlines, flychinaeastern.com (800) 200-5118 Capacity, capacity, capacity. Whether it is airfield, passenger or Egypt Air, egyptair.com.eg (800) 334-6787 cargo facilities, Denver International Airport has room to grow. Eva Airways, evaair.com (800) 695-1188 Situated on 34,000 acres or 53 square miles, DIA is one of the Japan Airlines, jal.co.jp/en (800) 525-3663 largest airports in the world. KLM Airlines, klm.com (800) 374-7747 Ground Transportation Information Korean Air, koreanair.com (800) 438-5000 A variety of transportation services to and from Denver LACSA, centralamerica.com/cr/lacsa/lacsa.htm (800) 225-2272 International Airport are available for all of your traveling needs. LOT Polish, lot.com (800) 223-0593 Options include public transit, scheduled door-to-door shuttle van Lufthansa, lufthansa.com* (800) 645-3880 service, charter buses, limousines, rental cars, taxicabs, and Mexicana, mexicana.com (800) 531-7821 wheelchair services. Contact the Ground Transportation Information Philippine Airlines, philippineairlines.com (800) 435-9725 Counter at (800) AIR-2DEN or locally at (303) 342-4059. Singapore Airlines, singaporeair.com (800) 742-3333 Skyservice USA, skyserviceairlines.com (877) 485-6060 Airlines - Domestic Swissair, swiss.com (800) 221-4750 AirTran Airlines, airtran.com* (800) 247-8726 TACA, taca.com (800) 535-8780 Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air, alaskaair.com * (800) 252-7522 USA 3000 Y Airlines, usa3000.com (800) 872-3000 Allegiant Air, alleginatair.com (800) 432-3810 *Denotes service to Denver American Airlines, aa.com * (800) 433-7300 Atlantic Southeast, flyasa.com (800) 282-3424 Buses Comair, comair.com (800) 221-1212 Norwalk Transit District (203) 852-0000 Continental Airlines, continental.com * (800) 525-0280 275 Wilson Avenue Delta Airlines, delta.com* (800) 221-1212 Norwalk, CT 06854 Frontier Airlines, frontierairlines.com* (800) 432-1359 Fixed route bus transportation within Norwalk, Westport and Hawaiian Airlines, hawaiianair.com (800) 367-5320 Wilton. JetBlue Airlines, JetBlue.com * (800) 538-2583 Cruises/Resorts Midwest Airlines, midwestairlines.com (800) 452-2022 Disney World Reservations (800) 227-1500 Northwest Airlines, nwa.com * (800) 225-2525 Holland America Cruises (800) 426-0327 SkywestAirlines, skywest.com (800) 453-9417 Princess Cruises (800) 774-6237 Southwest Airlines, southwest.com (800) 435-9792 Royal Caribbean International (800) 327-6700 Spirit Airlines, spiritair.com (800) 772-7117 SunCountry Airlines, suncountry.com (800) 359-6786 Hotels/Motels United Airlines, ual.com* (800) 864-8331 Best Western (800) 528-1234 US Airways, usairways.com* (800) 428-4322 Budgetel Inns (800) 428-3438 Virgin Atlantic, virgin-atlantic.com (800) 862-8621 Clarion Hotels (800) 424-6423 *Denotes service to Denver Comfort Inns (800) 424-6423 Courtyard by Marriott (800) 321-2211 Airlines - International Days Inn (800) 329-7466 Aer Lingus, aerlingus.ie (866) 886 8844 Doubletree Hotels (800) 222-8733 Aeroflot, aeroflot.aero/eng (650) 615-9278 Econo Lodges (800) 446-4777 AeroMexico, AeroMexico.com (800) 237-6639 Embassy Suites (800) 362-2779 Air Canada, aircanada.ca* (800) 247-2262 Fairmont Hotels (800) 527-4727 Air China, airchina.com (800) 986-1985 Four Seasons (800) 332-3442 Air France, airfrance.com (800) 237-2747 Hilton Hotels (800) 445-8667 Air India, airindia.com Holiday Inns (800) 465-4329 Air Jamaica, airjamaica.com (800) 523-5585 Howard Johnson Motor Lodges (800) 654-2000 Air New Zealand, airnewzealand.com (800) 262-1234 Hyatt Hotels (800) 233-1234 Alitalia, alitaliausa.com (800) 223-5730 La Quinta Motor Inn (800) 531-5900

12 ] Denver Information Guide TRAVEL INFORMATION

Loews Hotels (800) 223-6397 Rental Cars Marriott Hotels (800) 228-9290 Denver International Airport has contracted with 10 rental car Meridien Hotels (800) 543-4390 companies to provide a wide selection of vehicle rental Omni International (800) 843-6664 opportunities to our customers. All the companies provide courtesy Quality Inns (800) 228-5151 shuttle service to their facilities and have service counters located in Radisson Hotels International (800) 333-3333 Jeppesen Terminal, Level 5. Ramada Inns (800) 228-2828 Advantage, advantage.com (800) 777-5500 Red Roof Inns (800) 843-7663 Alamo, alamo.com (800) 462-5266 Ritz Carlton Hotels (800) 241-3333 Avis, avis.com (800) 331-1212 Sheraton Hotels (800) 325-3535 Budget, budget.com (800) 527-0700 Stouffer Hotels (800) 468-3571 Dollar, dollar.com (800) 800-4000 Super 8 Motels (800) 800-8000 Enterprise, enterprise.com (800) 736-8222 TraveLodge Motels (800) 578-7878 E-Z, e-zrentacar.com (972) 574-3360 Westin Hotels (800) 228-3000 Fox/Payless, foxrentacar.com (800) 225-4369 Inter-City Transportation Hertz, hertz.com (800) 654-3131 Amtrak, www.amtrak.com (215) 349-1320 National, nationalcar.com (800) 227-7368 Greyhound Bus (800) 231-2222 Thrifty, thrifty.com (800) 367-2277 Service from Denver to numerous locations throughout the Taxi United States. Denver Yellow Cab, denveryellowcab.com (303) 777-7777 Public Transportation Freedom Cab, freedomcabs.coms (303) 444-4444 Metro Taxi (303) 336-9127 Regional Transportation District (RTD), www.rtd-denver.com Mass transportation throughout the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area is managed and coordinated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD). RTD currently operates more than 1,000 buses serving 10,000 bus stops in 38 municipal jurisdictions. Additionally, RTD operates two light rail lines (the C Line and the D Line) with a total of 15.8 miles of track and serving 24 stations. Current RTD local fare is $1.50. FasTracks, an expansion project approved by voters in 2004, will allow light rail to serve cities such as Lakewood, Golden, and Aurora. Commuter rail lines will serve the northern section of the metropolitan area, in addition to Boulder, Longmont, and Denver International Airport.

Denver Information Guide [ 13 VEHICLE INFORMATION

Getting Around by Car Denver Motor Vehicle Branch Offices Most of Denver has a straightforward street grid oriented to the Northeast Branch Southwest Branch four cardinal directions. Blocks are usually identified in hundreds Arie P. Taylor Municipal Building Bear Valley Shopping Center from the median streets, identified as “0,” which are Broadway (the 4685 Peoria St., Suite 101 3100 S. Sheridan Blvd. west-east median) and Ellsworth Avenue (the north-south median). Denver, CO 80239 Denver, CO 80227 Colfax Avenue, the major east-west artery through Denver, is 15 Northwest Branch Welton Branch blocks (1500) north of the median. Avenues north of Ellsworth are Safeway Plaza Five Points Plaza numbered (with the exception of Colfax Avenue and a few others), 3698 W. 44th Ave. 2736 Welton St. while avenues south of Ellsworth are named. Denver, CO 80211 Denver, CO 80205 All roads in the downtown grid system are streets. (16th Street, Driver’s License Stout Street) Roads outside of that system that travel east/west are As a Colorado resident you must obtain a driver’s license in the given the suffix “avenue” and those that head north and south are state of Colorado. A resident is defined as a citizen who has lived in given the “street” suffix. (Example, Colfax Avenue, Lincoln Street). Colorado for 90 continuous days; or upon becoming employed, Boulevards are higher capacity streets and will travel any direction. whichever occurs first. To apply for a license you must: Smaller roads are sometimes referred to as places, drives or courts. Submit 2 primary forms of identification. One form must establish Most streets outside of the area between Broadway and Colorado lawful presence. Boulevard are organized alphabetically from the city’s center. • Provide your Social Security Number. Denver is primarily served by the interstate highways I-25 and I- • Supply a Colorado residence address. 70. The intersection of the two interstates is referred to locally as “the mousetrap.” I-70 runs east-west from Utah to Kansas. I-25 • Pay the required fee. runs north-south from the New Mexico border through Denver to • Be fingerprinted and photographed. the Wyoming border. I-225 traverses neighboring Aurora and • Driver’s Licenses are issued to persons who are at least 21 years connects with I-25 in the southeastern corner of Denver. of age and must be renewed every five years. Additionally, I-76 begins from I-70 just west of the city in Arvada. It Auto Registration intersects I-25 north of the city and runs northeast to Nebraska In Colorado, the law requires that motor vehicle registration must where it ends at I-80. U.S. Route 6 connects downtown Denver to be obtained immediately upon residency. You must register your the suburb of Golden. vehicle and obtain license plates through the county in which you live. Information may be obtained by contacting the Denver County Clerk at the phone number or website listed above.

VOTER INFORMATION

Denver Election Commission (720) 913-8663 on your system for viewing. This form is NOT interactive so you will 303 W. Colfax Ave. Dept. 101 need to print it and fill in the necessary information. Please note that Denver, CO 80204 the form must contain an original signature for the registration to be [email protected] valid. Denver Democrats (303) 830-8242 In order to register to vote in a given Denver election you must be: 789 Sherman Street, Suite #145 • At least 18 years of age by the date of the election Denver, Colorado 80203 • At A citizen of the United States www.denverdems.org • At A resident of Colorado and your precinct at least 30 days prior Denver Republicans (303) 782-9555 to the election and consider this your sole legal place of 2123 S. Birch St. residence . Denver, Colorado 80222 Visit website to obtain form and mail to address listed above or www.denvergop.org take to any DMV location. For your convenience, the Voter Registration Application Form is provided in Adobe Acrobat format, which requires you to have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed

14 ] Denver Information Guide ABOUT DENVER

Denver’s position near the mineral-rich Rocky Mountains, The first documented gold discovery here occurred on June 22, encouraged mining and energy companies to spring up in the area. 1850. A prospector headed for California, Lewis Ralston, dipped his In the early days of the city, gold and silver booms and busts played gold pan into a stream. His return was a $5 gold nugget. In 1858, a large role in the economic success of the city. In the 1970s and Ralston brought a group of prospectors back to the site of his first early ’80s, the energy crisis in America created an energy boom in discovery. Farmers soon arrived in order to sell supplies to miners. Denver captured in the soap opera Dynasty. During this time, The railroad was built through the area in 1870. The settlers, Denver was built up considerably, with many new downtown needing to establish a town so that the railroad stop could have a skyscrapers built during this time. Energy and mining are still name, filed a town plat. The town was named Arvada after the important in Denver’s economy today, with companies such as brother-in-law of one of the settlers. Newmont Mining, Patina Oil and Gas, and Western Gas Resources. Arvada residents enjoy beautiful views of mountains, lakes, and Denver Metro Aea valleys with easy access to mountain recreation and activities. In 2000, the metro area reached a population of 2.1 million, Arvada is also known for its quality parks and trail systems which three-fourths of whom live in the suburban counties of Adams, link downtown Denver to the foothills. Quiet neighborhoods, a Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson. The Rocky diverse business mix, and the restoration of historic landmarks keep Mountain metropolis boomed during the 1990s, as the eastern this metro enclave vibrant and healthy. suburb of Aurora became Colorado’s third-largest city and the Lakewood western suburb of Lakewood became the fourth-largest. Even the Lakewood is a city in Jefferson County, and is considered one of core City and County of Denver gained population in the 1990s for the larger suburbs of Denver. The City of Lakewood is located just the first time since the 1970s, climbing once again beyond the minutes from Denver, along the west edge of the metro area against 500,000 mark. the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains. As of 2005, the city is Arvada estimated to have a total population of 140,671. It was founded in Arvada is a city in Jefferson and Adams County and part of the 1889 by Charles Welch and W.A.H. Loveland, who platted a 13- Denver Metropolitan Area. As of 2005, the city is estimated to have block area along Colfax Avenue west of downtown Denver. The a total population of 103,966. Arvada is known to be one of the median home price in Lakewood is $255,000. most progressive cities in the Denver Metro area.

WEATHER

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Average High 45.2 48.3 53.9 62.8 71.6 81.5 87.5 85.1 76.7 66.9 53.0 45.6

Average Low 21.5 23.3 28.1 39.6 44.4 52.8 52.8 56.8 48.0 38.8 28.5 21.6

Average Precipitation 0.6 0.7 1.6 2.2 3.0 2.2 2.0 1.3 1.9 1.3 1.1 0.8

Temperature in degrees F, precipitation in inches

Denver Information Guide [ 15 DENVER HISTORY

Denver’s history as a boom and bust town began with the desire beautiful city center with lush walkways and focal points of for a simple precious metal: gold. In 1858, a group of prospectors extravagant architecture. Thus, Civic Center Park, between the were exploring the Kansas Territory, which then encompassed what Colorado State Capitol Building and the entrance to downtown, is is now Colorado, and discovered piles of the almighty metal at the embellished with impressive gardens, a serene thoroughfare, and a confluence of the Platte River and Cherry Creek. One of the Greek-style outdoor amphitheater. Speer also sought to bring prospectors, William Larimer, established Denver City in an area shade to the desert. He initiated the planting of over 100,000 trees, then populated by the Arapaho tribe, who camped along the banks creating numerous boulevards lined with oaks and elms. Through a of Cherry Creek while hunting and gathering. Over the next two prolonged effort, even the polluted Cherry Creek was transformed years, a new gold fever penetrated the pulse of the eastern states. into a verdant greenway, and new mountain and city parks further One-hundred-thousand hopefuls pioneered across the harsh enhanced the beauty of the area. landscape to the territory, seeking instant prosperity. The influx Speer faced harsh criticism for some of these projects, especially uprooted the Native Americans and forced them to move on, while for the boulevard that bore his name and meandered from the settler population soared, causing the federal government to downtown to the country club district. But it was nothing compared create the Colorado Territory. So began Denver’s first boom, to the wrath his successor, Benjamin F. Stapleton, faced for building inspiring its mythical image as a Wild West town ruled by material Denver’s first airport. Stapleton, notorious for his membership in the obsession. Ku Klux Klan, was captivated by flight. He strove to end the city’s In 1859, at the peak of the rush, Denver’s first notable figure isolation on the plains by laying the foundation for Denver Municipal strolled into town with a vision well beyond the price of gold. William Airport in 1929. Critics went wild, calling the plan downright stupid, N. Byers moved to Denver from Ohio, via Omaha, and founded the and saying the location was so far out east of the city that it might Rocky Mountain News. Through the newspaper, he tried to calm as well be in Kansas. Ultimately, the airport was a success. After the the hysteria and instability associated with the gold rush, by Great Depression of the 1930s, the city and Stapleton focused on promoting settlement on the high desert frontier. Byers proceeded the mountain parks, calling for the creation of a “rock garden” in the to create an illusion of Denver, proclaiming the city to be the “Queen nearby hills. Years of diligent planning and painstaking construction City of the Plains” and the new steamboat capitol of the West, ready carved the jagged red rocks into an intimate, natural stadium known for a river full of industry. Unfortunately, the small, shallow Platte as Red Rocks Amphitheatre which even today is still universally River could not live up to Byers’ grand words. The ports of wealth recognized as one of the greatest outdoor concert venues in the never materialized, and the even smaller Cherry Creek soon world. declined into a cesspool of mining pollution. Despite this failure, The 1930s and 1940s also brought a military and federal Byers, who also founded the city’s Chamber of Commerce, was government presence to Denver, with the opening of Lowry Air streamlining himself for a great career in politics. His chances Force Base and the Denver Federal Center. This initiated a trend dissipated, however, during an adulterous scandal which continuing over the next 40 years as Denver and the Front Range culminated in a typical Wild West shootout scene in the middle of a became home to Fitzsimmon’s Army Hospital, the Air Force downtown street. Academy, and Buckley Air Field. Now, Denver supports the largest In 1865, Denver City was deemed capital of the new Territory. In Federal employee population outside of Washington DC. As the 1881, five years after Colorado gained statehood, it was chosen Cold War progressed, Denver gained a high-tech military installation over Golden, Colorado Springs, and Boulder as the official state in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, as well as the infamous plutonium- capital. During this period, Denver blossomed rapidly. Railroad- producing Rocky Mountain Flats. Although these sites boosted borne business transformed this one-dimensional mining Mecca Denver’s economy and population, they also caused an enormous into a more balanced industrial and agricultural “cow town.” Even amount of controversy. Since the end of the Cold War, the majority so, the city experienced its first bust in 1893, after the Silver Crash of Colorado’s major military sites have closed down due to crippled Colorado’s silver-producing economy. A tough 10-year subsequent defense cuts. depression followed. Despite the hardships of the times, city During the 1950s, “black gold” struck the hearts of Denverites, leaders managed to construct the beautiful neo-classical Colorado sending the economy into another boom, and creating millionaires State Capitol Building and the Denver Museum of Nature and overnight. Oil companies from around the globe set up shop in Science. From 1904 until 1918, when the entire nation was in the Denver, inspiring Mayor Quigg Newton to reevaluate the city’s “cow process of revitalizing itself, energetic civic leader Robert Speer took town” persona. The city rode the oil boom long enough to use the Denver’s mayoral reigns and vowed to create an “American Paris.” steady flow of tax revenue to revitalize schools, institute cultural During this era, known nationally as the City Beautiful period, amenities, and reinvent the central business district. In 1969, the Denver curbed its unchecked growth with a solid urban plan. Some revitalization campaign led to the controversial decision to bulldoze of the city’s most recognizable landmarks date from this time, Auraria, Denver’s oldest and poorest neighborhood. Originally a including the City and County Building and Washington and City separate township, Auraria was a rival to Denver City back in the Parks. Speer conjured a four-part plan for city improvements, gold rush days. The two entities eventually settled differences and beginning with Civic Center Park. He wanted Denver to boast a merged into one, under the name of Denver. From the dust of the

16 ] Denver Information Guide DENVER HISTORY wrecking crews, a beautiful urban educational center arose, known Denver’s shiny new look fueled yet another economic boom that as the Auraria Campus. The area now holds three city colleges ignited an urban renaissance under Mayor Webb’s watchful eye. along with a collection of original neighborhood landmarks, The spark that flamed this boom came when the city was awarded including the Tivoli Brewing Company, St. Elizabeth’s Church and a major league baseball franchise in the early 1990s. Planners St. Cajetan’s Church. opted to build a new stadium in the heart of an old warehouse The city then turned toward cleaning up rundown areas of district, by banking on the “If you build it, they will come” philosophy. downtown. This time, however, the money ran short. Consequently New businesses, restaurants and shops recognized the brilliance of dismantled lots sat vacant and overgrown until the early 1980s. this theory and quickly moved into the area’s surrounding historical Another boom followed, this time bringing the towering icons of structures that had somehow survived the wrecking balls and years corporate wealth: skyscrapers. The new oil boom at last of vacancy. The end result: an upscale entertainment district called transformed the city into a modern metropolis, with immense LoDo, jammed with old, revitalized brick buildings and anchored by highrises sprawling along the Front Range and a mobile population Coors Field, a beautifully designed, old-fashioned ballpark. The almost completely dependent upon the automobile. Unfortunately, people, of course, came too. So many, in fact, that developers like everything else associated with the Mile High City’s bipolar infiltrated the area and transformed the old buildings into elegant history, this boom was also bound to bust. lofts. The success of LoDo spilled into downtown and the surrounding areas, creating an infusion of inner growth. The In the mid-1980s, the price of oil plummeted from USD39 a barrel promotion of luxurious urban living served as an antidote to some to USD9, sending the city into a devastating recession. The of the area’s aggressive suburban sprawl. Denver’s population now downtown skyscrapers stood empty, and the central streets of the soared at a rate comparable to that of its suburban rivals. city soon resembled a ghost town. Much of the populace fled to better opportunities elsewhere. Denver quickly emerged as a lively sports town and entertainment-filled metropolis, attracting gaggles of tourists who Federico Pena, Denver’s first Hispanic leader, fought tooth and instead of leaving, fell in love with the city’s energy and mountain nail to change the city’s identity in the late 1980s. Pena reinstated setting, and became permanent residents. In 1993, over 30,000 the Chamber of Commerce and directed new funding into Denver’s inhabitants of California flooded the Front Range, rocketing the cultural institutions, including the Denver Zoo and the Denver Art population to over two-million and creating major growth issues as Museum. Tourists were already passing though Denver in route to rapid development gobbled up former open spaces to house the the world-class skiing in the mountains, so Pena decided to initiate new arrivals. New high-tech computer and telecommunication a plan to give out-of-towners a reason to stop. Thus, the Mile High businesses also sought refuge in Denver’s endless sunshine. City began the slow process of washing away an unsightly industrial past in favor of the glitz associated with a tourist and service As the 1990s pushed on, the city continued to focus inward, oriented town. moving the beloved historical amusement park, Elitch Gardens, to the central Platte Valley just south of LoDo. In 1999, Colorado’s Perhaps Pena’s greatest feat was paving the way for the Ocean Journey, an interactive aquarium, opened in the central construction of Denver International Airport. Pena’s successor, Platte Valley. The same year saw the opening of the Pepsi Center, a Wellington Webb, Denver’s first African American mayor, faced new brick and glass structure that plays home to the Denver intense scrutiny over the airport site. Located in what is often Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche. termed “the middle of nowhere” by locals and tourists alike, the airport is one of the world’s largest and is consistently one of the Denver’s boom and bust cycle has allowed the city to continually busiest. reinvent itself, fluctuating from a gold town to a cow town, from an oil town to a tourist town. With each change the city history becomes more complex and vibrant. No one can predict when the next bust will come, but Denver will most likely continue to find new and unique ways to propel itself forward.

Denver Information Guide [ 17 DENVER NEIGHBORHOODS

Denver has 79 neighborhoods that the city and community Cherry Creek groups use for planning and administration. Although the city’s Centered by the fashionable Cherry Creek mall and surrounded delineation of the neighborhood boundaries is somewhat arbitrary, by nearby luxury housing, the upscale Cherry Creek neighborhood it corresponds roughly to the definitions used by residents. These is a thriving, self-contained oasis for residents. This stylish district “neighborhoods” should not be confused with cities or suburbs, features some of Denver’s best-known attractions, including the which are seperate entities within the metro area. Denver, like any beloved Tattered Cover Bookstore, and Denver’s number one city, is made up of neighborhoods that are diverse and unique. tourist attraction, the Cherry Creek Mall. Between Colorado Although prices vary drastically, the median home value is Boulevard to University and 6th Avenue to Exposition, several $291,900. Brief information and histories about some of the hundred stores, boutiques, art galleries, salons, restaurants and neighborhoods are presented here. cafes provide endless entertainment opportunities. At all times of Berkeley Park the year, the 22-mile Cherry Creek path is a haven for biking, Located 15 minutes from downtown, Tennyson Street between running, walking, in-line skating and similar sports. In summer, the 38th Avenue and 44th Avenue is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Cherry Creek Arts Festival brings thousands to the area to celebrate Neighboring the former home of Elitch Gardens Amusement Park artistic and musical work by artists and performers from all over the (now located downtown), it was thought that the neighborhood world. would fade away. Fortunately, with affordable bungalows and Downtown Denver Squares, young families moved in and new, eclectic Downtown’s vital mix of government, entertainment, business businesses began to pop up. Located in a 10-block area are a and sport make Denver’s central business district the envy of the dozen art galleries, a couple of bakeries, ten restaurants, a coffee West. When time permits, visit the Colorado State Capitol Building, shop and several boutique clothing stores. where the eighteenth step places you exactly one mile above sea Capitol Hill level, or stroll through the nation’s best collection of Native American While walking the diverse streets of Capitol Hill, you might actually art at the Denver Art Museum. Shop away at the Denver Pavilions feel the city’s pulse pounding beneath your feet. Once the and Tabor Center or take in a Broadway show at one of the eight neighborhood of Denver’s wealthiest citizens, this area, which theaters comprising the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Spend a wears its decadent image with honor, blends the past with the day wandering the shores of Colorado’s Ocean Journey or seek present with ancient Victorian mansions and contemporary condos adventure at Six Flags Elitch Gardens. At the end of the day, kick and apartment complexes. Denver’s 19th-century millionaires built back in a brewpub and enjoy a microbrew, or treat yourself to a fine their showplace homes, schools, clubs, and churches here, dining experience at one of downtown’s excellent restaurants. surrounded by lawns along gridded, tree-lined streets and flagstone Lower downtown has the ghosts of the red light district from sidewalks. Some smaller homes, modest apartments, and Denver’s gold rush days still haunt the streets of lower downtown, institutional buildings survive amid commercial intrusions, parking but they are not alone anymore. The area, termed LoDo by locals, lots, and high-rise apartments, in this architecturally rich and diverse was virtually empty 10 years ago. But since the opening of Coors neighborhood around the gold-domed state capitol. The streets are Field, home to baseball’s Colorado Rockies, this 20-block district of always filled with people at all hours of the night, the neighborhood 19th-century brick buildings has come alive with energy and is safe and friendly. Young hipsters brood along the same sidewalks entertainment. The original commercial core of Denver underwent a that Neal Cassidy and Jack Kerouac treaded, searching for an major renovation and now sports a seemingly endless variety of evening fix of entertainment in one of the diverse array of clubs, trendy pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, shops and luxurious loft coffeehouses, art houses, galleries and bars. It is a great place to apartments. Larimer Square, at the southern end of LoDo, occupies observe the way Denver moves through day-to-day life. A wealth of a portion of Denver’s oldest street. Today, it radiates Victorian charm historical sightseeing includes the Molly Brown House and tours of and bustles with such dining and dancing delights as Josephina’s the Governor’s Mansion, which resides in south Capitol Hill near the Restaurant and the 80s disco flashback, Lucky Star. The buildings, ultra-trendy Govn’rs Park. now occupied by upscale chains, including Morton’s of Chicago, Cheesman Park/Congress Park and Denver originals like the Wynkoop Brewing Company, have A diverse mix of ethnic, age, and income groups populate these long histories as former brothels, saloons and old-time general old neighborhoods bordering Capitol Hill, barely a mile from stores. downtown. The area serves as a hotbed for Denver’s gay East Denver community and fashionable 30-somethings. Cheesman Park, the East Denver, including Park Hill, Montclair, Hilltop and Lowry, is a former city graveyard, is now Denver’s urban emerald. You will find relatively prosperous and largely residential area through which the the best mountain views in the city on the park’s central acropolis. park and parkway system provides a touring route. East 17th Ave. The Denver Botanic Gardens occupies the east side of the park and Pkwy., East 6th Ave. Pkwy., Montview Blvd. and Clermont, Forest, makes for a wonderful romantic stroll. The Congress Park vicinity Monaco, and Richthofen Parkways are interconnected greenways encompasses Greek Town, a six-block section filled with eclectic lined by many fine homes reflecting popular architectural styles of festivities and animated diner-type restaurants.

18 ] Denver Information Guide DENVER NEIGHBORHOODS the past 100 years. Richthofen Parkway leads to Montclair, an 1885 South Denver suburban town which much subsequent infill, annexed to Denver in The town of South Denver sprouted along the Broadway 1902. This heterogeneous district resembles a catalog of residential streetcar line and grew to be the largest of the streetcar suburbs styles from the 1880s to the 1990s Two historic districts on what annexed by Denver. Incorporated in 1886, South Denver stretched was, until 1994, Lowry Air Force Base commemorate the from South Alameda to Yale Aves. Between Colorado Boulevard tremendous impact of the military upon Denver’s development. and Pecos St. The middle-class town was annexed to Denver in Five Points/Curtis Park 1893. Well preserved for the most part, South Denver has the Throughout Denver’s illustrious history, Five Points and the Curtis Denver’s best collection of bungalows and its first International Style Park district, northeast of downtown, has been a sanctuary for the dwelling, the Hegner House (1935), at East Dakota Ave. (SW corner African American community. Ever since Benny Hooper strolled into of South University Blvd.). town in the 1920s and opened up his club/recreation center/hotel University Park for black servicemen, the streets of Five Points have whispered jazz. Washington Park’s wild southern neighbor is University Park, Hooper’s club underwent renovation a few years ago and reopened home of the University of Denver. The area is a hot spot of cultural as the Casino Cabaret; it hosts some of the best jazz musicians in activity, and displays some of south Denver’s finest architecture, the country. including the Ritchie Center, a mammoth copper and sandstone Within the Five Points Neighborhood, this district of Victorian structure with a bell tower bedecked in gold. From booming homes includes Denver’s first park (1868), a donation to the city concerts at Magness Arena to mellow, folk gatherings at Swallow from Samuel S. Curtis, a developer of this pioneer streetcar suburb. Hill, to pizza and pool at Anthony’s Pizza and Pasta this It is Denver’s oldest surviving residential neighborhood. Initially a neighborhood offers a little of something for everybody. South Pearl haven for those with the means to move out of the city, Curtis Park Street is a cozy little shopping spot and is home to the popular evolved into a black, Hispanic, and Japanese neighborhood during Japanese joint, Sushi Den. the 1920s and 1930s. Comprised of Italianate, Queen Anne and Uptown/City Park Carpenter’s Gothic homes and many other eclectic Victorian styles. An eclectic residential district stretching east from downtown to The Curtis Park Face Block Project restored pedestrian ambiance City Park is home to Denver’s famed Restaurant Row, a collection by reinstalling sandstone sidewalks and street trees. The entire of elegant fine dining establishments, as well as a scattering of neighborhood is experiencing an urban renaissance as small nightclubs and bars. It is also a great place to check out some of businesses infiltrate the historic district and boost the economy. Denver’s Victorian architecture and the impressive Cathedral of One of Denver’s liveliest festivals, Juneteenth, fills the streets with Immaculate Conception, a Romanesque masterpiece with laughter and frenzy at the dawn of each summer. towering, Gaudi-esque spires. A lively stretch of Colfax, Denver’s Golden longest and most eccentric avenue, wanders through Uptown. The Located on the western fringe of Denver, surrounded by a jagged area offers off-the-wall neighborhood bars, excellent ethnic cuisine, hogback and a plethora of wide buttes, Golden is a charming small and the nation’s best musical acts at the refurbished Ogden Theatre town (do not ever say it is a suburb) that echoes Colorado’s gold and Fillmore Auditorium. City Park, a beautiful legacy from the City rush heritage. Home of the Coors Brewing Company and the Beautiful period, houses the Denver Zoo and the popular Denver Buffalo Bill Museum, Golden is an excellent spot to experience a Museum of Nature and Science. part of Western Americana. The locals have traded in their horses Washington Park for mountain bikes, and the town boasts some of the best trail riding Residents of Denver are the leanest in the land which can be in the country at famed Apex Park and White Ranch Park. Take the attested by the the active, healthy crowds that are always running kids to Heritage Square for a ride on its 19th century antique merry- or pedaling around the verdant landscape of Washington Park. go-round or a heart-pounding trip down the alpine slide. Volleyball and soccer games fill the park lawns, and the bike path is Northwest Denver always glutted with in-line thrill-seekers and fierce-pedaling road The settlement in Northwest Denver began after 1858, when bikers. Numerous park benches and giant shade trees make for Denver founder William H. Larimer waded across the South Platte great places to chat with locals and relax on a weekday afternoon. River to stakeout “Highlands.” This area began to thrive during the The surrounding neighborhood is one of Denver’s most affluent, yet 1880s following construction of streetcar lines and viaducts over the is unpretentious and loaded with rare gems such as the hearty South Platte River and railroad tracks. A wave of Italian immigrants Italian restaurant, Carmine’s On Penn. between the 1880s and 1920s established “Little Italy” there, Wellshire although Spanish-speaking settlers have been most numerous A residential neighborhood, with its meandering and curvy since 1950. Highland Park, known as Scottish Village, because of streets, extends from Colorado Boulevard to University Boulevard its curving lanes with Scottish names, illustrates over 100 years of and from Yale Avenue to Hampden Avenue. One-fourth of the low-cost housing built on tiny lots. The ethnic peoples of Northwest southeast area is home to the 18-hole Wellshire Golf Course Denver have added to a rich collection of churches, cafes, bars and designed in 1926 by Donald Ross. The 13.4-acre Skeel Reservoir housing. continued on page 20

Denver Information Guide [ 19 DENVER NEIGHBORHOODS and mature cottonwood trees make an attractive landscape for and Pecos St. The middle-class town was annexed to Denver in golfers. The former clubhouse for the Wellshire Country Club was 1893. Well preserved for the most part, South Denver has the remodeled in 1976 as the Wellshire Inn at 3333 South Colorado Denver’s best collection of bungalows and its first International Style Boulevard. dwelling, the Hegner House (1935), at East Dakota Ave. (SW corner of South University Blvd.). Historic Neighborhoods The settlement in Northwest Denver began after 1858, when East Denver, including Park Hill, Montclair, Hilltop and Lowry, is a Denver founder William H. Larimer waded across the South Platte relatively prosperous and largely residential area through which the River to stakeout “Highlands.” This area began to thrive during the park and parkway system provides a touring route. East 17th Ave. 1880s following construction of streetcar lines and viaducts over the Pkwy., East 6th Ave. Pkwy., Montview Blvd. and Clermont, Forest, South Platte River and railroad tracks. A wave of Italian immigrants Monaco, and Richthofen Parkways are interconnected greenways between the 1880s and 1920s established “Little Italy” there, lined by many fine homes reflecting popular architectural styles of although Spanish-speaking settlers have been most numerous the past 100 years. Richthofen Parkway leads to Montclair, an 1885 since 1950. Highland Park, known as Scottish Village, because of suburban town which much subsequent infill, annexed to Denver in its curving lanes with Scottish names, illustrates over 100 years of 1902. This heterogeneous district resembles a catalog of residential low-cost housing built on tiny lots. The ethnic peoples of Northwest styles from the 1880s to the 1990s Two historic districts on what Denver have added to a rich collection of churches, cafes, bars and was, until 1994, Lowry Air Force Base commemorate the housing. tremendous impact of the military upon Denver’s development. Curtis Park Capitol Hill Within the Five Points Neighborhood, this district of Victorian Denver’s 19th-century millionaires built their showplace homes, homes includes Denver’s first park (1868), a donation to the city schools, clubs, and churches here, surrounded by lawns along from Samuel S. Curtis, a developer of this pioneer streetcar suburb. gridded, tree-lined streets and flagstone sidewalks. Some smaller It is Denver’s oldest surviving residential neighborhood. Initially a homes, modest apartments, and institutional buildings survive amid haven for those with the means to move out of the city, Curtis Park commercial intrusions, parking lots, and high-rise apartments, in evolved into a black, Hispanic, and Japanese neighborhood during this architecturally rich and diverse neighborhood around the gold- the 1920s and 1930s. Comprised of Italianate, Queen Anne and domed state capitol. Carpenter’s Gothic homes and many other eclectic Victorian styles. South Denver The Curtis Park Face Block Project restored pedestrian ambiance The town of South Denver sprouted along the Broadway by reinstalling sandstone sidewalks and street trees. This historic streetcar line and grew to be the largest of the streetcar suburbs district enjoys a renewed popularity. annexed by Denver. Incorporated in 1886, South Denver stretched from South Alameda to Yale Aves. Between Colorado Boulevard

WHERE TO STAY

A historian once termed Denver the “turnstile city.” Travelers Downtown/Auraria come in, travelers go out. Some come for the skiing, others show The majority of business travelers heading to the city usually wind up to call the city home. Over the past few years the business up staying in one of downtown’s array of notable and contemporary crowd has been enticed by the region’s bustling economy, culture hotels. The convention center is propped in the heart of the district and recreational attractions. An addition to the convention center is and many of the region’s corporate movers and shakers in the works. New hotels preparing to open, or in the planning headquarter in the towers populating the skyline. In other areas, stages, will add to the 17,000 rooms already available. Many hotels especially on the fringes of the metroplex, one might feel isolated occupy three prime areas: downtown, the Denver Tech Center without a vehicle, but downtown offers easy access to shopping, (DTC) and the area around Denver International Airport (DIA). dining and the city’s popular attractions. Almost every hotel in Comfortable lodging can easily be found in every nook and cranny downtown underwent extensive renovation in 1997, prior to the G7 of the city. Accommodations range from the glorious to the Summit, so expect the latest in luxurious lodging. unassuming as do the prices, but most provide a good night’s sleep The Brown Palace is the pride of downtown. Built in 1892, this at a fair price. If you prefer the provincial charm of a bed-and- Victorian brown brick building is a classic interpretation of Italian breakfast, Denver has some of the best in the western region. Renaissance design. Every president since Teddy Roosevelt, with Usually located in elegant Victorian mansions, they provide many of the exception of Jimmy Carter, has enjoyed pampering in these the modern conveniences of a hotel with a dash of history. posh rooms. Even The Beatles and Elvis Presley slept here. The

20 ] Denver Information Guide WHERE TO STAY

Adam’s Mark, located at the entrance to the 16th Street Mall, is the and museums. A few have been transformed into lively bed-and- city’s largest hotel, comprising two blocks and 2,500 rooms. Hotel breakfasts and provide visitors a chance to experience Denver’s Monaco is the new kid in town but has quickly carved a niche with Victorian legacy. The Capitol Hill Mansion, erected when the district the businesses class with impeccable service and homey rooms; it bore the kindly term “snob knob,” is an aristocratic ruby sandstone has also developed a reputation as the place for romantic weekend structure complete with turrets and balconies, and is on the getaways. The Holtze Executive Place, in the restored American National Historic Register. Other area delights include the cozy Bank Building, offers extended stay visits in one- and two-bedroom Adagio Bed and Breakfast and the inexpensive Holiday Chalet. The suites along spirited 17th Avenue (a.k.a “Wall Street of the area also offers the business class some excellent choices. The Rockies”). If you are searching for Denver’s past, check out the Burnsley Hotel towers high above the area and provides business Hyatt Rengency’s gold rush and Wild West motifs, or enjoy a long travelers comfortable extended stay facilities and views of the jog around its rooftop track. The Westin Tabor Center is Denver’s Rocky Mountains. stop for all-out extravagance. The towering Marriott City Center Cherry Creek offers affordable luxury and easy access to area attractions. For an This neighborhood is known as Denver’s upscale section. even cheaper sleep, head over to the Capitol Hill neighborhood or Despite its reputation it is still easy to find inexpensive lodging at the try the downtown Holiday Inn. Best Western Landmark. But if it is luxury you want the Loews Historic Lower Downtown Giorgio, a stunning black glass tower just south of Cherry Creek Tucked among the restaurants, bars and clubs of this nightlife Mall, is a magnificent feat of Italian design and ultimate comfort. haven are a couple of secluded lodging gems. The landmark Oxford Intricate murals and frescoes embellish the Tuscan motif and the Hotel. Once on the outskirts of a seedy red light district, it has service often rates as the best in town. The Four Points Cherry served some of Denver’s most interesting and notorious characters. Creek resides next to the Cherry Creek Bike Path and offers easy The hotel offers easy access to the Pepsi Center, Coors Field, and access to most of the city’s attractions. is home to the stellar McCormick’s Fish House. DTC/South Denver Uptown/City Park A variety of accommodations, specifically designed for business Denver’s most popular bed-and-breakfasts are scattered about travelers, reside in and around the DTC area. The Inverness Resort this predominantly residential neighborhood. The fashionable Merritt offers an elegant escape from the city and boasts one of the finest House, in the historic Swallow Hill district, shares the same architect golf courses in town. Choose from the Marriott, Hyatt, Embassy as the lavish Brown Palace and features rooms with antiquarian Suites, or any number of the area’s extended stay or all-suite furnishings and 19th century charm. A less expensive getaway is facilities. the Franklin House, a restored 1896 mansion. Although not as Golden/Foothills fancy as some of the other inns around town, the owner has taken The western edge of the city is a great destination for vacationers great care in reviving the home’s original Victorian luxury. A visual to experience Colorado’s old-fashioned allure in a picturesque masterpiece, Castle Marne, resides at the east end of uptown. The mountain setting. Whether you are staying in a lodge, bed-and- place actually looks like a small castle, and features a unique breakfast, or roadside motel, you cannot go wrong with the window of circular stained glass ascending a grand staircase, location. Wherever you stay, the best in biking, hiking, skiing, rafting, known as the Peacock Window. Another local favorite is the Haus fishing and all other manner of mountain fun are only moments Berlin. away. One of the more popular area lodges is the Table Mountain Capitol Hill Inn. Nestled at the south end of Golden’s historic downtown, this is The East Mansion district is in the heart of Capitol Hill. a wonderful weekend hideaway and is just minutes from Apex Park, Throughout the century many of the stately homes have retained Dinosaur Ridge, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and Heritage Square. their grandeur through conversion into multiple room apartments

DINING AND NIGHT LIFE

Blend a deep Hispanic tradition with an Asian migration, mix it up Downtown/Auraria with a big dash of sports frenzy and the Wild West, and Denver’s Downtown has satisfied the appetites of Denver’s business class dining scene begins to take shape. And do not forget the beer. for decades with an array of casual establishments providing Known for its casual atmosphere, brewpubs, and sports bars, the comfortable atmospheres for relaxation and work. Still, if formal Mile High City has always been famous for good grub, but recently dining is on the agenda, there are plenty of options. The Palm takes arrived culinary masters, attracted by the panoramic mountain care of the surf and turf crowd, while the staff at Bravo! Ristorante setting, have vaulted Denver to the fine dining forefront. Although sings moving arias as they deliver Italian creations with a twist. Denverites now enjoy fancier fare, they still love their beer. Marlowe’s huge neon martini sign overlooks the 16th Street Mall continued on page 22

Denver Information Guide [ 21 DINING AND NIGHT LIFE and attracts visitors for its continental cuisine. Bring a hearty hunger scene, specializes in unique American cuisine. Sing bygone to the Rocky Mountain Diner for huge helpings of comfort food and favorites at Charlie Brown’s piano bar while deciphering the some famous rainbow trout. Relax at Domo’s authentic country neighborhood’s most complex menu, or head over to Watson’s house for a remarkable Japanese dining experience, or head down Pharmacy for some tasty ice cream. Gabor’s keeps the locals the street to the Buckhorn Exchange, Denver’s first restaurant and happy by pouring beer and frying burgers into the wee hours. a true meat-lover’s paradise. Under the watchful eyes of big game Chessman Park/Congress Park trophies you can try all sorts of wild game including alligator, elk and From quaint street-side cafes to elegant food extravaganzas, this rattlesnake. Dine with Denver’s elite in the Napoleonic setting of district is sure to please. The Barolo Grill treats the palate to Palace Arms, located in the historic Brown Palace. expensive but superb Italian cuisine and boasts the most extensive Historic Lower Downtown wine selection in Denver. For cheaper eats, Chef Zorba’s and Pete’s More restaurants, bars, bakeries, and coffeehouses inhabit these Kitchen clog arteries with comfort food and down-home greasy 20 blocks than any other district in Denver. There are so many, in favorites. The Satire Lounge serves a dash of dark ambiance with fact, it is hard to choose just one. LoDo plays host to a multitude of big dishes of Mexican standards, and the Grand China is the stop brewpubs pouring homemade concoctions and cooking creative for authentic Chinese fare. alternatives to traditional bar food. The Wynkoop, named after Cherry Creek Denver’s first sheriff, holds the honor as the city’s oldest brewery, This is the Mile High City’s dining central, where food designs are and fries a mean fish and chips. Its Railyard Ale is one of the area’s the norm and a simple ceramic plate becomes a canvas beckoning tastiest brews. Or, for the closest thing to fine dining that a brewpub art. Dramatic? Maybe, but many of Cherry Creek’s fine restaurants can get, see if you can get a table at the Denver Chophouse, which can make a dining experience into a thing a beauty. Expect to pay features steaks galore. If you want to enjoy a wide variety of ales, a hefty price, though. Delectable Indian delights are at the Bombay the Falling Rock Tap House has 69 beers on tap, including a wide Clay Oven, and Little Ollie’s sculpts healthy (nothing deep-fried here) selection from local breweries. Steak and potatoes are the thing at Chinese food. If you are searching for the obscure, check out the both Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. McCormick’s Fish underground RooBar for inventive martinis along with classic bar House, located in the Oxford Hotel headlines a good group of grub. The Cherry Cricket, a ruffian original in the upscale district, seafood stops, including the Del Mar Crab House and Jax Fish spices things up with burning batches of homemade green chili. House. Lim’s Chinese Kitchen and P.F. Chang’s are the places for a Washington Park Chinese fix. The hip crowd hangs at Andrews’ Pub, and the Purple Old South Gaylord Street feeds the neighborhood with a myriad Martini provides candlelight ambiance for romance, pizza and of timeless standards. Visit the Washington Park Grille, a crowded cocktails. After major sporting events, the streets of LoDo flood with bistro with a flair for Italian, or wander next door for some literary hungry fans, and the restaurants fill at an alarming rate. seafood at Hemingway’s Key West Grille. Sushi lovers will delight at Reservations are necessary everywhere. Japon’s flavorful variety, while bike lovers enjoy the burgers at the Uptown/City Park HandleBar and Grill. Restaurant Row is a sanctuary for culinary artists. Chefs display University Park their magic nightly at such exquisite haunts as Strings, and the University Park is full of popular dives and down home joints Avenue Grill, a favorite destination for couples, that features a varied serving burgers and pizza. Fagan’s Restaurant and Bar is the place menu with western favorites. For a quiet getaway, stop in at Dario’s to get authentic Shepherd’s Pie and a flavor of Old World Ireland. Restaurant, a quaint, family owned bistro full of knickknacks and The Jerusalem Restaurant delves into exotic textures and fine heirlooms just west of City Park. Here you will experience Old World Middle Eastern cuisine. Treehouse Café takes care of the heath decadence as it serves heaps of Swiss-Italian fare. Or, head next food crowd, and Mustard’s Last Stand specializes in hot dogs and door to the tiny Café Berlin for tasty wurst and strong German Polish sausage. The Pearl Street Grill is a local favorite; the stouts. If pizza and crowds are on the menu, Pasquini’s, located in restaurant’s back patio is one of Denver’s most relaxing and intimate an old house on 17th Avenue, is the place to be. After enjoying the dining destinations. restaurant’s hip ambiance and vogue cuisine, wander next door to Northwest Denver/Highland the Rhino Room for a Colorado microbrew and a game of pool in An emerging hotspot for Denver diners, the Highland an environment straight out of the 1970s. As the night begins to neighborhood in Northwest Denver offers a great selection of wind down relax at St. Mark’s for a late night cup of coffee and a Mexican restaurants and an array of inventive, family-owned bistros. fresh baked muffin. Pagliacci’s serves old-fashioned Italian food in a homey, Tuscan Capitol Hill ambiance. Bang! offers a small, 10-item menu in a lively Cozy, family owned restaurants, friendly local pubs, and atmosphere and is home to the area’s best burger, as well as some coffeehouses populate the streets of Capitol Hill. Most have been spicy Cajun cooking. Common Grounds serves the art crowd with around forever and have developed a faithful following. Stop by weekly poetry readings by local bards, acoustic jams for music Benny’s Cantina for a fiesta of sloppy Mexican grub. Le Central is lovers, and top-notch mochas. the place to stop for fine French delights. Dazzle, a newcomer to the

22 ] Denver Information Guide DINING AND NIGHTLIFE

Golden/West Denver is extremely meat oriented and the chefs prepare venison and elk in For a real treat, head to the foothills and check out the historic wonderfully creative ways. Fort. Built atop a high slope, with picturesque views, this establishment is the ultimate in romantic mountain dining. The menu

THINGS TO DO

Denver Public Library (720) 865-1111 Buffalo Bill Museum (303) 526-0744 10 W.Fourteenth Ave. 987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Road Denver, CO 80204 Golden, Colorado 80401 www.denver.lib.co.us www.buffalobill.org The Denver Public Library (DPL) is the information resource for See the grave and museum of William F. Cody. Objects include the people of Denver and the greater metro area. It also acts as the Sitting Bull’s bow and arrows, Buffalo Bill’s show outfits, and official Resource Center for the state of Colorado and is a regional Frederick Remington’s “Portrait of a Ranch Hand.” depository for publications of the U.S. government. The Library is Byers-Evans House and Denver History Museum (303) 620-4933 world-renowned for its collection of western Americana and its 1310 Bannock Street model Children’s Library. Denver, Colorado 80204 www.coloradohistory.org/hist_sites/Byers_Evans/byers_evans.htm Museums A visit to the Byers-Evans House Museum includes guided tours Denver Museum of Nature and Science, located in City Park, is and a video on the Byers and Evans families. Another interpretive the city’s largest cultural attraction drawing almost 2-million visitors feature of the house is the Denver History Museum, located in the annually. Built in 1900, it is the home to the IMAX Theater and renovated carriage house. It incorporates both hands-on elements Prehistoric Journey, an interactive time warp into the dinosaur age. and traditional exhibit displays highlighting Denver’s colorful and The museum has also played host to such famous exhibits as The diverse past. Aztecs and The Imperial Tombs of China. The Denver Art Museum Colorado History Museum (303) 866-3682 displays two floors of Native American artifacts, and also offers a 1300 Broadway smart mixture of Asian art and contemporary design. The building Denver, CO 80203 itself, a modern interpretation of a fortified castle, is a stunning piece www.coloradohistory.org of architecture. Recent renovations added a restaurant and viewing Imagine covered wagons, a rendezvous of fur traders, Indian space for larger installations. History buffs will enjoy the Colorado buffalo hunts, mining the Rocky Mountains and life in early Denver. History Museum, as it recounts the lost days when cowboys and Colorado’s own museum features collections of photographs, indians ruled the plains and the gold rush inspired a nation to dream artifacts and documents. Dioramas and changing exhibitions bring of riches. history to life Denver also contains a wealth of fascinating special interest Denver Art Museum (720) 865-5000 museums. The Molly Brown House chronicles the legendary 100 W 14th Ave Pkwy exploits of the “unsinkable Molly Brown,” a RMS Titanic survivor Denver, CO 80204 www.denverartmuseum.org and prominent Denver citizen. In the Five Points neighborhood, stop The Denver Art Museum is world famous for its American Indian by the Black American West Museum for an intriguing account of art collection. Visitors can view outstanding architecture, graphics the African-American effort on the frontier. Appropriately, the and design galleries, or explore stunning Asian, Modern & museum is located in the old home of Colorado’s first African- Contemporary art, pre-Columbian, and Spanish Colonial galleries. American female physician. Golden offers the Colorado Rail Museum, a 12-acre outdoor venue with over 50 antique Denver Museum of Nature and Science (303) 322-7009 2001 Colorado Boulevard locomotives on display, and the Buffalo Bill Museum, atop Lookout Denver, Colorado 80205 Mountain, honors the riotous life and legend of William Cody while www.dmns.org offering astonishing views of the city. Home of the Gates Planeterium and the IMAX Theater, the Black American West Museum and Heritage Ctr. (303) 292-2566 Denver Museum of Nature and Science is packed with information 3091 California Street relating to the world around us. With programs for the young and Denver, Colorado 80205 www.blackamericanwestmuseum.denverfanatic.com old alike, the Museum will keep you entertained, and learning, for hours! The center, located in the Dr. Justina Ford House, boasts materials and exhibits explaining the heritage of blacks in the West.

continued on page 24

Denver Information Guide [ 23 THINGS TO DO

Mizel Museum of Judaica Dance 400 S. Kearney St. The Colorado Ballet has been gracing Denver stages since 1961 Denver, CO with quality international dance and classic ballet. The Colorado www.mizelmuseum.org Academy of Ballet trains aspiring dancers in advanced Russian Permanent and changing exhibits illustrate the Jewish historical, techniques. The David Taylor Theater brings a distinguished artistic and cultural heritage. contemporary ballet to Denver and produces the ever-popular Molly Brown House Museum (303) 832-4092 Nutcracker during the holiday season. If you prefer modern dance, 1340 Pennsylvania Street Denver, Colorado 80203 check out the celebrated Cleo Parker Robinson Dance troupe for www.mollybrown.org beautifully choreographed interpretive pieces. If you would rather do Costumed guides lead visitors through the 1889 home of the the dancing, head over to The Church, the city’s most popular “Unsinkable Molly Brown,” a survivor of the Titanic sinking. nightclub, for a night of crazed techno madness. Bash is the “see Museo de las Americas (303) 571-4401 and be seen” place to dance in Lodo. Vinyl packs in the ladies on 861 Santa Fe Drive Tuesday nights for the city’s hottest Ladies Night. Lucky Star keeps Denver, CO 80204 the bobbing 80s alive and Polly Esther’s boogies to the 70s disco www.museo.org thing. If big band sounds rattle your feet, saunter into the Mercury The museum preserves and interprets the art, history and culture Café for rip roaring old style swing dancing. of Latinos in the Americas. Theater Film The Denver Performing Arts Complex is the second largest The Denver International Film Festival comes to town each theatrical venue in the nation behind the Kennedy Center in New October with a fresh bunch of shorts, documentaries and feature York, and stages the latest Broadway musicals and plays. Resting length flicks. A variety of quaint art houses along with sprawling beneath an inventive arched glass ceiling, the complex holds eight mega-movie complexes are scattered across the metro area. For distinctive spaces, including the 2,800-seat Temple Buell Theater. the latest in obscure, avant-garde releases, stop by the Mayan Recent crowd favorites such as Rent, Chicago and Phantom of the Theater on Broadway, or the Esquire which spins the more popular Opera have drawn huge crowds. The Auditorium Theater, adorned independent features on a wide screen. If you are in the mood for in neo-classical design, presents the latest contemporary off- the latest commercial movies, the United Artists Theaters at the Broadway dramas and comedies and just finished a remarkable run Denver Pavilions are comfortable and include stadium seating. of performances that featured the critically hailed Last Night At Ballyhoo. The Denver Center Theater Group, housed at the Music complex, recently brought home a Tony Award for the best regional Denver’s homegrown music has produced a creative blend of theater. commercial acts ranging from the roots rockers Big Head Todd and For local offerings, check out the Avenue Theater for the hottest the Monsters, to the fevered 16 Horsepower and the Apples in comedies and the long-running audience participation favorite, Stereo. A multitude of intimate venues attract the hippest national Murder Most Fowl. The Theater on Broadway presents black box and independent bands. Established acts fill the exquisitely thinking theater that often focuses on gay themes, and performance renovated Fillmore Auditorium and blast away on the best sound art and the spoken word rule the Bug Theater. Opera Colorado, system in Denver. Or drop into the Ogden Theatre on Colfax. In feeding the artistic spirit since 1983, performs three booming epics summer, fans congregate at Red Rocks Amphitheater for live music a year at Boettcher Concert Hall and the Buell Theater. in an awesome mountain setting. The Bluebird Theatre, a restored Other Cultural Odds and Ends movie hall and former porn house, hosts the hottest emerging acts. Colorado’s Ocean Journey is the city’s newest arrival on the Local bands take the stage at Herman’s Hideaway and Brendan’s cultural scene. It opened in June 1999 to rave reviews and offers Pub. The Soiled Dove in LoDo is the perfect place to hear Hazel visitors a chance to explore exotic tropical environments and Miller sing the blues or Sally Taylor conjure the ghosts of folk discover what lies beneath the rivers running through Colorado. The legends. The Mile High City also steams with salsa; after a few free Denver Zoo is the city’s most beloved attraction, drawing well over lessons hit the dance floor at La Rumba. If a more refined musical a million visitors each year with such popular exhibits as the Primate structure appeals to you, attend a performance by the Colorado Panorama and Tropical Discovery. In beautiful Cheesman Park, the Symphony. Under the direction of Maestra Marin Alsop, the Denver Botanic Gardens display a scenic expanse of varying foliage classical virtuosos have attained national acclaim and consistently from around the world and a special new exhibit on water plants. perform with such notable figures as Yo Yo Ma and the Anonymous Finally, if you want to see the workings of a brewery first hand, 4. Coors Brewing Company gives daily tours and best of all, free samples. Outdoors

24 ] Denver Information Guide THINGS TO DO

Denver Botanic Gardens (720) 865-3500 Ocean Journey (303) 297-1166 1005 York Street 4655 Humboldt St. Denver, Colorado 80206 Denver, CO 80216 www.botanicgardens.org www.nationalwetern.com Whether you visit Denver Botanic Gardens to relax under the Denver’s interactive aquarium and the only marine sciences shade of the enormous weeping willow in the Japanese Garden, to center in an eight-state region. Explore waters and wildlife from the learn from a class or expert lecture, to listen to breezy, cool jazz on Continental Divide to the Sea of Cortez, and from an Indonesian rain a hot summer night or tour the winter wonderland created by forest to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Blossoms of Light, we hope you’ll find that Denver Botanic Gardens is more than just a beautiful garden. Shopping Denver Urban Gardens (303) 292-9900 16th Street Mall (303) 534-6161 3377 Blake Street 16th & California Unit 113 Denver, CO 80202 Denver CO 80205 Built in 1982, the mall is a tree-lined, pedestrian promenade of www.dug.org red-and-gray granite that runs through the center of downtown. As a nonprofit organization, DUG operates and assists with the Lined with outdoor cafes, renovated historic office buildings, creation and management of over 60 metro-area community sparkling glass-walled skyscrapers, shops, restaurants and gardens and small parks. department stores. Numerous fountains and plazas offer a variety of daily special events and entertainers. Free shuttle buses cruise the Denver Zoo (303) 376-4800 2300 Steele Street mile-long Mall every 90 seconds. Denver Convention & Visitors Denver, CO 80205 Bureau Visitor Information Center is located at 16th & California on www.denverzoo.org the 16th Street Mall. The Denver Zoo is home to 3,500 animals representing more Belmar (303) 742-1500 than 600 different species. During a Zoo visit you can see rare amur 355 South Teller Street leopards, black rhinoceros, coral reef fish, elephants, zebras, Lakewood, CO 80226 vampire bats, gorillas and more! Over 70 shops, restaurants, movie theatre, bowling alley, park Four Mile Historic Park and public plaza, Block 7 Arts, and Urban Anatomy. Summer 715 South Forest Street events include the Market at Belmar every Sunday; A Paris Street Denver, CO 80205 Market, the third Saturday of every month; Mixed Taste, a tag-team www.fourmilepark.org lecture series on un-related topics every Thursday; Music in the This 12-acre rural site is home to Denver’s oldest house, Four Plaza, featuring Jefferson Symphony ensembles every Friday. Mile House, a city landmark that is also listed on the National Cherry Creek Shopping Center (303) 388-3900 Register of Historic Places. Built in 1859, Four Mile House once 3000 East 1st Avenue served as a stage stop, wayside inn, and tavern. Four Mile Historic Denver, CO 80206 Park offers a wide range of programs that include: school/youth Located in the heart of Denver minutes from downtown, Cherry programs, heritage and special events, and guided house and Creek Shopping Center is the Rocky Mountain region’s most grounds. The park is dedicated to presenting programs that exciting shopping environment: Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman celebrate the diversity of the men, women, and children who lived Marcus, Anthropologie, Cole Haan, Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Tommy and worked in the West. Bahamas, Urban Outfitters, Tiffany & Co. and more than 160 National Western Stock Show and Rodeo (303) 297-1166 distinctive stores and restaurants 4655 Humboldt St. Cherry Creek North Shopping District (303) 394-2903 Denver, CO 80216 299 Milwaukee Street www.nationalwetern.com Denver, CO 80206 Nearly 100 years old, and bigger than ever, the National Western Cherry Creek North, is a menagerie of upscale boutiques, art has been recognized by the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame as one of the galleries, fine dining and unique bars top 100 events of the year in the U.S. by the American Business Denver Pavilions (303) 260-6001 Association, and named Rodeo of the Year by Events Business 500 16th St. News Magazine. Denver, CO 80202 Downtown Denver’s newest outdoor entertainment and shopping destination. Located at 16th Street Mall Glenarm, just steps from the Convention Center, and most major downtown hotels.

Denver Information Guide [ 25 THINGS TO DO

Colorado Mills (303) 384-3000 Hockey - NHL Colorado Avalanche (303) 405-1100 14500 West Colfax Pepsi Center Lakewood, CO 80401 1000 Chopper Circle Colorado’s most exciting new shopping destination has nearly Denver, CO 80204 200 full and value-prices retailers, restaurants, and entertainment www.pepsicenter.com www.coloradoavalanche.com venues to fulfill any shopping desire. Baseball – NHL Colorado Rockies (303) 762-5437 Sports Coors Field When it comes right down to it, Denver is widely regarded as a 2001 Blake St sports and recreational haven. The Broncos, Rockies, Avalanche Denver, CO 80205 and Nuggets draw all sorts of admirers throughout the region, and www.rockies.mlb.com tourists come from all over to see baseball at Coors Field. Skiers Major League Soccer Colorado Rapids Soccer and snowboarders jam the slopes from November to early July, and INVESCO Field at Mile High people from all corners converge on Colorado during summer for its 1701 Bryant Street wealth of camping, fishing and backpacking options in the serene Denver, CO 80204 Rocky Mountains. Warm weather evenings are packed with www.coloradorapids.com mountain bikers and hikers when the after-work crowd escapes to Arena Football League Colorado Crush the Front Range trails. Weekends lure thousands to the area’s Pepsi Center greenbelts for relaxation and exercise. 1000 Chopper Circle Denver, CO 80204 Football – NFL Denver Broncos (720) 258-3000 www.coloradocrush.com INVESCO Field at Mile High 1701 Bryant Street, Suite 700 National Lacrosse League Colorado Mammoth Denver, Colorado 80204 Pepsi Center www.denverbroncos.com 1000 Chopper Circle Denver, CO 80204 Basketball – NBA Denver Nuggets (303) 405-1100 www.coloradomammoth.com Pepsi Center 1000 Chopper Circle Major League Lacrosse Denver Outlaws Denver, CO 80204 INVESCO Field at Mile High www.pepsicenter.com 1701 Bryant Street www.nba.com/nuggets Denver, CO 80204 www.denveroutlaws.com

26 ] Denver Information Guide RECOMMENDED TOURS

Denver boasts an interesting mix of history, culture and sports. To behind the mansion is home to the Denver History Museum. acquire a satisfactory taste of each might take months or even Although small, it provides an informative account of Denver’s years. But if you have a couple of days to visit the Mile High City, try colorful past. to capture some of the bustling city highlights, as well as the awe- The City and County Building borders the west side of Civic inspiring sights of the Rocky Mountains. Center Park and is a great place to visit during the Christmas Various companies offer guided tours of the city and are worth holidays when thousands upon thousands of lights illuminate the the money if you are interested in seeing an abundance of Denver’s structure. Behind the City and County Building is the U.S. Mint. attractions in a short amount of time. Gray Line offers an array of Occupying an imitation Renaissance palace, the Mint molds over sightseeing expeditions spanning the downtown area and mountain five-billion coins each year and has a gold reserve rivaled only by locations, but runs in excess of $25 per adult. The Cultural Fort Knox. Free tours begin every 10 to 20 minutes. Connection Trolley, owned by RTD, the area’s public transit Once you are done sightseeing at Civic Center Park, head north company, operates from mid-May until Labor Day, stopping at a on Broadway across Colfax Avenue to the source of the 16th Street majority of the city’s top attractions, including the Denver Zoo and Mall, a pedestrian promenade stretching through the heart of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. A $3 day pass allows downtown into LoDo. Here you have the option of catching the free you to explore the city at your leisure. shuttle that runs along the mall every few minutes or strolling along For the outdoor sort, a number of outlets conduct thrilling jeep at you own pace. The Denver Pavilions is a new open-air shopping tours over rugged mountain back roads, and guided horseback plaza filled with trendy chain shops, a movie theater and the Hard rides along fabled trails. Guided biking tours of downtown and Rock Cafe. Moving further along, you will pass the historic surrounding areas are popular tourist choices, but if you have Paramount Theater and catch glimpses of the Brown Palace and access to a bike it is easy to create your own exciting two-wheel Denver Performing Arts Complex before coming upon the Tabor outings along the Cherry Creek and Platte River Trails. These two Center. This massive modern glass structure is an indoor shopping greenways pass many of Denver’s celebrated venues, including the venue anchored by the Westin Hotel. The stunning brick D & F Pepsi Center, Colorado’s Ocean Journey, and Six Flags Elitch Tower, a 325-foot landmark, stands down from the Tabor Center Gardens. and is a replica of St. Mark’s campanile in Venice. Walking Tour of Downtown Progress forward to Writer Square, which acts as a passage to The best introduction to the wonders of the Mile High City begins Larimer Square and an entrance to LoDo. From here there are a in Civic Center Park. The tour options from this impeccably variety of short journeys you can make. You will pass by countless landscaped scenic point are unlimited. You can travel to the examples of 19th-century Victorian buildings filled with chic Colorado State Capitol Building, a remarkable turn of the century restaurants, hip bars and expensive lofts. Continuing to the end of Greek replica topped with a solid gold dome, and explore the the 16th Street Mall will place you on Wynkoop Street, part of the hallowed halls of government. The mountain and city views from the Ballpark neighborhood and Denver’s original city. The LoDo branch rotunda are awe-inspiring, and if the legislature happens to be of the Tattered Cover Bookstore is on the corner and offers fighting it out you can see first hand how frontier law is born. There countless hours of browsing through 150,000 titles. Swing right on is an ongoing debate over whether the 18th or 15th step to the Wynkoop and head toward Coors Field passing Union Station and entrance places one exactly a mile high. Denver’s first brewery, the Wynkoop Brewing Company. The end of The Colorado History Museum borders the south side of the park the journey lies at Denver’s sporting treasure, Coors Field. Designed and provides an excellent pictorial history of the Centennial State. to blend with the surrounding neighborhood, the ballpark is home Also at the south end are two of Denver’s wildest examples of to the Colorado Rockies and a wonderful place to spend an modern architecture, the Denver Library and Denver Art Museum. afternoon or evening, whether you are a fan or not. Tours are The library, encompassing the original 1955 structure, is an eclectic available during the season. design of turrets and multi-colored geometric brick shapes. Locals Tours for the History Buff — 9th Street Historic Park often refer to the huge wooden square hovering over the structure A relatively young city, Denver has managed to protect important as the “helipad.” The library’s neighbor, the Denver Art Museum, is historical relics from the wrecking ball. Thus, a significant visual a gigantic tiled castle. Gio Ponti designed the structure in 1971 as legacy of the town’s early days as a mining settlement infected with an antonym to the area’s unilateral Greek influence leftover from the mineral desires remains pretty much intact. For starters, check out City Beautiful era. The museum houses the nation’s finest collection the 9th Street Historic Park, located on the northeast portion of the of Native American artifacts and boasts a strong collection of Auraria Campus at Ninth and Curtis. This ancient block, lined with Spanish Colonial works and pre-Columbian artwork. Next door to old Victorian structures erected between 1872 and 1906, is a the museum is the Byers-Evans House. Built in 1883, it reflects reminder of the Colorado Territory’s inaugural town and Denver’s Denver’s Victorian influence and stands as one of the oldest first assimilated neighborhood—Auraria. While the majority of the mansions in Denver. Today it serves as a posh museum chronicling original town gave way to the educational campus housing three the lives of the two families that made it famous. The carriage house universities, select structures, including St. Elizabeth’s Church and continued on page 28

Denver Information Guide [ 27 RECOMMENDED TOURS the Tivoli Brewing Company, recall the area’s once thriving past. If Avenue. Neal Cassady once referred to this area of lower downtown you walk along Ninth Street, informative signs offer insight into as his playground, and was known to put a few away at this local individual buildings. When you reach Lawrence Street you will find joint. the famous home of Golda Meir. She occupied the house for a Cassady spent a turbulent period with wife Casey on the third couple of years before immigrating to Israel and becoming prime floor of the Colburn Hotel at 10th and Grant, home to the popular minister. The house holds a moving collection of photographs from Charlie Brown’s Bar. Allen Ginsberg composed the famous poem Meir’s life, and free tours are available by appointment. Denver Doldrums during an extended down-and-out stay with the East Mansion District couple. Ride the 16th Street shuttle and you will be traversing the A great way to witness how the prosperous lived in Denver is by same path Neal took every afternoon when trolley cars trekked wandering around the East Mansion District in Capitol Hill. The Molly through the streets of downtown. At 15th and Tremont stands the Brown House at 13th and Pennsylvania provides a starting point Daniels and Fisher Tower, the remaining relic of the old May and offers guided sightseeing through the neighborhood. The tours Department Store, where Cassady and Ginsberg both worked. provide vivid detail on life in the area circa 1900. But if you prefer Cassady honed his writing skills at East High School (Colfax and exploring on your own, all the major historic landmarks of the district York), and all the writers hung out with the homeless on the lawns reside in a five-block area. of Civic Center Park. From the Molly Brown House stroll east a couple of blocks to St. Scenic Drive to the top of Mount Evans John’s Episcopal Cathedral, a mammoth structure displaying Every year thousands of thrill seekers trek to the Rocky brilliant stained glass windows and an altar carved by the famous Mountains seeking to conquer a massive “fourteener” (lingo for a German sculptors Joseph Mayer and Peter Rendl. mountain over 14,000 feet). For the less adventurous, there is Retreat one block west and turn south at 13th and Pearl and Mount Evans, named after Colorado’s second territorial governor. progress five blocks to Eighth Avenue. On this jaunt you can grab a While still a great challenge to hikers and climbers, the nation’s big burrito for lunch at Chipotle Mexican Grill or discover the highest paved road easily accesses Mount Evans by car. The neighborhood’s more modern offerings such as Wax Trax, one of 14,264 foot mountain is the state’s 14th highest. Serving as a the city’s preeminent independent record shops. At Eighth Avenue natural backdrop to the Mile High City, it is the closest fourteener to swing right, and after traveling a quick block you will approach the the city, just 36 miles away. Grant-Humphreys Mansion. Erected in 1902, this Colonial style This is definitely a summertime excursion because the road mansion is a 30-room spread with a semi-circular portico entrance winding to the top of Mount Evans is only passable from June held up by giant Corinthian columns. Built for Colorado’s first through early September. To begin the journey, take I-70 Democratic governor James B. Grant, its many rooms include a west. You will meander though the foothills before shooting down bowling alley and a posh billiard room. Oil baron Albert Humphrey Floyd Hill into gorgeous Clear Creek Canyon. This brings you bought the place in 1917. The mansion fell into the state’s around to Idaho Springs where you will veer off on exit 240. It is possession in 1976, and although no formal tours are given, the clearly marked as the Mount Evans Exit. From here, you have the lovely setting is popular for weddings and receptions. option of exploring the old mining town of Idaho Springs, which The Governor’s Mansion stands next door on Eighth Avenue. might include panning for gold at the Argo Gold Mill, or enjoying a Initially known as the Cheeseman-Evans-Boettcher Mansion, this mountain pie at Beau Jo’s Pizza. If you are anxious to see the Colonial Revival edifice, built in 1908, became the residence of mountain, take a left at the exit and begin wandering up Colorado Colorado’s chief official in 1960, but not without controversy. Many 103. In approximately 13 miles you will come upon Echo Lake Denverites opposed the governor living in such luxury. Tour the where a picnic area offers a quick place to stretch your legs and mansion for free May to August from 1pm-3pm. The Palm Room, acclimate to the altitude. Fishermen line Echo Lake hoping to snag an astounding glass room overlooking the manicured grounds and a rainbow trout from the frigid water, and the surrounding area is full Rocky Mountains, is a must see. of great hiking trails. From the Governor’s Mansion the options are endless, but a sure From Echo Lake and Colorado 103 turn right onto Colorado 5. bet is to close out the day at the Colorado History Museum or the Here you must pay a $6 Forest Service fee to continue to the top. Byers-Evans House, both downtown and easily accessible from The road narrows along the edge of the mountain and inches 9.1 Capitol Hill. miles to Summit Lake. Along the way there are small pull off areas Denver and the Beats allowing you to take in amazing views of the Front Range. Summit Although few of the places show any markings, it is still possible Lake provides a parking lot, so visitors can explore the amazing to roam in the mythical footsteps of literary Beat heroes Neal alpine tundra by foot. Watch for wildlife; mountain goat herds cover Cassady and Jack Kerouac. Most of the Larimer Street skid row the hills and will mosey right up to you looking for a snack. But do haunts and homeless hangouts, listed in On the Road, are long not feed them, as it violates park rules. When you are ready to gone, replaced by more respectable ventures. But if you would like mount the summit you will continue up the road from Summit Lake. to share a beer with the literary ghosts try My Brother’s Bar on 15th Be forewarned—the road gets narrow. Be sure to watch out for cars

28 ] Denver Information Guide RECOMMENDED TOURS coming at you, as the road can barely hold two cars and may The rocks formed while beneath a sea that stretched across the require some maneuvering. The drops off the road seem endless, plains prior to the existence of the Rocky Mountains. Once the and you may even pass through some clouds. The summit offers water diminished, millions of years worth of sea-floor sediment astounding panoramic views of the Continental Divide and Pikes hardened into a rock surface. The shifting plates and earthquakes Peak, and on clear days even of Denver. A winding footpath leads that gave slow rise to the Rocky Mountains also thrust the red rocks to the actual summit. The University of Denver owns an observatory into shape. The beautiful red colors come from deposits of iron atop the mountain housing the highest fixed astronomical telescope oxide, and 150-million years of wind and water erosion molded the in the world. Also, ruins of the old stone Summit House still haunt unique formations. the peak. Be prepared for any type of weather, especially lightning, From the upper parking lot, leave the car, and saunter to the as ferocious afternoon storms roll in fast. Do not be surprised to see entrance of Denver’s famed natural amphitheater. The small foothill snow showers in the middle of July. town of Morrison initially owned the park and christened the place Scenic tour from Dinosaur Ridge to Red Rocks Park Garden of the Titans. John Walker, founder of Cosmopolitan Colorado has a rich and deep-rooted geological past spanning Magazine, purchased the property from the town and in 1910 millions of years and miles of rock. A great way to explore this hosted the first live concert, the Ferullo Band, on a makeshift stage. fossilized history is by checking out two of Denver’s most well Walker was convinced the site possessed a magical acoustic known natural attractions: Dinosaur Ridge National Landmark and quality, but financial hardship forced him to sell the park to Denver Red Rocks Park. To begin the journey take I-70 west to Morrison in the 1920s for a whopping $54,000, and the city quickly exit 259. Turn south (left) onto Colorado 93 and drive to Colorado incorporated the area into its mountain parks division. In 1941, 26 (Alameda Parkway). At this point turn left and follow the road as under the regime of Mayor Benjamin Stapleton, planner George it curves up and around to the Dinosaur Ridge visitor center on the Cranmer, and architectural genius Hoyt Burnham, the Civilian left. The visitor center is the perfect place to get acquainted with Conservation Corp painstakingly blasted and carved the area into a Dinosaur Ridge. Here you will find all the information you need for a spectacle of acoustic perfection. A plaque dedicating the Corp’s one mile self-guided tour of the natural landmark’s paleontologic toil—they were paid a buck a day for labor—resides at the top of past. the amphitheater. The main trail actually winds along the road, so you may choose The physical structure encompasses 68 rows, with a seating to drive from point to point. However, the road is narrow and floods capacity of 9,600, tucked between 400-foot rock pillars. A 100-foot with tourists and cyclists in the summer. Also, you can only park on stage sits surrounded by three famous rocks. Creation Rock and the north side of the road, so it may be just as easy to hike up the Ship Rock book end the stage. The Rock of Mnemosyne, named ridge. Interpretive signs lead the way and describe in great detail after the goddess of song, towers behind. each amazing petrified feature branded into the beautiful Dakota Since 1947, the Easter Sunrise Service has had the honor of sandstone. The fossils are from two distinct geological time periods: opening each event season. A legendary line up of musical diversity the Jurassic and the Cretaceous. has graced the stage, including the Beatles, U2 and Dave Discovered in 1877, Dinosaur Ridge receives protection as a Matthews. national landmark and although it is a great site for fossil viewing, After taking in the amphitheater you can relax at the Trading Post, state law strictly forbids collecting. Ancient bones of stegosaurus a café and information center. If you are feeling up to some more and brontosaurus protrude from the Jurassic rock and over 300 hiking, the Trading Post Loop spans 1.4 miles of incredible terrain, footprints from Cretaceous creatures, such as ornithpods and trekking past a multitude of rock formations and open meadows. theropods, track across the landscape, leading many scientists to The trail comprises both easy and moderate difficulty hiking levels term the ridge the “dinosaur freeway.” and makes for a pleasant conclusion to a day’s journey. But watch After you get your dinosaur fossil fix, head over to Red Rocks out for the rattlesnakes! Park for more prehistoric meanderings. From the visitor’s center turn right, and jaunt back over the ridge along Colorado 26 (Alameda Parkway). Pass through the intersection at Colorado 93, and pick up Road One at the entrance to Red Rocks Park. Wind up the road until you reach the upper parking lot, where you can begin exploring the natural wonders of this magnificent site. Perhaps Denver’s most awesome visual attraction, the park features jagged rock formations soaring across the landscape, along with the impressive architectural achievement, Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Denver Information Guide [ 29 MEDIA

Denver Business Journal (303) 837-3508 AM Radio Stations 1700 Broadway #515 740 KVOR News/talk Denver, CO 80290 1040 KCBR Religious Weekly business newspaper. The most in-depth local business 1300 KKML Sports news coverage, industry trends, critical analysis and solid 1460 KZNT News/talk business tips. 1490 KXRE Regional Mexican Denver Post (303) 832-3232 1530 KCMN Standards www.Denverpost.com 1580 KKKK Talk Daily paper with local and national news, classifieds, community information, opinions, and entertainment. Servicing the Rocky FM Radio Stations Mountain Empire. 88.7 KCME Classical/jazz The Rocky Mountain News (303) 892-5000 89.7 KEPC College/alternative 100 Gene Amole Way 90.5 KTLF Religious Denver CO 80204 91.5 KRCC Public www.rockymountainnews.com 92.9 KSPZ Oldies Daily paper with local and national news, classifieds, community 94.3 KILO Active Rock information, opinions, and entertainment. 96.1 KIBT CHR-Rhythmic Westword (303) 296-7744 96.9 KCCY Country 969 Broadway 98.1 KKFM Rock Denver CO 80203 98.9 KKMG CHR-Pop Free alternative weekly newspaper 99.9 KVUU Hot Ac 100.7 KGFT Religious TV Stations 102.7 KBIQ Contemp. Christian Ch 2 CW 103.9 KYZX Classic Rock Ch 4 CBS 106.3 KKLI Soft Ac CH 6 PBS Ch 7 ABC Ch 9 NBC Ch 12 PBS Ch 20 MyTV Ch 25 ACN CH 31 FOX

30 ] Denver Information Guide ABOUT BOULDER

OVERVIEW

he Denver Post once described Boulder as “the little town nestled between the mountains and reality.” Shadowed by the towering Flatirons and surrounded by Tmore than 31,000 acres of recreational open space and nature preserves, the community is 28 square miles of outdoor heaven. Named after the mammoth rocks scattered across the terrain, Boulder brims with big city sophistication, college town smarts, and environmental sensibilities. Technology and research firms such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, Storage Technology and Ball Aerospace keep the business economy booming. Of course, the 25,000 students enrolled at the University of Colorado (called CU in local tongue) keep the town feeling young. Plus, the incredibly diverse student crowd adds a worldly edge to the chiefly white and wealthy population residing in the city limits. Wanderers from all over the world converge on the valley each year. Some for school, others for the renowned rock-climbing, mountain biking, hiking and skiing. Some even come searching for enlightenment or new age ideals, or simply just for the mountain solitude. Whether disgruntled with East Coast congestion or the West Coast bustle, in search of spiritual freedom or simply on an exploratory mission from abroad, people find a reason to call Boulder home—it might be easier to find a nugget of gold up in the hills than to find an actual Boulder native. In this hodgepodge of cultures and beliefs is a collective community rallying around the preservation of a natural landscape and a quality of life. Residents have banned together to fight off rapid growth and unruly developers. They managed to pass a law forbidding smoking in public spaces, including bars and nightclubs, and the town is currently battling chain stores from taking over the city. The community’s aggressive nature in the political arena and fierce attitudes toward uncurbed growth has earned the city the nickname “Peoples Republic of Boulder.” Although it resides a mere 30 miles northeast of Denver and is lumped into the sprawling metroplex for statistical reasons, the town moves to its own funky vibe and might as well be 3,000 miles down the road. Living in Boulder is like living in a different state of mind, in a place where time somehow moves slower, the paths seem a little less traveled and reality always seems a step away. Downtown Boulder’s historic civic center serves as a gathering place for the entire city. Anchored by Pearl Street, a vibrant thoroughfare boasting a magnificent four-block pedestrian mall, downtown brims with tourists, but is also a lively haven for the eclectic locals. The tree-lined promenade, long ago a refuge for drunken cowboys and prostitutes, is alive with cafes, galleries, brewpubs, restaurants and every type of shopping imaginable. Musicians and performers clutter the Pearl Street Mall vying for attention. It is not uncommon to see a flower child plucking a guitar, small groups of blue-haired urban punk rockers, and even a peaceful band of Hare Krishnas camped on the courthouse lawn along this four-block stretch. continued on page 32

Denver Information Guide [ 31 BOULDER OVERVIEW

Locals pour into downtown nightly to relax and shop. An array of After checking out CU, head over to The Hill’s entertainment small boutiques and interesting gift shops complement the few district. The area’s bars and restaurants fill with students searching national retailers and 15 bookshops. If you are looking for New Age for pizza and cold beer. Neo-hippies wander the streets and the knick-knacks, Deadhead mementos or ethnic art, check out the coffee shop crowd finds hot beverage solace in one of the many Crystal Dragon or Mole Hole. MAX and Solo keep the business quaint cafes. The area can get a little rowdy, especially after Buff crowd looking stylish, while more than six retro shops recycle all the games and long nights of drinking. hip fashions. The residential neighborhood bordering The Hill is an odd mix of If high culture is on the agenda, then browse around at one of the fraternity and sorority houses, apartment complexes, rental houses galleries brightening downtown, including the popular Boulder and posh single-family homes. It is not unusual to see six or more Museum of Contemporary Art and the Busch Gallery International. people packed into one house trying to beat the area’s high rent You can also check out the Dairy Center for the Arts for productions costs. The streets are usually bustling with activity well into the by local theater and dance troupes, or a graceful performance from night. the Boulder Ballet. Chautauqua Park rests at the base of Flagstaff Mountain on the The Boulder County Farmers’ Market adds a bit of flavor from southwest side of University Hill. The park, one of three remaining April to October and offers everything from organic veggies and from the early 1900s cultural movement, features a dining hall and local wines to famous homegrown cantaloupe. The Boulder Creek an outdoor auditorium that hosts an excellent summer concert Path, crowded with bikers, in-line enthusiasts, walkers and series. wanderers, also meanders though downtown. Along the way, the Other Places of Interest trail passes the Underwater Observatory, Central Park, City Hall, Boulder contains a wealth of pocket residential communities and the Heartling Sculpture Park before winding into Boulder peppered with parks and open space. Martin Park, on the south Canyon towards the mountain town of Nederland. side of town, is a step into 1950s tract housing. Table Mesa, nestled After a long day of exploring, kick back with a local brew on an in the western foothills, is home to the NationalCenter for outdoor patio, take in the amazing mountain views, and watch the Atmospheric Research and miles of easy nature trails. world go by. Most of Boulder’s big business sectors reside on the fringes of The surrounding Whittier and Mapleton neighborhoods feature the city. Gunbarrel, on the eastern edge of town, is home to IBM towering cottonwoods and maples, blocks of stately Victorian and Celestial Seasonings. Boulder’s small southern neighbor, homes with hefty mortgages, and miles of flagstone sidewalks Louisville, is home to Storage Tek. Broomfield, nine miles south of which provide the perfect setting for a late night romantic stroll. Boulder, recently opened the posh Interlocken Business Park and The big box retail chains, strip malls, fast food fry pits (even Resort and is attracting national attention as a hot relocation spot. Boulder has them), and Boulder Crossroads Mall occupy a long If you are searching for an otherworldly experience all together, stretch of congested 28th Street, just a bit south of the city center. take a day and visit one of the area’s mountain towns. Eldorado Although not the ideal destination for the tourist, the area is great for Springs, where the world comes to rock climb, was once a hangout last minute stops before heading to the mountains. The strip is also for the well-to-do including Damon Runyon and President the place in town to find a movie theater. Eisenhower. Now, it is a quaint commuter community of about 900 University Hill residents. Nederland, home to Eldora Ski Resort, is a tourist- Known as “The Hill” by locals, the neighborhood is the home of oriented former gold claim that still possesses a bit of the anti- the University of Colorado. Literally parked on a hilltop above establishment mountain attitude. downtown, the district provides the typical college town quirkiness and a host of popular attractions including the Heritage Center and the Sommer-Bausch Observatory. Spread across more than 600 acres of rolling landscape, CU is a feat of architectural beauty with old stone buildings topped with red Spanish tiled rooftops. Just moseying about the campus grounds creates a sense of wonder, especially while moving through tree- lined passageways, or gazing into the serene depths of Varsity Pond. Catch a CU Buffalo football game at Folsom Field or take in a concert at Mackey Auditorium. For an abstract pulse of the student body visit the CU Art Gallery which displays contemporary work by revered artists as well as students. Try to see Foucault’s Pendulum make a move or stargaze at the Fiske Planetarium.

32 ] Denver Information Guide HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

It has taken Boulder almost 150 years to develop into an So A.A. Brookfield, the company’s first president, along with 56 eccentric town two steps off the beaten path. But in the early going, shareholders divvied up 1280 acres into 4044 lots and sold them for it resembled just about every other western mountain town an exorbitant $1000 each. When this price failed to bring in the appearing overnight, displacing the natives, and evolving into a homesteaders, the company slashed the cost. Although the cut still boom and bust paradise colored by silver and gold. failed to create the desired population surge, it helped Boulder When the first tribes meandered into the Boulder Valley, most avoid the typical boom and bust cycles affecting neighboring towns. passed it by for destinations further southwest. Although the open Thus, Boulder, which was incorporated in 1871, started budding plains presented a wealth of hunting opportunities, the harsh into a real town complete with a city hall, newspaper, railroads and winters and fierce winds ultimately detoured most of the migratory brothels. By the late 1800s, the town developed into a hub for clans from permanent settlement. Drawn to the pristine rivers, miners moving from dig to dig and a haven for local farmers. protective terrain and the massive quantities of buffalo roaming the In 1876, Colorado became a state and Boulder became a college prairie, the Southern Arapaho, lead by Chief Niwot, took a chance town. After losing to Denver in the race for state capital, Boulder on the valley, utilizing the area as a winter camp. The tribe remained managed to snag the State University. The following year the basically unhindered, minus the occasional spat with neighboring University of Colorado came to life in the form of Old Main, the initial enemies, until 1803 when then-American president Thomas building, which encompassed the entire campus. Jefferson scored the monumental $15 million bargain known as the Just when things in Boulder were looking up and the town was Louisiana Purchase. carving out an identity came the unusually long and harsh winter of Although the acquisition more than doubled the size of the 1894. The snow piled high well into the warm season when the existing nation, early scouts exploring the new territory deemed the spring rains began to fall. And on May 31, the rains would not stop. land uninhabitable,especially for any sort of agricultural endeavor. The snow pack melted instantly, running into nearby rivers until they But digging for gold did not require anybody to plant crops. It did swelled beyond the banks and wiped out most of Boulder. Washed not demand much more than a shack to bed down in, a few tools away were the dreams of gold and other remnants of the city’s for mulling about the rocks and a fever for riches. So, when scout mining heritage, including the notorious red light district. William Gilpin wandered into the river valleys of the Front Range and Given a fresh start, Boulder sought a new vision of city guessed gold might lie in the surrounding hills, the rush was on. development based on the preservation of open space and tourism. The first specks of gold, discovered at the confluence of Cherry A few years after the flood, a gaggle of Texas teachers wandered Creek and the South Platte River in present-day Denver, sparked a into town looking to set up a summer Chautauqua, a prominent surge of westward movement. Hopeful pioneers came kicking, movement filtering out of New York that promoted cultural and scratching and clawing across an angry, unexplored landscape in educational gatherings in open-air settings. The Texans opted for search of instant wealth. Boulder and locals quickly passed a bond issue to construct a park, A prospecting party captained by Thomas Aikins set up camp at an auditorium, and a dining hall at the base of Flatirons. Originally the entrance of Boulder Canyon in 1858, becoming the first non- called Texado Park in honor of the founders, the name ultimately native settlement to call the valley home. Chief Niwot confronted the changed to Chautauqua Park. Over the next few years, clan before the first night passed, fearing the paleface gold seekers approximately 60 cottages popped up around the park to house the would pillage the Arapaho camp. But after a hearty dinner and a few incoming summer guests. Chautauqua presented an array of passes of the pipe, they all opted to peacefully coexist. events ranging from musical concerts to lectures on politics and Unfortunately, Niwot’s good nature would come back to haunt him. culture to operas. Perhaps the most important element of the A mere six years later, while peacefully encamped at Sand Creek on movement, in relation to Boulder, was the emphasis on health and the eastern fringe of Colorado, Niwot and a large portion of his tribe outdoor pursuits. Visitors to the park flocked to join the Climbers were brutally slaughtered and scalped by the new white settlers. Club, a curious group that trekked about the local mountains in Four short months after bedding down in the valley, Aikins and his search of enjoyment rather than gold. In 1906, thrill seekers Floyd boys discovered golden flakes floating in a small canyon creek. and Earl Millard pitched their way up the east face of the Third When word wandered back east, some 2000 gold seekers flooded Flatiron, igniting an adventure craze forever synonymous with the the Front Range seeking fortune. While the frenzied masses word Boulder. Today, the jagged red rock Flatirons possess some of ultimately followed the flow of gold up into the mountains, crippling the finest beginning rock climbing routes in the world, and the a good number of lowland settlements, Boulder sought to develop surrounding El Dorado and Boulder canyons present more technical a stable economy and attract residents for the long haul. challenges. In February of 1859, shortly after the initial gold find, the Boulder Chautauqua was the first step in Boulder’s long history of buying City Town Company was established. It is hard to believe today, surrounding land for parks and open space. Under the guidance of with stop growth initiatives filling the city’s current law books, but Robert Law Olmstead, Jr., son of the famed creator of New York’s Boulder once sought to expand. Of course, it was just starting out. Central Park, Boulderites developed an environmental conscious.

continued on page 34

Denver Information Guide [ 33 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

They sought to remain “green” regardless of the desires of outside Meanwhile, the town expanded east, continuing to preserve land developers, and created an economic environment suited to “clean but also building new shopping centers and allowing more industry.” development. IBM, Storage Technology, and homegrown tea maker By the early 1900s, the area population was brimming around Celestial Seasonings anchored the new fringes, giving Boulder a 10,000. The university district, known as “The Hill,” was thriving with significant position in the high technology arena. Tibetan monk small businesses. Tourism was booming. And the town’s Chogyam Trungpa established the Naropa Institute in 1974 to environmental conscious suddenly developed a sense of morality. In ponder the liberal arts from the spiritual perspective. Poets Allen 1907, 13 years before Prohibition, Boulder elected to ban liquor Ginsberg and Anne Waldman later formed the Jack Kerouac School sales in public places. This included bars, pubs and restaurants. for Disembodied Poetry at the institute. The Pearl Street Mall, a Somehow, the city remained clean and sober until 1969, when the pedestrian utopia gracing the heart of downtown, also opened in Catacombs, a local watering hole, started pouring spirits again. 1974 to rave reviews. The project brought back the city’s small town In the 1950s, after two world wars and a depression, the “clean ideals and provided an attractive civic center full of cafes and retail industry” pursuits paid dividends when the National Bureau of shops. Standards moved to Boulder. Beech Aircraft followed suit and set People still flocked to the town, even though a 2 percent growth up an aerospace division on the north side of town. Ball Brothers plan went into effect in the mid 1970s, and a diverse community Research headquartered its aerospace operations on the east side was slowly beginning to take shape. Today, outdoor purists and in the new Boulder Industrial Park. The business outlook appeared adventure seekers mingle with hippies (known in Boulder as bright with technology and research firms peppering the valley. “Granolas.") Computer techies, college professors and scientists Soldiers on the GI Bill filled the University of Colorado and the shop with postmodern Buddhists, health nuts and every sort of opening of the Boulder turnpike allowed easy access to neighboring New Age fanatic. And everybody takes time out for a massage. The Denver. But, the population soared uncontrollably and a once Boulder School of Massage Therapy formed in 1976 and prompted modest community of 20,000 residents in 1950 transformed into a an all-consuming rage that continues in Boulder today. Although bustling city of 67,000 by 1960. This caused discontent, as the local Boulder incorporates a wide range of ideals, from liberal to residents had to compete for the industry jobs. And although glad conservative to down right alternative, the residents have managed that the new companies, along with the university, jolted the to coexist and grow as one community. economy, the local population did not want unchecked growth to Major corporations continue to relocate to Boulder. Sun scar the natural landscape that set Boulder apart from other towns. Microsystems, US West, Lucent Technologies, and NeoData are So in 1959, the organization PLAN-Boulder came onto the scene, prominent figures in the recent business boom. Although Boulder paving the way for future initiatives to block development and limit has sufficiently fortified itself behind 25,000 acres of unspoiled open growth. PLAN-Boulder developed a comprehensive policy to limit space, the town still struggles with development issues and growth city water service to within specified boundaries. Later, in the problems. The population now hovers around 100,000 and the 1970s, the group helped push through an ordinance placing height rapidly growing neighboring towns of Louisville and Broomfield only restrictions of 55 feet on all new constructions. Boulder has since add to the problem. In recent years, Boulder has also faced an prevented countless attempts to build shopping malls, golf courses onslaught of negative national and international media attention for and hotels by simply buying the land and deeming it open space. the handling of one of the world’s most infamous unsolved crimes— National Center for Atmospheric Research joined Boulder’s the Jon Benet Ramsey murder. hopping research industry in 1960. The architectural gem designed Through it all, Boulder remains an outdoor oasis protected from by I.M. Pei, watches over the city from its roost on Table Mesa. a Front Range drowning in suburban sprawl. The mountain setting Other research and government firms and technology still draws Olympic athletes, free thinkers and distressed urban conglomerates found Boulder to be an attractive setting for hipsters. The unemployment and crime rates are low, but the business. Inevitably, the population continued to increase. unbearable cost of living forces even the most educated to pinch The college town came of age in the tumultuous late 1960s and pennies in order to stay within the city limits. Thus, it is not unlikely early 1970s. Student protests and riots occurred in response to the to have PhDs serving coffee or research scientists delivering pizza. Vietnam War. The predominantly peaceful hippies encamped in the It is simply a means to an end to live in such an ideal location center of town gave way to angry revolutionaries insistent upon blessed with unparalleled scenery and more than 300 days of being heard. Buildings burned and bombs blasted away Boulder’s sunshine. innocence.

34 ] Denver Information Guide WHERE TO STAY

The early 1900s brought an end to Boulder’s gold rush days and inns. If you are looking for a breath of individuality, warm mountain sparked a boom in tourism, but sufficient accommodations were hospitality, or a chance to blend with the locals, the B&B scene is a hard to come by. The Hotel Boulderado, a Victorian beauty built in good choice. The Briar Rose, tucked away in the Goss Gove 1909 as the centerpiece to downtown, laid to rest any worries neighborhood, holds the honor of being Boulder’s first bed-and- about the town’s ability to take care of tourists. breakfast. The Honeymoon Room, complete with wood burning But even though almost 40 hotels, ranging from sleepy-eyed fireplaces, draws couples from around the world, and the beautifully B&Bs and roadside cheap-sleeps to posh luxurious resorts and manicured courtyard garden is perfect for an evening stroll. complete business centers, now spread across the valley, Boulder Situated two blocks off the Pearl Street Mall, The Boulder Victoria still seems to harbor a love/hate relationship with the hotel Inn feels like a grand antique shop. The Earl House Historic Inn developers. On numerous occasions residents banned together occupies a Greek revival mansion and features striking marble floors (and even taxed themselves) to prevent resorts and hotels from and a wealth of Victorian comforts. For panoramic views of the encroaching on the area’s beloved open space. So, although Flatirons and the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, check into The Inn Boulder could probably support some 80 hotels, and developers on Mapleton Hill. Standing high above downtown nestled beneath would die to build a resort on every hilltop, the small town integrity towering cottonwoods, the inn started receiving guests in 1889. continues to prevail. The current owners live on-site and take great care in preparing the Business travelers have a multitude of choices. No nonsense morning’s gourmet breakfast. Stunning cathedral ceilings trademark hotels fill the business districts, providing comfortable rooms that the Pearl Street Inn. Built in 1898, the inn’s eight rooms mix make you feel like you never left the office. For an escape after the Victorian period furniture with modern conveniences, and the day is done, the downtown accommodations, especially the B&Bs, pleasant gardens provide a quiet setting for relaxation. have all the comforts of home. For a comfortable room at an affordable price (by downtown During the summer, tourists pour into Boulder filling the hotels, standards), try the University Inn. Although the inn provides easy motels, bed-and-breakfasts, and campgrounds. When the access to CU and downtown, the location is off a busy intersection University of Colorado (CU) hosts major events, such as graduation and can get noisy. The Quality Inn, just down the hill from CU, is also or the Conference on World Affairs, rooms are scarce. And good relatively inexpensive. luck finding a room over Memorial Day weekend when 40,000 University Hill runners sprint to the town for the annual Bolder Boulder 10K road Hotels are not the focus of this district, but you might find a few race. Most places require at least a month’s advance reservation cheap sleeps, including the Boulder International Youth Hostel. The during these times. large quarters feature predominantly dormitory style sleeping Many hotels do not provide smoking rooms so make sure you arrangements, but apartment style rooms, designed for families on check in advance. an extended stay, are also available. Downtown The Colorado Chautauqua Association rents 60 cottages and If you are looking for historical elegance or stately neighborhood rooms in two lodges on the park grounds. The lodging is perfect for charm, there are plenty of fine downtown hotels and bed-and- those seeking a tranquil environment close to downtown breakfasts to choose from. Staying downtown in and around the attractions. Pearl Street Mall, however, has a hefty price. Most rooms run well 28th Street Vicinity over $100 per night, but offer some of the best amenities in the city. Whether in town for a CU happening or a business event, the Infuse Boulder with Colorado and you have the Hotel accommodations in and around 28th Street offer easy access to Boulderado. Even after a long and rugged history, the hotel is still both the university and the business districts. Boulder Broker Inn the pride and joy of Boulder. Louis Armstrong slept here, as did combines stately Victorian elegance with big business. Rooms Teddy Roosevelt. A 1980s restoration transformed the place into an feature posh leather furnishings, regal antiques and amazing views opulent gem. Even if you are lodging elsewhere, stop by for a gaze of the Flatirons. Plus, the facility has more than 4000 square feet of at the extraordinary architecture, including its magnificent Italian meeting space and a steak house perfect for entertaining clients. stained glass ceiling. Two restaurants, including the award-winning The Regal Harvest House is an expansive 262-room spread located Q’s, and a popular basement nightclub provide the entertainment. along Boulder Creek. Rent a mountain bike and wander the bike trails or take in a game of tennis on one of the 15 courts. The The Coburn House features 12 distinctive rooms exuding an Old available meeting space could easily house a small army. The new World western flair. Posh leather furnishings adorn the interior and Boulder Marriott brings a long tradition of excellence to town, and cowboy oil paintings liven the walls. A complete business center the Courtyard Boulder makes the business crowd happy. Roadside and three banquet facilities make it a perfect stop for meetings, favorites include Golden Buff Lodge and the Best Western Boulder while the in-room fireplaces and whirlpool tubs spark of romance. Inn. Scattered about the historic residential districts surrounding downtown are a host of charming bed-and-breakfasts and country continued on page 36

Denver Information Guide [ 35 WHERE TO STAY

Mountains/Foothills Inn lists against a mountainside and is extremely popular for Boulder canyon’s lodging options are perfect for romantic weekend retreats and wedding receptions. The Boulder Mountain getaways or business travelers wanting a taste of the high country Lodge features an array of accommodations ranging from rustic without meandering too far from the job. The Alps Boulder Canyon campsites to comfortable kitchenettes.

DINING AND NIGHLIFE

You might think dining in Boulder requires a taste for granola, Try Q?s in the Hotel Boulderado for a taste of regional fare and yogurt, tofu or nutrition smoothies. While Boulder residents might Boulder’s most happening ambiance. Chef John Platt is a master of be extremely active, (they average two bikes per person—road and artistic presentation, and the roasted rack of lamb is well worth the mountain,) and the healthiest population in the land, they still love to expense. Renowned Denver chef Kevin Taylor opened the eat. Training for marathons can make a person hungry. And, even Dandelion a few years back, bringing the college town an elegant though you might find the occasional health food creation utilizing a bistro exuding big city style. The hip décor and postmodern dab of yogurt and a bit of granola, Boulder has a hefty helping of atmosphere attracts the business crowd along with Boulder’s well- hearty dining options. A talented crop of chefs, drawn to the city’s to-do. Jax Fish House proves you can be landlocked in a mountain hip lifestyle, create cosmopolitan menus rivaling the big towns. The town and still find incredible clam chowder and other ocean offerings range from fine dining to brewpub fare. delights. Plus, the martinis are the best around. Locals also love to eat outside, so most restaurants, especially The sunny Riviera comes alive at The Mediterranean (a.k.a The those along the Pearl Street Mall, offer patio seating. A good portion Med). Incorporating a wood-burning oven, this cozy hideaway just of the upscale restaurants reside downtown, while up on “The Hill” off the Pearl Street Mall serves traditional favorites from Spain, students get a fix of cafes, pizza parlors and big burrito joints. There France and Italy. The wood burning oven also flickers at Antica are dining gems around every corner, and in every nook and cranny Roma and the 14th Street Bar and Grill, baking innovative of Boulder. Plus, there is nothing like a romantic mountain dining Neapolitan pizzas, along with other Italian standards. excursion. For deep-dish, Chicago style pizza and an intoxicating drink Like everything else in Boulder, during the summer and special menu, stop in Old Chicago and take the world beer tour. The patio events at the University of Colorado (CU), you better have a is one of the rowdiest in town, especially during the summer. BJ’s reservation or expect to wait a bit. A local government ban prohibits Pizza and Brewery brings the chain element to Pearl Street, but still smoking inside most restaurants and bars, but some handcrafts some fine local ale while serving an array of pizzas and establishments find interesting ways around the issue. Make sure to sandwiches. Hometown brewpubs include the Walnut Brewery and ask about the restaurant’s policy before pulling out a cigarette or the Oasis. Both pubs concoct masterful blends of barley and hops cigar. Also, regardless of expense, most restaurants are casual, so and go way beyond the traditional bar fare. leave the suit and tie back at the hotel. Downtown’s ethnic offerings span the mountain depths of the Downtown Himalayas, chart the cold coastal waters of Japan, and delve into As you walk along Pearl Street, aromas drifting from the the exotic mysteries of India all in less than a 10 block area. Trek restaurants penetrate the senses, making it hard to choose on over to the Himalayas Restaurant for authentic Tibetan and where to dine. From sophisticated cuisine to inexpensive pub grub Nepalese cuisine featuring some amazingly spicy curries. Mij Bani and microbrews, get ready for a quality dining experience. For the mixes the healthy (and spicy) eats of old world India with the spiritual health minded looking for stereotypical Boulder fare (i.e. natural flavorings of Nepal. foods), stop in at the Creative Vegetarian Café for some of the best Sushi lovers line up outside Sushi Zanmai for wild nights of fiber fodder this side of California. The Harvest, another popular karaoke and the freshest rice wrapped in seafood money can buy. stop for fat gram counters, serves a vegetable walnut casserole that Japango’s sushi bar is tops, but the funky eatery also caters to feels almost fattening. The Mountain Sun Pub is a brewery with a those who prefer Japanese fare a bit Americanized. The Orchid Boulder twist, specializing in full-bodied ales and mostly meatless Garden serves upscale Chinese cuisine without the upscale price, bar fare. and Pan Asia Fusion dabbles in Far East delights. Upscale bistros and stylish cafes pepper the downtown vicinity. The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, a gift from Boulder’s sister city A good majority of the restaurants feature seasonal menus Dushanbe, Tajikistan, adorns the eastern fringe of Central Park and emphasizing contemporary American creations. The imaginative is a cultural experience in itself. The international menu includes dishes usually involve salmon, trout, lamb, chicken and tenderloin. creations from Tajik and Algeria. Most local chefs feature homegrown organic ingredients including Juanita’s, a festive Mexican joint a block from the Pearl Street seasonings, spices and vegetables. Mall, draws the local crowd for platters piled high with all the

36 ] Denver Information Guide DINING AND NIGHLIFE standards: burritos, tacos and enchiladas. The Rio Grande’s potent 28th Street Vicinity margaritas (there is a 3-drink limit) are powerful enough to knock Muddled in the mass of chain eateries and fast food fry pits, and anyone silly, and make the Mexican fare taste even better. lost in the labyrinth of strip malls congesting the area, are some of If you want to skip on the fancy cuisines and simply bite into a no Boulder’s best dining surprises. Dolan’s, a longstanding Boulder frills burger, head over to Tom’s Tavern. It is the best place in town tradition, dabs heavily into the regional cuisine and is the place to to hear how things used to be in Boulder. The folks that run the go for steak and seafood. If you are entertaining clients, try the place make everyone feel like a local and prepare homestyle Boulder Broker for a juicy porterhouse or filet. John’s Restaurant, classics, along with the biggest burgers in town. owned by longtime resident John Bizarro, is best for romance and No trip to Boulder should be complete without stopping in a magical New American cuisine. Zolo Grill, a Zagat favorite, downtown coffee shop and debating a little Buddhist philosophy specializes in fiery southwestern fare and a lively atmosphere. over java and éclairs. If you are up for bantering with locals, check For vegetarian fare, sports and microbrews kick back at the Lazy out the Trident Café, Penny Lane or Sidney’s Cappuccino and Art Dog Sports Bar. Do not worry, the joint also cooks up the traditional Bar. For the less adventurous, there is always Starbucks. burger and fries. Casa Alvarez conjures a taste of old Mexico University Hill straight from the family recipe book. Turley’s is a great neighbor stop No matter how many businesses move to town or how high the for healthy grub, and Dot’s Diner is an inexpensive place to get the median income might be, Boulder is still undeniably part college day going. town. The depth of cheap eats, pizza joints and coffee shops on Foothills and Mountains The Hill reflect this reality. For a quirky example of the feel of this There is nothing quite like dining alongside a mountain, watching campus area look no further than The Sink. Low ceilings and graffiti the sun creep away, witnessing the city lights settle into an easy coated walls give the place the urban charm of a hip subway tunnel, glimmer, and mustering up a bit of romance. The Flagstaff House is and with every tasty pizza comes a bit of local attitude. The joint is perhaps Boulder’s most elegant (and pricey) dining experience. always rocking with distressed poets, suburban hippies and hungry Perched atop Flagstaff Mountain, it is the place for rattlesnake and students. Frat boys and business cohorts hit the drink specials at alligator appetizers and the best Buffalo filet in the world—for $50, Teresa’s Pizza Colore. A local chain, Abo’s is the perfect stop for it should be. The Red Lion Inn also exudes a bit of romance, but is pizza by the slice. also a great place for business meetings, and the German cuisine Illegal Pete’s caters to the big burrito crowd, packing all sorts of emphasizes wild game. veggies, rice, beans and meats into a tortilla the size of a large Nederland has quite a few interesting dining spots loaded with all pizza. Hapa on the Hill is where to go for cheap sushi. Moe’s sorts of mountain characters, but Neapolitan’s pizza joint is the Broadway Bagel is probably the closest thing to healthy the most popular layover for tourists, especially after a long day of skiing neighborhood has to offer. at Eldora Mountain. On the other side of The Hill, travel into the past for a feast at the Chautauqua Dining Hall. Now open year round, the seasonal menu features Colorado lamb and rainbow trout.

Denver Information Guide [ 37 THINGS TO DO

In Boulder, the idea of a good time usually involves defying the Find out who’s who in the Alumni Room or wander into the Space laws of gravity. Whether hiking mountain paths, riding bikes down Room for a gander at the university’s prominent role in the space rocky trails, scaling steep canyon walls, pushing through the last program. mile of a marathon, or maneuvering the rapids of a local river, If you happen to be in town with the whole family, head over to Boulderites always seem to test the limits of mind, body and the Collage Children’s Museum for a day of interactive adventure. strength. Even in winter they are active with skiing and The kids have a wealth of educational and fun activities to choose snowboarding thanks to the perfect white powder in the Colorado from including projects in science, computers and art, along with mountains. dress up games. The Fiske Planetarium is another great place to Home to the world famous Bolder Boulder 10K, the Red Zinger take the kids. The geodesic dome on the CU campus is the place Classic, and the University of Colorado (CU) champion ski and for stargazing and probing the wonders of the universe. Of course, mountain biking teams, the city is alive with competition. Maybe that the rock-n-roll laser light shows at the planetarium draw the crowds, is why so many world-class and Olympic athletes call Boulder especially when accompanied by music from the Doors and Pink home. Floyd—its another chance for Boulder’s Baby Boomers to relive With a rugged terrain, high altitude, and 300 sunny days a year, their glory days. Touring NCAR will teach the kids about the the town is ideal for an active lifestyle. But you can still enjoy the mysteries of weather, including how a tornado forms. Nature trails city’s outdoor offerings without too much daring or physical stress. surround the facility, perched high atop Table Mesa, and offer Hundreds of scenic hiking trails, for all skill levels, traverse the amazing views of the city, along with informative signs offering input surrounding landscape, surmounting high mountains and on the local climate and the area’s various wildlife and plants. meandering through magnificent forests. Winding trout-filled rivers Walk down any downtown street and you are bound to pass by await the challenge of a fly line, while in-line skaters and bicyclists a small gallery bedecked with every sort of creation ranging from flow along the Boulder Creek Path, a paved gateway running stunning visual designs to crafts and collectables. For a sampling of through the heart the city. southwestern art try the Smith-Klein Gallery. Operating on the Pearl If you are looking for a sporting event, take in a CU Buffalo Street Mall for over 15 years, the gallery offers a striking collection football game. Fanatical fans pack Folsom Field each fall for these of glasswork, jewelry and fine painting. For a multi-medium games, making for a true American spectacle. The Lady Buffalo excursion into the lives of the local craft crowd, check out the basketball team is a dominant force and the men’s basketball hodgepodge collection at the Boulder Arts and Crafts Cooperative. program continues to show signs of improvement. Those with more refined tastes will find an appealing contemporary Of course, the town offers more than brute muscle, sweat and selection on display at the Busch Gallery International. designer sportswear. Boulder also has a brain, and is a prominent The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art started in a small, run research center and home to the Atomic Clock, the nation’s down historic warehouse as a space devoted to honing the skills of timekeeper. Scientists populate the town and obviously find local artists. After fancying up the building and opening a rollicking immense entertainment grappling with complicated problems. A performance art theatre on the top floor, the museum has slowly host of high thinking is always going on at NCAR (pronounced EN- developed into a respected venue, displaying works of nationally car) and at the university. Plus, Boulder’s college town persona and internationally acclaimed artists. Expect the unexpected, from keeps the residents young at heart and provides a great setting for wild kinetic constructions to abstract meanderings, when cultural attractions and good old-fashioned parties. wandering about the three exhibit rooms. The CU Art Galleries, occupying the Sibell Wolle Fine Arts Museums and Galleries Building, takes art to the cutting edge, displaying challenging and The town’s evolution lies preserved at the Boulder Museum of poignant works examining themes spanning politics to technology. History. Housed in a posh University Hill mansion, the museum Most of the concepts incorporate a multitude of mediums and boasts some 35,000 relics pertaining to Colorado’s bygone era. detail, and command an unusual amount of attention. Student work Plus, more than 100,000 photographs document Boulder’s days as shares space with handiwork by renowned artists. a gold rush depot and farming hub. The Henderson Museum, residing on the University of Colorado campus, takes you on a trip Performing Arts into the area’s rich natural history. Explore the dramatic uprisings of A night out at the theatre in Boulder usually involves a trip to the the Rocky Mountains and take a look at the state’s paleontological Dairy Center for the Arts. A host of local community troupes share past. Founded in 1902, the museum features an extensive exhibit space at the center, and produce a wide repertoire of theatrical of local Native American pottery and a wealth of interesting displays performances from extravagant period pieces to simple dramas and on geology, botany and zoology. comedies. For 20 years the acclaimed ensemble Upstart Crow CU toots its own horn at the Heritage Center. Displays depict Theatre Company has wowed audiences with a balanced blend of student life before Greek houses, keg parties and coffee shops. Shakespearian classics and modern favorites. The Director’s Located on the top floor of Old Main, the university’s glorious first Theatre, a newcomer to the Boulder scene, takes on more obscure building, the center features seven rooms of CU feats and facts. contemporary plays and has rapidly attained a devoted following of

38 ] Denver Information Guide THINGS TO DO subscribers. If you prefer dining while watching a popular musical or best in independent and foreign language films from around the lighthearted comedy then check out Boulder’s Dinner Theatre. world. Films run about once a week in CU’s Muenzinger Auditorium. The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is a Boulder and CU icon. The warm months also bring the Silent Film Festival to Chautauqua Time Magazine called the event one of the top three Bard fests in Park. Watch Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Mary Pickford the nation. In 1944, at a time when the Department of Navy was perform on screen, and experience all the elements of voiceless running the theatre program due to the war effort, the star-crossed cinema, including a traditional live piano player. tragedy Romeo and Juliet took the stage at the university’s newly Music completed Mary Rippon Outdoor Theater. This sparked more From classical and jazz to alternative and roots, Boulder’s music annual performances of Shakespeare’s work, and in 1958, the scene is bustling. The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, led by festival officially formed and upgraded the summer repertoire from respected conductor Theodore Kuchar, plays at Mackey Auditorium one to three plays. Since then the entire canon of the Bard’s efforts on the CU campus. Recent guests have included world-renowned has seen production, and each year thousands of theatergoers cellist Yo Yo Ma and Anne Sophie Matter. Classical music lovers will flock to the amphitheater for new performances. enjoy testing their trained ears at the Colorado Music Festival. The Boulder practitioners of fancy footwork and stylized body event takes place at Chautauqua Park over the summer and brings choreography cover the spectrum of movement, from flying trapeze professional musicians from around to world. Guest conductors, a artistry to traditional Eastern European dance, including the hair- different one each week, guide the musicians through a summer of raising polka, to more popular forms of modern jazz and ballet. concerts. Winter brings the Boulder Bach Festival and celebrates The Bolder Boulder, an acclaimed troupe of international the talents of the classical master. Other events associated with this dancers, presents two grand scale productions a year in festival occur throughout the year, but the main gala takes place in association with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. The company late January. also stages the ever-popular holiday classic The Nutcracker. For an The university town character draws a diverse group of national evening of sultry jazz dance and sexy modern movement, take in a acts to the Fox Theater, ranging from critically acclaimed performance by the Interweave Dance Theatre. Then there are the underground sensations to college town favorites to the latest chart Frequent Flyers, an aerial troupe that takes dance to extreme and toppers. Although the Fox, which sits atop The Hill, is an intimate experimental levels, and hosts the Aerial Dance Festival. space, the stage has hosted some epic concerts from the likes of Emphasizing theme and setting in relation to aerobatics, Lyle Lovett, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews and 311. Plus, the productions take place in every sort of environment from parks to theater is a perfect spot to check out the nightlife roaming about on drive-in movie theaters to graveyards. Past shows have included The Hill. Brooding youths smoke on street corners while hippies the use of snakes, computer graphics and construction crews, twirl and spin to the good vibrations of perceived love flowing along with the usual airborne antics. through the air. Frat boys pile into the local bars and the underage For a little dancing on your own, boogie over to one of Boulder’s crowd muscles for video games at the local arcade. Meanwhile, the nightclubs and get down. Soma and The Foundry pump the hippest sounds of the Fox spill onto the street giving the night a bit of sounds, but both overflow with energized university students. The background music. Yard and Marquee are popular dancing havens for the gay and The Boulder Theater, located in the heart of downtown, also lesbian crowd. caters to the rock and pop crowd, but branches into other music Film spectrums, including jazz and blues. The theater is also home to First run mega movieplexes, complete with mammoth National Public Radio’s musically oriented environmental show E- concession areas and stadium seating, sprawl along Boulder’s Town. Chautauqua Park hosts an annual Summer Concert Series outskirts, while smaller film houses populate the fringes of drawing a worldly assortment of talent. Artists include jazz greats, downtown. So finding where the latest blockbuster is playing is as folk legends, barbershop quartets, and even the throat singers of easy as flipping though the local paper. During the summer, the Tuva. Boulder Outdoor Cinema gets rolling in the backyard of the Boulder But ultimately when the day is done, Boulderites love to stroll the Museum of Contemporary Art. Bring a blanket and relax under the Pearl Street Mall and relax worn out bodies on a café patio, arm stars to weekly showings of classics and cult favorites. The themselves with a designer beer and watch the city life move into International Film Series satisfies the art house crowd, rolling the the night.

Denver Information Guide [ 39 RECOMMENDED TOURS

If Boulder’s political movers and shakers could find the right when the surrounding landscape still resembled a lonely prairie, the measures and drum up enough local support, they would probably top floor is now home to the Heritage Center. Mackey Auditorium ban or severely limit the use of motorized vehicles. Recent efforts sits across from Old Main. A prominent local banker, Andrew have focused on getting residents that drive to work daily to opt for Mackey, willed $300,000 for the construction of an auditorium, but alternative forms of transportation at least one day of the week. But the cash became tied up in legal proceedings. Thus, the structure although the town is extremely environmentally conscious and is stood without windows and doors for a number of years. A 1985 one of the cleanest in the nation, Boulderites still cling to their cars. renovation turned the old auditorium into a state of the art concert Boulder is a small town, a mere 28 square miles, but has a facility, which is now home to the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. population pushing 100,000. The roads are relatively small and The Woodbury Arts and Sciences building went up in 1890 as the often congested with car traffic, and parking in the downtown area men’s dormitory. At the end of the block, at Pleasant and Broadway, is a nightmare during the busy summer season. So if you are driving past the beloved Varsity Lake, sits the Hale Science Building. Built into town or renting a vehicle at the airport your best bet is to leave in 1891, the structure served as a radio transmission research it at the hotel. And besides, the best way to experience the sights center during construction. Therefore no iron nails hold the place of Boulder is on foot or by bike. So put on the socks and sandals together—they would have interfered with frequencies. (Boulder walking shoes) and strap on the fanny pack (Boulder purse Turn north on Broadway and take a stroll through Andrews or handbag) and hit the town. If you are up for a bit of pedaling, Arboretum before again connecting with the Boulder Creek Path at University Bicycles rents all sorts of two wheeled creations, Arapahoe. From Arapahoe, move west on the trail into Central Park. including top of the line mountain bikes, tandem, and city bikes. All The lively green is always crawling with locals and students, bike rentals come with a helmet and lock, so you can stop and go especially on summer days when the Farmers’ Market is in full as you please. Walkers will find it easy to get around town on the swing. This spot is also a great stopping point for those who want Hop’s (Boulder’s bus system) small bus that maneuvers around to head over to the Pearl Street Mall for a bite to eat shopping. For downtown, University Hill and the 28th Street shopping District. the crowd wanting to do more sightseeing, go west along the path Miles of paved pathways meander through town, intersecting the to the Heartling Sculpture Garden. The garden is home to an major attractions located downtown and around the university. Plus, elegant stone statue of Chief Niwot, the Arapahoe chief who the trails offer easy access into the mountains (although it is a climb) greeted the first gold seekers in the area. The next stop is the Kids’ and to southeastern parts of town that are preserved for wetlands Fishing Pond. Kids under 12 can cast a line for free and keep the and wildlife. ones that do not get away. After the kids have their fill of fishing, Boulder Creek Path to Scott Carpenter Park to Eben Park travel over to the Xeriscape Garden and observe how Boulderites The Boulder Creek Path is a great way to get acquainted with the manage to landscape with little or no water. area’s natural surroundings and to mix with the active locals. The 10 The journey ends at Eben G. Park, named for a local pharmacist mile paved corridor is a recreational and relaxation haven, crowded and avid mountaineer. The park rests in the shadow of the foothills with walkers, cyclists and in-line enthusiasts. Towering and is a perfect place to have a picnic before heading back cottonwoods shade the trail as it jaunts west through the center of downtown. For those still wanting more exercise or riding bikes, the town, past verdant parks and interesting stopping points, before trail continues west through Settlers Park and begins climbing disappearing into the hills. Pick up the trail at 30th and Arapahoe, Boulder Canyon. After about a mile you will see the Whitewater on the east end of town, at Scott Carpenter Park—named in honor Course, where kayakers practice turns and maneuvers. of a hometown hero who was the second astronaut to orbit the Moseying Around Downtown earth. With downtown and the Pearl Street Inn just over a mile way, The Pearl Street Mall is Boulder’s civic center. Generations mingle you can opt to linger about the park for a while or even stray a bit among the tree-lined brick walkways, historic buildings, sidewalk off the trail to the Boulder Crossroads Mall or Village Shopping cafes and shops. The scene is like no other and a typical summer Center before heading into the city center. day includes: tourists feeling at home with the locals; college kids Moving west on the path, out of the park, you will quickly come shopping at trendy boutiques and drinking microbrews on to the Underwater Observatory, where you can stare through glass restaurant patios; protesters protesting; the disenchanted urban panels at trout and other aquatic wonders below the water surface. youth, pierced and leather clad, discussing tattooing; hippies If the kids are along, take some time out to feed the fish. A vending promoting love; religious groups singing and dancing and handing machine spits out a handful of trout pellets for a quarter. out an assortment of informative literature; transients catching naps The trail then enters the University of Colorado’s historic district. on the courthouse lawn; vendors peddling veggie hot dogs and Here you will see buildings dating back to 1876, the year Colorado mineral water; poets reciting verse; mimes, blues guitarists, became a state and Boulder received the university. To get to the saxophone players, jugglers, fire-eaters and people dressed as heart of the district veer off the trail at 17th Street and head past stuffed animals competing for your loose change; young prodigies, University Avenue to Pleasant Street. Old Main, the first building fresh from band class, padding their allowances on the mall; and built on campus, resides on the Norlin Quadrangle. Erected in 1876, kids and toddlers practicing future climbing techniques on a small

40 ] Denver Information Guide RECOMMENDED TOURS playground strewn with big rocks. The scene can border on bizarre, Getting Out of the Republic but to enjoy Boulder best, try not to understand it. At times the town If you get a chance, hop back into the car and head northwest seems confusing, even paradoxical. But the contradictions, the on 28th Street (US 36), driving 45 miles to the postcard town of liberal and conservative mix, make Boulder an interesting place to Estes Park. This is the quintessential tourist and resort town, lined simply experience. After a taste of the mall, roam around the other with charming arts and crafts shops, cozy bed-and-breakfasts, streets of downtown. A new discovery lies around every corner, romantic lodges and ice cream shops galore. Turn west onto US 34 from quaint galleries to exotic restaurants. Art lovers can head over and take a glance at the historic Stanley Hotel (no The Shining was to 13th Street to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. Music not filmed here), before heading up the Big Thompson Canyon into lovers can take in a show at the Boulder Theater or pick up some Rocky Mountain National Park. The park is a massive 415 square vinyl at Bart’s. Food connoisseurs have an overwhelming choice of mile expanse of mountainous natural terrain, anchored by jagged fine regional dining, brewpubs and local joints. peaks and pristine river valleys brimming with wildlife. More than After exposing the senses to Pearl Street and the surrounding 350 miles of hiking trails ramble through dense forests and high vicinity, travel the flagstone walkways into the historic Mapleton and alpine tundra, including the popular trek up Long’s Peak, the highest Whittier neighborhoods for a look at regal Victorian homes. The point in the park at 14,255 feet. But the best bet for a quick day trip districts occupy a hill above downtown and offer stunning views of is to simply drive up Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center. the city and the Flatirons. Continue along US 34 until you reach the park entrance. There is A number of local facilities offer guided and self-guided tours. The a $10 entrance fee per vehicle, and the pass lasts for the entire Daily Camera, the city’s local newspaper, offers insight on the week. Once you enter the park stay with the road as it begins to journalistic process, providing extensive tours of the preparatory ascend. You are now driving on the world’s highest continuous and production areas. NCAR and the National Institute of Standards paved road, topping 12,183 feet just before Fall River Pass and the and Technology feature both self-guided and guided treks. Celestial Alpine Center. Be prepared for winding, narrow roads and extremely Seasonings, Boulder?s homegrown herbal tea maker, offers daily steep drop offs. This is not the time to confront a fear of heights. Be tours and tastings. The Rocky Mountain Brewing Company, the on the look out for bighorn sheep, marmots, coyotes and elk. To the town’s first beer maker, pours free samples as the tour explains the left of Trail Ridge, the Continental Divide splits the landscape and to secret art of the microbrew. the right the Mummy Range rarely sees the sun. The Alpine Visitor Center offers educational information on the local flora and alpine terrain, as well as a large assortment of souvenirs. Numerous intermediate trails spur from the center and climb to points featuring panoramic views of the entire park. But remember the altitude and bring along water. The trail is open from Memorial Day weekend until the beginning of October. The rest of the year the trail lies buried beneath 20 feet of snow.

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42 ] Denver Information Guide MOVING

SMOOTH TRANSITIONS

Choosing a Moving Company Have at least three movers come to your home and give estimates. Be sure to ask whether the estimates are binding, non-binding or guaranteed not to exceed a certain amount. Obtain each company’s assigned Motor Carrier number and call the USDOT at (202) 358-7000 to determine if they are registered and have the proper insurance on file. Ask your prospective moving company for a copy of the “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet. Relocation to Your New City If you’re one of the 40 million Americans planning to move this year, you need a strategy. Starting early and staying organized is the key to a painless move. In general, follow the pre- move checklists provided. These lists will help you track the myriad details needed to facilitate your move. If you are selling your present home and/or buying a new one, refer to the home inspection checklist and the mortgage glossary. If you are planning to rent in your new city, read the article on rental tips. And, if you are undecided, we hope the article entitled “Buying vs. Renting” will help you assess the pros and cons of each. Whatever decisions you face based on your particular circumstances, stay positive, calm and organized. And, don’t forget to make some time just for yourself. It will probably save you a lot of time in the long run! Packing Tips • Sort your belongings. If you don’t use an item, dispose of it. • Label boxes indicating what they contain and in which room they should be placed. • Drain gas and oil from power tools so they will not leak; dispose of all volatile or corrosive chemicals. • After cleaning out the refrigerator and/or freezer, place pieces of charcoal in them to prevent mildew. • Pack important records in easily accessible place. Include medical, dental, school, insurance, credit card and tax records. • Use strong, clean containers with lids secured with twine or tape. • Put no more than 50 pounds in each container. • Place heavy items towards the bottom of the containers; lighter items on top. • Protect all finished surfaces from scratching by wrapping them in paper. • Use plenty of cushioning such as shredded or crumpled paper to protect belongings in boxes. Remember that newspaper ink can rub off and stain items packed with it. • Pack items tightly to avoid shifting during move. • Fragile items, like china, should be packed in reinforced boxes or in special boxes with compartments. • Individually wrap and cushion electrical appliances. • Make sure liquids and foodstuffs are placed in carefully sealed containers. Wrap and pack kitchenware tightly to prevent damage. continued on page 44

Denver Information Guide [ 43 SMOOTH TRANSITION

• Chests and dressers should not be overloaded since glued where these boxes go. This way, movers will be directed to the furniture joints could collapse. correct rooms if you’re not available to tell them where to put • Unusually shaped or valuable items should be crated or moved each box. by you and not the movers. Easily crushed items should be • Make a detailed floor plan for where you want things to go in your individually boxed and cushioned. new home. Photocopy it so you can tack up copies in every room • You should not remove home fixtures such as window treatment for the movers. hardware, towel racks and electrical fixtures. Unless your sales • Take snapshots of wall units and shelves, so you know how agreement specifically states otherwise, such items are usually things were arranged on them. considered legally part of your residence. Let the moving Settling Into Your New Home company pack furniture, mirrors and artwork to prevent damage. • Start by making the beds. Bedding tends to be bulky and Stay Organized eliminating lots of boxes quickly and easily will be encouraging. Here are some basic tips to help make moving less traumatic: • Unpack and organize children’s belonging’s next. Young children • Pack an “Immediate Box” or an overnight suitcase with the will quickly become restless without familiar things. Remember to necessities you’ll be needing right away. Don’t forget to include position storage hooks and shelves that children will be using medicines and a first aid kit, toilet paper, tissue, and paper within their reach. towels. • Next, tackle the kitchen. This job will go much faster if each box • Pack an “Immediate Kitchen” box including trash bags, the has been specifically labeled as to its contents. Simply labeling coffee pot or tea kettle, toaster, plastic silverware, paper plates, “Kitchen” doesn’t help you prioritize which box to unpack first. styrofoam cups and some non-perishable snacks, such as • Stay positive. Getting settled into your new home can seem crackers, peanut butter, dried fruit. This way, there will be some overwhelming unless you look at it as a series of small projects. instant sustenance while you get organized. • Affix colored labels to the moving boxes according to destination. • Congratulate yourself! You accomplished a lot today! Put the same-color labels or signs on the door of the rooms

44 ] Denver Information Guide 12/31/10. 46 ] Denver Information Guide WHAT’S ALL THE TALK ABOUT. YOU PACK, THEY DRIVE MOVING?

Moving Decisions Save Time and Money Are you faced with an upcoming job relocation? With so many The “you pack, they drive” moving alternative saves you the options for moving your household items, it can be a difficult trouble of driving an unfamiliar vehicle as well as the stress and decision to determine which service best fits your moving needs. difficulty during a long-distance drive. Since the estimates provided Also, with a limited relocation budget from your employer to cover for this service are based on volume (space) and not weight, you will your moving costs, finding a service that complements your avoid unexpected higher moving costs and hidden fees associated pocketbook is important as well. While hiring a professional moving with other full-service moving companies. Unlike a rental truck, the company may be time-saving, the cost for full-service moving could normal moving expenses such as fuel, taxes, tolls, and unexpected be several thousand dollars. A recent trend in the moving industry costs such as flat tires and engine blowouts are covered by the is the do-it-yourself moving option. Most people associate do-it- service provider. yourself with the truck rental option; however, the “you pack, they Loading Service Options drive” moving alternative is becoming increasingly popular. The cost savings of using the “you pack, they drive” service New Moving Alternative largely result from packing and loading your trailer. Some customers With this type of service, you are expected to pack and load your may not have the physical ability or manpower to pack and load items in an adequately-sized commercial trailer. You are given up to their own trailer. This problem is relatively easy to solve—simply two business days to pack and load your goods. The cost of the check with one of the packing and loading companies suggested move is controlled by the customer because this service allows you by the “you pack, they drive” service provider. You can locate to pay for only the spaced used in the trailer. Once you have packing and loading assistance in both your origin and destination completed the packing and loading process, the trailer is picked up cities. By combining the “you pack, they drive” service with local by the local dispatch office. The trailer is then transported by a loading and unloading assistance, you can save money versus professional driver to your destination. You will receive an estimated using a full-service moving company. arrival time for delivery of your goods and will also have the ability to The Choice is Yours track your goods during the transit of your move. Upon arrival at During your search for the best moving option for your your new home, the trailer is delivered at the appointed time and upcoming job relocation, consider the “you pack, they drive” you will unpack and unload your goods. The local dispatch office moving option and know that you are in control of every aspect of will then come and remove the empty trailer. your move. You will not only save time and money, you will experience less stress and headache during an already stressful part of your life.

Denver Information Guide [ 47 PRE-MOVE CHECKLIST

One Month Before Two Weeks Before

 Take Inventory. Decide what to keep and what to get rid of.  Notify Phone Company: Your new local phone company should be notified of your move no sooner than 30 business  Reserve a rental truck or select a moving company. Look for days prior to move, and no later than 5 business days before rental trucks and moving companies in local brochures, yellow moving. The service representative will run a quick credit check pages, or through your rental agent/ real estate broker. and assign you a new telephone number.  Make a moving file for important documents, such as family  Notify Utilities: The electric and gas service companies should medical and dental records, school records, legal documents be contacted at least two weeks before your move. The old and titles, banking and financial statements, stock and bond service will need your move out date and you should request certificates, tax returns, birth certificates and insurance the return of any deposits at this time. The new service will documents. Include all receipts – many expenses are tax need your move in date to determine when service will be deductible. turned on or transferred to your name. You can inquire if they  Make any car rental, airline or hotel arrangements. have a billing plan to balance out of season differences by paying a set amount each month. If moving into an apartment,  Gather moving supplies such as boxes, tape, bubble wrap and check with the property manager to see if service was left on paper for wrapping. before you call the utility companies. Write down the emergency numbers to call in event of a problem or outage.  Post Office: A week before you move, you should stop by your local post office to fill out a change of address cards.  Banks: (checking accounts, investments, etc.): Before you Correspondence cards are also available to send to various move to your new city, make sure all existing accounts in your companies such as credit card companies, magazine old bank are closed. Find a new bank to fill your personal publishers and any other organizations that should be needs and open accounts, order checks and obtain direct informed of your move. The mail will be forwarded to your new deposit forms if applicable. home for a full year. After a year, the mail will be returned to the sender with your new address stamped on it. You can get an  Find a new doctor and dentist and have your family’s medical official change form at the local post office or on the Internet at records transferred to them. www.usps.gov/movernet.  Refill any prescription medications which must be taken  Credit Card Companies: Immediately notify all your credit card regularly and arrange to have those prescriptions transferred to companies of your move. Keeping an individual file on each your new city. one makes this process much easier. We suggest using the  Arrange to register your children in their new school(s). Contact correspondence cards offered at the post office in addition to their current school(s) to have their records forwarded. requesting in writing that they send you a letter of confirmation. It is also recommended to make a follow up call.

 Purchase Insurance: If you are moving from out of state and are insured by a fairly large company, they will most likely have an office in the city you are moving to. If you need to find a new company, it is important to get homeowners insurance at least one month before the move. Those moving to an apartment need to contact the insurance company two weeks before the move. If you have large amounts of jewelry and/or furs coats it’s important to contact the agency as soon as possible since you will be needing additional coverage.

 Remember to request the return of any security deposits.

48 ] Denver Information Guide PRE-MOVE CHECKLIST

One Week Before Moving Day

 Confirm any travel plans or reservations.  Early on moving day, reserve a large place for the moving truck to park. Mark off an area with cones or chairs. If you need to  Finish packing and make sure all boxes are clearly labeled. obtain parking permission from your apartment complex  Subscribe to the local newspaper and visit the Chamber of manager or the city, do so in advance. Commerce in your new city for additional community  Before work starts, walk through the house with the movers information. and describe the loading order. Show them items you intend to  Change of Address Notification: You will need to notify the transport yourself. You should have these items grouped in an Postal Service that you are moving. It is now possible to do so area prior to the movers arriving. Remain on site to answer the without visiting the post office. Go to website listed above. For movers’ questions and to provide special instructions. the fee of $1.00 you may fill out the address change  Walk through your home and make sure that everything was information online and receive an email confirmation. Or you loaded. Make sure you have the keys to your new home. may choose to print the form and mail it to your local post office. US Postal Service, www.usps.com  Remember that professional movers expect to be paid in full before your goods are unloaded. Check for damage, as items  Notify IRS: You will also need to notify the IRS that you have are unloaded and report any problems right away. moved. This will ensure you receive your IRS refund and/or any other correspondence. To change your address with the IRS,  Unless the company’s policy prohibits the acceptance of complete a Form 8822 (PDF), Address Change Request. This gratuities, it is customary to tip each mover. $20 is a good is available on the IRS website. IRS, www.irs.gov amount; you may want to tip more or less based on the service you received. One Day Before  If you are moving yourself and getting help from friends, make  sure you create a task list. Be sure to have everything packed Pick up your rental truck or confirm your move with the moving before your help arrives. It is natural for people to work in pairs, company. but you should consider each person’s physical ability and  Make sure you and your movers have the directions to your health status. Plan to provide beverages and food for your new home. Plan your travel so that you will be there to greet volunteers. Load the truck according to the directions your them and unlock your home. Have a backup plan in case one truck rental agency gave you, and make sure that you of you gets delayed. understand how to operate and drive the rental truck before you leave the agency.  Obtain the driver’s cell phone number and give him/her yours so you can stay in touch in case one of you is delayed.

 Ask what form of payment the movers will accept (check, money order, certified check, travelers checks) and make necessary arrangements.

Denver Information Guide [ 49 RELOCATING YOUR PET

Your coffee is finally brewing after what seemed like an endless Farfetched? Not really. Pets are probably most overlooked when search through the boxes left by the moving company. The disk it comes to relocating. Most people just expect their pets to wake jockey on the radio reads the weather forecast and you learn that it up completely adapted to their new surroundings as if nothing is -5 degrees outside with an expected high of 0. Welcome to your changed. Although this is true for many pets, just as many find new city, but at least your company gave you a nice raise for relocating to be traumatic. Furthermore, most people wait until their relocating. pet is ill before finding a new veterinarian. Just as you start thinking that everything is proceeding smoothly What should you do then for your pet when relocating? Actually and that your new city really does have a lot to offer, you realize the place to begin is in your hometown before you move. Speak to Prince, your four-year old Great Dane, isn’t acting right. Now what? your own veterinarian and tell him/her where you are moving and Is he really sick? Homesick? What’s worse is that you don’t know ask his/her advice. In most cases, this alone will be sufficient to find where the closest veterinarian is located and, of course, he or she out what is necessary to prepare your pet for transition. Further, can’t be as good as Dr. Morris…and Prince just loved Dr. Morris. people will be surprised how often their veterinarian can recommend someone in the area where they are moving. Whether or not this person will actually become your new veterinarian is not as important as the peace of mind that the recommendation is from someone you trust. Finally, don’t wait until your pet is ill before looking for a veterinarian. This is an extremely emotional time and nothing can be more traumatic than having to find a veterinarian in the midst of a crisis. It is obvious, then, that you should find a new veterinarian before that first crisis occurs so that when the need arises, you will be prepared. How do you go about finding a new veterinarian in a new city? The best place to begin is simply the NewMarket Services Information Guide. Location is an important factor, as many pets don’t travel well and, in the case of emergency, distance may be a factor in receiving timely treatment. After making a list of local veterinary clinics, take the time to go visit them. Talk to the staff. Ask about office hours, fees, whether appointments are required, and what services are available. Also, ask if it is possible to talk to the doctor so that you can introduce yourself and at least have a first impression to help you make your choice. Finally, ask your neighbors which veterinarians they take their pets to and why. Then, of course, it’s your decision, but at least you have gathered some information on which to base your decision. All dogs should be vaccinated for the possibly fatal disease Parvovirus. Remember to NEVER leave your pet in a car in hot weather, as heat conditions in cars can quickly become fatal to animals.

50 ] Denver Information Guide MOVING WITH CHILDREN

REINFORCE THE POSITIVES

et family members focused on and involved in the process of moving. Hold a family meeting to discuss why, where, when and how the family will move. Encourage Geveryone to ask questions and express feelings. If possible, drive the family to see the new home and take a tour of the new neighborhood schools, shops and parks. Take photos or videotape the new house and neighborhood. Make lists for each older child of things to do to prepare for the move and assign them a special task or two. For example, they can read and inform other family members about the area history, landmarks, special events and amusements. Help children prepare for the move by having them assist with packing. Let them pack a box of special clothes, toys or books they would like readily accessible at their new home. Let each family member help plan how to set up his or her bedroom. Have them help select paint or wallpaper. Let them share ideas how to arrange the furniture. When the move takes place, set up the children’s rooms first. Choosing a School One of the most satisfying experiences a family can have is finding a school that fits its needs. That school will “feel right” because its administrators, teachers, and parents are part of a strong community that shares the family’s educational values. Children are eager to go there because the school program stimulates their curiosity and provides them with outlets for their interests. Parents will be pleased because their involvement in their children’s education will be welcomed and encouraged. In order to find the best school for your child, you should begin by observing your child’s learning habits. Even as preschoolers, children begin to develop different approaches to learning. These inclinations provide strong clues about what kind of school would serve them best. In her book Your Child’s First School, educational consultant Diana Townsend- Butterworth offers these suggestions of things to watch for in determining your child’s orientation to learning: • What does your child enjoy doing? • What excites your child and arouses his or her curiosity? • What seems to be frustrating? • Does your child thrive in a structured environment or seem to prefer one that offers more freedom? • Is your child quiet or rambunctious? • Does he or she prefer to work on projects alone or with other children? • Does he or she have any special interests or abilities?

Make a list of answers to these questions as well as taking note of any other characteristics you notice about your child. As you read more about individual schools, and when you visit the ones that interest you, you will be better able to choose a school that suits your child. continued on page 52

Denver Information Guide [ 51 REINFORCE THE POSITIVES

For high school, parents often choose a new school for their schools will gladly connect you with parents of current students so children. This is frequently because their current school goes only you can make an informed choice for your child. through eight grade. As you look for a high school, consider your Most schools believe parents should have a strong role in their child’s learning style as well as his or her interests when deciding children’s education. Being involved in a child’s education upon a school. Also keep in mind your own family goals, which may strengthens the whole family and sends a message to children that involve preparing for college, in making this important choice. education is an important part of their lives. Schools know that the What about family expectations? In order to provide a good way in which parents choose to become active in their children’s match, a child’s school must also meet a family’s needs. Here again, schools varies greatly. They provide many different opportunities for you may want to prepare a list of expectations and use it as a guide parental involvement. Most schools have strong parent associations in the search for the best school for your child: that organize social events, help coordinate volunteer activitied, and provide an organizes means of communication between parents • What goal do you have for your child’s long-term education? Is and school. college preparation a priority? Each of these encounters strengthens the life of the schools and • How important to you is parental involvement in school activities? creates a community of committed adults supporting the goals of • Do you expect the school to have a role in developing a child’s the schools and the students. This feeling of community, with adults character by encouraging respect for adults and peers as well as and students working together for a common purpose, is one of the others in society, including the disadvantaged? distinguishing strengths of a good schools. • How important is it to you that you have a strong relationship and share a philosophy with other parents at the school? Public schools Denver Public Schools (720) 423-3200 • How interested are you in providing a home setting that gives 900 Grant Street your child time for homework? Denver, CO 80203 • How important to you is a before-school and after-school www.dpsk12.org program? Denver Public Schools (DPS) is the public school system in Before beginning a search for a school, parents should reflect on Denver. It currently educates about 73,000 students in 73 these questions, and their expectations for schools. Parents who elementary schools, 15 K-8 schools, 17 middle schools, 14 high choose schools wisely are pleased after their children enroll schools, and 19 charter schools. The first school of what is now because the family and the school work in harmony with a common DPS was a log cabin that opened in 1859 on the corner of 12th set of expectations for the youngsters. Admissions directors at Street between Market and Larimer Streets.

SELECTING CHILD CARE

When you’re new to a community, locating a person or program your search to learn more about each type of child care setting. to provide child care for you is not the easiest of tasks. Due to In home expanding demand, just finding an opening may be difficult. Some parents may prefer the one-on-one contact an in-home Pinpointing a place that is not too far or too expensive and, most care provider can offer, especially for an infant. The International importantly, a provider whom you trust, may take days or weeks of Nanny Association (INA) recommends that you interview any persistent phoning and visits. prospective hire at least twice and that you conduct a criminal As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child is background check, which is usually done by most placement safe and happy in a child care environment that is fun, educational, agencies. and nurturing. You will need to consider many questions. But you One key to good child care is whether the caregiver can adapt to are not alone — an increasing number of parents rely on quality the needs of each child and family. Not all children of the same age child care so that they may work. About 70% of parents place their are at the same level of development; each child has unique young children in some type of daily care. Knowing in advance that character traits. A good caregiver understands these personal and this is not an overnight process makes it a bit less overwhelming. developmental differences and creates a program to meet each child’s needs. Types of Child Care Center-Based Care You might like the home-like feel of a family child care home, or The most popular type because there are so many options for maybe you want your child to have opportunity to socialize with children of all ages. You take your child to a place that is organized peers in a larger child care center. You might be looking for after and staffed specifically to care for a group or groups of children. school care for your child, a summer camp experience or a program Some types include day care centers, preschool programs, that can accommodate his or her special needs. It will help you in before/after school programs.

52 ] Denver Information Guide SELECTING CHILD CARE

Day Care Center Preparing Your Child for Child Care If you’re considering a day care center or another group setting, Most young infants, up to seven months, adapt to caring adults you should spend some time observing the center and talking to and seldom have problems adjusting to good child care. Older parents with children in the center. You should also expect that your infants may be upset when left with strangers. They may feel child will be assigned to the same caregiver to promote a sense of separation anxiety, which is a normal part of development for some security and consistency. Inquire about the rate of staff resignations; children. They will need extra time and your support to “get to low staff turnover minimizes the need for young children to know” the caregiver. Some children show changes in behavior repeatedly adjust to new caregivers. when they start child care. Toddlers may cry, pout, refuse to go to Preschool Programs or act angry in other ways. Preschoolers may regress and behave Preschool programs are offered through Head Start, child care like a younger child. They may be more wakeful at night. This centers or local public and private schools. They can be offered as behavior usually goes away after a few days or weeks in high-quality a half-day program for three or four days a week or they can be part child care, just be sure to monitor. of a full day program at a child care center. You may help your child adjust to a new child care arrangement. Before/After School Programs Arrange a visit with in-home caregivers while you are at home or These programs give children additional time and opportunity to when you need child care for a short time. Visit the center or family engage in hands-on enrichment activities in reading, science, math, child care home that you have chosen with your child before art, drama, and specific “safety” topics that include conflict beginning care. Show your child that you like and trust the caregiver. resolution and drug abuse. Most programs offer homework assistance and some offer tutoring. Most also provide supervised Some children like to carry a reminder of home when they go to physical activity and healthy snacks, or even dinner. School age child care. A family photograph or small toy can be helpful. Talking programs are often provided through local schools, child care to your child about child care and the caregiver is helpful. Being centers, churches, or youth-oriented community organizations. prepared makes any new experience easier for children. There also Quality features include opportunities for children to make individual are storybooks about child care that you and your child can read and group choices about activities, opportunity to improve together. (Check with your local library, another great outing for a academic skills, spaces for children to relax and rest, well parent and child) supervised spaces where they can be active, nutritious snacks, and After a child has been in child care, a sudden change in parental involvement. caregivers may be upsetting. This can happen even if the new caregiver is kind and competent. If you are concerned about your Choosing Child Care child's feelings, you may want to arrange a meeting with the In addition to the forms of child care, you want to take into caregiver or ask your pediatrician for advice. Parents need to help account the following factors: the caregivers and the child deal with any changes in the child's • Age and personality of your child. routine at home or child care. High-quality child care helps children • Child care needs of all the children in your family. grow in every way and promotes their physical, social and mental development. It offers support to working parents. Your pediatrician • Location of your workplace, home and child care facility. wants your child to grow and develop with enjoyment in a setting • Hours you need child care. that supports you as a parent. • What you can afford. In the final analysis, locating a child care provider with whom you When you begin your search, start with the telephone. Plan to are confident is well worth the searching. Why? Your child benefits spend a few minutes with each call. Describe your needs and ask greatly from such an arrangement, meeting and interacting with about the program, staff, location, other children in care, and what other children and adults. The child learns and grows from is included in the cost. Make an appointment and visit the center, experience, often times a major step in establishing independence school or home, and plan on spending at least an hour at each and becoming his or her “own person.” And you feel more at ease place. Visit once to observe the children in care and at another time leaving them. outside of regular structured hours to spend time with provider or For more information you may want to visit the following website: director. American Academy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org In any group center, health, safety, and hygiene must be given priority in all settings. All children and staff members should have current immunizations; staff should have clear criminal background checks. The facility must be child-proof and all staff members should wear disposable gloves when changing diapers. Toys should be disinfected on a regular basis and frequent hand washing should be promoted among the staff and children to minimize the spread of infection.

Denver Information Guide [ 53 HIGHER EDUCATION - WHERE TO GO?

A List to Consider When Making Decisions About College Campus and Residential Life Admissions experts from Baruch College, a senior college in the 7. What’s new at school? It’s been several months since you and City University of New York, offer some tips to help parents cope your child did all that college research. Go back on the colleges’ with the stress of guiding their child through that all-important websites and see what’s up! Schools may be offering new question: Where should I go to college? programs, hosting unique events on campus, renovating facilities, or announcing new faculty appointments— any of Academics which could affect your child’s decision. 1. Remember why your child is going to college in the first place. Now is the time for your child to reflect on what she truly wants. 8. Finding the right fit. Every school has a personality; you don’t Compare her preferences and ambitions to the resources that want to spend thousands of dollars on one that clashes with each school offers. Consider each school’s academics, study your child’s. Visit the campus again—or for the first time if you abroad programs, student life, extracurricular activities, career haven’t been yet! Encourage your child to attend an accepted services, internship programs, etc., and ask how it will further student reception; sit in on a class; go to a sporting event; and your child’s educational and career goals. Reassure your child talk to current students—without you hovering in the that it’s okay to be uncertain about her career ambitions but, if background! Students will speak candidly to each other about she is, a college with flexible academic programs and multiple real-life college issues like the social scene, academic options is probably a good bet. pressures, and drinking on campus— all things your child should be aware of in advance. 2. What happens to people who graduate from this school? Look into what most of the graduates of the schools your child likes 9. Safety first. Let’s face it: sending your child off to college is scary wind up doing. If your child is interested in the fine arts, and the enough without worrying about crime. Take note of a school’s majority of students at a particular school end up working in the location and ask college officials about security: Is there a 24- financial industry, it should give you both pause. hour security team? What kind of campus alert systems are in place? What are the crime statistics for the area? What security 3. The downside of high school success. Sometimes, even a top- precautions exist in the residence halls? While you’re asking performing high school student is surprised by the rigorous questions, explore the college’s mental health and counseling demands of college courses and professors. Even if your child services—college can be stressful for kids as well as parents. was accepted at the school of his dreams, he needs to understand that he’s starting all over once he gets to college; his Coping sterling SAT score won’t matter if he skips class or studying. 10. Breathe deeply and stay calm. Make clear to your child that you Have an honest conversation with your child about the level of are available to talk things through, weigh the pros and cons, ask commitment required at the schools he likes and make sure he’s questions, and visit campuses with her but that, ultimately, the prepared for it. It’s (Almost) All About the Money decision about where to go to college must be her’s. It’s hard to hand over the keys to her future, but when you watch her receive 4. Factor college tuition into family budgeting. Try plugging the her diploma, you’ll realize it was well worth it. estimated cost of attendance (tuition, room and board, books, transportation, student fees) for each school at which your child is accepted into your family’s budget. This will provide you with a better long-term financial plan. And don’t forget about graduate school, if that is in your child’s plans; it’ll be upon you both before you know it. 5. Explore all avenues of financing. Don’t count solely on the college’s financial aid award for help. Learn about scholarships being offered by local businesses, community organizations, and employers; your family could qualify for additional aid monies. 6. Get to know your school’s financial aid team. Most financial aid departments offer free workshops on how to plan for the cost of attending college. Take advantage of such sessions, and don’t be bashful; ask as many questions as occur to you. Now is the best time to consider all your options.

54 ] Denver Information Guide TYPES OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Community Colleges Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. Some Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to programs require students to attend some campus classes or serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses orientations, but many are delivered completely online. for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 college- Online courses generally require a computer with a broadband bound high-school graduates start their college education this way. connection, but are now a serious option for the busy professional. The second function of community colleges is to prepare Public vs. Private students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as Public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills residents. They get most of their money from the state or local for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available government. Private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and at four-year schools, like fashion design. other private sources. Private colleges are usually smaller and can Arapahoe Community College (303) 794-1550 offer more personalized attention and often more prestige. 2500 West College Avenue Colorado Christian University P.O. Box 9002 Lakewood Campus Littleton, CO 80160-900 180 South Garrison Street www.arapahoe.edu Lakewood, CO 80226 Community College of Aurora (303) 360-4700 Johnson & Wales University (303) 256-9300 16000 East Centretech Parkway 7150 Montview Blvd. Aurora, CO 80011-9036 www.cca.cccoes.edu Denver, CO 80220 Community College of Denver (303) 556-2600 Offering associate and bachelor degrees in Culinary Arts, 1111 West Colfax Avenue Business, Hospitality, Education. University enrollment of 13,000 Denver, CO 80217-3363 students. http://ccd.rightchoice.org University of Denver (303) 871-2000 Red Rocks Community College (303) 988-6160 2199 South University Blvd. 13300 West 6th Avenue Denver, Colorado 80208 Lakewood, CO 80228-1255 http://www.du.edu www.rrcc.cccoes.edu Universities Liberal Arts Colleges Generally, a university is bigger than a college and offers more Liberal arts colleges offer a broad base of courses in the majors and research facilities. Class size often reflects institutional humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most are private and size and some classes may taught by graduate students. focus mainly on undergraduate students. Classes tend to be small Colorado State University (970) 491-1101 and personal attention is available. Spruce Hall Online Learning Fort Collins, CO 80523 www.colostate.edu Recent years have witnessed the rise of online degree programs, Metropolitan State College of Denver (METRO) (303) 556-3058 to allow the busy professional a chance to work at their own pace Campus Box 16, from the comfort of their home on the path to getting a degree. The PO Box 173362 costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes— Denver, CO 80217-3362 and financial aid is equally available—while the cost to the institution www.mscd.edu can be much less. University of Colorado at Denver (303) 556-2400 There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance PO Box 173364, learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills. It’s important to Campus Box 167 research a particular institution before deciding to enroll in their Denver, CO 80217-3364 system. Generally, brick-and-mortar schools that also offer online www.cudenver.edu classes are the safest, though there are plenty of fully accredited University of Colorado at Boulder (303) 492-1411 online universities out there. Boulder, CO 80309 www.colorado.edu Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year. That Upper Division number has been growing about 25% a year recently. Now, virtually Upper-division schools offer the last two years of undergraduate all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of study, usually in specialized programs leading to a bachelor’s private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. By contrast, degree. Students then generally transfer to an upper-division only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them. college after completing an associate degree or after finishing a Online schools offer everything from Associate’s degrees to second year of study at a four-year college. Doctoral programs with available emphases in everything from

Denver Information Guide [ 55 DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES

Certificate or Diploma These non-degree offerings generally lead to employment in an occupational field. For example, to enter fields such as computer Full time value. science or teaching, you may first have to get a certificate or diploma. Associate Degree You receive an associate of arts (AA) or associate of science (AS) degree after completing two years of study similar to the first two years of a four-year college. After earning an AA or an AS, you may transfer to a four-year college to complete the requirements for a bachelor’s degree. The associate of applied science (AAS) degree is awarded on completion of technological or vocation programs of study. Bachelor’s or Baccalaureate Degree Complete a four- or five-year, full-time program of study (or its part-time equivalent) at a college. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Life-long future. Bachelor of Science (B.S.) are the most common. Combined Bachelor’s/Graduate Degree (or Joint Degree) Complete a bachelor’s degree and a master’s or first-professional Imagine building a future solid enough to last degree in less than the usual amount of time. In most programs, a lifetime. Our full-time MBA offers you students apply to the graduate program during their first three years opportunities and perspectives that can change of undergraduate study, and begin the graduate program in their your prospects forever. You will gain the vision, knowledge and skills to succeed, along with a fourth year of college. Successful completion results in awarding of network of relationships in the world of business both bachelor’s and graduate degrees. These are sometimes and institutions. referred to as “4 +1” programs. Masters Degree The program is ranked among top interna- These signify more specialized training in a particular field. They tional MBAs and it is the leader in Italy. are competed after the bachelor’s degree, usually over the course of 2 years for the full time student. It is offered in Milan, where you will enrich Doctorates your professional and personal life enormously. These generally signify some significant research in the field, and are an upper level degree. Highly qualified teachers and classmates from all over the world will help you develop an international open mindset within a rigorous, academic framework.

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56 ] Denver Information Guide PAYING FOR SCHOOL

FAFSA www.fafsa.gov It’s not recommended that you participate in any website that FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form asks you to pay a fee to search for a scholarship; there are many that must be filled out annually by university to determine their wonderful free sites available. eligibility for federal financial aid (including grants, loans, and work- Types of Financial Aid study programs). In addition, most states and schools use Financial aid may be classified into two types based on the information from the FAFSA to award non-federal aid. criteria through which the financial aid is awarded: merit-based or The FAFSA consists of numerous questions regarding the need-based. student’s finances, as well as those of his or her family; these are Merit-Based entered into a formula that determines the Expected Family Merit-scholarships are typically awarded for outstanding Contribution. The amount of the EFC can vary widely, depending on academic achievements, although some merit scholarships can a number of factors; for example, one such factor is whether a also be awarded for special talents, leadership potential and other student has siblings in college at the time. personal characteristics. Merit scholarships are sometimes The best place to look for help before you start filling out your awarded without regard for the financial need of the applicant. FAFSA is at your school’s financial aid office. Athletic scholarships are a form of merit aid that takes athletic talent Other Sources into account. FAFSA only scratches the surface of the money available to Need-Based students for school. There are many state and private scholarships Need-based financial aid is awarded on the basis of the financial out there. The easiest way to find listings of what scholarships that need of the student. The amount of need based aid is generally you may qualify for is by going to a scholarship database online and based off the criteria on the FAFSA. doing a search. Some handy sites for this are: Loans Lunch-money.com While included in the term “financial aid” Higher Education Loans Finaid.org differ from scholarships and grants in that they must be paid back. Fastweb.com They come in several varieties in the United States Collegeboard.com • Federal Student Loans made to students directly: No payments until after graduation, but amounts are quite limited • Federal Student Loans made to parents: Much higher limit, but payments start immediately • Private Student Loans made to students or parents: Higher limits and no payments until after graduation. Getting Your MBA Part-time Getting your MBA may be imperative to you and your career. More than 40% of all graduate students are working adults, so it is possible to balance the rest of your life with your desire to continue your education. You’ll generally spend three to four hours a week with the instructor in a 3-credit class. It’s generally recommended that you spend about 8 additional hours a week studying and preparing for the next classroom session, so 12-15 hrs a week total. So where are you going to find an extra 15 hrs a week? It helps to journal how you do spend your time during the week, and then list priorities. Lower priority items, like watching TV, may take up more time than you realize, and can be shelved so you can continue your education. Re-prioritizing your time is the most crucial step in ensuring you’ll have success on your path to your degree. Make sure you discuss your goals with your boss, friends, and family, so they know what to expect as you add this major commitment to your life.

Denver Information Guide [ 57 58 ] Denver Information Guide FITNESS AND HEALTH

IN THE KITCHEN

just returned from some time away from “In The Kitchen”. A hiking trip in Italy! Part of the trip was in Cinque Terre, a rather rugged, breath-taking, coastline portion of the Italian IRiviera. Cinque Terre, “The Five Lands” is comprised of five villages, located in Liguria. The trip usually begins or ends in the capital of Liguria, Genoa. Genoa’s claim to fame, along with being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, is pesto sauce. While traveling through Italy the food was amazing. Everything was always so fresh. Fresh seafood, "Focaccia" focaccia, local wines and many of the restaurants even had their own gardens, herb, fruits and vegetables. Using only fresh ingredients makes each dish so appetizing and healthy. The main ingredient in pesto is fresh basil. Many shops had pesto available to purchase for tourists, but why buy something in a bottle when it is so easy to prepare at home and can be made fresh each time? The recipe consists of only a few ingredients that are readily available in all grocery stores, year round. It only takes a few minutes to prepare, can be done ahead of time, and a great sauce to use for entertaining. It’s not just for pasta; try it on vegetables, bread and seafood. Buon appetite! Paese che vai, usanza che trovi. Pesto Ingredients English translation: 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced The country you visit, the 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil to taste customs you find. 1/3 cup pine nuts

Idiomatic meaning: Directions When in Rome, do as the Combine the basil and pine nuts, in a food processor, pulse a few times. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Romans do. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Makes 1 cup.

Please visit our website, www.NewMarketServices for more recipes. Be one of the first 25 people to enter a recipe this month and receive $10 and automatic entry into our $2500 semi-annual best recipe contest. See website for details.

Denver Information Guide [ 59 PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL BEING

Choosing a Health Club • Does the club offer a variety of leagues? If you want to compete Your move is filled with many new challenges. If your life style - is the club affiliated to the right leagues, and does it have teams includes working out a priority will be to find a club that meets your of the right standard for your competencies? needs. Or a new move may bring the perfect time to implement • Does the club offer a variety of high-quality weight equipment? It those healthy lifestyle changes that were on your New Year’s should include free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells, and Resolution list for the past several years. machine weights, you really need both to get a proper workout. Begin your search before you move. Ask your current club for • Does the club offer a sufficient number and variety of programs recommendations or perhaps they even have reciprocity with a club for you to achieve other goals (stress management, weight in your new location. If you belong to a national chain, chances are management, smoking cessation, social activities, etc.)? good that you will be able to transfer your membership. • Are there long lines at the equipment, or crowded aerobics However if you do find yourself looking for a new club, use this classes, at the time that you would be using the club? check list to help you find the place that will work best for you. • What are the real costs? Make sure you understand all rates, When visiting a club use your own observations and question the charges and fees because these can vary widely, and many clubs staff and current members. Be sure your new club will be able to require contracts ranging from a few weeks to a year or more. Be meet your fitness, social, and safety needs. sure you’re entitled to use all facilities, such as pools and spas at • Is the club clean and well maintained, especially the locker rooms no extra charge. and the shower areas? • Is child care available if you need it? • Are staff members friendly and helpful? Make sure there is always • Is there adequate parking available if you need it? someone available to answer your questions, to show you a new One way to find out whether a club is right for you is to try it out exercise, or how to use a piece of equipment. for a few days. Some clubs offer a special guest pass for • Does the location for work for you? It’s best to select a club that’s prospective members. But even if you have to pay for a week to try near where you live or work. it out, it’s better to spend the money than to make a long-term • Do fitness staff members have appropriate educational commitment to a club that doesn’t work out. Try the club during the backgrounds and/or certification from nationally recognized hours you will normally be using it. It will give you a realistic idea of certifying agencies? what the club environment while you are there. • Are new members provided with a club orientation and It’s important to read health club contracts carefully. Don’t instruction on how to use equipment? assume the club offers classes such as aerobics as part of the • What age group do you see while visiting? If you are in your 50’s, membership. While some do, others charge extra. If the health club do you really want to work out with a group in their 20’s (and vice requires a long-term commitment, find out whether you’ll be able to versa)? Be sure to visit club at the time you will be normally using get a refund if you need to cancel your membership due to a job the facilities. transfer, an injury or if you simply find that the club isn’t working for • Does the club have the cardiovascular resistance equipment you you. want and need to achieve your fitness goals? It’s a fact that of every three people who join a health club, only • Does the club offer sufficient number and variety of programs for one will work out there 100 days a year. Find a club that you are you to achieve your fitness goals (aerobic, racquet sports, comfortable with and you will greatly increase your chances of basketball, etc.)? If classes or group activities help to motivate being the one of three people that are there more than 100 days a you and the health club doesn’t offer the classes you need, year. sticking with your exercise program won’t be realistic. • Does the club offer instruction in a sport or activity that you might want to learn (tennis, squash, swimming, etc.)? NewMarket Services wishes you good health.

60 ] Denver Information Guide PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL BEING

Coping With Change where to go to make new friends can bring feelings of isolation and Did you know that your body and mind sense change as stress? loneliness. Whether you change the place you live or where you work, it all Creatures of Habit adds up to stress. The more changes that come at one time, the Psychologically, most of us are creatures of habit and quickly more stress you experience. develop repetitive patterns that make us feel comfortable and Self-Image secure. Ever notice that most people find the same seat or section Your attitudes towards change often depend on your self image of the commuter train or bus? Drivers usually take the same route and expectations of how difficult it may be. Your self image is the every day. We do this in order to reduce stress. inner vision of who you are. It is the basis of your every thought, The sameness of established behavior develops a sense of word and action. Moving, with the many changes it entails, offers an control over ourselves and surroundings. By seeking repetitive excellent opportunity to modify and/or improve your self image habits, we save our energy for new events that are either through the risks of taking positive action. unpredictable or uncontrollable. When change removes the Some people welcome change as a challenge or an exciting new sameness from our lives, we attempt to relieve the tension experience. Others may resent the inconvenience and extra effort produced by uncertainty and newness. We look for ways to develop they need to make to re-establish a comfortable routine. Still others other familiar patterns. feel overwhelmed by the unknown and are not sure where to go or to whom to turn. Often, stress causes old issues, defeats or concerns to resurface. Perhaps new worries and fears form unexpectedly, or you feel tired and fatigued most of the time. Decision making abilities are affected, and you seem to be having less fun and enjoyment. These are all telltale signs of stress brought on by change. When signs of stress affect you, it may be a time of emotional transition, indicating old behavior patterns are not as effective as they once were. This is often a good time for self-reflection-to look at what you like in yourself and what you do not like. Stress When you relocate to a new city, all categories of your life are changed. Along with the obvious changes listed above, moving to a new community requires finding new sources for familiar services. Finding a new hairdresser, barber, drugstore, food market, doctor, lawyer, cleaner and shoemaker are all necessary. You not only have to locate these services, but you need to determine if you are satisfied with the quality of the services provided. Forming a comfortable working relationship with the service provider adds more stress to the change itself. Perhaps your whole lifestyle changes if you are moving from a Management of Change smaller or larger community. With long-distance moves, you will To manage change effectively, several simple steps will help you have to make new friends and develop a different emotional support adjust to the newness and extra effort needed to establish different system. When these changes are not made through your own patterns in your life. choices, but are the decisions of a boss or someone in your family, then the stress is even greater. Children have to make changes • Organize your time so you can finish the tasks you have planned. because of their parents. They need special help and understanding • Have realistic expectations. Do not plan to complete everything getting settled in school and making new friends. Often, they will within the first few weeks. have difficulties as they adjust to the new surroundings. • List your priorities and finish each one before you go on to the Changes produce stress not only within yourself, but also with next. the people with whom you are close. It may cause you to react • Provide your body with recreational time and time to relax. differently from your usual behavior. If you are in a relationship or • Trust your first impressions; they are most often right. marriage, you may find more tension developing, with less patience or tolerance of the other person. If you live alone, not knowing Periods of change can offer you an opportunity for growth within yourself. Professional consultation may be useful during this period.

Denver Information Guide [ 61 VOLUNTEERING IN YOUR COMMUNITY

One of the best ways to become involved in your new community Many people are reminded of their wish to volunteer during is through volunteering. The benefits of volunteering are many, for holiday seasons, but this is when organizations might have an everyone involved. Ask your employer for advice. Many companies excess of help. If you want to volunteer during the holiday, give employees paid time off to volunteer and will often publicize remember to contact the organization in advance. Otherwise, time their employees’ community service. According to the research your work for the lean season. group Independent Sector, the U.S. volunteer sector is equivalent to Volunteering is fun, leads to learning new skills, meeting 9 million full-time workers. Whether you have an hour or a weekend, interesting people, making new friends, sharing your talents, and if you want to help kids or the environment, there are great keeping in touch with the community in which you live. Whether it is organizations that will excite your particular interest, broaden your important to you to solve a community problem, advance a worthy horizons and fit into your time schedule. cause or to develop as a person, volunteering offers many benefits Don’t forget to include your family. If your children are school age in appreciation for the gift of your time and expertise. chances are there are many opportunities to volunteer at their Once you have chosen an area of interest, how should you go school, or even in their classroom. That is a great way to meet other about involving yourself? See what the Web can do for you. 1-800- parents with children the same age. Clean up a neighborhood park Volunteer.org, a service of the Points of Light Foundation & with your children. Spend a morning at a homeless shelter with your Volunteer Center National Network provides listings of local and children. You’ll find that volunteering is not only a fun family-bonding virtual volunteering as well as contact information for Volunteer experience but a great way to teach children the importance of Centers across the nation. Open the classified section of your local giving back to the community. paper. Check out the bulletin boards in your office. Or just start How you get involved with your community depends on your calling the local agencies you’re interested in. interests, skills and time. Choose something that fits well in to your One of the best ways to make these contacts is to walk right into schedule and makes you excited about working together to help the organization—a library, a shelter, training facility, or a political make a difference. Every person has that capability. Each of us can office—and find out who organizes volunteers. You can tell a lot by right a wrong, fill a plate, visit a shut-in or clean up a park, and that meeting the volunteer coordinator and any volunteers who happen does make the world a better place. to be on duty. While you won’t earn a paycheck for volunteering, There are several things to consider when choosing in what to you will earn valuable experience, a sense of accomplishment, and involve yourself. First of all be selective, think about what matters to the satisfaction that only comes from personally making the world a you, and where you wish to spend your time. If you have certain better place to live. social issues that you feel passionate about, it’s a great place to put your energy. You may have particular skills that will steer you toward a certain organization. Are you willing to explore new opportunities? Volunteering can teach you valuable new skills that you may use in other parts of your life. "You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give." - Winston Churchill

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Denver Information Guide [ 63 HOUSING

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE...

Rent or Buy? The decision to rent or buy in your new location is dependent upon many considerations unique to your personal situation. Some of the potential factors involve the tax implications, down payment, other investment vehicles, the length of time you are anticipating being in your new location and whether or not your current home has sold. If you decide to buy, should you purchase an existing home or build a new one? Again, many factors have to be considered. Will an existing home need a lot of repair or remodeling to bring it to your standards? What about the difference in the cost of operation and maintenance between new and an existing structure? How should you finance a renovation? Which home will appreciate faster? Will it be difficult to get a construction loan? Is it better to rent for a while to become familiar with neighborhoods in your new city? What about capital gains tax if you don’t close in time? We suggest you seek the advice of a certified financial planner and a realtor to thoroughly clarify your options. These choices can become quite complex. Some Advantages to Renting Whether you’re in your first apartment or a longtime resident, there are many advantages you are afforded by choosing apartment living. Mobility: You enjoy the freedom to move, to accept that better job, to take the vacation you’ve dreamed of. No maintenance: Just relax and delight in the grounds and facilities maintenance technicians keeps attractive for you. Flexibility: You have the ability to increase or decrease your living space without the burden of sales pitches, closing costs, interest rates or the high cost of maintaining a home and property. Location: The choice is yours! Recreation: Chances are, you’ve chosen an apartment community with a swimming pool, tennis court, weight room or sauna. Apartments have the equipment and people to maintain them, which is no small task for the homeowner. No waiting: If you’re like most apartment residents, moving into your apartment was easy and fast. You settled into your new home without lengthy paperwork, a loan approval period or a large financial investment. Your Current Residence As you prepare to move, a big decision may include whether to sell or rent your current property. Ask yourself the following questions as you make this decision. You may also want to ask advice from a real estate agent.

64 ] Denver Information Guide MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

Market Inspect kitchen appliances. Check the stove to see if all burners Is it a seller’s market? Signs include low interest rates and work. Does the range have a hood with a fan? Is the oven self- shortage of homes for sale. How long have similar homes been on cleaning? Is the stove gas or electric? If it is gas, you may have an the market and how long are you willing to let your home be on the extra monthly charge for cooking gas. This would also be true if you market? Or is it a good rental market and do rental units have tenant had a gas clothes dryer in your unit. Check out the waiting lists? Is your property in a trendy area? Desirable areas refrigerator/freezer for storage space. Is there enough counter and typically garner higher rents and seldom have vacancies. cabinet space? Don’t forget to keep an eye out for bugs, especially Financial in a high-rise building. Is this property good for rental income? Can you charge more for Inspect the central air conditioning and heating systems. Ask rent than you pay for mortgage, taxes and upkeep? How will selling other tenants if there is enough heat in the winter. It can be costly if affect your federal and state tax situation? Furthermore, if your you have to buy or rent window air conditioning units. property does not sell quickly, can you afford to keep the home Is there enough storage space? Do you have enough closets for vacant while it’s on the market? If not, do you feel you will be able clothes, linens and general items. Are there built-in shelves and to find a renter on a short-term basis? Are you likely to want to move bookcases for books and DVDs? Do you also get a storage space back into the home some day? that is not adjacent to the unit? Rental Tips Does the building have special amenities such as a swimming Apartment experts say that some detective work is needed to pool, game room, barbecue area, and exercise room or tennis conduct a search that finds the most livable rental residence for the courts? Keep in mind that recreational amenities generally will money. After you have weeded out a good apartment complex from increase your rent. You should consider what features you will really many rent signs and/or listings, scanned the neighborhood you like use. for the best rental possibilities, you will be ready to scrutinize each How is the noise level in the complex? Have neighbors been property and landlord for shortcomings. It is easy for a prospective playing music louder than you prefer? Are you located by a major tenant to gather quick clues about the general care, maintenance of airport, freeway or train tracks? the building, and cleanliness of the area overall. Try to talk to the Do you need an apartment that takes pets? If not, do you want tenant who is vacating the apartment you are planning to rent. He to live in an area that does? Do tenants appear to be cleaning up or she can tell you a great deal about the pluses and minuses of after their pets? What is the management policy for pet size and living there. Here are some tips for inspecting the inside of the maintenance? apartment: Rental experts suggest that tenants should tour several Is it clean? Carpet should be cleaned and walls/ceilings should apartment complexes before placing a deposit on a unit. The be freshly painted. Does the apartment have a bad odor? It could minimum deposit to hold a unit is usually $100. Prospective renters be a tip that the prior tenant had a pet or cooked spicy foods. still need to fill out an application and pay an application fee. This Check room sizes with a floor plan. Make sure the furniture that will hold your unit while your employment, credit and rental histories you will be moving will fit. Is the bedroom near the bathroom? Does are being checked out. This process usually takes 7 to 10 days to the dining room adjoin the kitchen? complete.

Denver Information Guide [ 65 CHOOSING THE RIGHT HOME

Making a final decision and determining which house to make an Property Taxes offer on shouldn’t be taken lightly. The decision should be made Property taxes may vary from one neighborhood to another. This rationally and not guided by emotion. You most likely won’t have the can sometimes affect whether you view a community as a desirable luxury of taking your time on deciding which house you’d like to place to live. Higher property taxes often mean newer and more pursue. However, since it is such a major decision you would like to modern schools, well-maintained roads, and bountiful community base it on factual information. Some broad categories to consider services. are: Schools Appreciation If you have school-aged children and plan to send them to public Ask your real estate agent to retrieve sales of homes in the school, you definitely want to consider the reputation of the neighborhood over the past few years. If one neighborhood shows neighborhood school. If you plan on sending your child to a private an annual average 8 percent increase and another is skyrocketing school, how long is the commute? You will likely spend a lot of time at 15 percent, you may have your decision made. driving your child not only during the school day but for extra- Crime curricular events outside the daily school schedule. Which ever Go to the local police or sheriff department and ask about crime school you decide, you can usually find general district information in your specific neighborhood. You might find theft or vandalism to and state standardized test results online. Always plan a visit to the be more prevalent in one area than another. Also please the school and receive the information first-hand from school website, www.familywatchdog.us. When you visit this site you can administrators. You should also talk to teachers and parents. enter your address and a map will pop up with your house as the Sellers’ Situations small icon of a house and red, blue, green, dots surrounding your If you don’t know already, ask your real estate agent how long the entire neighborhood. When you click on these dots a picture of a house has been on the market. Usually the longer a house has been person will appear with an address and the description of the crime listed, the better chance the seller will accept an offer lower than he or she had committed. asking price. Conversely, if the house has been on the market for Drawbacks just a couple days, the sellers will probably wait for a better offer if Rarely will you be lucky enough to find a perfect place. Think you offer less than the listed price. Your real estate agent might also about the cons associated with each house and determine to be able to dig up additional information about the sellers, like why correct them or how much of a negative impact each will have. they’re selling. If it’s a job-related move or a divorce, the sellers likely Neighborhoods want to move as quickly as possible, meaning you have a better If you have kids or pets and being close to a park is important, shot at them accepting a lower price. you’ll want to consider that. How close are shopping, restaurants, Style and Substance churches, and other services? Are the streets maintained? How do The SUBSTANCE are things that cannot be changed such as the your prospective neighbors keep up their property? How long will location, view, size of lot, noise in the area, school district, and floor your commute to work be? plan. The STYLE represents easily changed surface finishes like The House carpet, wallpaper, color, and window coverings. Buy the house with Make a list of the amenities and attributes you want your house good SUBSTANCE, because the STYLE can always be changed to to have. Be specific. Prioritize that list. Then, rate how each house match your tastes. measures up to each need on your list.

66 ] Denver Information Guide HOME INSPECTION CHECKLIST

Finding faults in a home doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t Interior buy it. But it will help you to know the type of repair costs that The kitchen and baths are the most expensive rooms to should be anticipated, and sellers often will make adjustments in renovate, so check their condition carefully. A newly-painted interior their asking price on the basis of problems discovered in an may look nice, but it could be hiding something. inspection. Plumbing Inspectors look for the following: Turn on the bathroom sink faucet and shower and then flush the Brick and Concrete toilet. When the toilet starts to refill, does the water pressure Check pavement, driveways and horizontal brick surfaces for diminish? Fill sinks and tub with three inches of water. Do they drain cracks. Is there damage from freezing? What is the condition of the properly? Do faucets leak? Lift up the carpeting. Are there any signs mortar between the bricks? Is any pavement buckling from of flooding or decay? spreading underground tree roots? Roof Electrical Are shingles curling and lifting? Find out how old the roof is, and Open the door on the fuse box or circuit-breaker panel. Is the you will have a pretty good idea of when you will have to replace it. electrical service adequate? The average house should have 100- Termites and Carpenter Ants amp service. Is it wired for 220 volts, which is necessary for electric Look for evidence of termites and carpenter ants on basement dryers and ranges? wood framing. Is there saw dust like wood or paper debris? Can Exterior you find evidence of termite tubes or tunnels? Termites live in earth, Is the house well maintained? Does the roof sag? Are the exterior so make sure that there are no places where earth is closer than six walls out of line? What is the condition of the paint, especially on the inches to wood. Like termites, carpenter ants like wood and wood south and west sides, where sun exposure is greatest? Is there products. adequate drainage away from the house? Water Damage Heating & Cooling Look in the basement for signs of leakage. This could be a result How old is the heating/cooling system? Has it been maintained? of poor drainage around the house. Water damage also is caused Ask to see the owner’s cooling bills for the previous year. This will by seepage through porous basement walls and condensation, give you an idea of its energy efficiency. which frequently is caused by inadequate ventilation. Basement Insulation walls painted a dark color may be an effort to disguise a past Check the attic and crawl space. Is the insulation adequate and problem. Beware of chalky white water stains on foundation walls complete? Has it been properly installed? Does the insulation or partitions; stains on wood and drywall; delamination of paneling obstruct the air vents, preventing the house from “breathing” and and lifting or buckling floor tiles; or a damp, mildew odor. possibly causing wood rot? Does the home have storm windows? Windows and Doors Has the glazing putty dried and shrunk, allowing water and air seepage? Is the wood decayed? Are the window and door frames caulked and weather-stripped?

Denver Information Guide [ 67 HOME CARE BASICS FOR NEW HOMEOWNERS

You’ve finally done it—you’ve just moved into your brand new Here are some additional tips for properly maintaining specific home. The smell of fresh paint still permeates the air. You’re likely systems in your new home. consumed with unpacking, setting up furnishings, rearranging, Appliances decorating—energized by the blank pallet you have to work with. Remember to read the instruction manual for every appliance in But once you’ve signed the thick pile of closing documents, the your new home. The manuals provide recommended cleaning and moving trucks have left and everything is neatly in its place, what do maintenance schedules and sometimes your warranty will become you do next? It’s time to get a handle on the routine maintenance void if you don’t follow these recommendations. you’ll need to perform in order to ensure that you and your family Driveways live comfortably in your new home for years to come. Here’s some If you have an asphalt driveway, remove oil, gasoline and similar advice to get you started and help save money while you’re at it: substances immediately with soapy water. Maintaining a clean home ensures it will last longer and works To avoid holes in your asphalt driveway, refrain from resting patio better. Dust and dirt, if allowed to accumulate, can harm the finishes furniture or bicycle stands on it. on blinds, cabinets, countertops, floors, sinks, tubs, toilets, walls, Do not burn anything on your driveway. tiles and other items. If dirt does accumulate, make sure to clean it When winter weather produces ice and snow, remove it promptly with a substance that does not scratch or damage the finishes. and avoid gouging your pavement while chipping away at ice. On the outside of your home, make sure that gutters and Use kitty litter or sand for traction on tough patches of ice. downspouts do not get clogged with leaves or other objects. The Thawing and freezing agents using salt and chemicals can damage exterior of your house is built to withstand exposure to the concrete, brick, mortar and asphalt. Salt will kill grass, shrubs and elements, but a periodic cleaning will improve the appearance and, trees as well—and wreaks havoc on leather—soled shoes. in many instances, prolong the life of siding and other exterior Gutters and Downspouts products. Clear away leaves, tree limbs and other debris from gutters and When you bought your home, you probably received a warranty downspouts. from the builder on workmanship and materials. This warranty Downspouts should be turned away from your home’s applies to problems related to the construction of the home, but it foundation. does not apply to problems that arise because of failure to perform routine maintenance. For example, if your roof begins to leak after Every four to six years, paint gutters that not are made of six months because of faulty workmanship, your warranty would aluminum or vinyl to help prevent rust. cover that. If you develop a problem because water backed up in Heating and Cooling Systems clogged gutters that you should have cleaned, the builder is not Late summer or early fall are the ideal time to do an annual responsible for repairs. Also, some items, such as appliances, may inspection and cleaning of these systems. be covered by manufacturers’ warranties and are not the Make sure you change the filters every three months. responsibility of the builder. Keeping your pilot light burning during the summer will help keep You should fully familiarize yourself with the terms of your the furnace dry and prevent corrosion. warranty soon after you move into your home. With all the Registers help regulate the flow of air and maintain the desired excitement surrounding a move into a new home, most people have temperature in your home. Keeping registers closed in rooms you little desire to curl up in front of the fireplace and read a legal don’t use will save on cooling/heating costs. document. Nonetheless, you should not wait to read your warranty Using heat generating appliances in the evening and reducing the until a problem arises. Set aside an hour to learn what your rights number of lights on will help keep the temperature down and save and responsibilities are from the outset. on costs during the summer. Plumbing Every member of your family should know where the intake valves are located. Label each one. If any of your appliances develops a leak, inspect your drain trap. A partially clogged drain can cause overflow. Use a plunger or a plumber’s snake to unclog the drain. If you need to, use boiling water to help unclog a partially opened drain. Call a plumber if these techniques don’t work. A worn washer, a loose part in a faucet or steam in a hot water pipe generally causes a noisy pipe. Do not hesitate to repair the noise because vibrations can follow the noise and lead to leaks.

68 ] Denver Information Guide SECURITY

Each year more than six million residential burglaries occur Computer Security throughout the United States. That’s one every ten seconds! In Computer security is the process of preventing unauthorized use addition to the worry of home burglaries, we now also need to of your computer. concern ourselves with computer hackers and personal identity • Use of anti-virus software on all Internet-connected computers. theft. Listed below are some things that you can do to reduce your Be sure to keep your anti-virus software up-to-date. chances of becoming a victim. • Use of some type of firewall product, such as a network Home Security Checklist appliance or a personal firewall software package. • Have home security system professionally installed that offers a • Turn off your computer or disconnect its Ethernet interface when 24 hour monitoring system. Make sure to post the home system you are not using it. An intruder cannot attack your computer if it stickers and window decals: this should alert and deter would be is powered off or otherwise completely disconnected from the intruders. network. • Never stop mail or newspaper deliveries, it signals that you are • Use software backup tools if available, and store the backup away. Have a neighbor pick up all deliveries if possible. disks somewhere away from the computer. • When recording your answering machine message, do not state Identity Theft that you are not home or out of town. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal • When leaving for an extended period, put lights and stereo information without your permission to commit fraud or other /television on a timer to give the appearance that someone is crimes. While you can’t entirely control whether you will become a home. victim, there are steps you can take to minimize your risk. Exterior/Interior Security • Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal • Replace all locks immediately upon moving into your new home information before you discard them. and install deadbolts on all outside doors. • Protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your Social • Secure your sliding glass doors with pins to prevent all horizontal Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number and vertical movement. Also install security film over the glass on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use panes for additional protection. another identifier. • Remember to lock all doors and windows. • Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the • Provide remote panic buttons for children and/or elderly mail, or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing residents. with. • Never keep garage door openers in cars that are parked outside • Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a of your home. web address you know. Keep Your Valuables Safe • Don’t use an obvious password like your birth date, your • Keep your important papers, heirloom jewelry and large amounts mother’s maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social of cash in a safe deposit box. Security number. • Engrave your valuables with your social security number or drivers license number. • Store jewelry, firearms, furs and like in a small closet with a non- hinged solid core door that has a deadbolt. • When purchasing new electronic equipment, breakdown cartons before discarding them. This way you avoid advertising your new purchase to the entire neighborhood and drive-by observers.

Denver Information Guide [ 69 HOMEBUYER’S GLOSSARY

As you start shopping for a new home, you may encounter some Contingency Condition that must be met before a contract is unfamiliar words and terms. The following glossary will help get you binding. through the maze of buying a home. Convertibility Ability to change a loan from an adjustable rate Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) Loan with an interest rate schedule to a fixed-rate schedule. adjusted according to movements in the financial market. Many Covenant Agreement between seller and buyer on a piece of offer lower-than-market initial interest rates that rise only gradually property, restricting the use of that property. (Also called deed for the first few years. restriction.) Annual Percentage Rate (APR) Annual cost of credit over the life of Deed Legal document representing property ownership. a loan including interest, service charges, points, loan fees, Default When a borrower fails to make the required payments of mortgage insurance and other items. a mortgage contract. Appraisal Unbiased, professional opinion of a property’s value Density The number of homes built on a particular acre of land. based on its style and appearance, construction quality, usefulness Allowable densities are determined by local jurisdictions. and the value of comparable properties. Debt-To-Income Ratio Long-Term debt expenses as a percentage Assessment Tax levied on a property or a value placed on the of monthly income; used by lenders to qualify borrowers for worth of a property by a taxing authority. mortgage loans. Assumption Transaction allowing a buyer to assume responsibility Due-on-Sale Clause in a mortgage contract requiring the borrower for an existing loan instead of getting a new loan. to pay the entire outstanding balance upon sale or transfer of the Broker (Real Estate) Person who receives a commission or fee for property. bringing buyer and seller together and assisting in the negotiation of Earnest Money Sum paid to the seller to show that a potential contracts between them. A license is required in most states. purchaser is serious about buying. Building Code Local regulations controlling design, construction Easement Right-of-Way granted to a person or company and materials used in construction. Building Codes are based on authorizing access to the owner’s land. For example, a utility safety and health standards. company may be granted easement to install pipes or wires. An Buydown Subsidy, usually paid by a builder or developer, to reduce owner may voluntarily grant an easement or can be ordered to grant the monthly payments on a mortgage loan. one by a local jurisdiction. Buyer’s Agent A real estate agent who represents only the buyer Equity Difference between the value of a home and what is owed in a real estate transaction. on it. Callback Request by a homeowner for a builder to handle a service Escrow Handling of funds or documents by a third party on behalf request. of the buyer and/or seller. Cap Limit to the amount an interest rate or monthly payment can Escrow Amount Amount set up by a lender into which periodic, increase for an adjustable-rate loan either during an adjustment usually monthly, payments for taxes, hazard insurance, period or over the life of the loan. assessments and mortgage insurance premiums are made. Funds Certificate of Occupancy Document from an official agency stating are held in trust by the lender who pays the sums as they become the property meets the requirements of local codes, ordinances and due. regulations. Fair Market Value Price at which property is transferred between Chain of Title History of all documents transferring title to a parcel willing buyer and willing seller, each of whom has reasonable of real property, starting with the earliest existing document and knowledge of all pertinent facts and neither being under compulsion ending with the most recent. to buy or sell. Change Order Homebuyer’s written authorization to add, delete or Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Federal agency that insures change an item specified in a contract. mortgages with lower down payment requirements than Closing Meeting to sign documents that transfer from a seller to a conventional loans. buyer. (Also referred to as settlement.) Fixed-Rate Mortgage Mortgage with an interest rate that remains Closing Costs Charges paid at settlement for obtaining a mortgage constant over the life of the loan. loan and transferring a real estate title. Hazard Insurance Protection against damage caused by fire, wind Commission Agent’s fee for negotiating a real estate or loan storms or other common hazards. Many lenders require borrowers transaction, often expressed as the percentage of the sales price or to carry it in an amount at least to the mortgage. mortgage amount. HVAC Common building industry abbreviation for heating, Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions (CC and Rs) Standards that ventilation and air conditioning systems. define how a property may be used and the protections the Index Interest rate or adjustment standard that determines the developer makes for the benefit of all owners in a subdivision. changes in monthly payments for an adjustable-rate loan.

70 ] Denver Information Guide HOMEBUYER’S GLOSSARY

Infrastructure Public facilities and services needed to support PITI Principal, interest, taxes and insurance: the four major residential development, including highways, bridges, schools and components of monthly housing payments. sewer and water systems. Point One-Time charge assessed by the lender at closing to Inspection Examination of work completed on a structure to increase the interest yield on a mortgage loan. determine compliance with building code and other code Presettlement Walk-Through Final inspection of house prior to requirements. closing, conducted by builder and buyer. Joint Tenancy Form of ownership in which the tenants own a Principal Amount borrowed, excluding interest and other charges. property equally. If one dies, the other automatically inherits the Property Survey Survey to determine the boundaries of a piece of entire property. property. Cost depends on the complexity of the survey. Loan Origination Fee Lender will charge a fee for the cost of Recording Fee Charge for recording the transfer of a property, paid processing the loan, usually calculated as a percentage of the loan to a city, county or other appropriate branch of government. amount. Specifications Contractual document describing in detail the work Loan-To-Value-Ratio Relationship between the amount of a home to be performed; method of construction; standards of loan and the total value of a property. workmanship; quality, type and manufacturer of materials and Lock-In Rate Commitment from a lender to make a loan at a pre- equipment for a particular project. set interest rate at some future date, usually for not more than 90 Tenancy in Common Form of ownership in which the tenants own days. A fee may be charged to “lock-in” a rate. separate but equal parts. To inherit the property, a surviving tenant Mortgage Commitment Formal written communication by a lender would either have to be mentioned in the will or, in the absence of agreeing to make a mortgage loan on a specific property, specifying a will, be eligible through state inheritance laws. the loan amount, length of time and conditions. Title Evidence, usually in the form of a certificate or deed, of a Mortgage Origination Fee Charge for the work involved in preparing person’s legal right to ownership of a property. and servicing a mortgage application. Title Insurance Insurance against any title defects that may exist Permit Document issued by a local government agency allowing prior to the time the title is passed from one owner to the next, and construction work to be performed in conformance with local which may come to light in a future transaction. codes. Work may not commence until permits have been obtained, Veterans Administration (VA) Federal agency that insures mortgage and each permit issuing agency must inspect the work at certain loans with very liberal down payment requirements for honorably specified points during construction. discharged veterans and their surviving spouses.

Denver Information Guide [ 71 TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR ENERGY COSTS

The cost of cooling your house continues to rise . There are a • Close doors to rooms that are not being used. number of ways you can save a significant amount of money on • Run full loads in your washer and dryer, and use “solar drying” your energy bills. In fact, it’s possible to save up to 25 percent on (clotheslines). your power bill by using the following tips. While your results might • Use energy saver option on your dishwasher, allowing dishes to vary, you’re guaranteed to find at least a few ways to save money. air dry. The idea behind all our advice, and in fact our entire conservation • If you A/C unit is on the ground, keep the area around it clean and effort, is to give you the information you need to make the right free of obstructions to maintain air flow. decisions. • Unplug your televisions/VCR when you’re on vacation. Most new These simple steps don’t cost a thing, but can potentially save sets draw power even when they’re turned off. you 10-25% on your monthly energy bill. • Keep lights and lighting fixtures clean, especially if you’re • Turn off lights and appliances when not in use. Don’t forget your reducing the number of lights you use. Dirt absorbs light. Let computer - it can use as much energy as a refrigerator. Most new lights cool before cleaning them and never touch halogen bulbs computers have “sleep” settings. with your bare hands. The oil from your skin can greatly damage • In the cold months, set the thermostat to 68 degrees when the bulbs. Use a small piece of paper to hold the bulb. home, and then back to 58 degrees when sleeping or when you • If your dishwasher has a filter clean it. are not home more than four hours. • Clean the reflectors underneath the burners on stovetops. • In warm months, set the thermostat to 78-80 degrees when home and 5 to 10 degrees warmer at night or when you’re not There are plenty of low cost, easy to do projects or steps you can home. do to save another 10-25% on your energy bill. • Do not turn your air conditioning off in the hot months when • Use compact fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent ones. you’re not home. Your house will store up the heat and you’re This will typically save $1 per bulb changed out (for bulbs running likely to make the air conditioning run for hours to feel 4-6 hours per day) and reduce heat in your home. Regular bulbs comfortable. use most of the electricity to generate heat so use care when • In the winter, open window coverings on the sunny side of your changing bulbs. home to take advantage of “free heat from the sun” Close the • Caulk windows and caulk and weather-strip doors. Keep the coverings on cloudy days or right after the sun sets. outside air out and the inside air in. • In the cooling season, close blinds and drapes during the day to • Install a hot water heater blanket but be careful not to cover vents keep heat out. or temperature settings. • Also, use your dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, and cook • Install hot water pipe insulation. Do keep the insulation at least six as late in the evening as possible. inches away from the flue (exhaust pipe) of gas water heaters. • Barbecue outside if practical, keeping in mind the heat and effect • Plant trees and shrubs on the south and west side of your of sun on your body. By reducing the heat coming into your home residence. The vegetation acts as insulation and provides from any source, will reduce the load on your air conditioning. shading, reducing thermal gain in a building. • Use pool trippers to reduce the time your swimming pool pump • Fix leaky faucets Install low flow showerheads. runs on—eight to twelve hours a day is plenty in the summer • Use room fans to keep the air moving and reduce the feeling of months, less in the winter months. heat in your home. • Set your water heater to 120 degrees. • Replace furnace and air conditioner filters. Spray the filters with a • Vacuum your refrigerator coils (underneath and in the back) and light coating of lemon furniture polish or vegetable oil cooking don’t obstruct the coils. They need air space to work. spray to help trap dirt in the filter. • Keep the seals (gaskets) on refrigerators and freezers clean. • Check the seals on your refrigerator and freezer. • Keep your freezer as full as possible. You can place containers or • Replace normal thermostats with programmable thermostats. plastic bottles filled with water in the empty spaces. • Make sure food is cool and covered before it goes into the refrigerator.

72 ] Denver Information Guide WHO’S WHO IN BUILDING

Architect Lender Building design professional who has completed all required The financial institution that provides construction loan financing university training in architecture and passed state licensing exams; during construction and permanent financing for the home buyer initials A.I.A. and F.A.I.A. indicate membership in a professional after the home is built and there is a property settlement, referred to organization, but not licensed status. in our area as closing. Most lenders make what is referred to as Builder or General Contractor “end loans” which is the loan made to the buyer of a new home, and The buck stops with him or her in construction projects. The others make both the “end loan” and “construction loan financing” general contractor secures bids for all work and materials; hires, which provides funds to pay for costs incurred during construction. coordinates and oversees subcontractors; files for permits and Owner Builder arranges for inspections; and generally makes the final decisions in An individual or family who finances and manages a home all construction-related matters. building project (usually with the assistance of a builder or general Building Inspector contractor who is hired to manage all or a particular phase of the One or more local officials who oversee and regulate every phase construction of the home) with the intention of retaining ownership of residential construction. Regulations vary widely. In most states and residing in the home after completion. area home construction meets standards contained in the Uniform Subcontractor Building Code. In addition, applicable provisions of the Uniform Fire A specialist who undertakes responsibility for one phase or trade & Plumbing/Mechanical & Electrical codes are enforced. Typically, within the project and reports to the general contractor. In a typical permits are issued and inspections are made at key stages of home building project, subcontractors generally include: an construction by County and City building code enforcement excavation contractor who digs foundations and grades the site; a departments. masonry contractor who handles all concrete, block, brickwork and Building Designer paving; a framing contractor who constructs the shell and interior Generally unlicensed professionals (license not required for partitions; a roofing contractor; a heating, ventilation and air- practice) who, by experience, are competent to design homes, conditioning (HVAC) contractor; a plumbing contractor; an electrical prepare drawings and write specifications; they often work in contractor; drywall installers; insulation contractors; finish association with licensed architects. carpenters who generally handle wood flooring, trim work, and Construction Manager/Foreman cabinet installation; and a painting contractor. The general contractor’s right-hand man. A construction Surveyor manager can be on site when the general contractor is not. A professional with the training and equipment to establish or Design/Build Firms verify property lines. The surveyor also plots and marks the An organization that provides both architectural planning and topography of the site, which is crucial in preparing the site plan. He general contracting services, and offers a different approach to the or she may also be employed to stake out the building site, setting conventional arrangement in which the designer and builder are reference marks for foundation excavation, establishing grades for separate entities. roads or driveways and marking the locations for a septic system Interior Designer and water well, if necessary. Specialist in decoration and furnishing; special training and Title Insurance Company licensing not required. Initials A.S.I.D. following individual’s name The entity that conducts a comprehensive search of the public indicate membership in a professional association, for which records to make sure that the title received by a buyer of a new training and passing tests are required. home is “free and clear of any liens and encumbrances”. This Kitchen /Bath Designer assures the issuance of a clear or “merchant able” title in favor of Specialist in designing these rooms; initials C.K.D. and C.B.D. the buyer of a new home at the closing of the sale of the property. indicate certification by a professional association, for which training and passing tests are required. License is not required for practice. Landscape Architect Specialist in landscape and garden planning; primary concerns include site selection, grading, access, drainage and protection of existing plant material. License required for practice.

Denver Information Guide [ 73 SELECTING A BUILDER

Are you shopping for a new home? Start by shopping for a Service After the Sale and Home Warranty professional builder first. Whether you are buying a townhouse, a While you are shopping, ask about the builder’s service after the detached home in a subdivision, or a custom-built house, the sale. Most builders offer some form of warranty. Many builders back construction quality of your new home will be determined by the their own warranties on workmanship and materials, typically for quality of your builder. one year. Other builders offer warranties backed by an insurance Start your builder-search process by calling your local home program. One of the most important criteria for selecting a builder builders association. They can give you the names of reputable is the warranty protection provided on the home. Ask for a copy of builders in your area. Ask friends and relatives about builders they the builder’s warranty. Read the document thoroughly and be sure have dealt with directly, or ask them for the names of acquaintances you understand what protection is provided. If you have any who have recently built a new home. questions about the coverage, talk to the builder prior to finalizing The Interview Process your purchase. Once you have developed a list of builders who are building the Be Thorough type and price range of home you are interested in, research their When selecting a builder, be thorough and ask a lot of questions. reputations and the quality of their work. The best way is to visit Get as many specifics as possible. If you receive the answers homes that they have built and talk to the owners. Ask the builders verbally, take notes. Never hesitate to ask a question because you on your list for the addresses of their recently completed houses, are afraid of sounding “stupid” or uninformed. What seems like a subdivisions, or townhouse communities. At the very least, drive by “stupid” question may yield a very important answer. and see if the homes are visually appealing. Buying a new home is probably the biggest and most important Look at homes that are the same style as you plan to buy. A good purchase you will make in your lifetime. By doing your new “home” time to visit is on a weekend morning when people are outside work to select a builder, you will instill in yourself and your family a doing chores. Introduce yourself and explain that you are sense of confidence and knowledge that you have made the right considering buying a home from the same builder who built their choice. home. If you have additional questions about selecting a builder, contact Ask about their satisfaction with the home and whether the your area’s Builders Association. Ask for a builder list that identifies builder delivered what was promised in a timely manner. Ask if they the price categories and subdivisions in which they build. Be sure to would buy another home from this builder. People will generally tell tour the Parade of Homes in the Fall and Spring. It is an excellent you if they are happy with their purchase. way to get familiar with the housing market in this area as well as Quality and Value individual builder’s products. When examining a home, look at the quality of the construction features: the cabinetry, carpeting, trim work, and paint. In viewing a home, you must determine whether it lends itself to the type of lifestyle you want to lead. Look at the amount of interior living space and how efficiently the space is used. Find out if the builder is incorporating state-of-the-art energy efficiency features, both in appliances and insulation.

74 ] Denver Information Guide SELECTING A CONTRACTOR

Every year hundreds of families are taken advantage of by 8. Make sure all required permits are secured and inspections are disreputable individuals or companies who represent themselves to made.The contractor should be expected to secure all necessary be reliable, reputable contractors. If you are planning to hire permits. Beware of contractors who want you to secure the someone to repair or make improvements to your property there are permit as the property owner. It is permissible to do so, but it is safeguards you can take to assure the best selection of a contractor very unusual that a reputable contractor will ask you to do this. for you. 9. Make sure you have a written contract with the contractor that Consider the Following details: 1. Hire only licensed contractors. Contractors are required to be a. A full description of all work to be done. licensed to do certain types of work. When selecting a contractor b. A firm date of completion you should make sure the contractor holds a current, valid c. Total cost of the job. license either issued by your city. d. Contractors license number. 2. All contractors do not possess the same expertise.Ask for e. All warranty information. references and check those references to assure yourself that f. Quality of materials to be used. the contractor is qualified to do the type of work you are wanting g. How and on what basis payments are to be made. done. h. How changes and payment for changes will be handled. 3. Check business references. Ask the contractor for a list of 10. Make sure complete architectural drawings are done and business references that you can call and verify that the agreed upon if you are having a room addition added, or relationships with suppliers and subcontractors are good ones extensive remodeling done. Be certain that detailed material and that the contractor pays his bills. specifications are also provided and made a part of the contract 4. Call the Better Business Bureau to find out if there are any you sign. complaints or charges pending against the contractor. 11. Monitor the work being done in accordance with the 5. Call local trade associations for information about selecting a contractual agreement with the contractor. If you have contractor. questions about what is being done or problems with the 6. Ask for proof from the contractor that he has general liability contractor, either ask questions or confront the problem head insurance and workers compensation insurance in order to on when it occurs in order to minimize any conflict and reach a protect you, as the property owner, against any claim in the event satisfactory resolve as quickly as possible. the contractor, his employees, or someone else is injured as a 12. Final payment should not be made until you are satisfied that result of work being done on your property. the job has been completed in accordance with the terms of the 7. Make sure the contractor you are contracting with will be contractual agreement between you and the contractor. personally involved in coordinating the work to be done on your property. “A house is made of walls and beams; A home is built with love and dreams.” - Author unknown

Denver Information Guide [ 75 BANKING & MORTGAGE INFORMATION

Is Your Bank Meeting Your Current Financial Needs? What Will You Do? This page offers a guide to choosing the right bank for your The fist question to ask yourself is what you want to do with your needs, and offers some ideas for starting your checklist. bank account. Do you want to put money in there periodically and With banks offering an increasing number of financial services at watch it grow? Will you move money in and out quickly? You need widely varying fees, choosing one to handle your particular financial to know what your banking behavior will be like in order to find the needs can seem like a difficult and confusing task. Although there right bank. is much to consider, it is best to select a bank the same way you Next, get an idea of how you prefer to do your banking. If your would choose any product or service—first evaluate your needs schedule doesn’t work with most bank schedules, the best bank and then compare costs. You should also consider what is most might just be the one that’s open at convenient times. important to you in a banking relationship. Do you want to develop Free checking accounts get a lot of hype. They get people in the a personal, long-term customer relationship with a bank? Do you door. However, free may not always be the best thing for you. If you travel frequently and need access to branch offices while you are value certain services or conveniences, you may be willing to pay for out of town? If you prefer to do your banking by telephone or online, them. Once you get ahold of fee schedules from competing banks, you'll want to explore the types of electronic services each bank has consider if it’s really going to bother you to pay a few bucks each to offer. Once you have identified your needs, evaluating and month for that “gotta have it” feature or service. Maybe it is, maybe comparing the services and fees is a much simpler task. it isn’t. But you have to do your research, because not all banks offer At first glance, fees might make you favor debit cards in the debit free checking, and if they do, they won’t always tell you about that vs credit competition. The worst fee you'll find in a typical debit card option unless you ask. is a POS fee — charged when you use your debit card at a retailer So go online or make a few phone calls. Find out if the bank has using PIN number. While the tide is shifting away from banks a lot of ATM locations. It doesn’t do you any good to have free charging these fees, they're still around. More importantly, there are checking if you have to spend $2 a pop to use another bank’s ATM more factors than fees to the debit vs credit debate. because you bank only has one branch and it is all the way across Hidden fees are becoming increasingly popular in the banking town. industry. If you're not careful, you might end up wasting significant You may be eligible because of where you live or what type of job amounts of money each year on things that can be easily avoided. you have to join a credit union. Many people like credit unions One place that's full of hidden fees is the ATM. While it is an easy because they offer a lot of free services (like maybe free Money way of obtaining your money quickly and efficiently, ATMs are Orders). But keep in mind that credit unions are often few and far notorious for their service charges. You can end up being charged between, so you may end up with the ATM surcharge problem. every time you use the ATM, if you're not careful. Some banks will charge extra fees if you do not meet certain requirements or do your banking with them. Banks can even charge you to check your balance at the ATM. It depends on the bank. You need to understand the terms of your bank and find the best plan for you. You can check balances, transfer funds and pay bills, all from the comfort and convenience of your home or office computer. Internet banking may also have a price. Depending on the bank, you may have to pay a service charge for this service. It also may not be available at all banks.

76 ] Denver Information Guide BANKING & MORTGAGE INFORMATION

You may have a difficult time deciding which type of home feature was designed to provide housing and assistance for mortgage is the best for your needs. The world of home finance veterans and their families, and the dream of home ownership offers so many variables and options that it’s often hard to keep became a reality for millions of veterans. VA will guarantee a them straight. The following may help you better understand the maximum of 25 percent of a home loan amount up to $104,250, differences and find a home loan that’s right for you. which limits the maximum loan amount to $417,000. Generally, the Fixed-Rate Mortgages are very popular because the interest rate reasonable value of the property or the purchase price, whichever and monthly payments are constant. Fixed loans are generally is less, plus the funding fee may be borrowed. All veterans must amortized over ten, fifteen, twenty or thirty years. Property taxes qualify, for they are not automatically eligible for the program. and homeowners insurance may increase, but generally your Interest-Only Mortgage is really an interest-only option that works monthly payments will be very stable. During the early amortization with various mortgage types. This option has regular payments, period, a large percentage of the monthly payment is used for typically monthly, for a fixed period of time; however, payments paying the interest. As the loan is paid down, more of the monthly consist of one hundred percent interest. No principal is paid during payment is applied to principal. A typical 30 year fixed rate the interest-only period. When that period ends, the borrower is mortgage takes 22.5 years of level payments to pay half of the obligated to make payments of principal and interest. Because the original loan amount. You may also opt for “biweekly” mortgages, time remaining in the loan term to repay the principal is shorter than which shorten the loan by making a payment every two weeks. it would have been, payments will adjust upward, sometimes (Since there are 52 weeks in a year, you make 26 payments, or 13 substantially. The appeal of interest-only payments is savings. When “months” worth, every year.) principal is not being paid, monthly payments are dramatically Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) is a loan which allows for the lower. On the risk side is potential for loss. If the need to sell arises adjustment of its interest rate according to the terms of the note and and the property value has stayed flat or declined, a borrower might as market interest rates change. With this type of mortgage loan be in a position where the mortgage loan balance is higher than the program the interest rate and payments may be adjusted as market value of the property. frequently as every month. The purpose of the program is to allow Balloon Mortgage Loan generally has a short term, commonly mortgage interest rates to fluctuate with market conditions. The anywhere from 3-7 years. During that term, borrowers make regular initial interest rate for an ARM is usually lower than that of a fixed equal payments of principal – the amount of money borrowed – plus rate mortgage, where the interest rate remains the same during the interest. At the end of the loan term, a “balloon” payment is due for life of the loan. A lower rate means lower payments, which might the entire loan balance. Options for handling the balloon payment help you qualify for a larger loan. Also if you do not plan to keep your include paying off the balance when due or refinancing before the home for more than a few years, the possibility of rate increases payment comes due. Balloon mortgages are usually offered at isn’t as much of a factor. But no one has a crystal ball to predict the lower interest rates than other fixed-rate loans. In addition, fluctuation of interest rates, so it is somewhat of a gamble. payments are calculated using a period longer than the term of the FHA Mortgage Loan is insured by the Federal Housing loan. As a result, balloon loans offer affordability for short-term Administration. FHA is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and circumstances. Borrowers do need to plan ahead so they are not Urban Development (HUD), one of its chief purposes is to help caught unprepared when the balloon payment is due. people obtain financing to buy their homes. The FHA doesn’t make Choosing a type of mortgage is not the only decision you must the loans, but insures loans made by banks, savings and loans, face. Several other criteria are listed below. mortgage companies, credit unions and other approved institutions. Hybrid Mortgage combines features of both fixed-rate and FHA does not originate loans. FHA insures the mortgage and pays adjustable-rate mortgages. A hybrid mortgage loan may start with the lender if the homebuyer defaults on the loan, or fails to repay the a rate that is fixed for a period of time. When that fixed-rate period loan. Almost anyone who has a satisfactory credit record, enough expires, the loan then converts to an ARM. The initial rate for a cash to close the loan, and sufficient steady income to make hybrid mortgage loan is typically lower than prevailing fixed rates. monthly mortgage payments can be approved for an FHA-insured The lower rate enables more buying power up front. On the risk side mortgage. There is no upper age limit and no certain income level is the uncertainty of how high interest rates will be when the fixed- required, although individual mortgage amounts are limited by law. rate period expires. VA Mortgage Loan is similar to the FHA mortgage. The U.S. Lending Institution are used When you’re looking for a home loan, Department of Veterans Affairs guarantees loans made by you might work with an officer at a bank or other lending institution, institutional lenders to eligible veterans. The guarantee helps protect or you might choose to work with a mortgage broker. The loan the lender in the event of the borrower’s default. The VA Loan was officers at a bank, credit union or other lending institution are initiated in 1944 through the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, more employees who work to sell and process mortgages originated by commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights. The GI Bill was signed into their employer. They often have a wide variety of loans types to law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and provided veterans with draw from, but all originate from that specific lender. a federally guaranteed home loan with no down payment. This continued on page 78

Denver Information Guide [ 77 BANKING & MORTGAGE INFORMATION

Mortgage Brokers are professionals who are paid a fee to bring Appreciation is the increase in the property’s value, either by together lenders and borrowers. The mortgage broker working to improvement in the market or improvements made by the owner. secure your loan is earning a fee for that transaction—and the Balloon Mortgage is a loan that acts like a fixed rate but is due in better deal they achieve for a lender, the more they are paid. Don’t three, five or ten years. At that point you must pay the outstanding be too anxious to disclose the interest rate you would be willing to balance in one lump sum. accept, let them tell you what terms they can secure. Shop around Buydown is the process of buying a lower interest rate by paying to make sure the terms are reasonable. more points at closing. There should be little difference between obtaining a loan from a Conventional Mortgage is a loan that is under $ 240,000 and meets broker or a local lending institution. Maybe none, but you should be Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac standards, the largest purchasers of aware of the differences between the two positions. A mortgage home mortgages on the secondary market. broker may find you a lender in another part of the country. The loan Convertible Mortgage is an ARM with the option to convert to a office will likely be able to offer more personal service while your loan fixed rate mortgage as specified in the contract. is being processed and once you are an established customer. FHA Loans are issued by FHA approved lenders. The FHA insures Discount Points are fees paid to a lender at closing in order to its loans so that borrowers can get them with only 3 to 5% down lower your mortgage interest rate. While buying points is sometimes payment. The FHA has certain criteria to qualify for these loans. a good decision, many times the purchase costs you more than it Fixed-rate Mortgages are self amortizing loans with a constant rate saves. The cost of each point is equal to one percent of the loan of interest. These loans are commonly for 10, 15. 20 or 30 year amount. For instance, for a $100,000 loan one discount point periods. equals $1,000. Each discount point paid on a 30-year loan typically lowers the interest rate by 0.125 percent. That means a 5.5 percent Interest Rate is what the lender charges for the use of their money. rate would be lowered to 5.375 percent if you purchase one point. Expressed as an annual percentage of the amount borrowed before Paying for points lowers your interest rate, because the lender financing expenses. receives the income in a lump sum at closing rather than collecting Initial Interest Rate is what lenders charge on an ARM until the first the interest as you make payments on your loan. Whether or not adjustment is made. This rate is usually much lower than fixed rate paying points makes sense for you depends in part on how long mortgages. you plan to keep the loan. Jumbo Mortgages are loans greater than $ 227,150 with an interest rate that is a quarter percentage higher than conventional Helpful Mortgage Terms loans. Adjustable Rate Mortgage is a loan with a rate that adjusts to Lifetime Cap is the same as an annual cap except there is limit on market conditions. The rate of adjustment will be stated in the how high the interest rate can increase over the entire life of the contract. mortgage. Adjustment Index is a guide lenders use to change ARM interest Loan Commitment is a promise by the lender to provide the agreed rates during the life of a mortgage. The specific index to which your amount of money stated on the mortgage to close on a home. The ARM is tied to will be listed in the mortgage contract. commitment also states the interest rate, term of loan, and usually Annual Cap is a limit on how high the interest rate on an ARM can expires within 60 days. rise in a single year. Annual caps are specified in the better ARM Loan Servicing is the institution that handles the administrative programs. processing of your loan such as billing and collecting payments. Annual Percentage Rate Equals the true cost of a loan including Loan-to-Value Ratio is the proportional relationship of the financing charges and fees. mortgage loan to the value of a home, expressed as a percentage. Amortization is the process that reduces the amount owned in a loan. It can be made in a lump sum or periodic installments. Appraisal Value is estimating the property’s worth which is based on comparable properties. Appraisals that are completed by certified professionals, and are used by lenders to verify the home’s value and justify the mortgage commitment.

78 ] Denver Information Guide BANKING & MORTGAGE INFORMATION

Mortgage Calculator You can obtain your property taxes from the local township office How much do you qualify for based on typical lender and you can contact your insurance agent for homeowner rates. requirements? Generally, the lender will require that your monthly Now, while shopping for your mortgage, you probably have payments not exceed 28% of your gross monthly income. Lets take discovered the current interest rate. Use the chart below; find the a look at how a lender would typically determine your ability to meet column, which applies to that rate. Follow the number down until monthly house payments. you find the number that is closest to your principal and interest First, determine your gross monthly income from all sources. payment. To the left of that you will find the loan amount for which Then multiply that amount by 28% to determine an approximate you probably qualify. If you intend to apply for a 90% loan, divide the allowable monthly payment. This payment includes principal, loan amount by .90 to calculate the price of the house that would interest, taxes and insurance. From this amount subtract taxes and require this monthly payment. insurance to arrive at your allowable principal and interest payment.

The example below illustrates this procedure: Gross Monthly Income $2,500 X 28% = $700 Less: Monthly Taxes & Insurance (100) = $600 12% Interest Rate for 30 years for $600= $60,000 $60,000/.90 (Loan to Value) =$66,667 = Estimated Maximum Home Price For Qualification

$ 5% 5.5% 6% 6.5% 7% 7.5% 8% 8.5% 9%

100,000 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 150,000 750 825 900 975 1050 1125 1200 1275 1350 200,000 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 250,000 1250 1375 1500 1625 1750 1875 2000 2125 2250 300,000 1500 1650 1800 1950 2100 2250 2400 2550 2700 350,000 1750 1925 2100 2275 2450 2625 2800 2975 3150 400,000 2000 2200 2400 2600 2800 3000 3200 3400 3600 450,000 2250 2475 2700 2925 3150 3375 3600 3825 4050 500,000 2500 2750 3000 3250 3500 3750 4000 4250 4500 550,000 2750 3025 3300 3575 3850 4125 4400 4675 4950 600,000 3000 3300 3600 3900 4200 4500 4800 5100 5400 650,000 3250 3575 3900 4225 4550 4875 5200 5525 5850

700,000 3500 3850 4200 4550 4900 5250 5600 5950 6300 750,000 3750 4125 4500 4875 5250 5625 6000 6375 6750 800,000 4000 4400 4800 5200 5600 6000 6400 6800 7200 850,000 4250 4675 5100 5525 5950 6375 6800 7225 7650 900,000 4500 4950 5400 5850 6300 6750 7200 7650 8100 950,000 4750 5225 5700 6175 6650 7125 7600 8075 8550 1,000,000 5000 5500 6000 6500 7000 7500 8000 8500 9000

Denver Information Guide [ 79 AIRLINES EDUCATION

Airlines professionals and small to mid-sized locations throughout the Denver businesses, we are dedicated to providing metropolitan area, Boulder and the Vail American Airlines an exceptional level of personalized Valley. Focused on meeting the needs of Reservations call (800) 433-7300 attention combined with a sophisticated professionals and small to mid-sized Flights at your fingertips. For passenger menu of financial services. Please visit any businesses, we are dedicated to providing reservations and information call us or your of our banks or contact us for information an exceptional level of personalized travel agent. on how we can serve your banking needs. attention combined with a sophisticated Continental Airlines Colorado Business Bank menu of financial services. Please visit any Reservations call (800) 523-3273 2409 W. Main Street of our banks or contact us for information Want to be treated with respect, fly the Littleton, CO 80120 on how we can serve your banking needs. safe and courteous skies with Continental (303) 734-1757 Colorado Business Bank Airlines. Colorado Business Bank is a full-service 2550 Broadway United Airlines commercial banking institution with Boulder, CO 80302 Reservations call (800) 241-6522 locations throughout the Denver (303) 413-6000 Serving more of the nations top 100 metropolitan area, Boulder and the Vail Colorado Business Bank is a full-service business centers than any other airline. Valley. Focused on meeting the needs of commercial banking institution with Small package dispatch, same-day airport professionals and small to mid-sized locations throughout the Denver to airport. businesses, we are dedicated to providing metropolitan area, Boulder and the Vail an exceptional level of personalized Valley. Focused on meeting the needs of Banks/Financial attention combined with a sophisticated professionals and small to mid-sized Colorado Business Bank menu of financial services. Please visit any businesses, we are dedicated to providing 821 17th Street of our banks or contact us for information an exceptional level of personalized Denver, CO 80202 on how we can serve your banking needs. attention combined with a sophisticated (303) 293-2265 Colorado Business Bank menu of financial services. Please visit any Colorado Business Bank is a full-service 8400 E. Prentice Avenue, Suite 150 of our banks or contact us for information commercial banking institution with Greenwood Village, CO 80111 on how we can serve your banking needs. locations throughout the Denver (303) 312-0634 Car/Truck Rental metropolitan area, Boulder and the Vail Colorado Business Bank is a full-service Valley. Focused on meeting the needs of commercial banking institution with Avis Rent a Car professionals and small to mid-sized locations throughout the Denver Reservations call (800) 331-1212 businesses, we are dedicated to providing metropolitan area, Boulder and the Vail Offers low-mileage quality maintained an exceptional level of personalized Valley. Focused on meeting the needs of GM and other cars. Computerized for fast attention combined with a sophisticated professionals and small to mid-sized service & low rates for day, week or long menu of financial services. Please visit any businesses, we are dedicated to providing term mini lease. of our banks or contact us for information an exceptional level of personalized Budget Rent a Car on how we can serve your banking needs. attention combined with a sophisticated Worldwide Reservations (800) 527-0700 Colorado Business Bank menu of financial services. Please visit any Right now, Budget has great rates on 1275 Tremont Place of our banks or contact us for information equally great cars. So don’t let them pass Denver, CO 80204 on how we can serve your banking needs. you by. For your local or one-way rental (303) 893-5501 Colorado Business Bank choose from Budget’s World Class Fleet at Colorado Business Bank is a full-service 15710 West Colfax Avenue the airport or in your neighborhood. commercial banking institution with Golden, CO 80401 Budget Rent a Truck locations throughout the Denver (303) 293-2265 Worldwide Reservations (800) 527-0700 metropolitan area, Boulder and the Vail Colorado Business Bank is a full-service Right now, Budget has great rates on Valley. Focused on meeting the needs of commercial banking institution with equally great trucks. So don’t let them professionals and small to mid-sized locations throughout the Denver pass you by. businesses, we are dedicated to providing metropolitan area, Boulder and the Vail Hertz Car Rental an exceptional level of personalized Valley. Focused on meeting the needs of Reservations call (800) 654-3131 attention combined with a sophisticated professionals and small to mid-sized Still The biggest, still the best. Biggest menu of financial services. Please visit any businesses, we are dedicated to providing Selection of low mileage cars. Customer of our banks or contact us for information an exceptional level of personalized service is the most important thing we do.. on how we can serve your banking needs. attention combined with a sophisticated Colorado Business Bank menu of financial services. Please visit any Education PreK-5 101 W. Mineral Avenue of our banks or contact us for information Boulder Montessori School Littleton, CO 80120 on how we can serve your banking needs. 3300 REDSTONE ROAD (303) 292-1555 Colorado Business Bank Boulder, CO Colorado Business Bank is a full-service 2025 Pearl Street (303) 494-5814 commercial banking institution with Boulder, CO 80302 Boulder Montessori School exists to locations throughout the Denver (303) 413-6000 enhance the development of adolescents’ metropolitan area, Boulder and the Vail Colorado Business Bank is a full-service and young adults’ academic skills by Valley. Focused on meeting the needs of commercial banking institution with providing state of the art educational

80 ] Denver Information Guide EDUCATION HOME BUILDERS/DEVELOPERS materials and services; by providing and the community as witnesses to the program will emphasize the skills and opportunity, skill and recognition for Gospel of Christ. concepts that today’s corporations students and their communitities; by using demand. We work with business leaders to modern technologies effectively and Education 6-12 ensure that your degree is relevant to the personally. Florida Air Academy skills employers seek, so any path you choose can expand your career potential. Education K-12 1950 South Academy Drive Melbourne, FL 32901 Our faculty members have industry Colorado Rocky Mountain School (321) 723-3211 experience, providing you with practical, 1493 County Road 106 www.flair.com advanced learning. Small class sizes mean Carbondale, CO 81623 At Florida Air Academy, Cadets at have they can collaborate with you as they (970) 963-2562 or (970) 963-9865 the opportunity to get a first-rate education teach, and they may even provide [email protected] geared to the learning styles of young men networking opportunities. As a Keller CRMS educates students inside and and make friends from around the world. student, you can acquire the advanced out. Within our balance program of The school accepts young men in grades knowledge you need to gain your college-preparatory academics, arts, 6 through 12. The Academy boasts a 16- professional edge. community service and athletics, students student average class size and college Keller offers you the opportunity to learn not only how to succeed in college, prep curriculum taught by accredited staff, customize your MBA with 15 distinct but also how to master lifelong skills. Class many with advanced degrees. Cadets at concentrations including accounting, sizes are small, which enables teachers to Florida Air Academy receive leadership electronic commerce management, general engage each student in the class to training and an emphasis on community management, health services, HR, IT, participate in discussion, debate and service. Other programs include an international business, marketing, and hands-on learning experiences. Course excellent sports program, extensive more, so your degree program fits your offerings are extensive in the core computer curriculum and optional flight career goals. You can choose any electives disciplines of math, science, English, training and SCUBA certification. for which you meet the prerequisites, foreign language and history. An array of Florida Air Academy is located on including a robust range of course Advanced Placement courses are also Florida’s Space Coast and is fully offerings. Our convenient, high-quality offered to students. accredited. Contact our Admissions education is offered onsite, online, or a combination of both, to help you balance Education PreK-8 department for more information on Fall, Spring, and Summer enrollments. For work, life and school. A Keller graduate Cottage School additional Information contact: Donna admissions advisor can assist you with any 805 30th Stratford Director of Communication admissions requirements and specific Denver, CO (321) 723-3211, Ext. 30028 course selections to meet your educational (303) 449-4380 and career goals. Cottage School will strive to improve in Education 9-12 Home Builders/Developers an effort to create a positive, safe learning J.K. Mullen High School environment where students are preparing 3601 S. Lowell Blvd. Berkeley Homes to contribute in a global community with Denver, CO 80236 Commerce City, CO 80022 knowledge, pride, respect, and integrity. (303) 761-1764 (303) 286-9955 Montessori School of Aurora Mullen is a private Catholic high school, www.LiveBerkeley.com 16981 E QUINCY a Lasallian school in the tradition of the Berkeley Homes, Colorado’s Hometown Aurora, CO Christian Brothers of St. John Baptist de Builder, is an award-winning leader with (303) 617-0611 La Salle, and is part of a network of nearly more than 20 years of experience building Montessori School of Aurora graduates 70,000 Lasallian educators serving over quality single-family homes in some of students with a strong sense of self-worth, 800,000 students in 80 countries around Denver’s most desirable communities. At a life-long passion for learning, and who, the world. Our Lasalian tradition means Berkeley Homes, you’ll get a home you through their energy and example, that we foster your spiritual, intellectual, love in a community you enjoy, and at a contribute positively to the world around social, and physical growth through a deal you won’t be able to turn down. We them. dynamic and God-centered process that offer flexible floor plans and incredible creates strong relationships between you standard features like gourmet kitchens Education K-8 and your teachers. with slab-granite countertops, air conditioning, full basements, 10-foot St. John’s the Baptist Education Graduate School 350 Emery Street volume ceilings, decorative wrought-iron Longmont, CO 80501 Greenwood Village Center stair railings, five-piece master baths with (303) 776-8760 San Francisco Center Jacuzzi soaking tubs and oversized two- St. John the Baptist Catholic School is 6312 S. Fiddlers Green Cr. Suite 150E car garages. called by faith to proclaim the Risen Christ Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Take advantage of close out pricing at through the lives and experience of its (303) 329-3000 The Village at Centennial. Priced from the parents, students and staff. It is committed www.devry.edu/keller low $400s, The Village is located within the to providing faith, academic, and social At DeVry University’s Keller Graduate acclaimed Cherry Creek School District experiences to prepare its students to be School of Management, our Master of and is minutes from the Denver Tech life-long learners and leaders in the church Business Administration (MBA) degree Center, I-25 corridor and popular

Denver Information Guide [ 81 HOME BUILDERS/DEVELOPERS NATIONWIDE TRAVEL shopping, recreation and entertainment Taylor Morrison Denver Division character, something that has made us a venues. 1420 West Canal Court, Suite 170 household name among homebuyers Discover Southlawn Park at Reunion, Littleton, CO 80120 looking for quality homes in character-filled Denver’s jewel of the north. With homes (303) 798-3500 neighborhoods along Colorado's Front competitively priced from the mid $200s, www.TaylorMorrison.com Range. More than 200 years of combined Southlawn Park is perfect for young Moving Supplies couples or growing families looking for experience and tradition are a part of every large lots in a master-planned community Taylor Morrison community, making the Dial-A-Box near downtown Denver. company’s legacy one of innovation, White Plains and The Bronx, NY Visit our outstanding collection of homes customer satisfaction and design TOLL FREE: (866) 4-DIAL-A-BOX / on premium lots – ready for immediate excellence. Taylor Morrison boasts (866) 434-2522 delivery or dirt starts – by visiting numerous awards from J.D. Power and www.dial-a-box.com www.LiveBerkeley.com. Associates, consistent top 5 finishes in customer satisfaction surveys and a Nationwide Travel Cuttermill Custom Homes Builder Magazine Hall of Fame induction, Bellagio The Resort Denver, CO 80237 reflecting the company’s commitment to 3600 Las Vegas Blvd South (303) 972-2255 excellence. Las Vegas, NV 89109 A full service custom home builder (702) 693-7223 specializing in log and custom timber Tesoro Homes Englewood, CO 80112 Experience a world unto itself at “the framed homes. Build your dream home most romantic hotel in the world.” today. We believe in personal service, we (303) 766-0999 • AAA Five Diamond Award winning resort. work on the details and you oversee the Sit back and relax while we build your process. Call today to get started! new home. The quality, affordability, • Nine world-renowned restaurants liveability and unsurpassed value will be including Aqua, Prime, and AAA Five Genesee Company, Inc. evident. Diamond Award-winner Picasso. Lone Tree, CO 80124 Sattler Homes • “O” by Cirque du Soleil, an extraordinary (303) 754-0600 fusion of water, dance and aerobics. For more than two decades buyers have Greenwood Village, CO 80111 put their trust in us. We’ve worked hard to (303) 771-5995 • Via Bellagio- a collection of the worlds earn that trust, constantly striving to build It is said our lives are shaped by our most sophisticated boutiques from superior quality homes in exceptional experiences, and the road we choose is Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Tiffany, and communities. All of us at Genesee take determined by the places we’ve been. This Hermes. pride in delivering the very best homes to is particularly true for Tom Sattler, Owner • The Conservatory and Botanical Gardens every new homeowner and work together and President of Sattler Homes, Inc. A charms guests with its natural beauty. as a team to make sure that happens. We third-generation home builder, building • Dancing Fountains cavort on an eight homes is second nature to Tom. Starting listen to our buyers and build homes to acre lake. suit the evolving needs of today’s families. his building career at a young age has given him years of hands-on construction Fairmont Hotels The bottom line is, we pay attention to the Toll Free (800) 527-4727 details. training, complimented with experience in new home design, sales, residential www.Fairmont.com Lennar Homes orhoods along Colorado’s Front Range. Boston, Las Vegas, Dallas, New 9990 Park Meadows Drive, Suite 300 Orleans, New York, San Francisco & San Wonderland Homes Lone Tree CO 80124-6739 Jose America’s Grand Hotels since 1907. (303) 754-0600 8601 Turnpike Drive, Suite 106 Westminster, CO 80031 Hilton Hotels www.lennar.com Worldwide Reservations Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is (303) 604-0004 www.WonderlandHomes.com Toll Free (800) 845-8667 headquartered in Miami, Florida and is one www.Hilton.com of the nation’s leading builders of quality What makes a neighborhood? Exchanging gardening tips over the fence, Hilton Hotels, Resorts, Suites, Hilton homes for all generations. Lennar builds Garden Inn, Conrad International Hotel. affordable, move-up and retirement homes chatting about the weather while walking in Communities that cater to almost any the dog, sitting on the porch while the MGM Grand lifestyle – such as urban, golf course, neighborhood kids play together in the 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South Active Adult or suburban Communities. park. Las Vegas, NV 89109 Lennar builds homes in 19 different states Since 1966, Wonderland Homes has (702) 891-1111 in some of the finest markets in the nation been building those porches, sidewalks, Searching for non-stop action and including Colorado. From your initial visit to fences, and backyards... along with the pulse-pounding excitement? “The City of Lennar.com or one of our Lennar Welcome homes that fit your individual needs and Entertainment” awaits your arrival. Home Centers, to your first day of home blend with existing neighborhoods. We • La Femme-the sensual French sensation ownership and beyond – it is our pledge to make sure our neighborhoods are direct from the original Crazy Horse in be there every step of the way in the convenient to business centers, shopping, Paris. purchase of your new home. and good schools - everything you could • Tabu - The ultra hip lounge designed to dream of right in your own community. stimulate and arouse your senses. Our award-winning designs include an • Live the nightclub lifestyle at studio 54sm. attention to detail that adds a world of

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• Sixteen masterpiece restaurants including Pan Pacific Resort Hotels pool, but also high-speed internet service, celebrated chef Tom Colicchio’s Worldwide Reservations a minimum of 55 cable TV channels, trash Craftsteak and Michelle Mina’s NOBHILL. Toll Free (800) 327-8585 and recycling services, and…well, it’s a • The king of the jungle overlooks the Lion Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts. North long list. Habitat. America, Japan, Southeast Asia. Banning Lewis Ranch Management • The Grand Garden Arena and Hollywood Treasure Island Company, LLC is the master developer of Theatre feature top name entertainment. 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. South Banning Lewis Ranch, not a Guest Builder. The consumer should look to the Guest Mirage Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV 89109 Builders for more information regarding 3400 Las Vegas Blvd South (702) 792-5627 homes. Pricing subject to change without Las Vegas, NV 89109 Enjoy the adventure and romance of this notice. (702) 791-7111 engaging resort filled with new-world Immerse yourself in this tropical South amenities. Crossing at Riverdale Sea oasis filled with luxury and excitement! • AAA Four Diamond Award® winning 13011 Trenton Pl • Experience the elegance and resort. Thornton, CO 80602 sophistication of our newly redesigned • World-famous pyrotechnic sea battle (303) 255-1719 guest rooms. between the pirate ship, Hispaniola, and www.TaylorMorrison.com Located in Thornton, Colorado, just 10 • Dive into interconnected lagoon and the British frigate, H.M.S. Britania in the miles north of downtown Denver, this thundering waterfalls at the new Mirage middle of the Buccaneer Bay. community offers more than you can pool. • Mystere by Cirque du Soleil, a imagine. The Crossing at Riverdale II • Ten international restaurants including mesmerizing mix of powerful acrobatics, circus skills and dance. includes walking trails, green belts. “tot AAA Five-Diamond award winner Renoir. lots” and mountain views! A community • Eight exciting dining options including • Exotic White Tigers, Lions and a family of park nearby Riverdale offers athletic fields, Kahunaville and Buccaneer Bay Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins in Seigfried outdoor swimming pools, a dog park, large Restaurant-fine dining overlooking the and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin skate park and future recreation center. explosive battle in Buccaneer Bay. Habitat. Riverdale sits conveniently near the • A fire-erupting volcano sparkling lagoons • A beautifully appointed wedding chapel. intersection of 128th and Holly Street, and tumbling waterfalls. • A tropical pool area and lavish spa and offering shops, restaurants and many other • Dive into interconnected lagoon and salon. community features. Easy access to thundering waterfalls at the new Mirage New Home Developments Highway 85, E-470, I-76 and I-25 allow for pool. fast commute times. A trip to downtown Banning Lewis Ranch Denver takes only 20 minutes! New York-New York 6885 Vista del Pico Boulevard Erie Commons 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. South Colorado Springs, CO 80927 Las Vegas, NV 89109 513 Powers Street (719) 522-2432 Erie, CO 80516 (702) 740-6969 www.BLRColoradoSprings.com The best of New York City meets the (303) 828-0707 Of all the places you could be looking www.TaylorMorrison.com best of Las Vegas in one exciting location. for a new home, you’re considering the Be a part of it. Located just 25 miles north of Denver, master planned community of Banning Erie is the new Colorado Front Range - • ESPN ZONE sports-themed dining and Lewis Ranch. And that’s a good thing. entertainment. vibrant, diverse, and one of the most Because the more you look, the more we buzzed about exurbs in the western United • Live performances nightly from the think you’ll agree – it’s a pretty special States. Outdoor buffs, young professionals, Award-winning comedy of Rita Rudner. place. growing families and active seniors are • The thrilling Manhattan Express Roller From the start, we wanted Banning drawn to the expansive mountain views, Coaster. Lewis Ranch to feel like home. That’s why scenic trails, and over 300 days of • COYOTE UGLY Bar and Dance saloon you’ll find things like tree-lined streets and sunshine per year. residents at Erie and the Dueling Pianos at the Bar at open cross-buck fences. A new Commons not only enjoy expansive Times Square. community center complete with pool, mountain views and an abundance of open • New York City’s original Gallaghers kids’ splash play area, tennis courts and space, but a community park that features Steakhouse. ball fields. Banning Lewis Ranch Academy, an outdoor swimming pool, climbing wall, a public K-8 charter school. And beautiful • Be the toast of the town in the Big apple spray water park, picnic pavilion, BBQ grills new homes, base priced from the low Bar with live entertainment nightly in “The and Spine Trail system that winds $200,000s, in a variety of architectural Greatest City in Las Vegas.” throughout the community for hiking and styles. All interconnected by a network of cycling. • ZUMANITY, Another side of Cirque du trails and footpaths. It’s the kind of place Estates at Erie Soleil, the creative climax of sexuality, you just don’t find much anymore. humanity and art. 525 Powers Street All homes also include pure Fiber to the Erie, CO 80516 Home (FTTH) connectivity and for only $86 (303) 828-4082 a month, your homeowner fee not only www.TaylorMorrison.com gets you access to the community rec Located just 25 miles north of Denver, center, tennis courts and a Jr. Olympic Erie is the new Colorado Front Range -

Denver Information Guide [ 83 NEW HOME DEVELOPMENTS NEW HOME DEVELOPMENTS vibrant, diverse, and one of the most buzzed about exurbs in the western United States. Outdoor buffs, young professionals, growing families and active seniors are drawn to the expansive mountain views, scenic trails, and over 300 days of sunshine per year. Taylor Morrison has been building in this exciting growing community for over three years and we have been proud to be part of the Erie community year after year. We offer buyers a variety of homes from two popular collections at Erie Commons. When you buy a new Taylor Morrison home, you select the finishes and upgrades that make it uniquely yours from our Design Studio. We make it easy, too, because you order everything you want from one convenient location. Homestead Hills 4571 E. 136th Place Thornton, CO 80602 (303) 255-5550 www.TaylorMorrison.com Homestead Hills is located in the growing suburb of Thornton North of Denver. The community is located off of 136th Avenue and Colorado Blvd. that has direct access to Interstate 25. Within walking distance of Homestead Hills you will find a brand new shopping center with a grocery store, Starbucks, Wal-greens, day car center and several other shops and restaurants. The community is also located a couple miles east of a brand new outdoor shopping center that includes many new big box retailers, shops, restaurants and an exciting town like atmosphere.

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