Ask a Local About Denver, Colorado

If food is your thing, Denver will find your sweet spot. The first place locals say you have to try, to get a sense of Old Denver, is the historic steakhouse saloon, Buckhorn Exchange, which serves local fare for the adventurous, including Rocky Mountain Oysters, buffalo, yak, rattlesnake and ostrich. Then there’s City, O' City, an all-day favorite for vegetarians. At City, O’ City, you’ll find not only hippie stables like seitan wings and tempeh bacon, but meat-free takes on classic comfort foods like poutine and chicken and waffles (made with bourbon-brined chicken-fried cauliflower, of course). There’s even a full-service cocktail bar, because nobody said vegetarians can’t have fun. 

Head to RiNo, the industrial warehouse and auto body area formerly known as River North, to find the city’s most exciting art spaces, maker spaces, indie fashion houses, and graffiti-adorned alleyways. Hit openings at RedLine, a nonprofit contemporary art center that is the soul of the neighborhood, or buy some hand-crafted bell bottoms and gemstone jewelry at Meraki Moon. And then make your way to The Source, a hotel where locals like to hang and where you’ll find a collection of artful restaurants, shops, and a brewery under one roof.

A former mortuary might not seem like a sought-after place to spend your afternoon. But Linger Eatuary is beloved by locals, who crowd this LoHi—or Lower Highlands neighborhood—hot spot. As if Linger’s past life as a funeral parlor wasn’t novel enough, the restaurant hoisted a 1975 RV onto its roof. The retro recreational vehicle functions as the patio’s kitchen and bar, where it serves eclectic, internationally-inspired small plates. Try the Wagyu sliders or a gluten-free Korean barbecue taco.

Denver’s Old West vibe extends to a music scene rooted in the city’s Gold Rush-era reputation as an entertainment town—a place to come to spend your gold earnings on vaudeville and burlesque. In recent years, many of the historic theatres from Denver’s early days—places like the Ogden (built in 1919), the Bluebird (1913), and the Gothic (1929)—have been reborn as live music venues. Of course, no venue is more beloved than Red Rocks, the legendary amphitheater where you can see “the most amazing bands in the world” perform in what the venue claims is the only naturally-occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater on earth.

Pop up into Denver’s many diverse neighborhoods and cruise back down around the mural-covered banks of Cherry Creek with a ride along this gorgeous 42-mile trail. Rent a bike and cruise down the Cherry Creek Trail, checking out local spots like the Denver Skatepark, the largest free skatepark in the country, Tattered Cover Bookstore and the historic Denver Union Station, which hosts a local producers' farmers market on summer Saturdays. Or grab a kayak at Confluence Park, where Cherry Creek meets South Platte River, and paddle your way through the heart of the city. After all, not every capital has rapids running through it.