Denver, CO




I was visiting a couple friends in Colorado this October. It'd been many years since I last been to the state, and I had never been to Denver before. It was a much cooler city than Albuquerque, and this is definitely not Phoenix weather. The downtown area of the city is very compact, and public transport is used extensively here. The public roads are very narrow, and free parking can be very difficult and out of the way to find. The area was definitely not planned with cars in mind.

Overall, I didn't feel much of a connection to this city. Downtown Denver is a mixed bag of multiple sit-down restaurants and various retail shops that are just a couple blocks away from crowded parks filled with homeless people and drugs on the sidewalk. The concentration of homeless was most apparent near the Capital building and downtown library; it seemed very unfortunate that the situation was this prevalent in the city. A couple blocks north where the shops and restaurants were, reminded me of a more urbanized Scottsdale Quarter area in Phoenix, or the many other more urbanized outdoor shopping malls and areas in the Phoenix metro area, and I didn't find it too particularly notable, but rather comparable to compact localized parts of the valley (but colder). Perhaps there was just something I was missing. I might go back to Colorado sometime soon to explore the other places in the state, but I don't think I'd go back to Denver right away. I think I may stick to the metro area if I find myself back.

Location: Denver, CO, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Central Phoenix

Image
Central Phoenix, off Central Ave and Camelback. 2018. This was taken in the Uptown Plaza shopping center in the evening. The center is anchored by AJ's Fine Foods, a local Arizona grocery chain focusing on gourmet foods, and various restaurants and a few small shops. It's a nice small spot to pick up some groceries or to grab a lunch or evening bite.
Read more

Albuquerque, NM

Image
While driving through New Mexico this October, I stopped along Albuquerque and walked around the downtown area during a cool morning. The weather was warm and sunny, but a light cool breeze; this city was definitely cooler than Phoenix or Tucson, but didn't seem like it'd get as cold as Flagstaff or Denver. The overall vibe of the downtown area reminded of Tucson; the buildings and downtown structure just felt similar to me. It was odd to note, however, that the streets and sidewalks seemed very quiet for a city that seemed this large; it seemed like a excellent place to read a book in the local park or coffee shop. I'd definitely like to stop again once more to get a more thorough look at the area. 
Read more

Scottsdale, AZ

Image
Along Scottsdale Road near Kierland Commons/Scottsdale Quarter. 2018 This is a pretty bustling area that seems to be growing in popularity and urbanization. I'll visit the area every so often and find new shops, restaurants, and buildings popping up. The area is in the border area of north Scottsdale and northwest Phoenix, along Scottsdale Road near the Scottsdale Airport. Two outdoor malls, Scottsdale Quarter and Kierland Commons, sit across the street from each other, and connected via crosswalk along Scottsdale Rd. The Kierland Resort and Promenade (another outdoor mall) are also close by, along with various other hotels, restaurants, and businesses. It's great place to grab a happy hour bite or dinner with friends or family, and to walk around in the cooler evenings.
Read more