5280 Magazine April 2023

50 Things Every Colorado Kid Must Do!

Total Joint Surgery

Pete Deol, DO Orthopedic Surgeon

William J. Peace, MD Orthopedic Surgeon

David Schneider, MD Orthopedic Surgeon

Jared Foran, MD Orthopedic Surgeon

DINE OUT. GIVE

Visit

ALL COLORADO LOCATIONS

Little India Restaurant & BarCentral Park

Stanley Beer Hall

Wahoo’s Fish Taco - Northfield

CHERRY CREEK/GLENDALE

Kachina Cantina

Machete Tequila + Tacos -

Union Station

Mercantile Dining and Provision

The Nickel

Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox

NORTH METRO

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - Brighton

Asti D’Italia

Beau Jo’s Colorado Style PizzaFort Collins

AURORA

Anthony’s Pizza & PastaIliff & Buckley

Sam’s No. 3 Diner - Aurora

BOULDER AREA

Beau Jo’s Colorado Style PizzaLongmont

Blackbelly

Santo

Southern Sun Pub & Brewery

Wahoo’s Fish Taco

CAPITOL HILL/CENTRAL

3 Kilts Tavern

Cuba Cuba Cafe & Bar

Lil’ Coffea Shop - 6th Ave

Little India Restaurant & Bar6th Ave

Logan Street Restaurant & Bar

Shells and Sauce

Table 6

Uno Mas Taqueria - 6th Ave

Wild Corgi Pub

CENTRAL PARK

Anthony’s Pizza & PastaCentral Park

Cuba Cuba SandwicheriaNorthfield

Barolo Grill

The Cherry Cricket - Cherry Creek

Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria - Glendale

Derecho

Jax Fish House - Glendale

Machete Tequila + TacosCherry Creek

Sam’s No. 3 Diner - Glendale

Wahoo’s Fish TacoColorado Blvd

COLORADO SPRINGS

3.14 Pi Bar

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta

Bingo Burger - Colorado Springs and Pueblo

The Carter Payne

Chef Bob’s Lobstah Trap

Jax Fish House - Colorado Springs

La Burla Bee

DOWNTOWN

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - Ballpark

The Capital Grille

Carmine’s on McGregor Square

The Cherry Cricket - Ballpark

The Cherry Tomato Citizen Rail

D’Corazon

EDGE Bar

Jax Fish House - LoDo

The OG

Panzano

The Rally Bar

Rhein Haus Denver

Rioja

Sam’s No. 3 Diner - Downtown

Stoic & Genuine

Tamayo

Ultreia

Wally’s Wisconsin Tavern

EAST COLFAX

Bastien’s Restaurant

Machete Tequila + Tacos - Colfax

EAST DENVER

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta7th & Colorado

Anthony’s Pizza & PastaDartmouth

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta -

Gateway Park

Cake Crumbs Bakery & Cafe

Green Valley Ranch Beer Garden

India’s Restaurant

Inga’s Alpine Tavern

Lowry Beer Garden

Lucina | Eatery & Bar

Monaco Inn Restaurant

Prodigy Coffeehouse

The Post Chicken and BeerFort Collins

Wahoo’s Fish Taco - Longmont

NORTHWEST DENVER/ HIGHLANDS

Ash’Kara

Bamboo Sushi

Cart-Driver - LoHi

El Camino Community Tavern

El Five Linger

Little India Restaurant & BarHighlands PARISI

The Post Chicken and BeerHighlands

Root Down

Señor Bear

Vital Root

RINO/FIVE POINTS

Cart-Driver - RiNo

Hop Alley

Osaka Ramen

Prodigy Coffeehouse - Globeville

Rosenberg’s Bagels & DelicatessenFive Points

The Woods

SOUTH BROADWAY

Blue Bonnet Restaurant

Donating $1 for every Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktail sold on April 27

One lucky diner will win a $2,000 gift card from King Soopers

BACK.

Colore Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

Imperial Chinese Restaurant

Kaos Pizzeria

The Post Chicken and Beer - Rosedale

Taste of Thailand

SOUTH METRO/DTC

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - Castle Rock

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - DTC

Burger Theory - Holiday Inn & Suites DTC

Cranelli’s Italian Restaurant

Cuba Cuba - Castle Rock

Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria - DTC

La Fogata Mexican Restaurant - DTC

Uncorked Kitchen and Wine Bar

Sahara Restaurant

Wahoo’s Fish Taco - DTC

SOUTHEAST METRO

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - Parker

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - Smoky Hill

LuBo’s NY Pizza

SOUTHWEST METRO

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta -

Highlands Ranch

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - Littleton

Café Terracotta

Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria -

Highlands Ranch

Palenque Cocina y Agaveria

Piccino Wood Oven Pizza

Romano’s Italian Restaurant

Sazza Pizza + Salads

The South Restaurant

Wahoo’s Fish Taco - Littleton

UPTOWN

Ace Eat Serve

Apple Blossom

Can’t dine out April 27?

Donate online to provide medically tailored meals to neighbors in need.

Coperta

Hamburger Mary’s Denver

Stueben’s Food Service

WASH PARK/DU

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - DU

Carmine’s on Penn

La Fogata Mexican RestaurantEvans

Lil’ Coffea Shop - Downing St.

Little India Restaurant & Bar - DU

Que Bueno Suerte!

Uno Mas Taqueria - S. Pearl

WEST METRO/MOUNTAINS

240 Union Restaurant

Anthony’s Pizza & PastaAlameda & Simms

Anthony’s Pizza & PastaEvergreen

Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta - Golden

Beau Jo’s Colorado Style PizzaArvada

Beau Jo’s Colorado Style PizzaEvergreen

Beau Jo’s Colorado Style PizzaIdaho Springs

Beau Jo’s Colorado Style PizzaSteamboat Springs

Edgewater Beer Garden

Moose Hill Cantina

School House Kitchen & Libations

Teller’s Tap Room

Wahoo’s Fish Taco - Lakewood

= Donating 25% of food and bar sales!

List as of February 20 Visit DiningOutForLifeCO.org for the most up-to-date list.

In 2023, Project Angel Heart will prepare and home-deliver 700,000 delicious, medically tailored meals to 5,000 Coloradans living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, kidney disease, and other severe illnesses. The meals are specifically created to support their health and improve their quality of life.

FEATURES

64

50 Things Every Colorado Kid Must Do!

With cultural experiences that range from world-class to delightfully weird and the recreation-rich Rockies just a Thule-adorned Subaru ride away, young Denverites have no excuse to sit at home behind screens.

BY JESSICA LARUSSO

74

Healthy, Wealthy & Wise

Venture capital money has filled Colorado startups’ coffers with billions of dollars. They’re using the windfall to create a smarter health care system.

BY SPENCER CAMPBELL

84

Spin The Black (Or Red Or Yellow Or Teal) Circle

Vinyl Me, Please, the Denver-based record-of-the-month club, will open its own record pressing plant in RiNo this year. We go inside the art and science of making LPs and how the new facility will complement a burgeoning music district in the Mile High City.

BY GEOFF VAN DYKE

Paul Miller

The smile on your dog’s face at the end of the day tells the story: “Every dog should be so lucky.”

COMPASS

19 CULTURE

From tags to halos, a local expert helps us decipher Denver’s street art.

22 EDUCATION

A new artificial intelligence is poised to change higher education forever. Are Colorado colleges ready?

24 STYLE

A new breed of outfitters is making denim outerwear built for adventuring, including on the slopes.

26 BOOKS

Philip Sidney Van Cise took on mobsters, con men, and the KKK. A new account finally tells his story.

EAT & DRINK

29 WHAT’S HOT Bodega Denver’s stacked masterpieces and inventive sides are worth a midday trip to Sunnyside.

30 REVIEW

Tom’s Starlight, which replaced the beloved Tom’s Diner this past fall, sheds its greasy spoon past for a swanky future.

BY ALLYSON REEDY

COLUMN

34 PROFILE

Why did a Boulderite named Wynn Bruce set himself on fire in Washington, D.C.?

BY CIARA O’ROURKE

BACKSTORY

124 PICK YOUR POISON

With a record 17 candidates poised to have their names on the Denver mayoral election ballot on April 4, there’s a better-than-normal chance that a write-in contender could take the crown. We’ll start the brainstorming.

from top left: Marvin Anani; Paul Miller; Sarah Banks; Sean Parsons; Courtesy of the Van Cise family

Illustration by Ruby Fresson

Personalized healthcare that always puts you first.

With nationally ranked providers, leading-edge medical advances and personalized, compassionate care across hundreds of specialties, we don’t just provide expert healthcare. We provide peace of mind in knowing you’ve chosen the right care team for all the right reasons. Because at CU Medicine, we CU as more than a patient.

We CU as our #1 priority. Find a provider near you at CUmedicine.us.

EDITOR

Lindsey B. King

ART DIRECTOR

David McKenna

DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Maren Horjus

EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR

Jessica LaRusso

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Robert Sanchez

FEATURES EDITOR

Spencer Campbell

SENIOR EDITOR

Nicholas Hunt FOOD EDITOR

Patricia Kaowthumrong

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Madi Skahill, Chris Walker

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Barbara Urzua

ASSISTANT FOOD EDITOR

Ethan Pan

RESEARCH EDITOR

Visvajit Sriramrajan

COPY EDITORS

Shannon Carroll, Dougald MacDonald

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kelly Bastone, Laura Beausire, Christine DeOrio, Clay Fong, Courtney Holden, Sarah Kuta, Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Jenny McCoy, Allyson Reedy, Meredith Sell, Daliah Singer, Martin J. Smith, Andy Stein

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Hen Carnell, Helen Xu

DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO EDITOR

Charli Ornett

DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR

Sean Parsons

DEPUTY PHOTO EDITOR

Sarah Banks

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Marvin Anani, Cheryl Chalmers, Ruby Fresson, Jones & Co., Paul Miller, Tomasz Woźniakowski

5280 PUBLISHING, INC.

CEO & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Daniel Brogan

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Geoff Van Dyke

1675 Larimer St., Suite 675, Denver, CO 80202 Tel 303-832-5280 | Fax 303-832-0470 | 5280.com

For subscription questions, please call 1-866-271-5280.

VICE PRESIDENT, BRAND STRATEGY

Carly Lambert

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Ari Ben

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Piniel Simegn

SENIOR ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

Molly Duran

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

Katie Duven, Heather Lowe, Angie Lund, Kara Noone

ADVERTISING & MARKETING COORDINATOR

Tamara Curry

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Grace Thomas

BRAND SERVICES

PRINT OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Megan Skolak

CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER

Chelsea Conrad

DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

Shundra Jackson

SENIOR GRAPHIC & UI DESIGNER

Caitlin Brooks

AUDIENCE GROWTH COORDINATOR

Greta Kotova

P RODUCTION COORDINATOR

Alyssa Chutka

DES IGN COORDINATOR

Mylie Hiraoka

NEWS STAND CONSULTANT

Alan Centofante

CIRCULATION CONSULTANTS

Meg Clark, Greg Wolfe

ADMINISTRATION

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

Derek Noyes

OFFICE MANAGER

Todd A. Black

BILLING & COLLECTIONS MANAGER

Jessica McHeard

COLORADO WATERSPORTS Summer Camps

Our camps include sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and more. Campers will get to try a little bit of everything. Our sailing, paddle, and combo camps ensure there is a camp for everyone. info@coloradowatersports.com coloradowatersports.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

A one-year subscription to 5280 costs $19.95 for 12 issues. A two-year subscription costs $34.95. Special corporate and group rates are available; call 303-832-5280 for details. To start a new subscription, to renew an existing subscription, or to change your address, visit 5280.com/subscribe; call 1-866-2715280 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday; or send an email to circulation@5280.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR & DINING GUIDE

Letters to the editor must include your name, address, and a daytime phone number (all of which can be withheld from publication upon request). Letters may be submitted via regular mail or email (letters@5280. com). To have a restaurant considered for our Dining Guide, contact us by phone or email (dining@5280.com) to receive a submission form. We also encourage you to contact us if your experience at a restaurant differs significantly from our listing. Information for these sections should be subm itted at least six weeks before the issue’s cover date.

WRITER’S GUIDELINES

Writer’s guidelines can be found online at 5280.com/writers-guidelines. To suggest a story idea, email us at news@5280.com.

ADVERTISING

5280 offers businesses the most costeffective way to reach Denver’s upscale consumers. Information about advertising is available on the web at 5280.com/ advertising. Call 303-832-5280 to request a printed media kit.

SPONSORSHIPS

5280 actively supports organizations that make our city a better place to live and work. Submit sponsorship proposals to Piniel Simegn, director of marketing, at sponsorship@5280.com.

Photo courtesy of SSPR Media

BEHIND THE STORIES

FROM THE EDITOR

A Perfect Match

In the world of journalism, writers are sometimes typecast. It’s not uncommon to hear things like, He’s into lyrical essay writing. Or, She likes the hard-hitting political stuff. Or, They love reporting on the food and beverage industry. And, maybe in opposition to how it works for the Hollywood set, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, at 5280, we find that when we can pair writers with topics that intrigue them, the stories are almost always the better for it.

Editorial director Geoff Van Dyke typically spends his days planning 5280’s Behind the Stories podcast, editing long-form narratives and feature packages, and helping me manage the daily operations of a monthly magazine. He doesn’t often get the chance to write his own pieces, but when a fellow staffer suggested he look into Vinyl Me, Please, a record-of-the-month club that has plans to open a record pressing plant in RiNo this year, his writerly curiosity was piqued. This was not a surprise: During the pandemic, Van Dyke picked up a vinyl habit, one that regularly sends him to Wax Trax Records, Angelo’s CDs & More, and Twist & Shout to thumb through the bins. When he finds a record he likes—by A Tribe Called Quest or Massive Attack or Bon Iver or the Smashing Pumpkins—he takes it home to his turntable, which he says provides an experience that streaming services simply can’t. “There’s just that tactile, intimate feeling of playing records,” Van Dyke says. “Honestly, it sounds kinda corny, but every time I drop the needle on an LP and get that little whoosh of sound before the music starts playing, I get butterflies in my stomach.”

The folks at Vinyl Me, Please, which has been in Colorado since around 2014, concur. But Van Dyke’s “Spin The Black (Or Red Or Yellow Or Teal) Circle,” found on page 84, isn’t a self-indulgent treatise on why vinyl trumps digital. (Although, news flash: It does.) Instead, it’s a trend piece, a business profile, and a cultural examination all rolled into one, penned by a writer who really cares about the subject matter.

LINDSEY B. KING

Email: lindsey@5280.com Twitter: @linzbking

Ethan Pan Assistant Food Editor

Pan, a former 5280 intern and a recent graduate of Brown University, joined the staff in November and moved to Denver from Philadelphia.

WORDS THAT MATTER

”I just wrote a digital story on atypical anorexia. The reception from people I know made me realize how much readers still value journalism for raising awareness.”

CULTURE SHOCK

”I love how every part of the metro is within a 30-minute drive, but I was surprised by the reckless drivers—and wreckful potholes.”

ON 5280.COM

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

We’re looking forward to more than the Rockies’ win-loss record this year: In our online season preview, find the home series, events, and giveaways we’re most pumped for as well as our staffers’ bold predictions. Plus, we highlight our favorite ballpark eats, watch bars, and, yes, parking options—all on 5280.com.

CORRECTION

In February’s “The More Things Change,” we reported that Larimer Square’s Cadillac Ranch was part of a chain; it was not. We regret the error.

Clockwise from top: Sarah Banks (2); River North Photography/Getty Images; Marcel ter Bekke/Getty Images

Spray

Deciphering

CoMPASS

Graffiti may look random, but there’s actually order in the chaos. Take this mural on Larimer Street, between 27th and 28th streets in RiNo. Originally painted by Patrick Kane McGregor during 2020’s CRUSH Walls festival, the piece included “hello” stickers and post office address slips for participants to sign. It has since become a two-story guestbook for everyone from famous artists to pen-packing bargoers. “It’s an unwritten thing,” says Jana Novak, co-owner of Denver Graffiti Tour. “If you come into town, you’re supposed to leave your tag here.” But far from being a simple cascade of colors, each spray has meaning—you just need a street art dictionary. Fortunately, we have one. —KELSEY

LINDSEY

Depending on whom you ask, there are two main types of street art: graffiti and muralism. “They used to be distinguished by their legality,” Novak says, with graffiti tending to be, well, illegal. But as graffiti has become more commercialized, it’s usually categorized by its text-based designs, while murals like McGregor’s typically feature people, animals, landscapes, and abstract creations.

There’s a hierarchy in graffiti based on time and effort. Tags are the easiest to pull off (and thus held in lower regard). Then come throw-ups, which depict the writer’s name in two-toned bubble letters (pictured) that are meant to be easily recognizable. At the top of the pyramid are pieces. Short for masterpieces, these labor-intensive works often use multiple colors, shading, and shadows to create a three-dimensional effect.

Chris Haven is known for dropping his Pyramid People (pictured) all over Denver, but when the artist Pin.Pusher started sprinkling his own similarly styled Voo Dudes around town, Haven didn’t get defensive. Instead, Haven invited his would-be rival into his collaborative graffiti crew, the Secret Skwad, a welcome outcome in a scene that can sometimes get violent.

A halo above a tag indicates that person has died. This one memorializes prominent Denver graffiti artist Doher, who was killed in a hit-and-run in 2016.

Layering your tag or throw-up on top of another’s is a sign of disrespect. “The thing about graffiti is that there are no rules and everything goes,” Novak says, “but there is some etiquette. There’s a battle going on here, between either different crews or people.”

6. A SPRAY IN THE FACE

3. HIGHER CALLING

2. NOM DE PLUME

Tags like these are one of the oldest and most common forms of graffiti. The simple, stylized signatures depicting the writers’ pseudonyms are quick to create, making it easier for taggers to evade detection and spread their brands.

4. MAKE ART, NOT WAR

5. IN MEMORIAM

1. LEGALESE

AT ALL COSTS

Four ways to save some green by going green, just in time for Earth Day.

—COURTNEY HOLDEN

REJECTS TO RICHES

Cha-Ching: $50

A(I) For Effort

A new artificial intelligence is poised to change higher ed forever. Are Colorado colleges ready?

When San Francisco–based startup OpenAI released ChatGPT in November, an existential chill spread through academia. Give the AIpowered chatbot a prompt—even one as esoteric as “Write an essay on the politics of 18th-century Italy”—and it will deliver a polished response in seconds. By January, the free text generator, which references more than 175 billion data points, had more than 100 million users and had passed exams at prestigious law and business schools, forcing Colorado academics to reckon with the cybernetic scribe’s role in the future of higher education.

“The initial reaction many people have to any kind of new technology is always, Oh, the computer is coming to get us,” says Peter Foltz, a University of Colorado Boulder professor and executive director of the Institute for Student-AI Teaming (ISAT), which researches how AI can benefit K–12 education. “I generally have a very positive view about the potential of AI for helping students and teachers.” That optimism stems, in part, from Foltz’s belief that the purpose of writing assignments shouldn’t be to get grades, but rather to gain knowledge. While ChatGPT can write a paper, it can also act as a research assistant, brainstorming partner, copy editor, and writing tutor.

Nikhil Krishnaswamy, an assistant professor of computer science at Colorado State University who specializes in human-machine communication and is a member of ISAT’s research team, isn’t so bullish: “I’ve been alarmed, at times, at how thoughtlessly [AI] has been adopted.” He agrees that systems like ChatGPT might help improve students’ work, but it’s a short trip from study buddy to ghostwriter. What’s also concerning is the chatbot’s propensity for, well, bullshitting. Although an excellent author, ChatGPT can’t tell truth from fiction, meaning it’s up to users to fact-check responses, which could require them to already understand the topic.

No one knows if Colorado students are submitting AI-generated homework because there’s currently no good way to detect such material. To complicate matters, the programs are only going to get more sophisticated. That’s why Matthew Hickey, a professor at CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences and board member of the school’s Center for Ethics and Human Rights, thinks outright bans won’t work. “Trying to compete with this technology is going to be a losing game,” he says. “We have to fold it into our educational landscape.”

Dumping your old fridge in a landfill can contribute to groundwater contamination and ozone depletion. Still need a reason to recycle that hunk of junk? Xcel Energy will pay you $50 to do so—and they’ll pick it up for free.

GET FLUSH

Cha-Ching: Up to $100

Denver Water will give residents as much as a Benjamin to replace their old commodes with WaterSense-certified toilets, which start around $100. And that doesn’t even take into account the $140 you can expect to save annually on your utility bills.

NO GAS, MORE CASH

Cha-Ching: $150

Gas-powered lawnmowers can produce as much air pollution in an hour as driving 100 miles does. That’s why the Regional Air Quality Council of Colorado will give you a $150 voucher for a new electric mower if you drop your old cutter off at an approved recycler.

GOLD INTO GREEN

Cha-Ching: $4,000 to $5,500

Hickey believes professors could accomplish this by reworking their curricula. That could include more group projects or requiring students to submit multiple drafts to show their work. For now, however, both CSU and CU Boulder point toward their honor codes, which forbid portraying another’s work or ideas as one’s own—it doesn’t matter whether the source is human or machine.

—NICHOLAS HUNT

According to Energy Sage, an online marketplace for solar energy installations, Denverites can expect to pay between $13,557 and $18,342 for solar panels. If the federal government’s 30 percent tax credit on the purchase isn’t enough to sway you, consider this: You earn credits on your utility bill whenever your system generates more energy than you use.

Anxiety is Nothing to Worry About with this Surprising Plant-Powered Tool

Plant-Powered

Bad news: 40 million Americans are affected by anxiety each year.

Good news: if you’re one of them, you may find relief in a new formulation from Colorado’s top cannabis edibles producer — Wana Optimals Quick Calm Gummies.

THINK OUTSIDE THE THC

Did you know that THC is only one compound of hundreds within the cannabis plant? And most won’t get you high at all!

The most famous of these, CBD, has been widely embraced for its anti-anxiety properties. 2 Another, lesser known cannabinoid called CBG has recently a racted a ention for its promising pain and stress-relieving effects. It’s even been observed to elevate the body’s levels of GABA, a calming neurotransmi er. 2,3

Together with 30+ other relaxing plant compounds — plus 50 milligrams of L-theanine, a soothing amino acid found in green tea — CBD and CBG form the plant-powered base of Quick Calm’s first-of-its-kind formulation.

Feel Better, Not High

Anxious feelings come at inconvenient times – like in the middle of a stressful workday. So, Quick Calm Gummies have been specifically formulated with primarily non-intoxicating ingredients.

To be clear, each serving does contain 1 milligram of THC, because low doses have been shown to work synergistically with compounds like CBG and CBD.4 Any amount of THC can cause intoxication, and you should exercise caution the first time you try Quick Calm Gummies. But a serving this small is unlikely to make even cannabis novices feel impaired.

In other words, Quick Calm Gummies are formulated to be taken anytime, anywhere — whenever you feel you need one.

1. Anxiety & Depression Association of America Harvard Medical School, 2007. National Comorbidity Survey (NCS). (2017, August 21). Retrieved from https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/index.php.

2. Russo, E. B., & Marcu, J. (2017). Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few Promising Leads. Advances in pharmacology (San Diego, Calif.), 80, 67–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apha.2017.03.004

3. Banerjee, S. P., Snyder, S. H., & Mechoulam, R. (1975). Cannabinoids: in uence on neurotransmitter uptake in rat brain synaptosomes. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, 194(1), 74–81.

4. Berrendero, F., & Maldonado, R. (2002). Involvement of the opioid system in the anxiolytic-like effects induced by Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol. Psychopharmacology, 163(1), 111–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-002-1144-9

RELIEF IN 5–15 MINUTES

Quick Calm Gummies aren’t a treatment for chronic, clinical anxiety. They’re meant to help with occasional spikes of acutely anxious feelings, like when you can’t slow your brain down before bed. That’s why it’s important they work fast. These gummies are powered by a fast-acting technology that encases each molecule in a water-soluble layer. Since your body already contains 70% water, this allows Quick Calm’s ingredients to be absorbed into your bloodstream faster and more efficiently... within 15 minutes, to be specific.

save 40% on your first purchase of Quick Calm.

NOT SO JERRY JEANS

It’s a closing day tradition at Colorado’s ski resorts to dress up like Jerrys, mountain town slang for inexperienced flatlanders (read: Texans) known to tuck their jeans into their ski boots and straightline it down every black diamond they see. But a new breed of outfitters is making denim outerwear built for adventuring, including on the slopes. Now you don’t have to wait until the end of the season to bust out your blues. —KL

SPORT DENIM

UNSTRUCTURED HAT

Pit Viper, $29

This acid-washed cap will make you the coolest Jerry at après, but it’s not just for show. Pit Viper’s lightweight, high-spandex sport denim makes for exceptionally breathable and soft headwear.

REGULATOR VEST

Ripton & Co., $79

The wind-resistant exterior on this retro number from Boulder’s Ripton & Co. will hold up against high-elevation weather, while the brushed, fleecelike lining keeps things cozy on the ski lift.

STAY DRY DENIM JACKET

Duer, $139

For a full Canadian tuxedo, replace your shell with this water-repellent jacket. Two roomy inside pockets are perfect for stashing goggles (or a lift beer), and the antimicrobial treatment neutralizes odors so your carpool won’t hate you.

EVOLUTION PANT 2.0

Western Rise, $128

The best quality of Vail-based Western Rise’s water-resistant britches may be their malleability—the Evolution Pant packs down smaller than a Nalgene to save space in your luggage.

IS CLEAR LENS EXCHANGE YOUR ANSWER TO A GLASSES FREE LIFE?

“I was told I’m not a candidate for LASIK.” ICON Eyecare’s Dr. Eva Kim tells us that’s what she hears from patients all the time. And she feels almost giddy when she gets to tell them that a lens based refractive surgery like Clear Lens Exchange could be the vision correction procedure to get them out of their glasses and contacts.

THE CLEAR LENS EXCHANGE procedure, also known as refractive lens exchange, is a lens-based surgical procedure that can correct refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness and presbyopia and eliminates the need for cataract surgery later in life.

The Clear Lens Exchange procedure follows the same process as cataract surgery—where the natural lens of the eye is removed and replaced with an advanced intraocular lens (IOL)—but with Clear Lens Exchange the lens is replaced before natural aging has the chance to make that natural lens cloudy, aka developing a cataract. While Clear Lens Exchange could be considered a preemptive cataract procedure, the vision correction results are much more immediate.

like LASIK can be a good option for some patients, it’s not the end-all, be-all in vision correction. Dr. Eva Kim, ICON Eyecare’s Front Range Medical Director, says that Clear Lens Exchange is another tool in the toolbox to maintain and improve eye health.

is the part of aging that makes you hold the restaurant menu or your phone a little further out so you can see it clearly—and the reason people over the age of 40 reach for reading glasses.

With the advancements in ocular lens technology, patients who opt for Clear Lens Exchange have a variety of choices when it comes to their IOLs. Depending on refractive error and the visual outcome the patient is aiming for, ICON Eyecare surgeons can match patient with one of their 6 advanced lens options, including the RxSight Light Adjustable Lenses, Clareon PanOptix and PanOptix Toric, Clareon Vivity and Vivity Toric, and ClearView 3.

Patients who have been told they aren’t a LASIK candidate for one reason or another still have options to eliminate their need for glasses, contacts, and even reading glasses. As a medical ophthalmology practice, ICON Eyecare offers several vision correction options, including Clear Lens Exchange, LASIK, PRK, and EVO ICL. ICON’s team of expert eye care providers can help you understand your options and put a customized care plan together to meet your needs.

Book a free Vision Correction consultation at ICON Eyecare and discover which vision correction procedure fits YOUR eye health and vision needs. • • •

When most people think about surgical vision correction, they immediately think of LASIK. And while laser vision correction

Dr. Kim understands the importance of matching a patient with the lens that will best fit their eye health and their lifestyle, “I make an effort to customize vision outcomes according to my patient’s daily activities and preferences. The careful selection of lenses, customized to their lifestyle, makes all the difference!”

“Clear Lens Exchange is somewhat of an under the radar procedure—many people don’t even know that this option exists, much less that they could be a candidate. When I tell them about Clear Lens Exchange, the first question they ask is— ‘How soon can we get started?’”

PRESBYOPIA

Dr. Eva Kim

In Due Time

Philip Sidney Van Cise took on mobsters, con men, and the KKK. A new book finally tells his story.

A century ago, the Ku Klux Klan ruled Denver. Hooded hordes paraded through downtown, crosses burned on South Table Mountain, and Klanaffiliated officials controlled the mayor’s office and police department, the governor’s office, and even a U.S. Senate seat.

For all the men the Klan added to its roster, however, it couldn’t recruit Denver’s then district attorney, Philip Sidney Van Cise. When carrots didn’t work, the group turned to threats, but even in the face of a burning cross in his front yard, a car chase with Klansmen on his tail, and rumors the group planned to castrate him, Van Cise wouldn’t let the KKK keep power. During his final year in office, in 1924, he initiated tax evasion and kidnapping cases against Colorado’s Grand Dragon and others. The indictments, built on the same surveillance and undercover techniques he’d used to bust a ring of con men in Denver years earlier, were eventually dismissed, but the scandal they created helped break the Klan’s standing in the state.

With that kind of resumé, you might think that Van Cise had been celebrated as Colorado’s Eliot Ness. However, he’d been largely forgotten until his name landed on Denver’s new jail in 2010. (Van Cise shares that honor with former Denver corrections director John Simonet.) The only other place you’d likely come across anything related to Van Cise is in old news articles in the Denver Public Library’s Western History Collection—which is exactly where Alan Prendergast, a reporter and Colorado College journalism professor, found out more about the former DA. The more articles Prendergast read, the more he asked himself: Why had this man been all but erased by history?

It took a lot more digging—including convincing Van Cise’s descendants to share the prosecutor’s diary, letters,

and speeches—before Prendergast felt like he finally had an answer. “Van Cise’s very presence was a reproach to those who had gone along to get along,” he writes in Gangbuster, which was published on March 28. For decades after the Klan’s reign, no one wanted to remember the cruelty they’d let flourish, even if that meant forgetting the district attorney who helped put it to an end.

Van Cise died in 1969, more than five decades before History Colorado digitized the Klan’s ledgers

and mapped its members’ home addresses, which showed the KKK’s reach extended not only to every Denver neighborhood, but also to almost every block. Prendergast believes the group’s prevalence is still something we haven’t fully confronted. “I think one of the fundamental challenges that anyone writing about the Klan in Colorado in the ’20s has is: How did it get so big, so fast?” he says. Prendergast suggests some theories in his book, including how the Klan was particularly effective in getting politicians to bow to its will. Fortunately, Van Cise proved the exception to the rule.

—CHRIS WALKER

From left : The KKK marches on 17th Street in 1926; a young Van Cise Clockwise from top: Denver Public Library Special Collections, X-21543; Courtesy of the Van Cise family; Courtesy of Alan Prendergast

BUILDING TOMORROW’S WORKFORCE TODAY

The needs of the present meet the solutions of the future at CU Denver. We teach real skills for real people, elevating Denver’s professional talent and contributing to the city’s thriving future.

Learn more about CU Denver’s programs at ucdenver.edu/why

Taking Lunch

Bodega Denver’s stacked masterpieces and inventive sides are worth a midday trip to Sunnyside.

Double cheeseburgers layered with juicy smashed beef patties and tangy dill-pickle-flavored onions. Fluffy hoagie rolls stuffed with tender braised lamb, charred onion mayo, and arugula. Potato brioche buns piled high with chile-crisp-infused fried chicken thighs, ranch-dressed gai lan (Chinese broccoli) slaw, and pickled daikon radish. “We just want to have fun and do things that nobody else is doing,” says Cliff Blauvelt, chefowner of Sunnyside’s eight-month-old Bodega Denver, who honed his craft at restaurants such as Steuben’s in Uptown and multiple locations of Tap & Burger for more than two decades. At his own spot, with the help of executive chef Jesse Moore, Blauvelt is taking sandwiches to a fresh level of irresistibility, as evidenced by the consistent line of patrons waiting to order at the fast-casual joint during lunchtime. Blauvelt and Moore’s creativity is also reflected in the eatery’s salads and sides, such as the mixed bag of fries. The medley of five types of crispy spuds includes sidewinders (S-curved taters), wedges, tots, sweet potato waffles, and straight-cut fries served with a green-chile-zinged sauce. Snag an order of the Holla Back dessert—griddled banana bread with maple butter and a walnut oat crumble—for a late-afternoon pick-me-up. —PATRICIA

PHOTOGRAPH BY SARAH BANKS

KAOWTHUMRONG

An Icon, Reimagined

ALLYSON REEDY

To fully appreciate what Tom’s Starlight is, you have to forget what Tom’s Diner was. At the new iteration of the Capitol Hill institution, you can’t expect a menu full of breakfast options, blue-plate specials, or Buffalo wings at 3 a.m. The new Tom’s only does brunch on the weekends, and it closes in reasonable fashion sometime between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., depending on the night.

If you missed the will-they-or-won’t-they-demolish-it drama that ultimately turned Tom’s Diner into Tom’s Starlight, the quick version is this: In 2019, owner Tom Messina, who wanted to retire, tried to sell his East Colfax property to housing developers. But local architecture buffs weren’t excited about the potential razing of the Googie-style building, one of the city’s best examples of the Space Age-y design popular from the 1950s to the early 1970s. Community members, to Messina’s discontent, petitioned to add the 52-year-old structure to the National Register of Historic Places.

Later that year, Cleveland-based GBX Group, which specializes in preserving storied buildings in urban settings, reached out to Messina to share its vision for a modern restaurant that honored Tom’s Diner’s rich past. “I saw an opportunity,

601 E. Colfax Ave. tomsstarlight.com

and it felt like something I wanted to stick around for,” says Messina, who received a Small Business Administration loan and financing from a local bank to fund the project, with GBX leading the preservation. Tom’s Starlight was born this past September.

While Tom’s Diner was utilitarian, Tom’s Starlight is more design-focused—all midcentury retro cool, thanks to local firms Kephart, Lvtd Design, and Compliment Design Interiors. The walnut paneling above the bar, backless orange bar stools, avocado green booths, multicolored square-patterned carpeting, and art-deco-inspired lights were all chosen to match the building’s Googie bones. It

Tom’s Starlight, which replaced the beloved Tom’s Diner this past fall, sheds its greasy spoon past for a swanky future. BY

From left: A charcuterie platter and the Radio Freqs cocktail; Tom’s retro-chic lounge

feels a little bit Mad Men and a little bit The Wonder Years, with just a hint of Colfax grittiness—and it works.

The vibe at Tom’s Starlight is swankier, and so is the food. The menu is more concise, and most of the dishes I tried were well-executed takes on classic Americana cuisine. The sliders, an effective bridge between the old diner and new lounge, tasted exactly how good cheeseburgers should. Threads of grilled onions and Hawaiian rolls gave sweetness to the melted-cheddar-coated, justgreasy-enough patties.

The sandwiches and a daily rotating flatbread were similarly satisfying. The spicy chicken sando, coated with lots of hot sauce, butter, and vinegar and topped with a cooling pecandate coleslaw, was delightfully crispy

you should order a $38 filet? I didn’t think so. The two medallions were just OK, with nothing noteworthy about their flavor, quality, or sauce. (For a few more dollars, you can get a superior steak up the road at fellow historical haunt Bastien’s.)

Because Tom’s Starlight is more of a lounge, cocktails are key—and many were delicious. My favorite was the Radio Freqs, a sweet, tangy mix of pink-peppercorn-infused gin, Luxardo, Aperol, grapefruit, lemon, and simple syrup.

There were several empty tables on the night I visited, but that wasn’t the case at brunch, when the diner was full by 11 a.m. The crowd could be attributed to the affordably priced lineup (most everything is around $12) or the fact that many of the dishes exceed expectations. The egg sandwich, for example, comes with a thin slice of salami, avocado, onion, and egg cooked over well on a potato bun. The saltiness of the salami, combined with the creaminess of the avocado and buttery goodness of the bun, made for a perfectly balanced morning bite.

HISTORY GETTIN’ GOOGIE WITH IT

A California-born, Jetsons-forward architectural style, Googie lives on in Denver, thanks to efforts to protect buildings such as the one occupied by Tom’s Starlight. The modernist aesthetic—characterized by sharp angles, geometric shapes, and upswept roofs—was a prevalent look for drive-ins and diners along roadways in the Mile High City from after World War II to the early 1970s. While many examples of the style have disappeared or remain threatened due to development, some have been given second lives. Here, three places to spot these blasts from the past. —AR

Bastien’s Restaurant

In 2009, the East Colfax Avenue restaurant became the first Googie structure in the country to land a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The stalwart’s neon-embellished sign and 24-sided, circus-tent-style roof have beckoned Denverites to stop in for sugar-rubbed steaks and classic cocktails since 1958, when the Bastien family debuted the chophouse and lounge.

Order flatbreads inspired by Moroccan and Italian flavors at Tom’s Starlight.

with a decent kick, but I wouldn’t say it was so special as to redefine the chicken sandwich. The same could probably be said of that night’s veggie flatbread, although it was heartier than I expected. The ricotta and harissa tahini sauce jazzed it up with spice, depth, and richness, and the zucchini and cauliflower were cooked well, maintaining just the right amount of snap.

The six entrées are probably the biggest difference between the old and new eateries. For one, they tend to be priced north of $20, which raises the question: Is Tom’s Starlight really the kind of place where

The breakfast burrito was a welcome departure from the grease bombs I often find elsewhere. Instead of a thick, tomato-heavy sauce, the venue drapes its rendition with crema and green chile made with tomatillos, green chiles, masa, and a heavy helping of onions and garlic. My only criticism of the grilled Mexican staple was that, instead of the bacon I ordered, it was filled with sausage (not my preferred breakfast protein). There was so little of it, though, that I didn’t say anything to the staff, which, as a whole, I’d characterize as kind but maybe not always operating to its full potential.

The drinks, food, and ambience at Tom’s Starlight are all solid steps up from what Tom’s Diner’s offered, which, depending on your affinity for 24-hour joints, could be good or bad. Obviously, the diner was a cornerstone of Capitol Hill eating, but given its strong start, the lounge could eventually create a legacy of its own.

Sam’s No. 3

In 2002, the Armatas family moved Sam’s No. 3, the all-day eatery they established in 1923, into a 1960s-era diner at 1500 Curtis Street. Inside the building—which is still adorned with Googie features such as large plate glass windows, counter and table seating, and walls painted in bold, contrasting colors—patrons gather for casual Greek, American, and Mexican fare.

Super Carniceria La Hacienda

Super Carniceria La Hacienda’s wavy, dramatically folded roof is a telltale sign of Googie flair. Before the bright yellow, mushroom-shaped structure on South Federal Boulevard became a Mexican grocery store stocked with everything from pan dulce (sweet breads) to roasted green chiles in the 2010s, it was a Big Top Auto Mart gas station dating back to the early 1960s.

Courtesy of Sophia Armatas (Sam’s No. 3)

Man Of Purpose

Why did a Boulderite named Wynn Bruce set himself on fire in Washington, D.C.?

hen Wynn Bruce was a boy, his father, Douglas, took him canoeing in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, their paddles plunging into a cool lake as they glided toward a campsite in Superior National Forest. After landing and portaging their boat over miles of rocky and remote land, they set up their tent and built a campfire beneath the pines. “That was a special moment,” says Douglas, now 78. The memory of Bruce’s face illuminated in the dark remains among the first images that come to mind when Douglas thinks about his son.

Bruce spent much of his childhood in nature, hiking the boreal forests of the Minnesota Northwoods in the summer, dog-sledding and skiing with family in the winter. “That’s kind of the background, the stage upon which he grew up,” says his father, who explains that Bruce continued to find safe harbor in the outdoors for the rest of his life.

Decades later, Bruce believed that refuge was being threatened—and the then 50-year-old embarked on what friends and family believe was a journey to call attention to its looming demise. Without notifying anyone, wearing only a T-shirt and shorts, and carrying just a backpack, Bruce traveled from his home in North Boulder to Washington, D.C. Two days after leaving Colorado, on April 22, 2022— Earth Day—Bruce arrived outside the U.S. Supreme Court building and sat down in its white marble plaza. He likely drew little notice and was quiet, as he often was.

At around 6:30 p.m., a commotion erupted. Flames had broken out on the plaza, and it soon became clear what was on fire. Someone yelled, “It’s a man!” Police officers ran to a nearby fountain where they tried to collect enough water in orange traffic cones to extinguish the blaze. It was only when they succeeded, a whole minute later, that Bruce cried out. He died the next day.

BRUCE WAS BORN in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1971, the only child of Martha Struxness, an accountant, and Douglas, who worked in health care and later as a college administrator. His parents divorced in 1974, and by the time Bruce was a teenager, he had

ILLUSTRATION BY CHERYL CHALMERS

Keep Colorado Wild

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moved to join his mother in Brooksville, Florida, about an hour north of Tampa. “He was a very typical adolescent,” Douglas says, explaining that in the South his son had often organized camping trips for his friends. A member of the science club and cross-country team at Hernando High School, Bruce planned to enlist in the U.S. Air Force after graduation.

But shortly after Bruce received his diploma in 1989, a car in which he was riding struck

a tree. The driver died in the accident, and Bruce ended up in the hospital, where doctors placed him in an induced coma for nearly a month. After regaining consciousness, Bruce spent four months in three different hospitals, relearning how to walk and talk. He never fully recovered. “Bruce’s [traumatic brain injury] affected his ability to analyze and synthesize issues,” his father says, “and verbalize that analysis.” Concentrating, learning new skills, and remembering things would prove

difficult, too, while directly engaging with others would often leave him feeling drained.

Suddenly facing an uncertain future and new physical and mental limitations, young Bruce wandered. He traveled to Latin America, which he traversed for months aboard a hopon-and-off tour bus. He attended a technical college in Wisconsin. He returned to Florida to live with his mother for a time, and then relocated to Portland, Oregon. In 2000, he found a permanent home in Boulder.

Bruce fell in love with the size of the foothills town and its temperate climate. Unable to drive because of the mental impairment from the accident, he bicycled everywhere, even when snow covered the Flatirons and the streets below them—sometimes pedaling to Naropa University to deliver snacks to his onetime girlfriend and longtime friend Candice Ford. Bruce continued to love the outdoors and the living creatures there. He would sometimes lean his bicycle against a tree to stretch out in the grass or take injured animals he found on his rides to a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center. When hiking in the mountains with friends, Bruce took the switchbacks in silence, soaking up the nature around him.

ROUGHLY 30 YEARS before Bruce fell in love with Boulder, Boulder fell in love with Buddhism. Or, more accurately, the college town warmly welcomed Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, an Oxford-educated Tibetan monk dispatched by the 14th Dalai Lama himself. After establishing Boulder as the epicenter of Shambhala Buddhism, which revolves around the idea that people are basically good, and founding Naropa University, the monk went about further disseminating Buddhism in the West.

Meditating seemed to bring a bit of peace to Bruce—who had begun participating in ecstatic dance, a free-form movement exercise that many describe as spiritual, in Portland— and he grew more involved in mindfulness practices after discovering Shambhala Buddhism. He also started to attend retreats and workshops at the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center (RMERC) in Ward, which, in part, harnesses Buddhist beliefs in hopes of better addressing ecological crises.

Global inaction over climate change frustrated Bruce, his friend Erica Hamilton says. But because of his brain injury, he couldn’t always convey those emotions verbally. Instead, Ford says, he would often write down his thoughts and feelings.

In fact, three years before his death, Bruce wrote a letter to David Loy, the co-founder of RMERC, that read, in part, “I have a cognitive

disability, and I do not know what to do; however, that is not stopping me from doing something. I will not have a chance to be a parent, but I can recognize that the children of the future are effectively being attacked by the existing power structure. It is within y/our power to do something about this.”

Hamilton also says that Bruce admired Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist leader who helped organize one of the first international conferences to address climate change in the 1970s. One afternoon this past January, Hamilton referenced Love In Action, Nhat Hanh’s collection of writings about nonviolent social change. In that book, he wrote about Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk who burned himself to death in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) during the Vietnam War: “Every action for peace requires someone to exhibit the courage to challenge the violence and inspire love. Love and sacrifice always set up a chain reaction of love and sacrifice.”

The self-immolation of Quang Duc “was not really suicide,” Nhat Hanh writes, “it was not even a protest.” It was “intended only to move the hearts of the oppressors and call the world’s attention to the suffering of our people.”

Bruce’s self-immolation in 2022 might not have been his first attempt to call attention to the world’s suffering. Five years earlier, in 2017, Bruce tried to set himself on fire at the World Trade Center site in New York City. Bystanders stopped him, and police took him to Bellevue Hospital, where he remained for less than a week until his father, who still lived in Minnesota, could retrieve Bruce and bring him back to Colorado. In the days after, Douglas fielded phone calls from New York City and Boulder police officers, asking if he thought his son was a threat to others. “No,” he told them. Was Wynn a threat to himself? they asked. Douglas didn’t think so.

IN THE LAST PHOTO of himself that he uploaded to social media, two months before his death, Bruce’s chin is shorn of its usual goatee, and his face is tilted upward. He’s looking away from the camera. Bruce had often shared his concerns about the environment on Facebook, and after his death, his account became a forum for debate: Friends and admirers fought with critics and trolls over why Bruce set himself on fire and to what end. For many, Bruce has become a martyr of the environmental movement. “He continues

to inspire me to give myself as fully as I can to advance the climate and justice movement,” Kritee, the co-founder of RMERC (who goes by one name), wrote in an email to 5280. “I cannot ever wish any human being to take the last action that Wynn took, but at the same time, I continue to understand, respect, and love Wynn. Like other Buddhist practitioners, Wynn deeply cared for the sacredness and the sanctity of all life.”

Bruce never told his dad why he tried to set himself on fire in 2017. Douglas can only guess at his son’s reasoning behind the act that ended his life and, depending on one’s perspective, made him the object of ridicule or reverence. Douglas respects Bruce’s decision, but he misses him. He misses their phone calls, during which they’d sometimes discuss Alfred Hitchcock movies or read books to one another. When people consider his son’s legacy and discuss what he might have wanted to achieve, Douglas hopes they know that his son’s life was about more than a single event.“He was a person,” he says. “I hope he knows how much I loved him. That’s all I care about.” m

Find Your Doc

Ciara O’Rourke is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Email her at letters@5280.com.

Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks is co-organized by the Denver Art Museum and The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp (Belgium). It is presented by the Birnbaum Social Discourse Project. Support is provided by the Tom Taplin Jr. and Ted Taplin Endowment, Keith and Kathie Finger, Lisë Gander and Andy Main, the Kristin and Charles Lohmiller Exhibitions Fund, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Christie’s, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Promotional support is provided by A Sailor and a Woman Embracing (detail), about 1615–18. Oil paint on panel; 39 3⁄8 × 31 1⁄4

© The Phoebus Foundation,

in.

Kiyohara (Kanō) Yukinobu 清原雪信 The Goddess Benzaiten and Her Lute (biwa) (detail), 1660–1680s. Hanging scroll; ink, color and gold on silk. Denver Art Museum: Gi of Drs. John Fong and Colin Johnstone, 2018.150. Photo © Denver Art Museum Her Brush: Japanese Women Artists from the Fong-Johnstone Collection is organized by the Denver Art Museum and made possible through the generous gi of the John Fong and Colin Johnstone collection. Support is provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Blakemore Foundation, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.

FACES OF 202 3

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETE EKLUND & SARAH BANKS

THE FACES of A GROWING WINE INDUSTRY

CCarboy’s story is an evolving one that began in 2016 with founders Craig Jones, Kevin Webber, and Head Winemaker Tyzok Wharton. What started as an effort to bring a fun, innovative wine experience to the Front Range, in five short years, has become a crusade to put Colorado wine in a national spotlight as one of the next frontiers in American winemaking. Today, Carboy Winery joins a new dawn and renewal of Colorado’s Grand Valley as a wine region on the rise. Together, with a host of other talented winemakers in Colorado, they’re slowly turning a state known for its beer into one that creates exciting wines, lifting the industry into prominence. Hospitality, sustainability, and storytelling are all on display when visiting Carboy Winery which boasts four locations (Littleton, Denver, Breckenridge, and Palisade) and two estate vineyards, making them one of the largest producers in the state. Through ambitious winemaking and innovation with new varietal wines, sparkling wines, and wine seltzers, Carboy embodies the adventure of Colorado wine.

Webber CEO Tyzok Wharton Director of Winemaking CARBOY

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Kevin

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Grossman | Capraro Plastic Surgery believes in the whole experience—the relationships formed, the care and attention to detail, the many luxuries provided along your aesthetic journey, and most importantly, the outstanding results you can expect to receive. This is what puts Grossman | Capraro Plastic Surgery in a league of their own.

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FACES OF 2023

CELEBRATING 30

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS

YEARS

1993 – 2023

1993 – 2023

Pictured, left to right: Mollie Houghtaling, LE; Paula Russo, RNBSN, CANS; Teresa C. Cunningham, MD; John Samas, MD; Emily Propst, COO; Nicole Kenyon, PA-C; Philippe A. Capraro, MD

THE FACES of SPORTS MEDICINE

TTreating Team USA and the athlete in all of us, The Steadman Clinic is a world-renowned orthopaedic clinic with facilities located in Aspen, Basalt, Edwards, Frisco and Vail, Colorado. As a designated National Medical Center for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, The Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute provide superior orthopaedic treatment plans for Team USA athletes. Our practice has led to significant advancements in the science and practice of orthopaedics and regenerative sports medicine. In collaboration with Steadman Philippon Research Institute, our 20 elite physicians practice the latest, evidence-based treatments, continually improving techniques, procedures and outcomes.

The goal of The Steadman Clinic is to deliver the highest standard of orthopaedic care and personal attention to every patient—recreational and professional—seeking our help. Our success in helping our patients reach their goals is what attracts people from all walks of life, from all over the world, to The Steadman Clinic.

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MARC J. PHILIPPON, MD MANAGING PARTNER RANDALL W. VIOLA, MD

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THE FACES of FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY

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Dr. Schmidt and his team love these stories. They are unquestionably the best part of what they do, and they know that for their patients, these moments are often just the beginning.

Facelift/neck lift, rhinoplasty, face and neck lipocontouring, hair restoration, and non-invasive procedures, including fillers and Botox, are among the many services offered at Schmidt Facial Plastic Surgery.

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Dr. Schmidt finds his joy in helping others. He has served the Denver Children’s Foundation for many years and led numerous medical mission trips abroad. Whether it’s cooking, photography, or facial surgery, you’ll find Dr. Schmidt’s passion at the intersection of art and science.

THE FACES of HOME FINANCING

MMORTGAGE MADE SIMPLE

When it comes to buying a home, Commerce Bank works to make financing it simple. We can meet in person or over the phone to talk about your goals. We have a variety of solutions available:

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• Home Equity Line of Credit

• Home Equity Loan

Every path to owning a home is unique. Commerce Bank is here in Denver to help you every step of the way. Call us to learn more about how to finance your new home, second home or home renovation project. Mortgage made simple. Stress less. We’ve got this. Commerce Bank NMLS #411948. Commerce Bank is an Equal Housing Lender.

COMMERCE BANK

Chris Flanders (303) 214-5423

commercebank.com/christopherflanders Megan Wiegand (303) 214-5433

commercebank.com/meganwiegand

THE FACES of 5-STAR AESTHETICS

FFacial Aesthetics is expanding in Colorado!

Now open in Golden and coming soon to Superior, they are proud to add to their existing two locations in Cherry Creek and Greenwood Village. Facial Aesthetics is the name to learn if you’re looking for an expert in injectables, skin care and non-surgical body sculpting. Since 1992, clients from all over Colorado have been choosing this elite medical spa for its talented staff, exceptional care, and ability to provide beautiful results using medically guided skin care, and modern technology.

This dynamic group of women proudly represents an entire team of aesthetic professionals who contribute to Facial Aesthetics’ robust culture and sterling reputation. Founder Pamela Grossman RN, CANS, built this medical spa on four key pillars: education, skill, safety, and results. Now, 30 years later, this exceptional team of leaders echo the same founding principles that many have come to know and expect from these clinics over the years. Helping patients understand their skin and body concerns and how best to tackle them is a Facial Aesthetics forte. Their services in Botox, dermal filler, skin care, facials, lasers, hair restoration, permanent makeup and body sculpting are unrivaled in the area. Consultations are complimentary. Online booking is available.

FACIAL AESTHETICS

CHERRY CREEK | (303) 377-2868

GREENWOOD VILLAGE | (303) 219-9373

GOLDEN | (303) 285-5805

SUPERIOR: COMING SOON! fabeautiful.com

Front: Alysa Paul, President; Taylor Larsen, Director of Operations; Pamela Grossman RN, CANS, Founder

Back: Emily Prete, Chief Operating Officer; Chrystall Ortega, Golden Office Manager; Natalie Klein, Greenwood Village Office Manager; Brittany McQueen, Cherry Creek Office Manager

THE FACE of LUXURY REAL ESTATE

WWendy’s CUSTOMER-FIRST philosophy is the reason she is highly successful. There are many qualities and skills that go into being an excellent real estate professional: integrity, in-depth community and market knowledge, marketing savvy, effective negotiation skills, being ethical, and a high-quality professional network. All of these are hallmarks of Wendy’s expertise. Wendy finds that providing the very best service is always about putting her clients first. This means being accessible, paying attention to details, being a good listener, a good communicator and responding quickly to clients’ needs in order to have smooth and seamless transactions.

As a third generation Denver native, Wendy knows the city and neighborhoods. This, along with her extensive knowledge, experience, passion and high values blend together so that clients trust her to help them navigate the bumpy waters of today’s real estate world. Turning dreams into reality!

215 St. Paul Street, Suite 200 Denver, CO 80206

bdglaz@aol.com

(303) 906-9000

wendyglazer.com

THE FACES of HEALTH AND WELLNESS

YYou deserve more personalized attention to your health!

Nothing is more important than your health. That’s why Dr. Kristina AntonSchnell launched her white-glove concierge medical practice—Ingredients for Life, LLC—dedicated to serving an exclusive small group of clients who benefit from her trusted medical expertise, caring partnership, extended appointment times and 24/7 availability. You have personalized experiences in so many other aspects of your life—shouldn’t your doctor be one of them?

Combining medicine and nutrition: after more than 20 years as a boardcertified primary care physician, Dr. Anton-Schnell was inspired to complete her training in integrative nutrition, so that she could establish this exclusive practice. Her focus uniquely combines her medical expertise with integrative nutrition to help her clients achieve their health goals.

7490 Clubhouse Road, Suite 105 Boulder, CO 80301

(720) 582-1212

schnellmd.com

Ingredients For Life, LLC, is a full service, fully integrated practice. Dr. Anton-Schnell works with many partners including medical specialists, acupuncturists (pictured with Katie Dittmann), massage therapists and local chefs who can deliver personalized, custom meals to your home. Contact Dr. Kristina Anton-Schnell at Ingredients For Life, LLC, for your complimentary 15 minute discovery call.

THE FACE of COSMETIC DENTISTRY

DDr. Susan Kutis, owner of Blue Sage Dental, has worked in the dental field for over 20 years and has been practicing cosmetic and family dentistry for 17 years. Her number one goal is to build lasting relationships with patients. She is passionate about providing the most conservative and functional dental care for her patients using the most current techniques for optimal results. She provides the best quality dentistry through making personal connections, demonstrating empathy and compassion, and exceeding expectations in customer service. Dr. Kutis has been awarded Top Dentist recognitions in both Chicago and Denver.

Dr. Kutis’ investment in continuing education at leading international organizations for dental education has set her apart, recognizing Blue Sage Dental as one of the best cosmetic and family dentistry practices in Colorado. As a board member of Metropolitan Denver Dental Society (MDDS), Dr. Kutis helped organize one of the largest dental conferences in the western United States— providing education, support, and advocacy for the dental organization. Additionally, Dr. Kutis is an educator for the Pacific Aesthetic Continuum and the Chair of the Colorado Dental Association Foundation. During the pandemic, Dr. Kutis was inspired by other dental leaders that stepped up and provided guidance and support during a very difficult time.

The aspect of her job that Dr. Kutis is most proud of is the profound effect her cosmetic work has on her patients’ lives. Dr. Kutis says, “It brings so much joy when a new patient that is too embarrassed or ashamed to smile comes into my office. I’m able to change their lives for the better—giving them a functional smile that exudes confidence.”

There is a reason Dr. Kutis has so many loyal, long-term patients: they want the best dental care possible, and Blue Sage Dental delivers. Visit bluesagedental.com for before and after photos of her cosmetic procedures.

THE FACES of PHILANTHROPY

AAs have many, Charlie McNeil’s family has been impacted by diabetes. Charlie says, “My wife, Judy, and I do our best by showing our support of this worthwhile cause to one day find a cure for type 1 diabetes. My extended family has had 3 children who have been patients of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC) over the past 30 years, and we cannot say enough good things about this center and how it helps thousands of patients each year.”

Judy has contributed her time and talent to the Children’s Diabetes Foundation (CDF) over the past 26 years. She has held various offices on the Guild Executive Committee including Historian and 2011 President. A hallmark of Judy’s service is her “signature gift baskets” that she creates for the annual fundraising event, the Brass Ring Luncheon For 17 years, Judy has spent countless hours creating 70+ baskets for the event’s silent auction. Charlie and Judy also received the High Hopes Award at CDF’s 2011 Carousel Ball. Judy was recognized as a “Channel 7 Everyday Hero” in 2022 for her ideas, skills, and passion for the cause.

AAs one of Colorado’s largest family law firms, The Harris Law Firm focuses exclusively on issues most related to the family: Divorce, Child Custody and Estate Planning. Since its founding in 1993, the firm has been committed to caring for clients, our team, and our community. Our clients come to us for guidance, support, and assistance at a trying time in their lives. We take this responsibility very seriously. With thirty years of experience, 30+ attorneys and over 9,000 cases handled, we have the experience to handle any family law or estate planning case. We care about our client’s challenges, and we help them find solutions!

Pictured: Peter Goldstein, Jennie Wray, Katy Ellis, Rich Harris

THE FACES of INDIAN CUISINE

SSome people take decades to find their place in the restaurant industry, but Simeran Baidwan was born into it. He moved to Denver at an early age with his family and has always had a passion for work. His dream was to bring the vibrant, exotic taste and culture of India to his community. Simeran was able to fulfill those dreams and open Little India Restaurant in 1998... and the rest is history. “If I’ve learned anything from the restaurant business, it’s not to be afraid to try—and fail. A part of me never wanted to open a restaurant, but I also wanted to own a business and make something of myself. Sometimes life requires you to take a leap of faith. You must go for it even if you feel scared or discouraged.” Little India has been serving up authentic, fine Indian cuisine that has not only been showered with critical acclaim, but also by awards too numerous to count. From the minute you step inside and take in the wonderful décor and ambiance—which features genuine Indian art and music—you know you’re in for a special meal, as well as experience. From their signature curries to traditional dishes, to modern twists on classic favorites, there really is something for everyone to indulge in and enjoy at this exotic eatery.

Baidwan has four locations in Denver—all with a warming and comforting atmosphere. Over the years, Simeran has said his success is based on three main elements. One, fresh and quality ingredients: all recipes utilize only the finest and freshest ingredients. Two, experienced and good people: our chefs began their careers in northern India and have mastered the art of cooking authentic Indian cuisine for our clients. Three, excellent and welcoming service: our customers are our top priority, and we treat each one as if they are our only customer.

THE FACES of COLORADO CANNABIS

LLocally grown and owned since 2010, Native Roots Cannabis Co. is Colorado’s premier cannabis dispensary with more than 20 locations. Grown with Love, we strive to elevate the retail experience & educate first-timers and experienced consumers alike by providing our award winning flower alongside a variety of high-quality products from your favorite brands in a warm and welcoming environment.

As an employer, we are known for our extensive training programs. We were the only Colorado dispensary chain to be recognized as one of the 2022 Civic 50 Colorado–an initiative that recognizes the state’s most communityminded companies, as well as America’s Top Cannabis Employers in 2022, honoring companies that excel at attending to employees’ well-being. Whether you seek excellent customer service, quality or value, we have products to help achieve your goals. At Native Roots Cannabis Co., we use cannabis to enhance the lives of our customers, employees and communities. Visit our website to join our loyalty program, check out our locations, or place your order online. Continue the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

THE FACES of LOCAL SPIRITS

CColorado family owned and operated, Total Beverage was established in 1998 with two convenient locations. Our stores have a wide range of Colorado, craft, singles domestic, and import beer as well as chilled wine and ready-to-drink beverages.

What sets us apart from other liquor stores is our variety, personalized customer service, knowledge, and relationships with our customers, community, and employees. We have personalized whiskey and bourbon barrel picks that have been hand-selected by our staff. For anyone looking for last minute gifts for a birthday or holidays, we have seasonal gift sets made in-house. We provide in store, curbside pick-up, and delivery.

In 2016, we established our own non-profit organization, Total Beverage Gives Back. We love to give back to our community and have donated over $300,000 to local charities since starting the non-profit.

We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service; clean, inviting store; and a pleasant shopping experience. Stop by Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. or Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cheers!

TOTAL BEVERAGE

900 E. 104th Avenue Thornton, CO 80233 (303) 280-3800

9359 Sheridan Boulevard, Suite A Westminster, CO 80031 (303) 426-4800

totalbev.com

Erin Burt CEO

Sheri Young Store Manager

THE FACE of PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

DDr. Elizabeth Crespi and the devoted team at Sunrise Pediatric Dentistry provide high-quality dental services to infants, children, and young adults. In order to prevent dental problems, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children see a pediatric dentist no later than age one. “We want kids to be excited about going to the dentist,” says Dr. Crespi. “That begins with seeing them early and by creating positive associations with dentistry. I take pride in using my specialized training in pediatric dentistry to tailor each child’s individual experience. I strive for the best quality care while simultaneously making the dental office a fun, inviting place where kids feel safe.”

Dr. Crespi and her team embody Sunrise Pediatric Dentistry’s Mission Statement: “We are committed to delivering the highest standard of pediatric dental care and education in a compassionate, fun environment where our patients are seen and heard regardless of socioeconomic background, gender identity, or race.”

The Sunrise experience begins with the kidfriendly reception area. Our specially trained team guides each child through his or her first dental visit, making it not only fun but also educational. The office is state-of-the-art with only the latest and safest dental materials and technologies. . Parents can relax knowing we aim to accommodate any family’s busy schedule. An important part of Dr. Crespi’s training is her extensive hospital experience in anesthesia and emergency care. When treating patients, she practices specific behavior management and calming techniques. This ensures kids of all ages will have a positive dental visit at Sunrise. As a mom to a young child herself, Dr. Crespi can relate to challenges many parents face. Come join our patient family!

THE FACE of BEAUTIFUL SMILES

OOur motto is simple: Live Life SmilingTM i-Orthodontics was established with a greater mission than straightening teeth. We were built to change lives.

At i-Orthodontics, Dr. Isaac Chung and our Dream Team’s goal is to give patients confidence through beautiful smiles. As a Board-Certified Orthodontist, Dr. Isaac specializes in providing custom, high-quality orthodontic treatment for pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients. When you join our i-Ortho Family, we become partners. As partners in your smile journey, we ensure that you’ll have fun every step of the way to your new smile! It is your smile and laughter that drive us.

Dr. Isaac was born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in an immigrant family. He completed his undergraduate studies at Stanford University and received his dental and orthodontic specialty training at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Isaac is committed to giving back to his community. He currently serves as a Board Member for Kids in Need of Dentistry, a nonprofit organization that provides highquality, affordable dental care to children in need throughout Colorado. Dr. Isaac has the honor of being voted by his peers as a 5280 Top Dentist since 2020.

Come discover how you can Live Life SmilingTM.

THE FACES of SHINING A LIGHT ON LIFE-SAVING & HEALING DONATIONS

TThanks to the generosity of heroic organ and tissue donors and their families throughout Colorado and Wyoming, more lives were saved than ever before in the Rocky Mountain region in 2022. Despite this incredible achievement, there are still more than 1,400 people in Colorado and Wyoming that continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant.

Donor Alliance is the Malcom Baldrige awardwinning nonprofit organization responsible for saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation in Colorado and Wyoming. This April, in celebration of National Donate Life Month, the organization is inviting residents across the state to join the Donor Alliance team as we ‘Shine a Light’ on organ and tissue donation and give hope to those still waiting for a transplant. One heroic donor can save and heal eight lives through organ donation and more than 75 others through tissue donation.

Visit DonorAlliance.org to register as an organ and tissue donor and for details on participating in ‘Shine a Light’ activities throughout the state.

DONOR ALLIANCE

200 Spruce Street, Suite 200 Denver, CO 80230

(303) 329-4747

donoralliance.org

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Jennifer Prinz, Chief Executive Officer

Matthew

Jenn

Laura

Dr.

Lovetro, Chief Financial Officer

Muriett, Chief Operating Officer

Jeffries, Chief Administrative Officer

Paul Lange, Chief Medical Officer

THE FACE of PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION

SStephen Burg is a shareholder and a trial attorney with Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine. As the Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Personal Injury Department, Stephen is focused on representing victims of automobile and motorcycle crashes, trucking collisions, product liability injuries, gas explosions, wrongful death, and harmful drugs and medical products. Mr. Burg’s most recent trial resulted in a $18,105,000.00 verdict.*

A dedicated advocate for those who have been harmed by the carelessness of others, Stephen Burg has a long-standing reputation for his formidable skills as a litigator and a negotiator. He has a passion for holding negligent parties accountable for their actions and for maximizing financial recoveries for his clients.

Mr. Burg has been recognized for his legal excellence both nationally and locally. He was named as a “Recommended Attorney” by the U.S. Legal 500, and has been consistently recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” since 2012. He has also been selected by his peers as a Best Lawyer in America and a Colorado Super Lawyer.

*past results do not guarantee future success

WWe found housing for more people than ever before last year.

The Mission is the last stop for the most vulnerable in our community. We give hope. Provide dignity. Offer faith. Every day, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, our staff helps men and women put their lives back together through case management, counseling, building community, housing support and more. Last year alone we supported our neighbors in need with:

• 1,015,731 meals

• 351,471 nights of shelter

• 59,960 community volunteer hours

How You Can Help: Volunteer. Donate. Learn more.

THE FACES of LOCAL DESIGN BUILD

FACTOR DESIGN BUILD

4255 Jason Street, Suite 100

Denver, CO 80211

(303) 872-3482

factordesignbuild.com

FFactor Design Build was founded by Josh Fiester and Kent Simpson as a full-service design-build firm. In an industry often associated with obscurity, Josh and Kent saw an opportunity to provide an alternative model for homeowners. Factor Design Build prides themselves on transparency and simplicity, meaning the process becomes streamlined and enjoyable for you.

Factor has an unusual ability to understand and balance the art and science necessary to design and execute beautiful work. They provide concierge-level service for their clients, from initial design to the highest quality construction, functioning as the single point of responsibility in a residential remodel project. By managing every step of the project through a collaborative partnership with clients, the architectural/design team, and the construction team, they can deliver the project within budget and on schedule. Because they manage the job from start to finish, your experience will be both efficient and enjoyable.

50 Things Every

Colorado Kid Must Do!

With cultural experiences that range from worldclass to delightfully weird and the recreation-rich Rockies just a Thuleadorned Subaru ride away, young Denverites have no excuse to sit at home behind screens.

BY JESSICA LARUSSO

(rated on a scale that goes from V0 to V16). Kids will need to bring a crash pad and a spotter to the Crown Rock trailhead, where they can access Beer Barrel (V0 all the way up to V9), Tree Slab (V0 to V1), and the famous Monkey Traverse, whose full route rating is V4, but boulderers can step or jump off anywhere to reduce the difficulty.

SKI/SNOWBOARD UNGROOMED TERRAIN

Complete These Quintessential Rocky Mountain Quests

What may seem extreme elsewhere can be weekend warrior stuff in Colorado, even for the short set. “There are so many learning opportunities for families,” says Stacey Halvorsen, the youth education programs director for 111-year-old Colorado Mountain Club (CMC), which hosts day and overnight camps for first through 12th graders that teach skills such as mountaineering and rock climbing. “I remember hiking and talking to my dad about philosophy and social situations. It’s that bonding time and learning to persevere: How do you change your attitude when things get hard?”

To build up your child’s physical stamina and mental toughness, Halvorsen suggests gradually increasing the difficulty and keeping things fun with songs, games, and snacks. Safety comes first, but even a decision to turn back in inclement weather can be a teachable moment. When your little explorer is ready to take on some of the state’s raddest adventures—a determination parents are best-suited to make, Halvorsen says, because they know their kids’ abilities and limitations—consider these beginner-friendly options.

1 5 6

HIKE A FOURTEENER

In addition to being a relatively moderate outand-back trek—3,005 feet of elevation gain over 7.3 miles—the very popular (go on a weekday) trail to the top of Grays Peak is less than a 90-minute drive west of Denver. That’s why CMC leads eighth graders to its summit, or as close as they can get, every year.

SPORT CLIMB AL FRESCO

For budding climbers looking to go from gym to crag, the Cat Slab section of Clear Creek Canyon, 6.6 miles east of Idaho Springs, offers a plethora of bolted climbs rated from

Have A Real Tea Party

a relatively easy 5.4 to a much harder 5.11d. With supervision, your kiddo can build confidence on 5.4 Gumby Cat before trying more advanced routes such as 5.8- Skimbleshanks. (Bonus: The pleasant riverside rock is set away from the traffic on U.S. 6 and in a prime spot for watching rafters float by.)

SOLVE A BOULDER PROBLEM OUTDOORS

Boulderers—aka folks who like to climb on small rock formations without ropes— flock to Flagstaff Mountain, which rises west of Boulder, to tackle the peak’s nearly 400 problems

Thanks to the blue runs interspersed throughout the mostly un-groomed, black diamond terrain in Vail’s iconic Back Bowls, it’s a great practice spot for skiers and riders who’ve conquered corduroy but are powder newbies. Look for areas with groomed options that kids can switch into if they get uncomfortable or need a break.

MOUNTAIN BIKE INTERMEDIATE SINGLETRACK

Just north of Golden, North Table Mountain Loop’s 7.5 miles of mostly singletrack offer a solid challenge for littler legs, starting with a steep ascent up a gravel road from the parking lot. Epic 360-degree views from the top of the mesa (read: perfect for snapping selfies) serve as extra motivation to keep pedaling.

Time to upgrade from plastic cups and teddy bear dining companions to china and IRL besties? Reserve a table for afternoon tea (3 to 5 p.m. every day) at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. The intricately decorated building was a gift from sister city Dushanbe, the capital of Central Asia’s Tajikistan, where it was crafted and shipped, piece by piece, from 1988 to 1990 to its home along the creek downtown. For $15 per child (high tea is $25 for adults), Dushanbe will put together a kid-friendly menu—bites such as peanut butter and jelly and cucumber tea sandwiches, fruit tarts, poppyseed cake, scones, lemon curd, and clotted cream—to complement its line of children’s teas. Options include naturally sweet herbal blends such as the Solstice Moon chocolate mint rooibos and the floral, fruity Razzmatazz, both of which are perfect for sipping, pinkies out, while admiring Dushanbe’s hand-carved, vibrantly painted ceiling.

Previous spread, clockwise from left: Ian Zinner/Courtesy of Arapahoe Basin; Yana Tatevosian/Getty Images; Jess Bernstein/Courtesy of Meow Wolf

This spread, clockwise from top left: Jordan Chapell; Getty Images; Courtesy of Telluride Bluegrass Festival; Getty Images; Schulte Productions/Getty Images

7 8

Shop Where Fantasy Becomes Reality

Spider-Man, Princess Leia, Harry Potter, Tiana: Children’s heroes often belong to science fiction and fantasy worlds. Luckily, Denver has two retailers that have been bringing a multitude of imaginary universes to life since before it was cool to debate Marvel vs. DC. We created trading cards for each store.

MILE HIGH COMICS

Rock Out & Camp Out

When you think “music festival” (Coachella! Bonnaroo! Lollapalooza!), you probably don’t think “kids.” But at many of Colorado’s multiday bluegrass shindigs, you’re likely to see plenty of mini hula hoopers grooving alongside their parents. In fact, children 12 and under get in free to the following four fests, which offer budget-friendly camping and attractions specifically for the next generation of music lovers.

PAGOSA FOLK ’N BLUEGRASS

June 9 to 11

1969, by 13-year-old Chuck Rozanski in his parents’ basement

A 65,000-square-foot warehouse in Sunnyside, just southwest of the Mousetrap (aka the I-25/I-70 interchange)

SUPERPOWERS

An inventory of more than 10 million comics dating to the Golden Age (1933 to 1955); hundreds of showcases and displays of collectible toys, replicas, and posters, many of which come from beyond the superhero realm (think: Transformers, Lord of the Rings, and the new Netflix hit Wednesday); a huge selection of Funko Pop! figurines

THE WIZARD’S CHEST

ORIGIN ORIGIN

1983, in a tiny space on Columbine Street in Cherry Creek

A 16,000-square-foot, red-and-purple multilevel castle along Broadway in Baker; gated entrance guarded by metal wizard Winchester Slatebeard

SUPERPOWERS

A fabulous costume section, including wigs, makeup, and accessories like wands and swords; clever novelty gifts such as Bigfoot research kits and H.P. Lovecraft pins; regular open-play events for games such as Pokémon, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering

At this 16-year-old fest, held on Reservoir Hill’s more than 130 acres, the Ponderosa Pavilion hosts characters like Andy the Juggler and Ruby Balloon, as well as a T-shirt giveaway, face painting, and arts and crafts, all free for kids.

PALISADE BLUEGRASS & ROOTS FESTIVAL

June 9 to 11

Attendees of Palisade’s 14-year-old celebration of twang can pitch tents alongside the Colorado

Riverbend Park, which hosts all the tunage. Water-centric activities for families include fishing, swimming, and participating in a stand-up paddleboard regatta.

TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

June 15 to 18

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the wildly popular Telluride Bluegrass Festival (pictured) has a family tent with mostly gratis activities—such as yoga, crafts, and puppet shows— for families. On Sunday afternoon, the annual kids parade winds through the

festival grounds in Telluride Town Park, on the east end of the historical downtown.

ROCKYGRASS FESTIVAL

July 28 to 30

Just half a mile from event promoter Planet Bluegrass’ cliff-backed Lyons ranch, where 51-year-old RockyGrass is held, LaVern Johnson Park has a dedicated camping area for festival-going families with quiet hours from midnight to 7 a.m., multiple playgrounds, and North Saint Vrain River access. (Shuttles are available both ways, but it’s more fun to bring an inner tube and float back

DO THIS

Wilderness On Wheels, at the base of Kenosha Pass, is home to a one-mile stretch of eight-foot-wide boardwalk that allows people using strollers and mobility devices—as well as stumble-prone toddlers—to smoothly ascend to 9,000 feet through aspens and pines. (Access is free, although donations help the nonprofit maintain the route as well as its accessible cabins, campgrounds, and stocked trout pond.)

Ride the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which has been hauling visitors up 14,115-foot Pikes Peak since 1891, to the visitor center perched at the summit. New in June 2021, the sleek structure has indoor and outdoor areas with views all the way from Colorado Springs to Denver on clear days.

Set up a tent among the apple trees at Big B’s Delicious Orchards in Hotchkiss before walking to the outdoor stage by the farm store, cafe, and taproom, where throngs of (often barefoot) kids groove to live music on summer weekends and take turns on the rope swings nearby.

Earn Your Après

In Colorado, everything tastes better if you devour it after an adventure. We rounded up four perfect play-and-partake pairings.

THEN SAVOR THIS

The on-site Pahaska Tepee Gift Shop and Café is famous for its root beer floats and homemade fudge, both best enjoyed at the picnic tables on the Buffalo Bill Museum’s free observation deck, from which you can catch vistas of the Front Range and the Eastern Plains.

Heading back to Denver, about a mile before you reach Bailey on U.S. 285, you’ll find a building shaped like a giant hot dog along the North Fork of the South Platte River. The iconic South Park Coney Island Boardwalk plans to open for the season in early May and is under new management, which hopes to eventually add items like french fries and ice cream to the lineup of basic sausages

For more than a century, concessions staff have made doughnuts atop Pikes Peak using a secret high-elevation recipe. With the recent renovations came a new, ecofriendly machine that churns out the golden rounds and is so large—1,500 pounds and more than 7.5 feet tall—workers had to move it in before construction was finished.

Depending on the season, U-pick—and you eat—options at Big B’s can include cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, assorted vegetables, and, of course, apples Wash down your bounty with freshly made juice. (Psst: There’s hard cider for the grown-ups.) 17 18

Volunteer To Feed Your Peers

Organizations that ensure schoolchildren have food to eat over the weekends are perhaps the easiest and most relatable places for your young do-gooders to start volunteering. Seven-year-olds and above are welcome at Food For Thought Denver’s bag-packing events, held outside on Friday mornings September through May, on Metropolitan State University of Denver’s campus near downtown and in a warehouse in Central Park. Jeffco Eats, which serves 27 local schools and seven low-income housing communities, allows volunteers to bring children ages two and older along to fill food totes on Friday mornings at Lakewood United Methodist Church.

This spread, clockwise from top left: Douglas Sacha/Getty Images; H. Mark Weidman Photography/Alamy Stock Photo; Courtesy of Evergreen Park & Recreation District; Getty Images (9)

Follow the sharply switchbacking road to the top of Golden’s Lookout Mountain to visit the grave of Wild West adventurer and showman William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. If you’re up for a hike, take the milelong (one way) trail to the Lookout Mountain Preserve and Nature Center.

Make A Splash

Just because we live in a landlocked state doesn’t mean there’s not watery fun to be had. These are some of our favorite bathingsuit-required pursuits and where to try them.

SLIDING & SURFING

A local legend for 44 years, Water World has everything you’d expect: lazy (and not-so-lazy) rivers, an eight-lane racing slide, and a wave pool. But featured within the 50-some theme-park-esque attractions on the 70-acre campus north of Denver, where day-of passes are $45 for children and $50 for adults, you’ll also find a gondola, an Egyptian pyramid, and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Although surfing the Wave requires some skill in exchange for the thrill, young kids can navigate most of the rides, and there are dedicated splash areas for the tiniest tots.

TUBING

For a leisurely—or, more likely, splash- and

shriek-filled—float under the Colorado sun, it doesn’t get much better than the idyllic two miles of the Yampa River that run from Steamboat Springs’ downtown to the James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge. Local outfitter Backdoor Sports has a convenient put-in location, rental gear for $25 per person, reliable shuttles, and realtime flow information (high levels can result in age restrictions). Go early in the day for better weather and smaller crowds.

STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING

Less than an hour west of Denver, Evergreen Lake (pictured) reflects the pine-covered peaks that give the alpine jewel its name.

Lodgelike

Evergreen Lake House offers boards for $25 per hour (or $45 per hour for four-person boards; kids nine and younger must ride with an adult) that are perfect for paddling the 40 acres of calm surface before grabbing rainbow shave ice (pro tip: add the sweet cream) at the Slife’s Devil Dogs food stand nearby.

WHITEWATER RAFTING

Based in Buena Vista, Wilderness Aware Rafting has been navigating Western whitewater for nearly five decades. Options for ages four and up on the Arkansas River include a half-day romp through Lower Browns Canyon ($100 per person) and a dinner float trip ($95) that ends at the Riverside Grill. Kids of the same age are also welcome on both full-day ($165) and two-day overnight trips ($509) that depart near Kremmling and ply Class II rapids on the Upper Colorado River’s Little Gore Canyon.

Bust Mutton At The National Western Stock Show

If you’ve attended a rodeo at the National Western Stock Show, you’ve likely been mesmerized by the mutton bustin’ segment (tiny children in helmets clinging to sprinting sheep) and wondered, What kids actually want to do this?! A lot, it turns out: More than 1,000 five- to seven-year-olds applied for 2023’s 200 slots, and 79 percent of them were filled by youth from the Denver metro area. Arvada’s seven-year-old Camryn Trowbridge was one of the lucky few to be randomly selected to participate. After her wild, five-second ride—during which she slid to her steed’s side, lost a boot, hit the dirt, and took a hoof to the torso before hopping up to wave at the roaring crowd— we asked Trowbridge about her experience.

5280: What made you want to try mutton bustin’?

Camryn Trowbridge: I saw it at the rodeo last year, and I was like, I want to do that. I want to be a cowgirl when I grow up.

How did you get ready for this?

My sister [Maggie, 10] ran around the house like a sheep while I was on her.

What were you thinking when it was your turn?

I was like, OK, I can’t even hear anything because my helmet was covering my ears. Then the sheep rolled over me, and I couldn’t even feel it. I felt really scared but also brave and excited to see if I would get a trophy.

Any advice for other kids who want to try mutton bustin’?

Just think of how big the trophy will be. It was really fun. I liked it a 10 out of 10.

Colorado Kids

Visit Niche Museums

Denver’s marquee cultural institutions are popular, and for good reason—but once you’ve knocked out the Children’s Museum of Denver, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and the Denver Art Museum, follow your kids’ interests to these more specialized spots.

AVIATION

From a Vietnam War–era helicopter to a replica Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum (pictured at left)—in Hanger 1 of the old Lowry Air Force Base—is packed with aircraft past, present, and futuristic.

SPORTS

and more than 100 cars, cabooses, and locomotives.

HISTORY

PHOTOGRAPHY

The four-year-old Denver Selfie Museum, located near the Colorado Convention Center downtown, is exactly what it sounds like: 4,000 square feet of colorful sets, optical illusions, silly props, and neon catchphrases. (Hourly admission fees start at $25.) In other words, it’s your TikTokobsessed teen’s dream come true.

CULTURE

Nestled among the galleries in the Art District on Santa Fe, the Museo de las Americas celebrates Latino arts and culture through paintings, pottery, and textiles. Admission is waived for those 13 and younger, and each summer, the museum’s Lxs Jovenes Leadership Lab invites sixth through ninth graders to participate in a free, four-week, community-projectbased workshop.

Before or after seeing a Rockies game, hit up the National Ballpark Museum just a few doors southwest on Blake Street. Its vast memorabilia collection, including a turnstile from Wrigley Field and a ball-dented section of Fenway Park’s Green Monster, focuses on MLB’s 14 classic early 1900s ballparks, and kids 16 and under get in for free.

LOCOMOTIVES

Beloved for its annual

The Polar Express rides and events featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, the Colorado Railroad Museum’s depot and 15-acre rail yard in Golden hosts elaborate model setups, rides (for an additional fee) on a passenger train and the Galloping Goose motorcar (select days and times),

Housed in the former home of Colorado’s first African American female licensed physician, Dr. Justina Ford, who practiced medicine in the first half of the 20th century, Five Points’ appointmentonly Black American West Museum & Heritage Center showcases the many Black people— cowboys, miners, soldiers, schoolteachers—who are too often erased from Western history.

MOTORS

If it goes—or, more accurately, went—it’s probably in Elyria-Swansea’s  Forney Museum of Transportation, whose 800 artifacts documenting the history of getting around include an 1817 bicycle,

a steam-powered tractor, and a yellow Kissel Speedster owned by Amelia Earhart.

FEMINISM

At the restored Molly Brown House Museum (pictured below) in Capitol Hill, aspiring glass-ceilingsmashers learn why surviving the Titanic disaster was among the least of Denverite Margaret Brown’s achievements, which also included advocating for miners, juvenile offenders, and rescue animals.

ART

Children and teens enjoy free admission to LoDo’s Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, which also displays its commitment to the next generation of creatives via an internship program for high schoolers that culminates in curating its top-floor exhibit space and a separate, annual $20,000 Learning Through Failure college scholarship.

SUPERHEROES

Near Civic Center Park is a place dedicated to the brave humans who actually rush into burning buildings every day: the Denver Firefighters Museum

In addition to historical exhibits, the firehouse, built in 1909, has interactive areas where kids can practice dialing 911, create a safe escape plan, and don bunker gear (helmets, trench coats, etc.) before sitting in the driver’s seat of a giant red fire truck.

This spread, clockwise from top left: Courtesy of Wings Over the Rockies; Ian Zinner/Courtesy of Arapahoe Basin; Faina Gurevich/Alamy Stock Photo; Tom McClure/Courtesy of the Molly Brown House Museum

34

Climb North America’s Highest Via Ferrata 39 Walk With Dinosaurs

Via ferratas (translation: iron ways) have popped up on many a Western mountainside over the past decade. But none in North America is perched higher than the set of rungs permanently affixed to Arapahoe Basin Ski Area’s East Wall. Opened in summer 2021, the route—appropriate for active, elevationacclimated people ages 12 and older—begins around 12,000 feet. The full-day guided tour, which includes lunch, takes climbing-harnessequipped guests 800 vertical feet up to the ridgeline and back down again. The experience starts at $155 per person, but photos of your teens grinning and hanging off the rock face like Alex Honnold are priceless.

Experience The New Classics

People who grew up in Denver love to lament the attractions of their youth that have been lost to time and “progress.” Here, four of them—and the spots today’s kids may be wistfully telling their kids about someday.

ELITCH GARDENS

Founded as a zoo in 1890, Elitch’s Berkeley location hosted botanic displays, a theater, and roller coasters before moving 15 of its rides downtown in 1995.

ELITCH GARDENS THEME & WATER PARK

Children of the early 21st century will recall taking in views of the Denver skyline and the Rockies from the top of the Tower of Doom, which will relocate or disappear when the site is eventually redeveloped into mixed retail and housing.

CASA BONITA CASA BONITA

Watching cliff divers while eating overpriced, dubiously sourced Mexican food was a birthday tradition until Casa Bonita shut its West Colfax Avenue doors in March 2020.

BUCKINGHAM SQUARE MALL

Woolworth, a food court, and fountains aplenty: This Aurora mall, built in 1971, had all the hallmarks of suburban mall glory before it was demolished in 2007.

CELEBRITY SPORTS CENTER

With an arcade, 80 bowling lanes, restaurants, and a huge pool, this Walt Disney–backed project in Glendale was a beloved indoor playground from 1960 to 1995.

With South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reopening (next month, tentatively) the icon that starred in one of their cartoon’s episodes, we’re confident Casa Bonita will retain its weird charm—minus the mystery meat, because local chef Dana Rodriguez is running the kitchen.

STANLEY MARKETPLACE

A newer, cooler version of a mall, Stanley Marketplace filled a former aviation center in northwest Aurora with independent retailers, fitness studios, kid magnets such as VR Social and MindCraft Makerspace, and local dining spots including Churreria de Madrid, Comida, and Sweet Cow Ice Cream.

MEOW WOLF DENVER

Tucked between highway overpasses in the Auraria neighborhood, Convergence Station’s 90,000square-foot immersive art installation dazzles visitors with brightly colored, interactive elements that hold clues to its multiversal transit station storyline.

On a hot fall morning, I trudge up a steep paved road just east of Red Rocks Amphitheatre with my youngest strapped to my chest. Usually when my family hikes, it’s my five-year-old who lags behind. But today, he’s leading us.

Ever since my son received some dinosaur toys when he was two, he’s been obsessed with the prehistoric behemoths. Luckily, we live in Golden, just a short drive from a track-andfossil-filled site called Dinosaur Ridge. The 2.5-mile paved trail is free to access by foot or bike, making it the perfect place to burn some of that limitless little kid energy while following in the literal footsteps of the giants who roamed this land nearly 100 million years ago.

As we arrive at the main tracksite a halfmile from the visitor center, my son runs up to the slanted rock wall to get a closer look at the collection of 250 impressions. The signs inform us that most of the prints are from herbivorous hadrosaurs that migrated in herds along what was once an ocean’s shore. Next to those are the birdlike prints of an ornithomimid—omnivores who might have hunted hadrosaur babies—scratch marks from prehistoric crocodile claws, and tracks from large, carnivorous theropods.

My kindergartner wonders aloud if the theropod tracks belong to an Allosaurus or a Ceratosaurus (both of which did roam this area, although likely not when these marks were made) and whether the ornithomimid was big enough to take down the larger hadrosaur. He’s so engrossed in weaving a tale about what happened when these dinosaurs met on this beach, in fact, that it takes numerous attempts to coax him back to the car—to the present day and the welcome air conditioning. But much like those dinos’ heavy footfalls, the experience leaves a lasting impression.

—ERIN SKARDA

40 43

Immerse Yourself In State History

There’s only so much one can learn about Colorado’s past in classrooms. For a more enriching experience, visit these sites, all of which allow children to step back in time to see, touch, and even smell history.

JURASSIC PERIOD

~200–145 million years ago

Grasslands in Colorado’s southeastern corner, Picket Wire Canyonlands  contains the largest dinosaur tracksite in North America, with more than 1,900 prints. To stand among them—and find rock art likely left by nomadic hunters up to 4,500 years ago—book a guided eighthour auto tour (Saturdays in April, May, June, September, and October) via  recreation.gov. It’s only $16 for adults and $8.50 for kids ages six to 12 (five and under are free, with a $1 reservation fee), but you’ll need to BYO highclearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle, spare tire, food, and water.

550–1300 The dwellings built into cliffs by the Ancestral Puebloans at Mesa Verde National Park in the Four Corners region are an awesome sight to take in from the park’s many overlooks, but to truly get a sense of the scope and function of the structures, you’ll need to reserve a spot on a ranger-guided walking tour. While exploring Balcony House ($8, May 14 to October 22), visitors climb a 32-foot ladder, crawl through a tunnel, and ascend stone steps to an open cliff face, tracing the paths of the people who once called the 38 rooms and two kivas home.

1833–1849 During the summer, interpreters in period dress as well as a variety of animals— including an ox, mules, peacocks, guinea fowl, and cats—bring to life the reconstructed adobe trading post at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site in La Junta ($10 for those 16 and older; 15 and younger free). Hispanic, Native American, and white travelers visited to buy and sell mostly fur goods while residents plied trades. As you wander the grounds and rooms that range from sleeping quarters to a saloon, you may hear the clanging of a blacksmith’s hammer and catch whiffs of traditional foods, such as cornbread or buffalo tongue, cooking.

44 Take The Train To The Lift

Scenic train rides with steam engines pulling refurbished historical cars tend to get all the glory in the Centennial State.

(See: the Georgetown Loop Railroad, Royal Gorge Route Railroad, and Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.) For a more modern adventure—and one that actually takes you somewhere—however, it doesn’t get more Colorado than the Winter Park Express. The

1864 An hour and a half northeast of La Junta, the free-tovisit Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site memorializes the more than 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, mostly women and children, who were brutally slaughtered when Colorado volunteer soldiers attacked their peaceful encampment in November 1864. Regular interpretive ranger talks provide guests of all ages with difficult but instructive details about the horrific event to contemplate while walking the trails that wind through the grasslands afterward.

Amtrak-operated seasonal route picks up shredders at Union Station at 7 a.m. (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from mid-January through late March) and delivers them to the base of Winter Park Resort’s slopes two traffic-jamfree hours later. Skis and boards ride free; the coach class seats recline; and snacks and panoramic vistas can be found in the bilevel Sightseer Lounge. Accompanied kids two to 12 only pay half the adult fare (in 2023, that was $17 one way; an adult ticket cost $34), and if you trust your age 16-plus teenagers to make the 4:30 p.m. departure, they can ride solo.

Located within Comanche National

Colorado Kids Go To A U.S. Air Force Academy Football Game 50

Sure, you could pay hundreds of dollars to take your kid to squint at the Denver Broncos from the nosebleeds. But…why? Instead, we present a by-the-numbers argument for heading an hour south of Empower Field at Mile High to enjoy a day of gridiron glory—and all the pageantry of a military academy—at Falcon Stadium.

Encounter Animals (Safely!)

If you’re lucky—and smart—your family won’t get too close to Colorado’s wildlife out on the trails. But groups around the state let you interact with a variety of interesting critters, including these five.

ALLIGATORS

If you’ve driven CO 17 through southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley (home to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve), you’ve seen the signs advertising the Colorado Gators Reptile Park. Next time, pull over: This quirky rescue is home to hundreds of alligators, snakes, turtles, and lizards, and your modest entry fee includes the chance to snap a picture holding a small alligator and pet the freely roaming tortoises.

GIRAFFES

The Denver Zoo’s classic close-up animal encounter ($150 for your group of up to six people, ages six and above) lets you handfeed lettuce to the tallest mammals on Earth while peppering their caretakers with questions about why their necks are so long, how

they get comfortable to sleep, and what makes sixyear-old Dobby the group’s resident jokester.

HAWKS

The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs feels like a resort from a bygone era, so perhaps it’s not surprising it has a falconry program. The 4,000-yearold hunting pursuit, nicknamed the Sport of Kings, partners humans with birds of prey and takes years to master, but the beginner lesson ($203 per person, ages five and up) lets you meet trained owls, hawks, and falcons and hold one on your fist— all in about 90 minutes.

LLAMAS

Taking a llama to lunch sounds like the plot of a children’s book, but it’s actually an offering from Vail outfitter Paragon Guides.

For $625 for two people (each additional adult is $95; ages four to 12 are $55; and three and under are free), you can lead the gentle, lovable pack animals on a hike tailored to your group and through an obstacle course with water and logs to navigate. A trailside picnic is included.

WALLABIES

Colorado Springs’ Cheyenne Mountain Zoo gives guests the chance to feed many of its residents, from orangutans to rhinos to sloths. The marsupial encounter, however, is special in that participants ($425 for a group of up to four, no age restrictions) also get to pet the zoo’s mob—yes, that’s the technical term—of adorable, charismatic red-necked wallabies.

$30

31-8

Starting price for a single home game ticket; season tickets (which, by the way, include the Navy matchup at Empower Field on November 4) start at $109

Air Force’s record over the past three seasons (the Broncos went 17-33 over the same stretch)

Yard line the parachutists who deliver the game ball and American flag before each contest aim to land on 50

1,000

Freshman cadets who march onto the field to stand at attention for the national anthem—before bolting to take their seats in the stands

Aircraft that fly over Falcon Stadium before every game 4

Miles per hour that Air Force’s falcons, raised and trained by cadets, can reach as they swoop and dive around the stadium during halftime 200

Pushups freshman cadets did (one for the Falcons’ point total after every score) during a 41-10 rout of the University of Colorado Boulder in 2022 m

HEALTHY, WEALTHY

&

WISE

VENTURE CAPITAL MONEY HAS FILLED COLORADO STARTUPS’ COFFERS WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THEY’RE USING THE WINDFALL TO CREATE A SMARTER HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

BY SPENCER CAMPBELL ILLUSTRATIONS BY TOMASZ WOŹNIAKOWSKI

REVOLUTION IS IN THE THIN AIR

Colorado’s health care startups are determined to fix a broken system.

I recently got pinkeye. Yes, as an adult. And, yes, it was disgusting. But the treatment should’ve been simple: I saw my doctor, who prescribed a common antibiotic and told me the eyedrops would be ready in an hour. Except they weren’t. Tomorrow morning, my local pharmacist told me, but they weren’t ready then, either—or later that day. After hours of waiting, I couldn’t tell if the tears were from the conjunctivitis or my frustration.

We live in a world in which Google knows I need new shoes before I do. Yet the U.S. health care industry—which recorded profits of $558 billion in 2021 (more than the tech sector made in revenue)—remains so fragmented that no one could notify me that my prescription was going to be delayed. This is not rare: According to a 2019 survey by the Commonwealth Fund, fewer than half of American primary care physicians say they receive information from specialists about changes to patients’ treatment plans, compared with more than 70 percent in Norway, New Zealand, and France.

Help, however, is beginning to arrive. And by “help,” we mean money: Between 2018 and 2022, the amount of venture capital (VC) investment in health care technology in the United States grew 72.5 percent to $59.3

billion, according to the Venture Monitor Report compiled by PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. “VC likes large markets, and health care is a really large market,” says John Francis, a partner at Denver-based Stout Street Capital. In the 2000s, investors eschewed health care in favor of financial technology, such as mobile banking, and then moved on to consumer technology like Airbnb and Uber in the 2010s. Medicine was deemed too regulated to be profitable. “Health care is one of the last sectors that hasn’t undergone that digital revolution,” Francis says, “and people are just realizing it now.”

Colorado’s ecosystem is a fertile ground to foment the uprising. Health care startups here raised $2.11 billion in VC investment in 2022, according to data from PitchBook. “In the past, health care innovation was centered in [North Carolina’s] Research Triangle, Houston, and Boston,” Francis says, “but every

hub had its own characteristics. In Boston, for example, half of the startups are trying to cure cancer. In Colorado, we see a good mix of everything.” The Centennial State’s diversity owes itself to a blend of urban and rural communities, a large number of higher education and other research institutions that are making products to meet common American needs, and technology veterans who bring expertise from the coasts.

What Colorado’s broad range of startups have in common (besides gobs of new capital) is what they hope to achieve with that cash: a health care industry that works. Here’s how they plan to mend the cracks in America’s fractured system.

From top: The Voorhes/Gallery Stock; Courtesy of Stout Street Capital

ROOM TO GROW

According to Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis, Colorado biotech and life science companies are expanding so fast that they need about 1.3 million square feet in additional workspace. Developers and companies alike are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to add to the industry’s footprint.

KEY Square footage of commercial bioscience projects = 7,500 square feet

BOULDER

Blackstone The New York City private equity company bought Flatiron Park, a 22-building life-science-focused development, last year and plans to spend $200 million to redevelop the property.

AGC Biologics

Enveda Biosciences Enveda announced plans to build a new lab that will further its exploration of plants for potential ingredients for pharmaceuticals.

HatchLabs@ Wilderness Place

The facility will include individual lab suites with shared amenities.

OnKure The Boulder company announced the unveiling of a new lab that can expand its research into more cancer treatments.

Colorado Research Exchange

(CoRE) Having broken ground in late 2022, CoRE is being developed by Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company for life science and technology companies.

DOUGLAS COUNTY

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies

The Lakewood company’s $250 million plant opened in 2022 and produces collection equipment for its plasma-donation centers.

Conscience Bay

The Boulder developer plans to replace an existing warehouse with Ridgeway Science and Tech, an office campus for life science companies, by 2026.

The Washingtonbased company spent $30 million to expand its gene therapy capabilities.

Medtronic In 2021, the Minneapolis-based medical device company announced plans to move its research and development operations from its Boulder and Louisville locations to a new 42-acre campus.

Umoja BioPharma

Seattle-based Umoja spent $44 million to build out a new research and manufacturing center for its cancerfocused immunotherapies.

Bioscience 5 In 2022, Fitzsimons Innovation Community, a campus for life science, delivered Bioscience 5 to house gene and cell therapy manufacturing.

Innosphere Ventures

In March 2022, this startup incubator opened a new facility that houses 10 500-square-foot private labs for budding bioscience startups.

LightDeck Diagnostics

LightDeck bought a facility in 2021 in order to expand manufacturing of its diagnostic tests (including ones for COVID-19).

Sterling Bay The Chicago develper plans to turn a former Ball Corp. building into lab and office space.

Agilent Technologies

The California company has broken ground on a $725 million expansion to its manufacturing facility, which makes DNA and RNA molecules for pharmaceuticals.

Brue Baukol Capital Partners

After voters vetoed the Denver-based developer’s plans for a mixed-used development on a 400-acre parcel, Brue Baukol decided to shift to a commercial-only development for bioscience companies.

Colorado Bioscience Association

FORT COLLINS

LONGMONT

LAFAYETTE

LOUISVILLE

FREDERICK

BROOMFIELD

AURORA

Source:

HOW TO RAISE A UNICORN

Thanks to five funding rounds that together total more than $700 million, DispatchHealth has grown from a regional experiment into a billiondollar tech company intent on transforming house calls.

October 2015 $3.6 million

Dr. Mark Prather, an emergency medicine doctor at Denver Health, had co-founded True North Health Navigation in 2013 after launching a pilot program with one of the hospital’s partners, South Metro Fire Rescue, to expand in-home EMS services. The result was a mobile ER that could often deliver the same care as a hospital without removing patients from their homes. “We can’t take your gallbladder out in the living room,” says Prather, now CEO, but the company can administer breathing treatments or IV medications.

At the end of the two-year partnership, Prather had enough data to show that True North lowered costs without sacrificing patient care, landing him a deal with Anthem to grow services across metro Denver. (The company changed its named to DispatchHealth in 2015.) The security of the contract persuaded investors to fund the startup’s expansion, enabling the company to buy branded cars as well as hire health care professionals to fill them and a dispatcher to direct them where to go.

May 2019 $33 million

From 2016 to 2019, DispatchHealth expanded into 11 states, but this round of financing allowed the company to grow what it calls advanced care—care that normally would’ve required time spent in the

hospital—starting in Denver. “We have built over the years what is called a ‘moderate complexity lab,’ ” Prather says. “So that meant we could show up at the bedside and essentially have every blood test I would have had in the emergency room.”

June 2020 $135.8 million

With its in-home care model already established, DispatchHealth was called upon early in the pandemic: Chief medical officer Dr. Phil Mitchell treated Colorado’s first known COVID-19 patient. The startup’s network (then in 18 markets across 12 states) became an attractive option for investors, who helped pay for DispatchHealth’s moves into Florida, Connecticut, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee.

March 2021 $200 million

DispatchHealth reached unicorn status (a startup worth $1 billion) thanks to this round. More important to Prather: The company could continue to build what he calls its web of “hospitals without walls,” acquiring two mobile imaging businesses that made DispatchHealth the largest provider of in-home X-rays and ultrasounds.

When taken to a physical hospital, elderly people have to be readmitted following discharge roughly 20 percent of the time. DispatchHealth claims it has reduced that statistic to about seven percent.

To ensure it could deliver that level of care, DispatchHealth required a sophisticated back-end logistics system. In May 2021, the company hired Daniel Graf, who built Uber’s platform, as its chief product and technology officer. Today, the company’s software uses machine learning to deduce how quickly it needs to arrive on the scene to treat a patient and how long the health care team will likely be there.

November 2022 $330 million

The largest investment round for a health care company in Colorado history will go toward expanding DispatchHealth’s full suite of in-home offerings (from advanced care to high acuity long-term care) from just 10 markets to all 62 the company currently services, in 35 states total. And after that? Perhaps more acquisitions and maybe an initial public offering. “I’m proud of what we’ve built,” Prather says. “But I’ve got more to do.”

Dr. Mark Prather (left) and Kevin Riddleberger, DispatchHealth’s co-founders

FOLLOWING THE MONEY

COMPOUND PROBLEMS

When kids’ medications run short, hospitals turn to STAQ Pharma.

In 2012, a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts shipped steroid injections that were contaminated with mold to patients across the country, sparking a fungal meningitis outbreak that ultimately killed 64 people and infected almost 800. The incident led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to overhaul parts of the pharmaceutical business. To provide greater oversight, the agency created two classifications of compounding pharmacies: 503A facilities, which require a prescription and make medications on a caseby-case basis, and 503B operations, which can manufacture large batches of sterile drugs (IVs, eyedrops, and injectables that are at a higher risk of infection than, say, suppositories) and sell them prepackaged to providers, mainly hospitals. The latter are called outsourcing facilities.

Outsourcers sprung up to service the more than 6,000 hospitals in the country, but their products did not seamlessly transfer to the 32 standalone children’s hospitals, because kids need different dosages than adults, including treatments such as sterile electrolyte solutions (IVs that deliver nutrients to premature babies).

“If we can’t get those things,” says Jerrod Milton, chief clinical officer at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHC),

“it’s a major problem.”

Roughly five years after the FDA’s revamp, there still wasn’t a 503B that catered primarily to pediatric hospitals. At the time, Mark Spiecker was completing the sale of Sharklet Technologies, his Denver-based biotechnology startup. He and his partners, Joe Bagan and Jeff Hval, founded STAQ Pharma to fill the gap.

The trio identified the products to focus on and—thanks to investment from CHC—began construction on a Denver production lab in 2019. (STAQ is partially owned by hospitals, whose representatives sit on the company’s board. They are also all customers.) According to its FDA status, STAQ can make any generic drug it wants.

$60 million

The agility allows STAQ to react to market demands—or, more accurately, market needs. In 2022, hospitals witnessed spikes in the number of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) patients that were flooding their ERs. In November, CHC reported cases were 30 percent higher on average than during the typical January, February, and March, historically its busiest three-month period for respiratory illnesses. At the same time, the two largest makers of albuterol, a treatment that can help RSV sufferers struggling to breathe, left the market after they ran afoul of the FDA. “We believe there are about four weeks of albuterol left in the United States right now,” Spiecker said this past January. Working with the Children’s Hospital Association, STAQ pivoted its focus and began churning out generic albuterol and delivered its first batch in early 2023.

Spiecker says STAQ Pharma can’t afford to always be reactive in the long term. After all, there’s a chance that, by the time the company reacts to a dearth of supply, the medicine in question could no longer be scarce because other manufacturers have filled the gap. For the time being, however, STAQ believes it’s the only pharmacy in the country capable of providing sick children the breathing room they need.

Cost of the lab STAQ is building outside of Columbus, Ohio. The facility will be four to five times larger than the company’s 27,000-square-foot Denver operation.

BIG BROTHER, M.D.

BOOTSTRAPPED Despite

There’s a saying in the startup scene: Hardware is hard, because making a physical product, as opposed to software, requires substantial upfront costs. Even successes, such as Fitbit and Peloton, seem to eventually stall. It’s no wonder, then, that Caleb Polley found it difficult to land early investment.

Money raised: $6.5 million

Initially created as a fitness-coaching app, Exer uses the camera on your phone or tablet to watch you exercise and measure your movements. In the past, the startup critiqued your core work (an app called the Perfect Plank) and gamified your workouts (Exer Studios, a Peloton-like hub). Now the startup is evaluating range of motion so, say, sports medicine physicians can track the progress of a patient recovering from shoulder surgery.

FOUNDED: 2018

In the future: A 2018 study by King’s College of London researchers found that each 0.1 meters per second decline in gait speed increased the risk of earlier mortality in elderly people by 12 percent. But it’s difficult to keep close enough tabs to notice the decline. Exer is working with a lab at the University of Denver to compare its tech with similar products, with the hope that its ever-watchful eye will be used at senior living facilities.

Money raised: Private investment

Polley’s big idea? Beds designed for children with special needs. In the United States, one in 44 kids have autism, and while there were companies making beds for them, Polley believed he could produce a better product, he says, “and wrap it in modern technology.” After rustling up $70,000 to $80,000 in venture capital, Polley had to piece together the rest of his startup costs—landing grants through the Colorado Office of Economic Development, for example, and winning the pitch competition at Denver Startup Week. He assembled prototypes in his Lakewood garage. After incorporating in 2017, Cubby Beds shipped its first product in 2020.

Today, the company’s beds help patients with 50 diagnoses, including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome, though the most common is autism. The canopy provides security, while techy touches such as circadian rhythm lights and white noise speakers add or remove stimuli as necessary.

HEALTHBOOK+

FOUNDED: 2021

This website application mines five types of data, including anything that can be found on an electronic health record, such as X-rays, lab tests, and prescriptions; whatever information your particular wearable can collect (it syncs with about 400 kinds of them); and socioeconomic status. HealthBook+ then lets its predictive analysis engine loose on the trove of information to let you know that, for example, your lifestyle could lead to cancer in 10 to 20 years.

In the future: HealthBook+ works directly with employers to provide information to your superiors about health trends. It doesn’t single people out, but instead it will eventually be able to provide a macro analysis of staff health concerns so that employers can, presumably, address habits that might lead to conditions like diabetes.

Money raised: $366 million

Cubby experienced 400 percent year over year growth in 2022. In the future, Polley hopes to expand his product line to include beds for adults with dementia and similar conditions—and he says he can chase that pursuit without backseat investors looking over his shoulder.

“Now, we’re more in control of our destiny,” he says, “and can do the right thing for our business instead of the right thing for our investors.”

VIRTA HEALTH

FOUNDED: 2014

Too often, our grand plans for self-improvement wind up as towel racks (we’re looking at you, Peloton). Virta simply pesters its patients into continued progress. The Type 2 diabetes reversal app enlists a team of providers and health coaches who interact with clients two to four times a day on average, at least early in the process. This can look like users texting their personal health coaches, “Hey, I’m going out to dinner tonight. What can I eat?” or logging high or low blood sugar on remote monitors, which could prompt contact from a provider. Virta’s back-end technology is constantly triaging patients’ needs, ensuring providers and health coaches reach out to patients when they are needed most.

In the future: In 2023, Virta is hoping to become an offering provided by government health plans such as Medicare and Medicaid, which would give it access to underserved populations.

From left: The Voorhes/Gallery Stock; Chuck Lepley/Courtesy of Cubby Beds

a big idea, Cubby Beds largely had to find a way to pay for its own success.

If you allow Google to rummage through your data just to receive more personalized ads, shouldn’t you also give your doctors a peek so they can provide more personalized care? These Denver startups think so.

In the United States, companies started solely by women land about two percent of the total venture capital investment. Things are worse in Colorado: In 2021, female-only founders raised $91 million, about 1.2 percent of the state’s haul.

These numbers are not shocking to Melissa Krebs. In 2020, the associate professor of chemical and biological engineering launched GelSana Therapeutics, based on her research at Colorado School of Mines. The company produces a hydrogel whose polymer chemistry helps wounds heal faster by reducing inflammation; in the future, it will also be able to deliver topical medication that disperses gradually instead of all at once, reducing the number of times that, for instance, diabetic ulcer patients have to change their dressings.

Ahead of GelSana’s first products hitting pharmacy shelves this fall, we spoke with Krebs about what it’s like to be a woman who’s trying to get a revolutionary medicine to the market.

5280: Do you ever think of yourself as a female founder instead of just a founder?

Melissa Krebs: I do. I mean, some of these articles and statistics, they are so skewed that you can’t help but think about it.

You’re trying to recruit some VC funding right now. Has anyone told you that they have a problem with a female CEO?

I’ve never felt that in those conversations. It has nothing to do with the actual meetings that I’ve had.

In Colorado, biotech is the top category for female founders, in terms of VC investment. Is there a reason why that sector is more supportive of women?

That’s a good question. I’m an engineer, and even in academia if you look at the engineering disciplines, the bio realm is split 50-50 between women and men, but electrical is still predominately male. There’s something about being in the life sciences that seems to attract women, and I don’t know if anyone really knows why. I know I like it. I like the idea of being able to heal people.

Do you feel a responsibility to encourage other female founders? Maybe not so much a sense of responsibility, because there’s only so much we can do, but being a role model is huge. When I go to business meetings, there are many times I’m literally the only female in the room. It’s even more skewed than academia. I’ve walked into these networking events, and I’m literally the only woman. It’s just so…apparent.

In these instances, do people treat you differently?

You never know what inherent biases people have, but I’ve never felt singled out. I feel a little self-conscious when I’m with a bunch of men, but they don’t really bat an eye. Maybe they don’t think about it as much, but I don’t know. It is wild.

Do you plan to remain CEO of GelSana long-term?

It’s a question that I wrestle with a lot. I’m an academic scientist, but even if I do carve out the time to be CEO, is it the right thing for the company to remain at the helm? At what point do I step aside for someone with more business experience? But all I’ve heard is that we’re still a small startup, and having passion for what we’re doing is the single most important thing. So, our board says, “Don’t even think about leaving right now.”

If you were to step aside, would you want a woman to succeed you?

I’ve never thought about that question. I feel like, for the sake of the company, I would be less focused on that and more on who’s the right person to take this thing to success. It’s like: Which battle am I going to fight that day?

That also seems like a question a man wouldn’t have to answer. I 100 percent agree with that.

THE 1 . 2 PERCENT GelSana Therapeutics’ Melissa Krebs on being the only woman in the room.

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC

Acquisitions don’t just make a startup bigger. They can also make it better.

How can you tell when a broken arm has mended? No, this isn’t a riddle: You X-ray the limb and if the fracture is gone then, well, you’re healed. A mentally ill brain, though, is a puzzle—one that SonderMind CEO and co-founder Mark Frank has been working to solve since he founded the company in 2014. The Denver health tech startup connects patients with therapists, and people seem to be happy with their matches: SonderMind became a unicorn in 2021 after a $150 million funding round, and today its therapists help clients in 15 states and Washington, D.C., through in-person and virtual visits.

But Frank knows that the company’s current way of measuring progress—via surveys—isn’t as impartial as an X-ray. “How do you take something like that and make it objective?” Frank asks. If you’re SonderMind, you buy companies that have already spent years researching the issue. Since 2021, Frank and his team have used some of their $183 million in venture capital funding to acquire two companies in the hope of more accurately diagnosing mental health disorders and providing more targeted, effective treatments. Here, Frank outlines how SonderMind’s recent purchases will eventually help the company rebuild a beautiful mind.

QNTFY

ACQUIRED: OCTOBER 2021

PRICE: UNDISCLOSED

The formerly Virginia-based company trains its predictive analytics and machine learning technology on behavioral health, anticipating an ability to unlock secrets within patients’ data. Already, SonderMind has incorporated Qntfy into its intake process to make better matches with therapists: Patients are asked to fill out a questionnaire, which includes a text space. Natural language processing algorithms parse the answer looking for revelations. “Even if they say they are dealing with this, that, and the other,” Frank says, “there is this other thing in their free text that might be indicative of the issues they are dealing with.”

TOTAL BRAIN

ACQUIRED: NOVEMBER 2022

PRICE: $10 MILLION

+The founder of Total Brain spent two decades researching mental health assessment—basically figuring out ways to measure emotion, self-control, cognition, and feelings— which produced more than 100 peer-reviewed studies that SonderMind now owns and can incorporate into its own practice. Total Brain also built a library of digital-therapeutic treatments, such as brain games for cognition, neuro-tunes (think: nature sounds, white noise, and other relaxing music), and guided meditation tracks that expand SonderMind’s offerings beyond person-to-person counseling.

Imagine a world in which (with your permission) SonderMind could access information from your Fitbit about how well you slept, essentially creating more data for Qntfy to mine. A therapist could see that your stress spikes on Tuesdays, when you have your weekly meeting with Mark—who sort of reminds you of your father—and prescribe meditation from Total Brain’s library to help you relax beforehand. Moreover, Qntfy could use Total Brain’s research to chart your mental health progress over time, objectively revealing the treatments that are effective and the ones that aren’t. It might not be an X-ray, but at least the road to behavioral health well-being would be slightly more transparent.

A NICE LITTLE SATURDAY

7 a.m. Wake up after a peaceful night’s sleep courtesy of Frenz ($490), made by Boulder-based Earable. An honoree for innovation at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the halolike wearable uses sensors to measure how you’re snoozing (via brainwaves, heart rate, and even facial movements) and then responds to fitful slumber by lulling you with white noise, guided meditations, or nature sounds.

7:05 a.m. Feed the doggo some chow brewed by Bond Pet Foods. (Yes, we said “brewed.”) Also headquartered in Boulder, Bond deploys a similar process—with an added dash of biotechnology—to the one that breweries use to make IPAs, but instead ferments proteins that are almost identical to the ones in animal meat. Their process releases far fewer emissions into the atmosphere than typical meat production does.

8 a.m. Now feed yourself some breakfast courtesy of Meati, yet another Boulder startup, this one using mushroom roots to make whole-cut (à la steak and chicken cutlets, as opposed to ground meats) meat-free fare for humans. In January, the company opened a 100,000-square-foot facility, dubbed the Mega Ranch, in Thornton, which is capable of producing tens of millions of pounds of its meat substitutes, products that have already found their ways onto Sweetgreen and Birdcall menus.

11 a.m. Meet Grandma for a walk in Cheesman Park. Denver-based Nymbl Science has developed an app with the goal of preventing one million falls, a mark it’s expected to hit in 2024. Nymbl’s technology boosts balance in fall-prone older adults through dual tasking, in which users perform an exercise while playing a game on their phones or tablets to improve their reflexes. The process takes 10 minutes each day, and according to Nymbl, 78 percent of patients see an increase in balance and 45 percent report a boost to their independence.

2 p.m. Hit the gym. Once your workout is complete, slide a Recoup Fitness sleeve over your guns to kick-start recovery. The Denver startup offers cryogenic sleeves ($119) and thermal versions ($179) for your arms and legs that tighten around the appendage so you can go on with your day, minimizing soreness, and plans to roll out a new ankle sleeve later this year.

4 p.m. Relax. Two days isn’t nearly enough time to reset your stress levels, so why not take

advantage of some calm-inducing spectacles? Lafayette-based Sana Health makes headgear that uses flashing lights and varying tones to reset the balance between your left and right brains, helping you recover from mental fatigue quicker. The company is conducting clinical trials to certify its effectiveness in treating everything from anxiety to fibromyalgia to PTSD. In the meantime, enjoy your newfound cerebral feng shui.

7 p.m. Check your dinner plans with Bitewell. The company, which moved to RiNo in 2022, works through employers to provide workers with a platform that stamps a FoodHealth score (akin to a credit score) on chow you’re thinking about scarfing. Bitewell also links directly to 85 percent of the supermarkets and restaurants in America, so you can order takeout or groceries directly through the app. m

Maybe the best way to appreciate the wave of health tech poised to transform our lives is to see Colorado startups at work on your weekend.

club, will open its own record pressing plant in RiNo this year. We go inside the art and science of making LPs and how the new facility will complement a burgeoning music district in the Mile High City.

SITUATED ON AN INDUSTRIAL STRETCH of Brighton Boulevard, roughly a football field’s distance from a cluster of train tracks on one side and the South Platte River on the other, sits an unremarkable building for which, if you are fanatical about music, there are remarkable plans in the making.

I visited 4201 Brighton on a cold, clear day this past January with Cameron Schaefer, the CEO of Vinyl Me, Please (VMP), the Denver-based record-of-the-month club that purchased the RiNo structure that will become the home of its new record pressing plant. Along with Schaefer were Rich Kylberg, VMP’s chief strategy officer; Gary Salstrom, a veteran of the record pressing business who will run operations; and Salstrom’s dog, Marley. Looking out the front door, with Marley by my side, I could see Mission Ballroom, the crown jewel of Denver’s indoor concert venues, across the street. Next to Mission Ballroom sits a three-story monolith that houses the offices of Anschutz Entertainment Group, better known as AEG—which owns the concert hall—and a Left Hand Brewing taproom. Down the road a few blocks: Victrola, which has been making turntables, under a variety of different names, for more than 100 years. The objective of opening the plant at this particular location, Schaefer says, is to help build a one-of-akind, mile-high music district.

Still, though, there was much work to be done before VMP could actually start pressing records. The 14,000-square-foot structure, which has high, arched ceilings, was mostly empty, and parts of the floor were still dirt and gravel. On the north side of the building, six thick slabs of concrete constitute the floor; the record presses will sit on the reinforced pads, which are designed to dampen unwanted vibration before it comes through the pressing machines. Pending any last-minute hiccups, Schaefer and company were anticipating that the first records would be pressed sometime in early summer.

The space may have looked bare to me, but to Schaefer, Kylberg, and Salstrom, it was full of potential. There were tangible things: the company’s first record press, still disassembled and wrapped in plastic over here; a rotary plating tank over there; a group of tubs used for cleaning and silvering sitting somewhat

askew in the middle of the room. These were signs of what was to come.

There were also schematics near the front door of the building, which detailed what the so-called front of the house would look like. Eventually— likely this fall—there will be a cafe and bar and a wall of records. There’ll be listening stations. And there’ll be tours, so anyone who pops by will be able to see how a record actually gets made. “You can grab a coffee or a cocktail and then sit down at a listening station and hear a record that’s been pressed right there,” says Brandon Anderson, a principal at LIVstudio and an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Colorado Boulder, who designed the space. “It all comes full circle.”

But before any of that, Vinyl Me, Please will start by making LPs for its members, for those who buy single records on its website, and for the partners who helped finance the pressing plant project. The albums will be made in just about every color of the spectrum, but some will also be black, because the records we all grew up with were black. The grooves will be pressed into 140- or 180-gram discs, which are heavier than the flimsy platters of yore, and yes, they will almost certainly sound even better than those in your parents’ collections. Salstrom and his small team will QC the product right there, and once the records are good to go, they’ll be placed in their sleeves, and the sleeves will be placed in their jackets, and the jackets will be wrapped in cellophane and stacked on pallets and shipped out to the vinylloving masses around the world.

THERE WAS A TIME, not long ago, when vinyl had essentially disappeared. Records, which for decades had been the lingua franca of the music business, begat eight-track tapes, which begat cassettes, which begat compact discs. Then, in the early 2000s, most everyone started getting their music digitally, as MP3s, on their iPods. Music had become both ubiquitous and invisible.

Then, a funny thing happened: The invisibility of music begat the resurgence of records. No one really knows the reason for vinyl’s revival, but industry insiders speculate that people missed the tangible nature of the product; they longed for the feeling of holding an album in their hands, reading the liner

Cameron Schaefer, Vinyl Me, Please’s CEO

notes, gazing at the jacket art. The increase in record sales began in 2006, and vinyl LP sales have grown every year since. Last year, 43.5 million records were sold in the United States—nearly 50 percent more than in ’06, according to Luminate, an entertainment data firm, and Billboard Vinyl Me, Please—the brainchild of Tyler Barstow and Matt Fiedler, who lived in Chicago at the time and thought creating a record-of-the-month club as a side hustle sounded like fun—wandered into this vinyl promised land in 2013. As Barstow writes in the introduction to VMP’s 100 Albums You Need In Your Collection, “We started Vinyl Me, Please years ago with a simple idea: We all need to spend more time with albums that matter. Albums that are worth your time.”

This was not an original idea. Columbia Records created a record club in 1955; it eventually became Columbia House, and if you’re a Gen Xer like me, you probably had a subscription to this club, which hooked customers with its 12-albumsfor-a-penny pitch. By the time I became a member, the club had begun offering cassettes. I wanted tapes I could play on my boombox. I wanted R.E.M. and Van Halen and Michael Jackson. I wanted Rush and De La Soul and U2. And I got them, and it was rad.

Of course, there was a catch, and as a preteen in the early 1980s, I was not yet a skilled reader of the fine print. As a 2020 column in the Washington Post noted, “Technically, this deal was far from over. By signing up, you were also agreeing to purchase eight more tapes over the next three years at regular club prices, which were often $14.98 a pop.” It worked out to be a pretty good deal, but I—and plenty of others—still felt swindled.

“When someone told me about a vinyl subscription service, I was like, Well, this is kind of like the Columbia 12-records scam,” says Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, the founder and president of LA-based label NowAgain Records and a VMP collaborator. “Who would ever want to subscribe to get a bunch of records again? Like, that idea was tried, and it was a bad one. But a lot of people were telling me about Vinyl Me, Please, and so I met with Cam and I thought, Wow, this is really different.”

When you join VMP, you start by choosing from five different tracks based on your musical interests: Essentials (different genres), Classics (soul, blues, and jazz), Hip-Hop, Country, and Choose

Your Own Adventure. To celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, VMP is running a promotion that winks at Columbia House’s marketing tactics: VMP is giving away free records just for signing up. Register for three months at $128 and get one record free, in addition to the three you’re paying for. If you commit to a year ($435), you’ll get eight bonus records.

You might not get an LP you love every month, but that’s supposed to be part of the fun. “We would never expect you to love everything we release, but we promise you’ll find something here that is new to you and deepens your relationship with music,” VMP says on its website.

“What’s interesting about what they’re doing is they’re finding these records that haven’t been reissued and pressing them,” says Billy Fields, who is a VP of retail and commercial services and a vinyl strategist at WMX, part of the Warner Music Group. “And because it’s a club, they can deliver that, you know, obscure album, and people discover it, and there’s excitement around that.” Last year, Schaefer says, VMP shipped just under a million records to roughly 50 countries.

Unlike Columbia House, VMP’s business model has never been about volume. Although the idea was to deliver its subscribers music in a tangible package, what VMP sells is something much less tangible than a 12-inch record. “If our time and the way we spend it ends up being the essential piece of who we are, then what we listen to and the way we listen to it ends up being much more important than we may think,” Barstow writes in 100 Albums You Need…. “It means when we’re talking about the music we love, we’re talking about our life and our identity. It means that what’s on our record shelves is serious stuff.”

So VMP isn’t just selling records. It’s selling an idea about music; it’s selling the experience of listening to something you’ve maybe never listened to before; it’s selling the feeling of sipping a cocktail while you drop the needle on the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds or Madvillain’s Madvillainy. And it’s selling the idea of quality.

TWELVE YEARS AGO, Cameron Schaefer wasn’t a music business insider or the CEO of anything; he was flying remote piloted aircraft from Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, Nevada. Schaefer had grown up in Wyoming, the son of a high school teacher mother and

an attorney father, the latter of whom had been a musician and music teacher. Schaefer played the trombone, like his father, but he was more into sports than music as a kid. After finishing high school, Schaefer moved to Colorado Springs in 2002 to attend the United States Air Force Academy. He graduated in 2006 and got married in the campus chapel the next day.

By the time he and his wife, Marelize, moved to Nevada half a decade later, Schaefer had begun to reckon with how he felt about the United States’ military involvement in the war on terror. He’d flown a C-17 transport plane for about four years, making trips to Afghanistan and Iraq, primarily doing airdrops of supplies and medical evacuations. Schaefer decided to sign up for the job flying drones so he could be with Marelize and the couple’s children. “While I really loved flying, and I loved a lot of the people I worked with,” Schaefer says, “I was discovering that being in the military as a career was probably not the path I wanted.”

One of the things that got him through what he calls that “darker time” was vinyl. Levi Sheppard, who was one of Schaefer’s fellow drone pilots, had a collection of more than 1,000 records, and Schaefer had ended up with his parents’ assortment of albums. So, when Schaefer and Sheppard weren’t working, they’d fix a drink, pull out an LP, put it on the turntable, and drop the needle. It was an escape, a respite—music as salvation.

It wasn’t the first time in Schaefer’s life that he lost himself in tunes. Schaefer was still in high school when the digital disruption that changed the music business forever settled in. And, just like so many of us, he downloaded, by his own estimation, “tons and tons of music.” He filled several hard drives with songs, more music than he could ever listen to. For years, Schaefer hauled those hard drives from one place to another, wherever the Air Force wanted him to be. Those drives contained, “in my mind,” he says, “every important album that existed.”

He also had his parents’ record collection with him, which was pretty easy to break down. Mom: pop rock from the 1960s and ’70s, like Manfred Mann. Dad: classical and jazz and opera, like Madama Butterfly. “I think there are a lot of people of my generation who did similar things—the internet and file sharing—and there was this momentary

rush where you thought,  Oh my gosh, I can have all the music for free,” Schaefer says. “Everyone just downloaded and downloaded, and it was almost like fast food. You have that initial hit, and then you realize,  Oh, this doesn’t actually mean a whole lot. Whereas my parents’ record collection meant a great deal to me. That felt incredibly valuable.”

While he was flying drones, Schaefer was also working on his MBA through Colorado State University’s distance-learning program and was getting into social media. He persuaded his pilot buddy, Sheppard, to start a blog on Tumblr, where they’d write about records and the cocktails they drank while listening to the albums. They signed on with Amazon’s affiliate program to try to bring in a few bucks each month; the idea was to, if nothing else, pay for their vinyl habit. The blog was, appropriately, called Vinyl & Cocktails. It was February 2013.

Within a few months, Schaefer and Sheppard got an email from two guys in Chicago who liked Vinyl & Cocktails and wondered if they could partner up in some way. As it turned out, the guys in Chicago were named Barstow and Fiedler, and they had just started a record-of-the-month club called Vinyl Me, Please. Fiedler moved to Boulder in 2013 to focus on VMP, which had roughly 1,000 subscribers at the time, and Barstow moved in early 2014. That same year, Schaefer and his family moved to Louisville.

THE FIRST LONG-PLAYING ALBUM, which held up to 44 minutes of music, was released by Columbia Records in 1948, around 60 years after Emile Berliner invented the 78 rpm disc. In the ensuing three-quarters of a century, little has changed in the process that goes into putting albums on vinyl.

It all starts in a studio, where an artist records music to tape, or, more likely today, to a digital file. That tape or digital file becomes known as the master. Before a professional artist distributes her music digitally, she sends her master to an engineer. That engineer fine-tunes the sound, sends it back to the artist for approval, and then, with a couple of keystrokes, the album goes out to the digital world.

Creating a record is a different process entirely. Once the artist has her music recorded, the master goes to someone like Ryan Smith, a senior mastering engineer at Sterling Sound in Nashville, who works with VMP. Smith will transfer that recorded music onto something known in the industry as a lacquer. Before that, though, the engineer does all sorts of work to optimize how the music will sound when it’s played on vinyl. Smith, for example, listens to the original tape, makes notes on each song, and then masters the album—adjusting the volume on this track, upping the bass on that track, turning the vocals down a bit on another—based on those notes.

The lacquer is a 14-inch, smooth, aluminum plate that’s coated in nitrocellulose lacquer. “I don’t even know all the chemistry, but what’s important is that it’s a relatively soft surface,” Smith says. The lacquer disc is placed on a lathe with a turntable. There’s a carriage, not unlike a typical record player, but the stylus is a cutter—typically a gem, such as a sapphire or diamond—rather than the stylus on a turntable that picks up the sound from a record.

The engineer then places the cutter on the lacquer and runs the music from the master to the lathe, and the cutter moves back and forth and up and down as it converts sound waves from the tape or digital file into vibrations that are cut into the lacquer.

(“That’s why they call it ‘cutting records,’ ” Smith says.) There’s one lacquer for each side of the album. Once the CONTINUED ON PAGE 106

Gary Salstrom, the GM of VMP’s record pressing plant

we�ing + celebrations

we�ing + celebrations

eddings are back in a big way. By that we mean elaborate parties, plenty of color, and bucket-list honeymoons. Planning your nuptials? Congratulations!

Here are the key trends to keep an eye on this year. Have fun making them your own.

read oN page:

The Wedding Planner

Seven popular ideas to consider when designing your big day.

Say Yes to the (Right) Dress

Six dress design details that are currently in vogue.

Time to celebrate

Four design elements to consider for your ceremony and reception.

the we�ing planner the we�ing planner

Seven popular ideas to consider when designing your big day.

1

: Destination Events

Zoom weddings are a thing of the past. Now, couples are thinking global: They’re planning weddings in far-off locales where they can organize a week of festivities instead of a single-day celebration.

2

: Environmental Focus

From choosing eco-friendly venues and decor to plant-based menus to recycled paper invitations and sustainably made wedding dresses, modern weddings are more in tune with Mother Nature.

3

: Small Wedding Parties

Less is sometimes more. Couples are opting for intimate wedding parties to keep stress down and make the experience more special.

4

: Blurry Photos

Call it love drunk—or social media’s influence—but candid, blurry images of, say, your sister chasing the ring-bearer or your new spouse spinning you on the dance floor add a documentary feel to your photos. Plus, they’re a nice break from all the posed shots.

5

: Private Last Dances

Savor the final minutes of your once-in-a-lifetime day by opting for a final dance with just the two of you and, yes, your photographer.

6 : Over-the-Top After Parties

Most venues need to shut things down before midnight. But you can keep the party going with a late-night bash focused on great music and yummy snacks. (Espresso martinis may be necessary.)

7

: Delayed Honeymoons

More couples are choosing to set off on bucket-list, multi-destination trips months after their nuptials. It gives them time to unwind after the festivities—and celebrate all over again when the honeymoon date finally arrives.

Indoor and outdoor ceremonies and receptions. Full catering service.

say yes to the dress 2 say yes to the dressRIGHT

^ Wedding dresses are as unique as the brides who wear them. But these six design details are in vogue:

Sleeves

Lace, bell, Juliet, bishop— whatever style you choose, gowns with dramatic sleeves are oh-so-chic.

Sheer fabrics

Transparent layers and ethereal designs took over bridal runways this year.

Color And florals

Subtle pops of color and flower-inspired prints can reflect a bride’s personality.

Ballgowns. A timeless silhouette. Add a slit for a contemporary accent.

Shorter hemlines

Mini, midi, and even highlow designs are in, whether for the ceremony or as a reception outfit.

Embellishments

We’re talking beading, crystals, feathers, and bows.

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time time to to celebrate celebrate

It’s all in the details

Four design elements to consider for your ceremony and reception.

The cocktail experience

Couples still love developing signature cocktails, but you can take things a step beyond with mini cocktail lounges focused on specialty moments, like smoked drinks. (Mocktails welcome!)

More color

Maximalism is in. Embrace vibrant colors and textures in everything from your floral arrangements to your linen choices. Need some inspiration? Pantone’s color of the year is the joyful Viva Magenta.

A champagne tower

Pop goes the bubbly! Make the toasts a little more fun for everyone with a champagne tower centerpiece.

Statement aisle

Walking down the aisle is one of the most significant moments of any wedding, so why not make it personal? Whether inspired by nature, fashion runways, or even interior design, wedding planners are putting more of an emphasis on creating showstopping aisles. Bonus: They make for great photo-ops (for guests, too). •

BIRD'S NEST EVENT SPACE

We want to welcome you to our warm, stunning second-story event space. Located close to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, the Nest Above is the perfect venue with a rustic, modern look framed by beautiful mountain views. The Next Above features a full bar with exclusive wine selections and catering—a superb space for your event.

YOUR EVENT DREAM, OUR EVENT TEAM

DINING GUIDE

SYMBOL KEY

Indicates a restaurant featured in 5280 for the first time (though not necessarily a restaurant that has just opened).

Indicates inclusion in 5280’s 2022 list of Denver’s best restaurants. These selections are at the discretion of 5280 editors and are subject to change

Bodega Denver $ Sunnyside / American Sandwiches reach their prime at this fast-casual restaurant. Try twists on classics like the lamb birria French dip and the mixed bag of fries, which combines five different shapes of fried spuds. Reservations not accepted.

2651 W. 38th Ave. Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch

Want More Dining Options?

Visit our online listings at 5280.com/ restaurants.

family recipes at this welcoming restaurant, which has a job training program. Reservations not accepted. 3455 Ringsby Court, Suite 105, 720-500-3455. Lunch

Convivio Café $

Berkeley / Cafe This bilingual cafe is named after the Guatemalan convivio, a get-together where all are welcome. Sip on spiced lattes and indulge in pastries and light lunch fare, like alfajores (dulce de leche cookies) and tostadas. Reservations not accepted. 4935 W. 38th Ave. Breakfast, Lunch

AA5 Steakhouse $$$$

LoDo / Steak House The team behind Forget Me

Not and Tap and Burger offers a refreshing chophouse experience with a stellar lineup of steaks in a hip, funky bar and dining room. Reservations accepted. 1600 15th St., 303-623-0534. Dinner

Annette $$$

Aurora / American Caroline Glover brings a warm dining experience to Stanley Marketplace with Annette. Enjoy a family-style menu featuring seasonal salads, toasts, and wood-grilled fare. Reservations accepted. 2501 Dallas St., Suite 108, Aurora, 720-710-9975. Dinner

CChez Maggy $$$$

LoDo / French Acclaimed chef Ludo Lefebvre plates up Colorado-inspired French classics at this brasserie inside the Thompson Hotel. Don’t miss the expertly prepared escargot and the gluten-free crab cake bound with shrimp paste. Reservations accepted. 1616 Market St., 720-794-9544. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Comal Heritage Food Incubator $$

Globeville / International Immigrant and refugee women develop a rotating menu featuring their

Corrida $$$$

Boulder / Spanish Housed on the rooftop level of the Pearl West building, this elegant Spanish steak house offers stunning Flatiron views and fabulous cocktails and wines. Splurge on the Japanese wagyu or opt for a regeneratively sourced steak. Reservations accepted. 1023 Walnut St., Suite 400, Boulder, 303-444-1333. Dinner, Brunch

DDaughter Thai Kitchen & Bar $$$$

LoHi / Thai This upscale Thai restaurant from Ounjit Hardacre serves beautiful dishes and inventive cocktails. Try the lychee-kissed massaman curry with Colorado lamb or the larb: crispy softshell crab tossed with lime juice, mint, roasted rice, and shallots. Reservations accepted. 1700 Platte St., Suite 140, 720-667-4652. Lunch, Dinner

BBellota $$

RiNo / Mexican This eatery serves elevated regional Mexican fare like shrimp tacos basted in butter infused with shrimp shells and the popular fried quesadilla de requesón. Also check out the Boulder location. Reservations accpeted. 3350 Brighton Blvd., 720-542-3721. Lunch, Dinner

The Bindery $$$

LoHi / Contemporary Linda Hampsten Fox’s eatery, market, and bakery offers worldly fare inspired by her travels. Settle in for the smoked rabbit pecan pie with mustard gelato. Reservations accepted. 1817 Central St., 303-993-2364. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Blackbelly $$$

Boulder / American Chef Hosea Rosenberg’s carnivore-friendly menu focuses on charcuterie, small plates, and daily butcher specials. Try the crispy pig ears with red pepper jelly. Also check out the grab-and-go market located next door. Reservations accepted. 1606 Conestoga St., Boulder, 303-247-1000. Dinner

BUENOS DÍAS

Friends and java pros Kristin Lacy and Vivi Lemus are giving Denverites a fresh reason to roll out of bed. This past December, the duo opened the Berkeley neighborhood’s Convivio Café, a bilingual, community-centric coffeeshop that celebrates the food, drink, and culture of Guatemala. Grab a seat in the string-light-adorned, wood-accented space to linger over a drip coffee or horchata latte, both of which play well with a plate of champurradas (buttery sesame cookies).

EEfrain’s of Boulder $ Boulder / Mexican This classic institution is known for its lively atmosphere, low prices, and massive bowls of pork green chile. Owner Efrain Gomez draws from the cuisine of his mother’s native Chihuahua for his iconic Mexican fare. Reservations not accepted. 2480 Canyon Blvd., Boulder, 303-440-4045. Lunch, Dinner

Famous Original J’s Pizza $$

FFive Points / Pizza Joshua Pollack’s New York–style and rectangular “Grandma” pies are totally customizable and available by the slice. Try the meat lover’s version with sausage, pepperoni, and diced Taylor ham. 715 E. 26th Ave., 720-4209102. Lunch, Dinner

DINING GUIDE

The Fifth String $$$$

LoHi / American At the Fifth String, chef Amos Watts offers his seasonally inspired cooking alongside an in-house whole animal butchery program. The results, such as the beef tallow candle served with a crispy baguette, are delicious and inventive. Reservations accepted. 3316 Tejon St., Suite 102, 720-420-0622. Dinner

Hudson Hill $$

Capitol Hill / American Head to this upscale-yetcasual bar for a cheese plate and crafted cocktails. Reservations not accepted. 619 E. 13th St., 303-832-0776. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Kachina Cantina $$$

KLoDo / Southwestern Located in the Dairy Block, this spot specializes in Southwestern fare, such as pozole. Also try the Westminster-based sister location, Kachina Southwestern Grill. Reservations accepted. 1890 Wazee St., 720-460-2728.

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

GThe Greenwich $$$

RiNo / Pizza Restaurateur Delores Tronco brings a slice of her favorite New York City neighborhood to RiNo at the Greenwich. Don’t miss the sourdough pizzas and inventive vegetable plates. Reservations accepted. 3258 Larimer St., 720-868-5006. Dinner

Il Porcellino Salumi $$

IBerkeley / Deli This market and deli strives to provide the highest-quality locally raised cured meats in Colorado. Pick a selection to-go, or enjoy a fresh salumi platter or sandwich in-house. 4324 W. 41st Ave., 303-477-3206. Breakfast, Lunch

Hop Alley $$

RiNo / Chinese From Tommy Lee of Uncle, this neighborhood hangout serves dishes rooted in Chinese tradition with a touch of distinctive flair. Try the whole fish topped with fennel, jicama, and kumquats. Reservations accepted. 3500 Larimer St., 720-379-8340. Dinner

JHJ’s Noodles Star Thai 2 $ Westwood / Thai This spot has developed a cult following over the years with its tom yum soup and drunken noodles. Reservations not accepted. 945 S. Federal Blvd., 303-922-5495. Lunch, Dinner

Jovanina’s Broken Italian $$$$ LoDo / Italian This gorgeous LoDo eatery expands on traditional Italian fare by incorporating unexpected, seasonal ingredients. Reservations accepted. 1520 Blake St., 720-541-7721. Dinner

LLa Chiva $$ Platt Park / Columbian This restaurant gives Denverites a cozy, colorful place to enjoy the cuisine of chef-owner Jorge Aguirre’s native Colombia. Try the sancocho, a hearty, slowsimmered soup made with chicken, green plantain, yuca, corn, and Colombian spices. Reservations accepted. 1446 S. Broadway, 720-389-9847.

Lunch, Dinner

La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal $$

Ballpark / Mexican James Beard Award finalist Jose Avila serves up pozole and other traditional Mexican fare at this eatery. Don’t miss brunch for chilaquiles, huaraches, and a killer michelada. Reservations not accepted. 2233 Larimer St., 720-519-1060. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

Mason’s Dumpling Shop $$

Aurora / Chinese House-made steamed and panfried dumplings shine at this Los Angeles–born spot. Reservations not accepted. 9655 E. Montview Blvd., Aurora, 303-600-8998. Lunch, Dinner

Misfit Snackbar $$

City Park / Contemporary Bo Porytko serves a rotating lineup of imaginative pub fare at this walkup kitchen inside Middleman cocktail bar. Try the chips and dip: smashed potatoes with an everchanging house sauce. Reservations not accepted. 3401 E. Colfax Ave., 303-353-4207. Dinner

OOak at Fourteenth $$$$ Boulder / Seasonal This bright space offers a diverse, ever-changing menu of oak-fired eats from chef Steve Redzikowski and cocktails from Bryan Dayton. Order the kale and apple salad, oakroasted ocean trout, or a handmade pasta dish. Reservations accepted. 1400 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-444-3622. Dinner

Quiero Arepas $

QPlatt Park / Latin American The entirely gluten-free menu offers items like a pollo guisado arepa stuffed with chicken, black beans, and cheese. Also visit the LoHi location. Reservations not accepted. 1859 S. Pearl St., 720-432-4205. Lunch, Dinner

RRedeemer Pizza $$$

Ni Tuyo $$$

NBelcaro / Mexican Visit this eatery for bubbly molcajetes, stone bowls of meats and veggies stewed in chile sauce. Reservations not accepted. 730 S. University Blvd., 303-282-8896. Dinner

Noisette $$$$

LoHi / French Chefs Tim and Lillian Lu offer refined French home-cooking comforts in a light-drenched space. Reservations accepted. 3254 Navajo St., Suite 100, 720-769-8103. Dinner, Brunch

Palenque Cocina Y Agaveria $$

PLittleton / Mexican Sip on a wide variety of mezcals and snack on Mexican-style shrimp cocktail, queso fundido, and mini flautas at this neighborhood favorite bar and restaurant. Reservations accepted. 2609 W. Main St., Littleton, 720-928-3318. Lunch, Dinner

Punch Bowl Social $$

Baker / American This restaurant is perfect for food and play. Dine any time of day off of the diner-inspired menu while entertaining yourself with bowling, pingpong, shuffleboard, and more. Also try the Central Park location. Reservations accepted. 65 N. Broadway, 303-765-2695. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

RiNo / Pizza Spencer White and Alex Figura bring blistered, New York City–style sourdough pizza to RiNo. Nosh on full pies in the dining room or nab a slice from the walk-up window. Reservations accepted. 2705 Larimer St., 720-780-1379.

SSafta $$$$

RiNo / Mediterranean Chef Alon Shaya serves up modern Israeli fare like lobster hummus, short-ribstuffed cabbage, and harissa chicken. Reservations accepted. 3330 Brighton Blvd., Suite 201, 720-408-2444. Dinner, Brunch

Snarf’s Sandwiches $

Capitol Hill / American Since 1996, Snarf’s Sandwiches has served toasted made-to-order sandwiches on their signature bread. Multiple locations. Reservations not accepted. 1003 E. 11th Ave., 303-832-9999. Lunch, Dinner

Somebody People $$$

Overland / Mediterranean At this vegan restaurant, Sam and Tricia Maher and head chef Art Burnayev run a pasta program with dishes that celebrate seasonal bounty. Try the multicourse Feed Me experience. Reservations accepted. 1165 S. Broadway, Suite 104, 720-502-5681. Dinner

Spuntino $$$$

Highland / Italian Enjoy the locally sourced menu at this Italian-inspired, husband-and-wife-owned spot. Try the seasonal pasta or any dish with Southern Indian influences. Don’t miss the house-made gelato for dessert. Reservations accepted. 2639 W. 32nd Ave., 303-433-0949. Dinner

Sunday Vinyl $$$

LoDo / European This Union Station restaurant offers warm hospitality and exquisite cuisine, all to the soundtrack of a vinyl-only playlist. Try the house hot dog or oysters. Reservations accepted. 1803 16th St., 720-738-1803. Dinner

Super Mega Bien $$$

RiNo / Latin American Chef Dana Rodriguez offers large-format, shareable items and Pan-Latin small plates, the latter of which are served from

dim-sum-style carts. Try the slow-braised beef brisket with a creamy chipotle slaw. Reservations not accepted. 1260 25th St., 720-269-4695. Dinner

TTavernetta $$$$

LoDo / Italian The team behind Boulder’s acclaimed Frasca Food and Wine offers the same attention to hospitality at this more casual Denver restaurant. The charming space is home to a deep wine list and dishes like mushroom gnocchi and whole branzino. Reservations accepted. 1889 16th St., 720-605-1889. Lunch, Dinner

Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery $ Berkeley / American Feast on Indigenous fare like fry bread tacos with bison, beans, lettuce, cheese, and salsas at this fast-casual spot. Also try the Greenwood Village location. Reservations not accepted. 3536 W. 44th Ave., 720-524-8282. Lunch, Dinner

Tom’s Starlight $$$

Uptown / American The reincarnation of Tom’s Diner trades its formerly sprawling menu for a streamlined selection of American classics. Don’t miss the char-forward sliders or the Radio Freqs cocktail infused with pink peppercorn and grapefruit. Reservations accepted. 601 E. Colfax Ave., 303-353-4122. Dinner, Brunch

Uchi Denver $$$$

Curtis Park / Japanese James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole combines unexpected flavors for his unique take on Japanese food. Visit for the daily happy hour. Reservations accepted. 2500 Lawrence St., 303-444-1922. Dinner

Uncle $$

Speer / Asian A bustling atmosphere defines this noodle house, whose concise menu also includes dishes such as Chinese-style steamed buns. Also try the Highland location. Reservations accepted. 95 S. Pennsylvania St., 720-638-1859. Dinner

Urban Village Grill $$$

Lone Tree / Indian Chef Charles Mani serves classic and contemporary dishes from regions across India at this eatery inside Park Meadows Mall. Reservations accepted. 8505 Park Meadows Center Drive, Suite 2184A, Lone Tree, 720-5368565. Lunch, Dinner

ViewHouse $$

VBallpark / American This is your place to catch the game and enjoy a variety of bar bites, from burg-

DINING GUIDE

ers and tacos to steak. Enjoy a draft beer with a view of the city from the rooftop bar. Multiple locations. Reservations accepted. 2015 Market St., 720-878-2015. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

DERBY PARTY

WWellness Sushi $$ Congress Park / Japanese Vegan sushi stars at this fast-casual joint by husband-and-wife duo Steven and Phoebe Lee. Don’t miss hot options like the soupless ramen. Reservations not accepted. 2504 E. Colfax Ave., 720-306-4989. Lunch, Dinner

The Wolf’s Tailor $$$$

Asian and Italian techniques and ingredients at this

$$ Chef Edwin $ $$$

$$ Zorba’s has served American classic breakfast dishes—in the Congress Park neighbor-

you find that a restaurant differs significantly from the information Guide, please let us know. Write us at 5280 Publishing, Inc., 1675 Larimer St., Suite 675, Denver, CO 80202 or dining@5280.com.

MAY 6

Aymée Nuviola and the Colorado Mambo Orchestra

Boettcher Concert Hall | 7:30 p.m.

Join Aymée Nuviola, the Colorado Mambo Orchestra, and the Colorado Symphony for an evening of high-energy Cuban music – from smokin’ dance classics and lush romantic boleros to an assortment of well-known contemporary American Pop hits and never-before-heard “salsa” arrangements.

Information and tickets at tickets.coloradosymphony.org/6349.

JULY 1

Paul Simon Songbook

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater | 6:00 p.m.

Bravo! Vail celebrates legendary singer/songwriter Paul Simon in an evening showcasing his incredible work spanning from the Simon and Garfunkel era through his solo albums, with orchestral arrangements by conductor Jeff Tyzik.

Information and tickets at BravoVail.org.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 89

lacquers are good to go, the engineer punches a hole in each disc and sends them off to the record pressing plant.

The rest of the process is what will take place at VMP’s RiNo facility. Salstrom, who has been making records since 1979, will get the lacquer, VMP hopes, in an overnight shipment. (Over time, the lacquer degrades; after a couple of weeks, it’s worthless.) The lacquer is sprayed with a thin layer of liquid silver and then dunked in a nickel bath. The latter part of the process is called electroplating, in which the nickel trickles into the grooves and bonds to the lacquer. The nickel plate is then removed and has upward ridges rather than the downward grooves of the lacquer. This is known as the father disc.

The father disc is then electroplated; when that plate is removed it has grooves like a record. This disc, known as the mother, is electroplated to make the so-called

stamper discs. These are the discs that, as the name implies, will stamp the vinyl that will become a record.

Now comes the fun part. The LP sitting on your turntable starts out as a bunch of small polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pellets. The pellets are melted at 320 degrees Fahrenheit and formed into a hockey-puck-shaped biscuit, which then goes into the pressing machine. The labels are centered on the biscuit. The stamper discs sit on either side of the biscuit (Side A and Side B), and the pressing machine heats the PVC. The stampers then imprint the grooves on the vinyl—using roughly 2,000 pounds per square inch of force—and smoosh the label into the center of the record. Excess vinyl is removed, the plastic cools down, and voilà— a record is born.

AS A TEENAGER GROWING up in Lacey, Washington, outside of Olympia, Gary Salstrom really wanted to play the saxophone. When his high school band teacher took one look at Salstrom’s size—he was bigger than most of his classmates—the teacher declared he would play the trombone. So Salstrom played the trombone, in the jazz

ensemble and the symphonic band, but the soft-spoken 64-year-old admits he just didn’t have the dedication of “the great musicians.”

A teenage Salstrom may not have been committed to the trombone, but he couldn’t put down his older sisters’ records. He’d play 45s of Joni Mitchell and the Beatles, and as he puts it, he was hooked. He’d badger his sisters to drive him into Olympia so they could go to Rainy Day Records and buy used LPs. When he couldn’t get to Olympia, he would go to a nearby mall, buy albums, and then sneak them back into his house past his dad, who thought they were a waste of money.

Salstrom didn’t set out to prove his dad wrong, but after high school, while he was enrolled in a technical college in Phoenix, he saw a job listing that piqued his interest. Wakefield Manufacturing had a part-time gig at its record pressing plant.

By then, it was 1979, and records were huge. Wakefield was a high-end outfit, and Salstrom began to learn the craft from some of the best artisans in the country. He worked near where the electroplating happened and spent time pressing the stampers. He left tech school, and within a few years, he was overseeing plating and managing the test-pressing

department. Before long, he was in charge of quality control. “When I got to Phoenix and figured out I could work in a plant that makes records and actually get free records,” Salstrom says, “that was about the coolest thing I could think of.”

From roughly 1979 to 2010, Salstrom worked at two of the best record pressing plants on the planet: Wakefield and Record Technology Inc. (RTI) in Camarillo, California. Then Salstrom got a call from Chad Kassem, who wanted to start a record pressing plant in Salina, Kansas. Salstrom would get to build this plant from the ground up, and so he and his family moved to Salina so he could help launch Quality Record Pressing (QRP). It wasn’t long before the house that Salstrom helped build became a renowned pressing plant in the music business.

By 2021, demand for records had outstripped supply to the point that, late that year, the New York Times published a story titled: “Vinyl Is Selling So Well That It’s Getting Hard To Sell Vinyl.” “[T]here are worrying signs that the vinyl bonanza has exceeded the industrial capacity needed to sustain it,” the piece reads. “Production logjams and a reliance on balky, decades-old

pressing machines have led to what executives say are unprecedented delays. A couple of years ago, a new record could be turned around in a few months; now it can take up to a year, wreaking havoc on artists’ release plans.” The VMP folks thought maybe it was time to buy a pressing plant, and they set up a meeting and tour of QRP as an option. After doing the math, though, they began to think, Maybe we should just build one of our own.

Schaefer and the VMP team brought Salstrom out to Denver to consult on the potential project, and they were looking at spaces when Schaefer said to Salstrom, “Hey, if we are going to press records, we want to do it at the level of QRP”—which, of course, Salstrom was in charge of at the time. “If you were running a new plant, Gary, do you think you could get it up to a point where the quality is the same as QRP?”

Salstrom turned to Schaefer and said, “I think I can do even better.” Within months, Salstrom joined Vinyl Me, Please as an equity partner and the head of the new Denver plant.

“SOMEONE ONCE SAID to me, in the vinyl realm, ‘it’ll get better, but it’ll never get easy.’ ” I was on the phone with Ben Blackwell one

day this winter, and he was describing the myriad things that can go wrong at a record pressing plant. Blackwell is a drummer; he’s also a lover of vinyl, the White Stripes’ archivist, and supervises day-to-day operations of Jack White’s Third Man Records, which has a pressing plant in Detroit. Blackwell, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, likes to talk. “Shit, they’ve got Gary Salstrom there, and so maybe there’s less for them to figure out,” he says. “I hope so, for their sake. Because it’s not like, ‘All right, we’ve got the presses, all the water lines are hooked up, press the button—everything’s good to go, let’s start printing money.’ ”

VMP’s Kylberg says the company doesn’t need its own record pressing plant to make money; its current revenue comes from subscribers (60 percent) and from nonsubscribers who buy one-off LPs and merch from VMP’s online shop (40 percent). (Although co-founders Barstow and Fiedler don’t work at VMP anymore, both are still major shareholders, and Fiedler is the chair of the board of directors.) Instead, the impetus for the plant came when it became clear that the capacity at the facilities VMP was contracting with

to press new records couldn’t keep up with the demand for vinyl.

The stories of artists having to wait for their records to be pressed because of the lack of pressing capacity were, and still are, legion, with even A-listers having to wait months—or up to a year—to get their LPs made. For VMP, the potential of not getting albums to their subscribers on time was existential—after all, how can you have a record-of-the-month club if you don’t have records? “For years, there had been underinvestment in the industry,” Schaefer says. “I think a lot of people kind of had PTSD from when vinyl almost died in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and they were really slow to trust that this vinyl comeback was more than just a fad. People were reluctant to put money into building new plants and buying new machines, even as the demand kept growing.”

At around the same time VMP started moving forward with its plans to open a pressing plant, recording artist David Rawlings learned that QRP would no longer be able to make his and Gillian Welch’s records. Despite taking home two Grammy Awards—and gaining name recognition for tunes they sang for O Brother, Where Art

Thou?—Rawlings said QRP explained it didn’t have enough capacity to make records for such relatively niche artists.

Fortunately for Rawlings, he had worked with Salstrom on records for four or five years at QRP, and once the former learned the latter would be in charge of the RiNo pressing plant, Rawlings wanted in. “As soon as I spoke with Cam, I understood his philosophy and realized that everyone involved would do a great job,” Rawlings says. “It’s very much aligned with how I like things to happen. This plant is going to be scaled where the quality can always be the most important thing. We’re not going to try to make so many records that we would have to lower the quality in order to find customers.”

Roughly 80 percent of the plant’s capacity—one-and-a-half to two million units per year—will be taken up by records produced for VMP’s offerings; the other 20 percent will be reserved for partners, one of which is the artist management firm Q Prime. Another is Rawlings, who’s managed by Q Prime and is an unabashed believer in the transcendence of records. “You know,” he says, “the thing about records is they just kind of give people more of what’s there, more of the humanity.”

I told Rawlings a quick story that, at least in the moment, felt related. When I visited the site of the pressing plant in late January, Schaefer gave me a copy of a VMP pressing of the Grateful Dead’s 1968 album Anthem of the Sun. I had to laugh to myself when he handed me the colorful, psychedelic LP jacket. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, the home of the Dead. I went to college at the University of California, Berkeley. And I have never liked the Grateful Dead.

When I got home, I pulled out the tie-dyed tangerine disc, placed it on my turntable, cranked the volume, and dropped the needle. “The sound that came out of the speakers was just magnificent,” I said to Rawlings. “I don’t know any other way to put it.” Then I told him that listening to that record didn’t make me a Grateful Dead fan, but it did give me a different appreciation for the band, a sense of the effort and care and passion that went into making its art.

“I mean, it’s closer to the music being made in front of you,” Rawlings says. “It’s more of a direct line, you know?”

Yes. Yes, I did.

ON A DAY THAT DIDN’T even reach 20 degrees Fahrenheit in late February, I met Schaefer and Salstrom at Schaefer’s house in Louisville. Over the previous few weeks, we had talked a lot about vinyl and music and the process of record-making, but we hadn’t actually listened to records together. Schaefer, of course, has a massive library of vinyl at his ranch-style home. Salstrom brought several albums, some of which he’d actually made. I had a few of my favorites in tow, too.

It’s been said before, but it’s worth saying again: The experience of listening to records is much different than streaming songs through your iPhone. There are the jackets, which have big, beautiful art; there’s the handling of the sleeves and carefully sliding the LP into your fingertips and palm; there’s the cleaning of the record and the crackle of the needle hitting the vinyl, which to this day is anticipatory and intoxicating for me.

We started with one of my recent acquisitions: a used, fourth pressing of the Smashing Pumpkins’ 1993 album Siamese Dream that I’d recently purchased at the Rocky Mountain Record Show in Denver, which happened to be sponsored by VMP. Both Salstrom and Schaefer said the record,

which is roughly two decades old, had great sound. I told them I wasn’t sure it met my expectations, but then they laid some audiophile knowledge on me: Billy Corgan’s layered, distorted guitars don’t necessarily highlight vinyl’s strengths.

For the next two hours, we took turns playing songs. Salstrom brought a record by Steve Tibbitts that Salstrom pressed at Wakefield close to 20 years earlier; it sounded as if Tibbitts were playing his guitar in the same room with us. Schaefer played a VMP pressing of an album by Darkside, a New York City–based electronic band, that was sharp and bright and demanded our attention. We listened to a VMP pressing of King Curtis performing live in San Francisco and couldn’t help but move with the grooves. We heard the primal rumble of the bass line in Massive Attack’s “Angel.” And we played a David Rawlings album, All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone), that Salstrom had pressed. Again, there was that intimacy—the clarity of sound and warmth that only really comes from vinyl.

I got the last spin on the turntable and picked Nirvana’s Unplugged in New York, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, Salstrom

told me he’d pressed when he was at RTI in California. My copy is purple vinyl. Schaefer asked if there was a song I wanted to play, and I told him that I love the band’s cover of the Meat Puppets’ “Plateau.” It’s a haunting piece, one that I’ve listened to over and over and over. Schaefer dropped the needle, and there was Kurt Cobain pushing into the upper reaches of his vocal range; Dave Grohl, somehow playing the drums quietly; Curt and Cris Kirkwood strumming the guitars; and Krist Novoselic playing the bass line that he’d apparently learned just the night before.

The song’s outro features a beautiful, swirling, two-part arpeggiated guitar line. A few bars in, Cobain starts humming a descending melody along with the guitars, and I couldn’t help but think of something Rawlings had said to me when we’d talked about listening to records. “There’s something about the way that process works when you put on a record and it’s played with a needle,” he said. “There’s a magic to that that you’re not getting any other way.”m

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker conducted by Andrew Litton MAY 12-14

Aymée Nuviola and the Colorado Mambo Orchestra MAY 6

A Tribute to John Williams MAY 18

Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring with Peter Oundjian MAY 26-28

supported by

Geoff Van Dyke is 5280 ’s editorial director. Email feedback to letters@5280.com.

THE FUTURE OF DENVER The Next 50 Years

INCREDIBLE HOME, INCREDIBLE VIEWS

970.449.2723

rsrenoco@gmail.com

RickSGotHomes.com

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Beautiful 4br/4ba custom Colorado style chalet with unobstructed mountain views! This incredible home is sure to amaze with views out every window and a well-appointed interior and 2.6 acres. Featuring two-story cathedral ceilings, a beautiful wall of windows showing the mountain views and high level details throughout. Main floor primary with mountain views, gas fireplace, five-piece en-suite and walk in closet. Close to Lone Tree Reservoir, short drive to downtown Loveland or Berthoud & minutes to TPC golf course.

Rick Scott

guiding you home since 1906

BOULDER | $2,100,000

Perfectly located, the property is on a quiet street with easy access to Boulder and surrounding towns. With five bedrooms and five bathrooms, the Park Lake premium lot offers privacy, mountain views, mature trees, a fenced pasture and barn. Enjoy the outdoor beauty of close by Teller Trail, neighborhood park/lake and bridal path. Additional benefits include district water and a permitted well, solar panels, a newer roof and low HOA fees.

Charlene Rosenblatt 303.588.8472 charlene.rosenblatt@gmail.com | BoulderSell.com

PARKER | $1,200,000

Executive home nestled in the Pines with mountain views offers over 4,400 square feet of living luxury. Entering, you will appreciate the open floor plan and flow of this magnificent home. The impressive family room features 20-foot high ceilings and a dramatic floor to ceiling stone fireplace. The massive primary suite is in its own wing of the home with mountain views and a five-piece spa-like bath. Complete w/a walkout basement and a backyard w/a fire pit area.

Bruce McQuiston 303.882.9235 macsbrew@msn.com | Littleton-HighlandsRanch.com

DENVER | $1,598,000

5br/4ba home w/an open concept floor plan. Kitchen w/white quartz countertops, Thermador and Bosch appliances and a walk-in pantry. Family room w/a gas fireplace. Primary suite w/a walk-in closet and an en-suite bath. Complete w/a backyard.

Chriss Bond 720.771.7369 Chriss.Bond@cbrealty.com | ChrissBond.com

DENVER | $1,299,000

Beautiful Congress Park 3 bedroom 2-story home offering the perfect blend of modern upgrades & period pieces. Close to restaurants, bars, parks, botanic gardens & theaters!

P.J. Farrell 303.884.5368 pj.farrell@cbrealty.com | PJFarrell.cbintouch.com

LAKEWOOD | $1,150,000

Duplex w/2 bedrooms and 1 bath per side as well as one 2-car garage and one 1-car garage plus a huge RV garage. One side has a finished walkout basement, the other side is a partially framed walkout basement. Close to Denver West and shopping galore!

Bruce McQuiston 303.882.9235 macsbrew@msn.com | Littleton-HighlandsRanch.com

DENVER | $996,000

Stunning, like-new contemporary Brownstone townhome in Lowry. 2BR/4BA + office. Great Cherry Creek North or Downtown alternative offering low maintenance living.

Jean Marie Thompson 720.318.8683

jeanmarie.thompson@cbrealty.com | JeanMarieThompson.com

ARVADA | $950,000

6BR/3.5BA newly updated 2-story home. Family room w/gas fireplace. Primary suite w/gas fireplace, 5-piece bath and walk-in closet. Finished basement w/2 bedrooms, 3/4 bath, great room w/wet bar and new laundry room. Complete w/fenced backyard.

Dan D. Gerlock 720.326.8100

Dan@GerlockHomes.com | GerlockHomes.com

SUPERIOR | $875,000

4br/4ba home in the Boulder Valley school district in Superior featuring wood floors, tons of natural light, vaulted ceilings, updated entertainer's kitchen w/quartz counters & SS appliances & living room w/fireplace & access to a sunroom.

The Mailey Team 303.531.3010

SueAndJeff@MaileyTeam.com | MaileyTeam.com

HIGHLANDS RANCH |

5br/4ba home offers a high ceiling entryway and 2 offices on the main level. Living room w/a fireplace is adjacent to the kitchen w/an island, gas stove, double oven, butler area and a walk-in pantry. This all-in-one home is great for work and play.

Kimberly Brown 303.588.1768 kimberlybrown20@comcast.net

Genesee 3br/2.5ba townhome w/2-car garage boasts an open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, new hardwood floors, main floor primary suite w/en-suite bathroom & lower level w/new carpet & gas fireplace. Close to Vista clubhouse w/pool & tennis courts.

The Mailey Team 303.531.3010

SueAndJeff@MaileyTeam.com | MaileyTeam.com

CASTLE ROCK | Price Upon Request

Thoughtfully designed 4br/4ba ranch in Cobblestone Ranch is 2 years old w/over $150,000 in builder upgrades, an open floor plan & 2,300 SQFT in the basement. Low HOA fees. Minutes from I-25, top schools & area recreation make this a 10+ community.

Lynn Hodges 303.913.0166

lynn.hodges@cbrealty.com | LynnHodgesCO.com

5br/5ba home w/an open, spacious layout. Open kitchen w/granite countertops, SS appliances, a dual oven and gas stove and an island. Primary suite w/a 5-piece bath and walk-in closet. Complete w/a finished basement and a sizable backyard.

David Armayor 303.669.1854

David.Armayor@cbrealty.com | MyColoradoHomeFinder.com

Wellshire Home. 3br/2ba home. Remodeled kitchen w/porcelain countertops & 5-burner stove. 2 bedrooms & a full bath completes the main floor. Finished basement w/a conforming bedroom, full bath, laundry closet & flex space. Complete w/fenced backyard.

April Rasmussen 303.885.6880 april.rasmussen@cbrealty.com | AprilColoradoHomes.com

Beautiful 3br/3ba mountain retreat near Flying J Ranch. Featuring a living room w/hardwood floors & wood burning fireplace, dining room w/deck access & kitchen w/newer appliances. Primary suite includes vaulted ceilings, deck access & 4-pc bathroom.

Vicki Wimberly 303.210.8577

vicki.wimberly@cbrealty.com

$850,000

GOLDEN | Price Upon Request

AURORA | $819,000

DENVER | $809,999

EVERGREEN | $800,000

MONUMENT | $800,000

5BR/3.5BA home. Great room w/gas fireplace. Kitchen w/large island and SS appliances. Primary suite w/balcony, gas fireplace, 5-piece bath w/dual walk-in closets. Complete w/finished basement, fenced backyard and 3-car garage. Beautiful views.

Dan D. Gerlock 720.326.8100 Dan@GerlockHomes.com | GerlockHomes.com

CASTLE ROCK | $700,000

South facing 4br/4ba former model home loaded with upgrades in Cobblestone Ranch. Featuring a gourmet kitchen, formal dining room, office & loft. Primary bedroom w/deluxe 5pc bath & custom walk in closet. Finished basement w/bar area & luxury bath.

Ken Posen 720.353.0046 ken@kenposenhomes.com | KenPosenHomes.com

Beautiful 4br/2ba Denver home in Cory-Merrill with a detached 2-car garage, located on a 6,250 SQ FT lot, featuring an open floor plan, loft & abundant natural sunlight. Close to parks, recreation, schools, public transportation & shopping.

Ashley Warren 720.938.1129 ashleywarrenre@gmail.com | AshleyWarren.cbintouch.com

3br/2ba Wash Park bungalow beautifully & meticulously refurbished including the 2 fireplaces & the vintage St. Charles kitchen cabinets. Backyard is beautifully landscaped w/raised garden beds. Easy access to I-25 & close to the light rail station.

Andrew MacArthur 303.246.5858 andrewmac5280@gmail.com

Beautiful 4bd/3ba ranch style home with finished basement. Sunny great-room has wood-look LVT floors, kitchen with island, granite counters throughout & fireplace. On premium lot only a short walk to rec center, dog park & trails.

Cathy Schuster 303.478.6364 cathy.schuster@cbrealty.com | WestminsterRealEstate.com

Stunning 3br/3ba west-facing home w/2-car garage across from a greenbelt in the Fox Meadows community. Recently remodeled kitchen w/granite counters, 42-inch cabinets & SS appliances. Near Union Reservoir & easy access to Highway 119 & Highway 66.

Melissa Brashers 720.933.3698

melissa@sellyourhomeco.com

DENVER | $675,000

DENVER | $669,000

CASTLE ROCK | $649,000

LONGMONT | $615,000

COLORADO SPRINGS |

5br/4ba home w/an open floor plan. Living room w/a gas fireplace. Refinished kitchen w/SS appliances and a breakfast bar at the island. Primary bedroom w/a 5-piece bath and access to the backyard. Complete w/a finished basement.

Becky Groe 719.640.8167 Becky.Groe@cbrealty.com | ArriveHomeCS.com

Nicely updated low maintenance 3br/4ba home in Highlands Ranch featuring an open main floor filled with sunshine due to high ceilings, large windows, a neutral palette & dark vinyl plank floors. The Villages has access to their own community pool.

Ryan Wilson 303.916.8491

ryan.wilson@cbrealty.com | SouthDenverLux.com

DENVER | $535,000

Beautiful, open contemporary 3br/3ba Denver home featuring an open floorplan w/vaulted entry, great kitchen, dining area, living room w/deck access, lower level family room & walkout basement. Minutes to I-70 to get to the airport or downtown Denver.

Colleen Teitelbaum 303.668.8186

teitelbaumcolleen@gmail.com | CocoTeitel.com

CASTLE ROCK |

4br/4ba home in Founders Village featuring vaulted ceilings, new carpet & int paint, eat-in kitchen w/quartz counters & newer appliances, dining rm, living rm & family rm w/fireplace, plus custom-built backyard deck. Ideally situated in Castle Rock.

Julie Abels 303.888.3352

Julie.Abels@CBRealty.com | JulieAbelsRealtor.com

AURORA |

4br/3ba open-concept home. New kitchen w/granite counters, stainless appliances, and island opening to a large main living area and back patio. Primary suite w/a large bathroom and custom walk-in closet. Ample outdoor living. CC schools.

Garth Criswell 303.669.0252

Garth.Criswell@coloradohomes.com | GarthCriswell.com

PALMER LAKE | $533,900

3br/2ba picturesque retreat in Palmer Lake offers exceptional views, primary bedroom w/attached bath, great room w/fireplace, updated kitchen, finished basement & wrap-around deck. Minutes from I-25/Monument & easy access to Denver/Colorado Springs.

Anna Fish 719.650.9300

annafish.cohomes@gmail.com

$585,000

$585,000

HIGHLANDS RANCH | $585,000

$565,000

MORRISON | $500,000

Fantastic turnkey 4br/2ba home in the Palisade Park neighborhood featuring a bright living room, eat-in kitchen, fenced backyard and primary suite w/walk-in closet & en suite bathroom. Low HOA. Close to Weaver Gulch Tail. Easy access to 285 & 470.

Allison Damico 720.639.0974 allison.damico@cbrealty.com | AllisonDamico.com

PEYTON | Price Upon Request

This 2-story McKinley in Meridian Ranch is great for entertaining. An incredible kitchen features SS appliances, granite counters, and walk-out with phenomenal mountain views. With 4bd/3ba and an unfinished basement, there's space for the whole family.

Camellia Coray 719.359.0014 Camellia@ccSignatureGroup.com

DENVER | $474,000

High-floor 2br/2ba unit at The Lanai boasting mountain & city views, plus an outdoor balcony w/almost 300 SQFT. Recent, tasteful remodels of the kitchen, bathrooms & floors. Building amenities include 2 rooftop party rooms, fitness center & patio.

Mike Kornelsen 303.918.8910 mike@kornelsen.com | Kornelsen.com

DENVER | $460,000

Meticulously maintained 2br/3ba townhome in Stoney Brook w/open floor plan, vaulted ceilings & plenty of sunlight! Amenities include a clubhouse fitness room, pool, hot tub & more. Easy access to I-25, I-225, DTC, nearby parks, & more!

Emily Frerman 303.718.7896 emily.frerman@cbrealty.com | CajunMileHomes.com

AURORA | $450,000

Lovely 2,298 SQFT tri-level home features a sunny living room, formal dining area, kitchen w/updated appliances, family room w/electric fireplace, finished basement, 2-car attached garage & oversized deck. Located in the Cherry Creek School District.

Colleen Teitelbaum 303.668.8186

teitelbaumcolleen@gmail.com | CocoTeitel.com

LOVELAND | $430,000

3br/2ba

Holly Baum 970.290.6183

holly@hollybaum.com | HollyBaum.com

ranch style house located in Loveland with NO HOA or Metro District! Boasting an open floor plan w/spacious living room w/vaulted ceiling & gas fireplace, fully equipped kitchen w/ss appliances, granite counters & dining area & covered patio.

AURORA | $425,000

2br - 4 Bath Family room w/a brick fireplace. Kitchen hosts a new backsplash and all new appliances. Primary bedroom w/an en-suite bath and walk-in closet. Finished basement w/a rec room, a bath, a laundry room. Complete w/an oversized back patio.

Donna Jarock 303.718.6285 thanksdonna@gmail.com | HomesAndCondosDenver.com

THORNTON | Price Upon Request

Lovely 3br/1ba Thornton ranch-style home featuring a new oversized detached 600 SQFT garage. Complete w/laminate flooring, open floor plan, kitchen w/ss appliances + laundry rm. Close to shopping, restaurants, parks & more. 2.10 Buyers Home Warranty.

Carrie Bachofer 720.938.6109 realtorcarrie@comcast.net | CarrieBachofer.com

DENVER | Price Upon Request

West facing 9th floor 2br/2ba condo in the East Hampden condos. Located in the Tamarac area near Whole Foods. 1,050 SQFT property w/views of the city from balcony. Open floor plan w/updated kitchen. HOA incl. access to all amenities, heat/AC & water.

Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 shannon@yourfreshstartrealtor.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

AURORA | Price Upon Request

Updated 2br/2ba patio home in Heather Gardens featuring an updated kitchen w/granite counters, custom cabinets, SS appliances & updated recessed lighting. This 55+ community offers an updated clubhouse with pools, tennis courts, fitness center & more.

Jennifer Hebert 303.929.9044 jennifer.hebert@cbrealty.com | JenniferHebertProperties.com

DENVER | Price Upon Request

Spacious 2br/2ba Denver condo in Morningside Condos that boasts an enclosed lanai, mature landscaping & secured entrance. Redecorated clubhouse. Secured parking garage. Easy access to Downtown Denver & DTC. Close to Bible Park & Kennedy Golf Course.

Shannon Byerly 303.919.2611 shannon@yourfreshstartrealtor.com | YourFreshStartRealtor.com

DENVER | $183,624

2br/2ba home. Open floor plan w/an updated kitchen a dining and living space that opens onto the patio overlooking the courtyard. Upstairs occupies a primary bedroom, a main bath and a 2nd bedroom. Complete w/an attic space and an oversized garage.

Amy Klin 303.946.6584

amy.klin@cbrealty.com | AmyKlinCOHomes.com

BOULDER | $880,000

Chic 2br/2ba Boulder condo with a 1,332 SQFT layout features a gorgeous open concept interior, gourmet kitchen, corner fireplace & primary suite. Near Boulder Creek.

Jillian Fowler 303.884.2032

Tom Fowler 303.956.2575

AURORA | $835,000

Amazing 4br/4ba ranch on 2.74 ac with 4,254 total SQFT of living space. Great rm all appl complete w/redwood deck & in-ground pool, 2-car attached garage, 2-stall barn w/tack rm & more.

Bill Rapp 303.358.7070

DENVER | $775,000

4br/3ba home in Virginia Village w/an open layout. New chef's kitchen w/stainless appliances. Primary suite w/a huge walk-in shower. Complete w/a finished basement, backyard and garage.

P.J. Farrell 303.884.5368

CASTLE ROCK | $630,000

Lovely Tri Pointe 3br/3ba home located in Castle Rock w/mountain views featuring a beautiful white kitchen w/quartz countertops. Situated in the community of Terrain with pools & parks. McFall Draheim Partnership 720.232.8212

DENVER | $760,000

Solid brick chalet-style 3br/1ba home in West Washington Park offering a traditional floor plan, brick fireplace & hardwood floor throughout. Near Washington Park, shopping & dining.

Jean Marie Thompson 720.318.8683

LITTLETON | $800,000

3br/2.5ba home w/an open floor plan. 2-story great room w/a fireplace. Primary suite w/a walk-in closet, laundry access and bath. Enjoy mountain views from multiple outdoor spaces. The Dudley Team 303.356.3947

DENVER | Price Upon Request

Modern end unit ranch style 2br/3ba townhome in Central Park boasting an open floor plan with a dream kitchen, large basement, 2-car garage & private yard. Near Dick’s Sporting Park.

Debbie Cooper-George 303.944.8494

WESTMINSTER | $620,000

3br/2.5ba home w/an open floor plan. Kitchen w/granite countertops and SS appliances. Spacious primary suite w/a 5-piece bath. Complete w/an unfinished basement, patio and 2-car garage.

Christy Hepp 303.910.5393

CASTLE ROCK | $615,000

3br/3ba home in Woodlands with a large yard, gas fireplace, hardwood floors, tons of natural light & updated kitchen. Near Castle Rock Community Rec Center & Douglas County High School. Anzur & Associates 303.263.6808

LAFAYETTE | $609,000

Mountain views from 3br/4ba townhome-style condo w/finished lower level designed to maximize privacy & natural light throughout. Easy access to downtown Louisville, Waneka Lake & more.

Charlene Rosenblatt

303.588.8472

WESTMINSTER | $600,000

4BR/3.5BA home. Family room w/gas insert fireplace. Primary suite w/5-piece bath & walk-in closet. Complete w/finished basement, fenced backyard and two-car garage. New paint & roof.

Illona Gerlock 303.809.1235

WHEAT RIDGE | Price Upon Request

4br/2ba home on a 1/4 acre lot. Living room w/a fireplace. Kitchen w/SS appliances and granite counters. Primary suite w/wall-to-wall closets and remodeled bath. Complete w/a backyard.

Jamie Bradley 720.560.5430

DENVER | $580,000

4br/3ba home in Green Valley Ranch w/an open floor plan. Kitchen w/a large island and a large pantry. Owner's suite w/a primary bath. Complete w/a well-maintained lawn and garden.

Kevin Sanchez 720.277.8164

CASTLE ROCK | Price Upon Request

Lovely 3br/3ba home backing to greenbelt in The Meadows. Featuring a spacious loft & concrete stamped patio with fire-pit. Close to I-25, shopping, dining & Downtown Castle Rock.

Jennifer Hebert 303.929.9044

DENVER | Price Upon Request

1942 3br/2ba bungalow on a large lot near DU in Denver offering a nice sized family area, kitchen, finished basement & attached garage. Close to Pearl Street shops & Newman Center.

Colleen Huber 303.506.3302

ARVADA | $550,000

3br/1ba ranch style home with basement on over 1/4-acre lot. Walking distance to thriving Old Town Arvada & Ralston Creek Trail. Oversized 1-car garage plus RV parking.

Joyce Davis 720.495.2786

LITTLETON | $525,000

Updated 3br/2ba home featuring an open concept w/family rm that flows into the kitchen & dining area. Newly remodeled primary bath. Finished basement. Newer furnace/water heater/roof.

Julie Thelander 303.520.2308

PEYTON | $520,000

5br/3ba ranch backing to open space offering engineered hardwood flooring, kitchen w/granite counters & finished walk-out basement. Access to community center w/pool & fitness center.

Jill and Greg Svenson 303.522.0631

BOULDER | $515,000

1br/1ba condo w/1 attached parking space featuring an open concept layout w/stylish wood flooring & floor to ceiling windows. Near Amante Coffee, Boulder Cycle Sport & Wonderland Lake.

Jillian Fowler 303.884.2032

Tom Fowler 303.956.2575

COMMERCE CITY | Price Upon Request

Gorgeous Richmond 3br/2ba ranch located in Commerce City in Belle Creek that backs to open space & was built with every upgrade available. Conveniently located near I-76 & Hwy 85.

Debbie Cooper-George 303.944.8494

HIGHLANDS RANCH | Price Upon Request

2br/2ba condo w/2-car garage in Highland Walk featuring an open floorplan with a large kitchen, inviting great room, & cozy fireplace. Convenient to shopping, dining, parks & trails. Cyndi Briggs 720.771.8873

AURORA | $475,000

Beautiful patio home featuring high ceilings, sunroom, open kitchen & spacious primary bedroom. HOA covers insurance, maintenance of structure, grounds, snow removal, trash & much more.

Mary Ann O'Toole 720.530.6878

LAKEWOOD | $445,000

4br/2ba home w/a large living room, opening to the dining area and kitchen. Family room w/a fireplace. Primary bedroom w/a 3/4 bath. Complete w/a downstairs offering many possibilities.

The Dudley Team 303.356.3947

AURORA | $440,000

3br/3ba paired home w/2-car garage & fenced yard featuring an open floor plan, tons of natural light, fireplace & LVP flooring. Near CCSD schools, E470, Southlands & Aurora Reservoir. McFall Draheim Partnership 720.232.8212

LONGMONT | $425,000

3br/2ba tri-level property featuring fresh int paint, new carpet, vaulted ceilings & spacious back yard. Minutes to Garden Acres Park, McIntosh Lake, Safeway & Twin Peaks Golf Course.

Brady Marinangeli

720.899.6133

DENVER | $395,000

2br home in the Westbury Farms at Apple Valley North community. Enjoy a roomy vaulted ceiling living room, a handy kitchen and a laundry room. Complete w/a two-car attached garage.

Kimberly Brown 303.588.1768

CASCADE | $425,000

Adorable 2br/2ba fully furnished log cabin on a .33 acre lot in Cascade featuring an open floor plan with an updated kitchen, dining area w/beautiful view & living area w/gas fireplace.

Matthew Beaman 719.321.5279

AURORA | $399,000

Bright 2br/2ba end unit bi-level townhome in Aurora with easy access to 225 & in the Cherry Creek School District. Featuring an updated kitchen, dining area, 2 primary bedrooms & deck.

Jennifer Oldham

720.234.3863

ARVADA | Price Upon Request

2br/1ba Lakecrest condo on Farmers Canal featuring an open floorplan with a large kitchen, a cozy fireplace & garage. EZ access to recreation, shops, city and mountains!

Rebecca Fine 303.913.3802

AURORA | $300,000

Cozy 2br/2ba townhome in Victoria Place featuring a living room w/fireplace, eat in kitchen w/access to patio & many updates throughout. Located in the CCSD & near rec centers & parks. Fabiola Roll 720.364.7300

DENVER | $300,000

1br/1ba condo in Park Hill boasts an open floor plan w/SS appliances & granite counters, tons of natural light & 1 deeded parking spot. HOA community includes a pool, clubhouse & more.

Anna Bliska

720.484.9360

PUEBLO | Price Upon Request

Completely remodeled 4br/1.5ba Pueblo home w/over 1,400 SQFT, big backyard & detached 2-car garage. Great curb appeal. Fresh paint, updated bathroom & more. Close to freeway & schools.

Corby Williams

719.330.5703

DENVER | $279,000

Move-in ready 1br/1ba condo w/an open floor plan. Kitchen with granite countertops, newly painted cabinets and SS appliances. Centrally located to Cherry Creek and Downtown.

Chriss Bond 720.771.7369

GUFFEY | Price Upon Request

Enjoy a beautiful mountain getaway w/these two 20 acre parcels providing views of Pikes Peak along with other mountain ranges. Property w/mature evergreens and some rock outcroppings.

Angela Smith 719.210.8878

DENVER | Price Upon Request

2br/2ba unit w/open space views featuring an open floor plan with a remodeled kitchen & living room fireplace. Tons of amenities including a pool. Close to Highline Canal Trail & RTD.

Mike Kornelsen 303.918.8910

PUEBLO WEST | Price Upon Request

15,000 sqft. lot near downtown Pueblo West. Level and zoned B-4 commercial off high-traffic corridors. This property offers exceptional mountain views.

Jeremiah Miller 719.505.6605

Roehl Western Inspirations

RepresentedBy:

TieRRa MaR GalleRy 225 Canyon Rd, SanTa Fe, nM 87501

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PICK YOUR POISON

For the Denver mayoral election, don’t just vote with the crowd. With a record 17 candidates poised to have their names on the ballot for the April 4 election as of press time, this is the electorate’s chance to choose someone it really wants to rule the Mile High City—via write-in candidates. Votes are destined to be spread out—and, thus, thin—meaning there’s a better-than-normal chance that a fill-in-the-blank contender could take the crown. We’ll start the brainstorming.

SPENCER CAMPBELL

WRITE-IN CANDIDATES

SPORTS FAN?

Mike Malone

This city needs passion. It needs leadership. It needs a strong post presence. Most of all, Denver needs a boss with a badass nickname: Michael “The Mayor” Malone. If the election goes to a runoff in June, the Denver Nuggets head coach’s inauguration could even coincide with a certain celebratory parade.

IS JANUARY 6 YOUR NEW FAVORITE HOLIDAY?

Herschel Walker

The former Heisman Trophy winner doesn’t live in Colorado, but he didn’t live in Georgia, either, when he ran for a U.S. Senate seat there. He was, however, the valedictorian of his high school class, an FBI agent, and a successful businessman. OK, none of those claims made by Walker is true, but who cares? Facts are negotiable.

DOES DENVER NEED A HIGHER PROFILE?

Jena Griswold

Some have criticized the Colorado secretary of state for eschewing her duties in favor of appearing on CNN, for never meeting a political spotlight she didn’t try to steal, and for allegedly using taxpayer money on TV ads to boost her reputation. You know what we call that? Ambition.

ARE LITTER BOXES IN SCHOOLS YOUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN?

Heidi Ganahl

Denver Public Schools has enough issues without accommodating all the cats that have infiltrated its classrooms. Ganahl uncovered the feline menace when she ran for governor this past year and was the only candidate willing to wade through the litter on an issue other politicians refused to admit exists— because, well, it doesn’t.

LIKE THE STATUS QUO?

Mitchell Hancook

Term limits prevent Michael Hancock from running for a fourth time, but there is a dark-horse candidate with a suspiciously similar resumé and appearance to Denver’s 45th mayor—save for some different glasses.

Source images: Alex Wong/Getty Images (Walker); Marc Piscotty/Getty Images (Ganahl); Matthew Stockman/Getty Images (Malone); Tom Cooper/Getty Images (Hancock); AP Photo/David Zalubowski (Griswold); Justin Sullivan/Getty Images (microphone); Getty Images (Denver City & County building, foam finger, cat ears, sunglasses, downtown Denver, badge, mountains)

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