The Inside Scoop

What do ya get when you combine upscale with updated? Uptown Denver, my friend! These guys are givin' the western LoHi a run for its money, at a better price too! Colfax is feelin' a bit refreshed now that businesses and office spaces are being renovated along the longest street in the US and the young and hip are purchasing old-time houses and giving them facelifts. Peeps of all backgrounds are gravitating towards the hill east of Downtown, where Victorian mansions mesh with new-fashioned high rises of condos and apartments line the shady streets of Denver's oldest hoods that collectively amount to Uptown, or North Capitol Hill, to be politically correct. Get your bang-for-the-buck by tapping into the fixer-uppers, from bungalows to lazy lofts to two-story Queen-Anne houses, that are just waitin' to be revamped and rejoice with their already renovated counterparts...

Gardened grottos like City Park, verandas of Restaurant Row's medley of mouth-watering mealmakers and the original offerings of artists and musical acts tempt Uptown's thriving and thrifty spirits to leave their weary work of restoration and downstairs merchantry in the dwellings. Once out and about, Uptowners let their hair down and rock out at music venues, gay and straight dance clubs or chic wine bars. LoHi's rival on the east is puttin' up a fight for Downtown's attention, with tools from Denver Zoo and Fillmore Theater to evolving Colfax with her mighty and modern makeovers just the beginning.

Entertainment, Theater & Music

Leave the smack-talkin' to the simpletons and enjoy some real pastime pleasures amidst the mainly residential Uptown. Keep your weekly doses of fun on the up-and-up within walking distance at chart-toppin' concerts, mind-bogglin' museums, big-time AND small-scale theater shows and frivolous festivals here and in the surrounding hoods. Two of Denver's best music halls, Fillmore Auditorium and the Ogden Theater, bellow to the masses on Colfax Avenue. The Avenue and Vintage Theaters, both on 17th Avenue, offer classically thrilling and hilariously crass productions and plays year-round for some tongue-in-cheek amusement...

To your east, City Park encompasses two of the cities hottest attractions for those who wish to escape the material world. The Denver Museum of Nature & Science houses the unbelievable Gates Planetarium, an IMAX theater and a plethora of collections and exhibits on scientific, cultural and natural histories and facts. Denver Zoo fascinates young minds and young hearts alike with hundreds of creatures from around the world including mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and more...

Welcoming the dog days of summer, Five Points hosts a yearly jazz festival, honoring the history and contributions of this other diversely-populated slice of Denver. City Park regularly presents open air concerts and wine fests for a rowdy afternoon by its lakes' shores. To mark the beginning of autumn and say good-bye to summer, catch Uptown On The Hill's annual Sampler event in late September. Follow the herds from historic B&B's to clever cafes to familiar fine dining restaurants while being entertained with live music and amusement, jubilant drinking and wine tasting and savory samples from these and other tempting hosts from the vicinity.

Nightlife

Leave the poundin' of the hammer at your Uptown project and get the lead out with some bumpin' and grindin'. Fraternize and get frisky with your fellow party-goers hoppin' from this bar to that. Fulfill your naughty nightery with booty-shakin' nightclubs and wicked wine bars to carry on with some cronies or make a spectacle of yourself on a familiar dance floor...

Hit the happy hour at Caveau Wine Bar or Tavern Uptown for your preliminary round of debauchery and great drink specials. Continue your antics at The Horseshoe, shootin' some pool or tossin' darts or dance to retro and hip-hop faves on one of STYR's two floors In case you didn't know, Cowtown does have its share of gay cowboys...? WHAT? Yeah, hightail it over to Charlie's for some boot-scoot boogyin' with the bodacious bros or head north to Tracks Nightclub, where all folk no matter what race, gender, or orientation you come from, trip the lights and dance to the best discotheque this side of Amsterdam. On Broadway you can finish off at The Church or 2AM, a couple after-hour romps, for raw techno and a chill libation to wet your whistle after all the alcohol dehydrates your bod.

Area Restaurants

In the heart of Uptown, 17th Street delivers a diner's delight in the form of Restaurant Row, a long menu in itself of good ol' American grub, ethnic cuisine and satisfying blends in between. The sites range from indulgent fine dining, bistros and cafes to finger-lickin' diners and greasy spoons, many providing outdoor patios...

For the posh palates, try sultry Strings Restaurant on Humboldt or the membership-only University Club, located on Sherman. A little more affordable and casual places include Las Margaritas, for fresh northern-Mexican and Californian foods, and Steuben's 50's style diner. Dishes that span the globe are evident in the savory menus from Asia, Ireland, Italy, Germany and South America joints in the hood as well.

Parks & Recs

Blow off steam on the green grass around the magnificent fountain at Benedict Fountain Park in the northeast corner of Uptown. Have a field day at Denver's largest metropolitan refuge for the outdoorsy, City Park, with two lakes for paddleboating, bird-watching and fishing. Round up the chitlins or the crew for some BBQin' and picnickin', or start the team competitions on the multipurpose playing fields, softball and baseball fields. For a little R&R, there are flower gardens overflowing with color, tree-shaded paths for strolling about, and park benches to plant your booty, sip your smoothie and relieve your moody...

Evade the wintry weather by purchasing an affordable membership to the Denver Recreational Centers, all included throughout the city if you travel about. Nearest to Uptown is the Twentieth Street Rec Center at Curtis, complete with a gymnasium, lockers, weight room, indoor pool, and showers. Join the Y, and you'll be doin' more than spelling it out half-jumping jack style, with their gigantic gym and weight equipment.

The Commute

If you're not one of the fortunate souls who live above their money-makin' in the many such houses around Uptown, or those earning their duckets in the hospital district right here, than we guess you may still be lucky. Makin' the rounds north and south is simple with the major north-south vessels that are Broadway, Lincoln, Downing and York Streets. Colfax and 23rd/Park/Fox Streets (all the same) are your sure shots to I-25 and North Aurora. Utilize the impressive bus webs that Denver is known for, ride the speedy light rail to the other Denver hoods in no time at all and, being the blessed being you are, anxious taxis await your beckoning call from the sidewalks and around the corner.

Shopping

As previously mentioned, some folk prefer to live above their retail undertakings of gift-selling and clothes in two story Victorians and Denver Squares, coexisting with you and yours next door. Meanwhile, Colfax introduces a line up of specialty and bookstores, art galleries, antique and clothing shops and much more. Stay hip with record-slingin' Independent Records and Jerry's selection of up-to-the-minute music and other media. Unique Boutique on Colfax and Homer Reed Ltd. over on Broadway are bustin' out with classy and eye-catchin' fashions. Vintage and used items, like rags, furniture and good reads, fill the showrooms and file the shelves of Talulah Jones and Capitol Hill Books. Pick your wicked wears from Rave Oh My Goth's racks for men and women...

If you wanna really cut loose with the loot, take a fantastic voyage to 16th Street Mall and Larimer Square in LoDo to the west and find plenty of entertainment, food and all the merchants you could ask for. Otherwise, to the southeast, Cherry Creek Shopping Center offers panache purchasing and play with stores like Tiffany & Company, Banana Republic and DIESEL.

Going Green

Revolve the ruffage and rubbish with the partnered help of Waste Management and Denver Recycles locally, often for a small fee but sometimes at no cost. The City of Denver’s Climate Action Agenda, which has the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent by 2012, is spreading green practices with more support than ever. Greenprint Denver fronts Denver residents in their resource and community newsletter to help out and get their questions answered regarding recycling programs, sustainability, and reducing greenhouse emissions. This conglomeration of fellowship, education and services is quickly spreading the right mojo to follow in the footsteps of yesterday's hippie dippies and tree-huggers.

Schools

Pushin' your teens and tots to hit the books can sometimes seem like pulling teeth. With the multitude of educational choices from preschools/early childhood to high schools that Denver Public Schools provides, that ain't so. For as long as there's space, your offspring can attend ANY school and DPS employs a lottery system if too many applications are received for one in particular. Public schools close by include Polaris At Ebert Elementary, Whittier K-8 School and East High...

The charter schools of Donwtownteach pupils in all age groups, but follow their own rules of attendance. Other options include a few Montessories and some specialized academies that offer highly-gifted and talented programs close to the Denver Studio you're thinking of purchasing. CEC Middle College and the Denver Center for International Studies help prepare students for college and the business world with exemplary classes and activities...

Evade the school of hard knocks yourself by keeping busy at one of the great colleges and universities right here surrounding Uptown. University of Colorado Denver, Metro State College of Denver and Community College of Denver are here to help and edumacate! Visit the Tivoli Student Union, a division of the Auraria Higher Education Center, for programs, services and assistance with such improvement steps. If you'd like to get some wicked art or design skills, then the Art Institute of Colorado is the choice for aspiring creators like yourself.

Sports

Exhaust and excite your muscles and limbs at City Park when you and some sidekicks swipe a field for baseball or softball, lacrosse or rugby and soccer games. Challenge a mate with a few rounds of handball or a well-lit tennis tournament, for the Park has rows of these courts. Swagger on up to Denver City Park Golf Course and tee off right in town, among awesome views of the Rockies, skycrapers of Downtown, and the lakes beside your greens. Just be careful to keep an eye out for the straying golf ball while checkin' out any hotties from afar...

Watch the professionals earn their millions, inside during winter blizzards with fellow fans in one of Uptown's popular Tavern Uptown and start a match of foosball or pool during halftime. Just a few minutes away on the other side of Downtown, head to the Pepsi Center, home of the Nuggets and Avalanche or to Coors Field, where Rockies cause a raucous for opponents. Invesco Field bids welcome to football contenders of the Broncos, but in their downtime rolls out the red carpet for the Denver Outlaws, the city's newest pro lacrosse combatants.

Medical & Health Care

Should you survive a golf ball to the head, no need to fear, hospitals are here, right in Uptown. Three major health care systems give medical aide here via full-fledged healers and menders like Exempla St. Joseph's Hospital on Franklin. Presbyterian/St Luke's Medical Center on East 19th Avenue and Kaiser Permanente on 18th are ready to tend your wounds, whilst the University of Colorado provides advanced yet comprehensive care at their hospital on West 13th Avenue...

Alternative medicine and therapy is available at the hood's Uptown Acupuncture and the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, so come receive advanced student & grad care in their affordable clinic. Comfort the mind and regain mental stability with Samadhi Center For Yoga or Uptown Body Pilates. On 16th Street, the YMCA of Downtown Denver has a fitness haven in store for keepin' in shape and feelin' good.