Explore Denver Like a Local
As someone that has spent almost 10 years in Metro Denver and spent a lot of time driving around with clients, here are some places that I think offer a cool experience (in no particular order) and may not be found on every “10 Best Things to Do in Denver” list you find on the internet.
Go to a University of Denver hockey game. They won the NCAA Hockey Championship 4 times in the last 20 years, including 2022. Taking place in a smaller venue than Ball Arena (where the 2022 NHL Champion Colorado Avalanche play), each seat offers a more intimate setting for a relatively affordable $25-$60.
Go to a Colorado Rapids MLS soccer game. While the Broncos, Avalanche, Nuggets, and Rockies are the big names heard on ESPN, locals rave about the experience at a Colorado Rapids soccer game.
Walk around Wash Park on during a nice weekend. One of the premier neighborhoods for $1M+ craftsman bungalow homes, Washington Park is at the center of it all. During nice weather, the 160+ acre park is host to countless friend meetups for volleyball, football, frisbee, running, dog walking, basketball, etc.
Walk around Sloan Lake. It offers a similar vibe to Wash Park in a different part of town.
Grab something to eat on Tennyson Street in the Berkeley neighborhood.
Grab something to eat on Pearl Street in the Platt Park neighborhood. I’m a fan of Steam Espresso Bar, Platt Park Brewing Company, Park Burger, and Sweet Cow Ice Cream. Pick up brunch or lunch during the South Pearl Farmers’ Market held 9am to 1pm on Sundays from early May to mid-November.
Climb to top of Carpenters Peak in southwest Denver. With a ~$5 entrance fee per car, you can park and walk your way up a 3.1 mile hike to the top in a little over an hour. Offers cool views of the city and the Rocky Mountains.
Watch the sunset at Daniels Park. I am biased as this is where I proposed to my now wife, but I think this is one of the best views of the Rocky Mountains. It’s a pretty big drop to the open land below which adds to the spectacular scenery. There is a good chance you will see buffalo on neighboring land. The views of Sanctuary Golf Course are pretty idyllic as well. You can soak in the sights throughout the day, though I think sunset is the most spectacular.
Have breakfast as Snooze. There are a few locations in Denver now and it has started expanding across the US, but it’s still a wonderful place to eat. Hashtag in Central Park is my new favorite breakfast spot. If in a hurry, try out VooDoo Doughnut (toppings gone to the extreme) or Duffyroll Bakery Cafe.
Try Sexy Pizza or Fat Sully’s for New York-style pizza. I love these places.
Have a fancy dinner in Cherry Creek North. As the most upscale shopping area in Metro Denver, Cherry Creek also offers some of the best dining options as well.
Walk around River North (RiNo), Lower Downtown (LoHi), Union Station, and/or and Lower Highlands (LoHi). You can basically park your car in any of these locations and just start walking until you find something worthy of your time - breweries, cool architecture, food, etc.
Can’t all decide on dinner location? Go to Stanley Marketplace and let everyone try something different.
Take an 11-mile drive around Rocky Mountain Arsenal & Wildlife Refuge. Listen to the recorded audio on their website that talks you through what you are seeing at each mile marker. It will talk you through a wide history of the area from native Americans settling the land to it’s use in World War II as a chemical manufacturing facility and today where it is home to Bald Eagles, buffalo, deer, and other wildlife. It’s also kind of weird to see a sign that says, “If you didn’t drop it, don’t pick it up.”
Drive around Cherry Hills Village and Greenwood Village. If you hear of a big name athlete coming to Denver, there is a good chance they are buying a multimillion dollar home in one of these two neighborhoods.
Check out Cherry Creek Mall or Park Meadows Mall. Cherry Creek is more “central Denver nice” whereas Park Meadows is more “suburban Denver nice.” Either way, they are both nice.
Check out outlet mall in either Castle Rock or Thornton. I’d vote for Castle Rock, but you can’t go wrong with either.
Find a cool rooftop bar or restaurant. There are quite a few scattered around town. I’m not sure that one is clearly better than the rest, but a simple Google search will help you find one that properly fits what you are going for. With over 300 days of sunshine, there is always just something nice about have good food and drinks while sitting on a rooftop with views of downtown, the mountains, or simply big screen TVs during a big game.
Play ping-pong at Ace on 17th Street. I was the cool kid that entered ping-pong tournaments in high school and now has one in his house. Thus, I am biased. But if you’ve ever wanted to go to a restaurant where there are multiple ping-pong tables set and ready to go, you’ve found your place in Ace. Plus, they’ve got good food.
Go to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater to walk around (in the morning before the music starts), attend a concert (what they’re known for), or watch a Movie on the Rocks during the week. The Pollstar award was given out to the best outdoor venue each year. Red Rocks won so many times that they simply renamed it the Red Rocks Award.
Go to a brewery. A lot of them will offer tours for free. Breckenridge Brewery is a good place for a full meal and a bunch of outdoor space. Blue Moon Brewing Company looks pretty cool in the RiNo neighborhood (just north of downtown), but I haven’t been there yet. With that said, there are a bunch of smaller breweries in Denver, each offering something unique - try Grandma’s House or Brewability, both on South Broadway.
Visit Pearl Street in Boulder, walk around University of Colorado campus, and take a hike through the Flat Irons. I still remember walking around the University of Boulder with my dad when I was touring colleges as a high school student. As someone that really appreciates architecture and design, I was amazed by the beauty of the school and surrounding area. Though I decided on a school closer to home in Texas A&M (where a sense of architectural cohesion among the buildings has been lost throughout many decades of its history), that trip to Boulder (and CSU in Fort Collins) helped cement the idea that I would one day make Colorado my home.
Visit Golden, Colorado. Take a tour of Coors Brewery. I’m a big fan of the Golden Mill which offers multiple food and drink options with rooftop, fire pits, and simply a fun atmosphere to spend a few hours.
If you are willing to drive 60-90 minutes one way…
Have Sunday brunch at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. It’s pricey, but The Broadmoor is a pretty cool place to be as the “longest-running Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond Resort in the World.” My wife and I feel like royalty every time we go. It has a classic elegance to it. It’s also cool to see the military antennas atop Cheyenne Mountain to the south. Be sure to check out the hallway featuring photos of all the famous individuals that have stayed at the hotel.
While in Colorado Springs, visit Garden of the Gods (free to drive through and offering views of multiple different rock formations including Kissing Camels and Balanced Rock), tour the Olympic Training Center (I once walked right by Michael Phelps during a tour), and/or visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (one of the best zoos in North America).
Visit downtown Fort Collins. It loses something by not being at the foot of the mountains like Boulder is, but it is definitely still a cool college town (Colorado State University).
Drive to the top of Mount Evans if the road is open (aka summertime). While it’s not exactly like climbing a 14er (14,000+ foot mountain), you can drive to a parking lot near the top, get out, and boulder your way up another ~50 feet to the true peak of Mount Evans. A great view and experience with 1/100 of the effort required of the more typical 3K+ elevation gain associated with a typical 14er climb. Some 14ers have more of a dome peak (like Pikes Peak) that are a bit underwhelming compared to those where standing on one single pinnacle rock makes you feel on top of the world. Mount Evans has that one single pinnacle rock.
Visit Vail, Breckenridge (pictured are old buildings preserved along Main St - there were foxes playing the day I visited), or Winter Park. They really are within 90 minutes of Downtown Denver.
Rent a kayak and paddle to your own little island on Dillon Reservoir.
Ice skate on Evergreen Lake. My sister loves Hallmark Christmas movies. Ice skating in Evergreen feels like it could be in one of those movies.
Visit Estes Park. The entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park really is within 90 minutes as well. While there, go on a ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel that inspired the Overlook Hotel in the best-selling novel turned movie The Shining. On the other end of the movie spectrum, the hotel was also featured in multiple scenes of Dumb and Dumber.
Got more ideas? Thinking of making Denver a permanent home? Please reach out! I’m happy to chat.
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Matt Long - 303-524-2086 (call or text) - MattLong@kw.com