Continuing Impressions of Denver

As time passes, we are beginning to explore more of Denver.  Bryn & Grant live in the Highlands—originally its own town but annexed to the city late in the 19^th century.  By the turn of the 20^th century, it had become a streetcar or trolley suburb, and many homes from the 1900’s/1910’s still exist.  As we have mentioned before, Bryn & Grant’s house was built in 1911.  Many of the streets are wide and tree lined.  Young families have moved in over the last decade, and most everyone takes great pride in their yard and house.

Highland's neighborhood streets are very bucolic.

Denver has more area devoted to parks and green space than any other city its size in the US.  At the west end of downtown, which is called LoDo, there is a beautiful park along the South Platte River.  The trail runs along the river for miles, both north and south. In the LoDo area, the park is beautifully laid out and landscaped. People take great advantage of the park to walk their dogs, play with their children, jog, walk or just amble. 

South Platte River Trail

One aspect that you don’t notice, at least at first glance, is that a lot of street people evidently sleep and camp out amongst the brush and scrub that has grown up along the river.  With Denver’s dry summer weather and mild nights, it probably is not an unpleasant experience.  It must be a different story in the winter.

The city planners have turned 16^th street, from the capitol to the river (about two miles), into a pedestrian mall.  This is a great idea, and certainly attracts a lot of locals as well as tourists, but it also attracts a lot of homeless (which is a euphemism—should be named more honestly as addicted and/or ill) and other street people. You are seldom actively panhandled, but there are a lot of singers, musicians, and performers with their hats out.  All mingle and take the free buses traversing the stretch. 

16th Street Pedestrian Mall

During the last decade while we were living in Boone and Greenville, we truthfully gave little thought to our society’s homeless problem, but back again in an urban setting, you cannot help but thinking about it.  Solutions? We certainly don’t have the answers—but wonder if we devoted more resources to caring for the mentally ill and poor instead of policing the world, we might be a better society.

It is tremendously convenient and interesting living in the heart of the city.  From our 18^th floor studio, we are constantly entertained by what’s happening around us.  One thing that you notice—especially since we like to keep our balcony door open, both day and night, there is a lot of noise.  The buildings and people generate noise 24/7 but that is often enhanced with the noise from some street performance, promotional activity, or the wail of police and fire sirens.  Looking for peace and solitude—you won’t find it here, but you also learn to tune much of it out.

We continue to enjoy watching Charlie develop, which is happening rapidly—he has found his voice and “talks” (blah, blah, blah, basically).  Returning his blah, blah, blah interspersed with a Charlie, Mama, Dada, or DoJo (his dog “brother”) elicits a big melt-your-heart grin.  

Charlie & Opa at the Denver Zoo

It was Bryn’s birthday weekend which we celebrated with a fabulous brunch at Steuben’s, a new and popular Denver diner, and a “Chocolate Cooking Class” which Sue and Bryn thoroughly enjoyed.  The guys bonded at home watching football and later benefitted from the cooking class largess.

Celebrating Bryn's birthday at Steuben's

Bryn, Grant, Oma, Opa and Charlie in his Broncos “onesie” cheered the team on as Peyton Manning led them to their first victory of the season.  Looks like we are becoming Broncos fans!