Uptown is one of the Denver’s most diverse, thriving neighborhoods. The area is a mix of old and new, bringing in several top-notch restaurants and nightlife hubs, as well as a boon of recently-renovated and brand new buildings. The area is where many of the city’s young professionals live and spend their nights, as well as a favorite of the lunchtime crowd from offices downtown. Today, the neighborhood that AMLI Park Avenue calls home is one of the most universally appealing in the Mile High City. Here are ten reasons why.
1. Avenue Theater
Avenue Theater is an Uptown Denver institution. For more than three decades, it’s hosted comedies, musicals, dramatic theater productions, and improv troupes. Today, surrounded by highly-rated restaurants and bars, Avenue Theater is as popular as ever. Upcoming productions include “Almost, Maine,” “The Golden Years,” and “The Book of Moron.”
2. City Park
Designed in 1880, City Park is a 330-acre refuge conveniently located near Denver’s urban center. The park is home to two lakes, the Denver Zoo, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and a picturesque boathouse. In the summer, the park hosts the popular free concert series City Park Jazz and the highly-regarded Colorado Black Arts Festival. City Park’s big winter event is Denver Zoo Lights, running until January 1, 2017. Another thing about City Park: it’s one of the better places in Denver to watch the sun set over the Rocky Mountains.
3. Denver Museum of Nature and Science
City Park’s natural history museum houses one of the Rocky Mountain region’s richest collections of artifacts and scientific information. Well-curated, engaging exhibits appeal to visitors of all ages. The popular “Extreme Mammals” exhibit runs through January 8. Upcoming exhibits on vikings, nature’s fascinating machines, and dinosaurs are cause for excitement.
4. Denver Zoo
In addition to its winter spectacular Zoo Lights, the Denver Zoo routinely hosts educational exhibits and community events. The zoo’s collection of more than 4,000 animals representing 600+ species draw more than 1.5 million visitors annually. They also make it a great place to learn about and observe wildlife.
5. Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA)
Committed to promoting a range of performance art, the DCPA is an organization and complex made up of ten performance spaces. You can catch dramatic plays, Broadway productions, other musicals, cabaret performances, and concerts here. DCPA is a ten-minute drive or 20-minute light rail ride from AMLI Park Avenue.
6. Paramount Theater
Another Uptown Denver performance space, the Paramount Theater’s history dates back to 1930. Today, it is used for stand-up shows, concerts, film screenings, and more. The theater is a 15-minute walk form AMLI Park Avenue’s Uptown Denver apartments. Upcoming performances will feature Chris Tucker, Mark Maron, and Billy Engvall.
7. Restaurant Row
So far, we’ve primarily covered longstanding Uptown Denver attractions. These institutions have adapted and evolved to make Uptown Denver more exciting than ever, but they’ve received some help from their friends in the service industry. The stretch of 17th Avenue between Broadway and City Park, dubbed Restaurant Row by locals, is part and parcel of what makes Uptown Denver so happening. Restaurant Row has some old favorites, like Avenue Grill. It’s also home to new sensations, like the Asian fusion eatery Ace. AMLI Park Avenue is located three blocks north of Restaurant Row establishments Steuben’s, Tony P’s, and Watercourse Foods.
8. Vine Street Pub and Brewery
Uptown Denver is home to several high-quality restaurants and bars. But Vine Street Pub and Brewery is especially noteworthy for its impact on the neighborhood. A sister of Boulder’s beloved Mountain Sun, Vine Street opened in 2008 and has been bumping ever since. Westword Magazine named Vine Street Denver’s best brewpub in its first year of operation. In 2012, Vine Street’s brewing facilities were completed. The brewery has the capacity to produce 5,000 barrels of beer annually.
9. Tour de Fat
Cycling and beer are two things with which Denver is closely associated. New Belgium Brewing Company’s annual event Tour de Fat celebrates both. It’s a bike ride, non-profit fundraiser, small-scale music festival, and beer tasting all rolled into one. The cycling course and entertainment are centered around Uptown Denver and City Park.
10. General Aesthetic
With its mix of Queen Anne- and Victorian-style homes, interspersed with several modern loft-style apartment buildings, Uptown Denver has a defined aesthetic appeal completely its own. Tree-lined streets and central Denver’s largest green space, City Park, further contribute to the neighborhood’s charming vibes.
Feature photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons/Gtj82
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