Large graffiti murals cover buildings in RiNo. Kara Pearson Gwinn
Bartender Lindsey Lee pours a beer at the Denver Beer Company in the Central Platte Valley. Kara Pearson Gwinn
A cyclist bikes through Washington Park. Kara Pearson Gwinn
Posh, a store in LoDo, has tons of things for your home. Kara Pearson Gwinn
A large sculpture in LoDo. Kara Pearson Gwinn
People enjoy drinks at the bar, while an open kitchen is featured in the background at Cafébar in West Washington Park. Kara Pearson Gwinn
Outside of Spark Gallery in the Santa Fe Arts District, artists draw chalk art on the sidewalk. Kara Pearson Gwinn
Stores line the Platt Park neighborhood. Kara Pearson Gwinn
This building is being renovated into The Source, an urban market that will feature local food artisans, in RiNo. Kara Pearson Gwinn
A loft in Uptown. Kara Pearson Gwinn
The inside of Crema Coffee House, in RiNo, has a fun, funky interior. Kara Pearson Gwinn
The bronze sculpture "Scottish Angus Cow and Calf" sits outside the Denver Art Museum in the Golden Triangle. Kara Pearson Gwinn
The bridge connecting downtown Denver to the Highlands. Kara Pearson Gwinn
In Denver, the beer definitely flows like wine, but women flocking like the salmon of Capistrano? We’ll leave that to Lloyd Christmas. This photo essay walks us through a city defined by collaboration, vibrancy, entrepreneurship, innovation, microbrews, fitness and creativity.
Creating a sense of place, an identity, is one of the key elements to creating a desirable city. In Denver, this didn’t happen over night. It took millions of dollars, countless hours and painstaking collaboration before finally, in 2012, Denver became
one of the top destinations for 25 to-29-year-olds.
Twenty years ago, it would have been difficult to answer the question, “What makes Denver Denver?” if for no other reason than the city, and its vision of the future, was quite fractured. Today, Denver is a lot of things to a lot of people. It’s a great sports city, an economic engine, a tech hub, a conduit of creativity, a foodie’s filling station and, lest we forget, a great place to drink beer and play.
Here’s an end of the year toast to the City of Denver and its efforts at place making.
Photos by Kara Pearson Gwinn
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