By Matthew Van Deventer

“Pedestrian friendly” is not a phrase typically used to describe West Colfax Avenue. However, the West Colfax Business Improvement District (BID) is tackling that challenge and making changes to their stretch of Colfax that will improve the lives of walkers and cyclists and benefit business. 

Dan Shah is the executive director of the West Colfax BID and the guiding force of Re-Imagining West Colfax, the BID’s project to transform the corridor with new development, art, bus shelters, and pedestrian accessibility.

“Historically, transportation engineers have been reluctant to do anything besides accommodate the automobile,” explains Shah. “There has been a shift in the way [Denver] thinks, and it’s an evolution, but you can definitely see evidence of it around town.” 

Story and Photo by Chris Cuddihy

“Look. This pepper is eight centimeters tall,” announces Jovial Garden’s horticulturist Seth Moon while holding a small ruler against a seedling. Inside the recently revamped greenhouse at Edgewater Elementary, second and third graders inch forward for a closer look. 

Jovial Gardens is part of Jovial Concepts, a nonprofit inspiring the public to take part in activities that will improve the safety and the beauty of their communities. In 2013 Jovial Concepts initiated its gardening project in Edgewater. Overseeing 40 young children nurture vegetable seeds into seedlings that will later be transplanted onto nearly 10,000 square feet of gardening area—all donated by Edgewater and vicinity residents—is just one component of Jovial’s multi-tiered agenda. 

16th Street Mall Tour

By Sarah Ford
Photos by Chase Doelling

Thousands of people pour through the 16th Street Mall each day.  The mix of working Denverites and visitors means the Mall is full of chain stores, restaurants, and tacky souvenir shops. But dotted along the street are hidden gems of the city’s culture and history, and the hidden lives of some of the city’s poorest citizens.

RiNo/Five Points Tour

By Tessa Cheek
Photos by Sarah Harvey

An industrial neighborhood wedged between the South Platte River and the historic neighborhoods of Five Points and Curtis Park, RiNo (River North) is Denver’s newest arts district. Curtis Park and Five Points are some of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Denver, and many of the service agencies serving those experiencing homelessness are located here.

South Broadway Tour

By Sarah Harvey
Photos by Giles Clasen

A century ago this little stretch of Broadway was called the Miracle Mile; more recently it’s been renamed SoBo. South Broadway is home to dive bars, trendy new restaurants, and some of Denver’s most eclectic local shopping (you can find everything from vintage ball gowns to bondage gear here).

Colfax Tour

By Sarah Ford, with Abby Templeton-Greene and Nache Greene
Photos by Kacey Coffenberry

Colfax Avenue is the spine of Denver, home to much of the city’s history as well as some of its newest and hippest locations. With diversity in businesses, restaurants, and bars, Colfax reflects each of Denver’s unique personalities. 

Capitol Hill Tour

By Abby Templeton-Greene and Nache Greene
Photos by Chase Doelling

Denver’s most densely populated neighborhood has seen one hundred fifty years of boom and bust cycles. Former residents include both Molly Brown and Allen Ginsberg. A diverse cast of characters still inhabits the area today.

By Chris Krovatin

Denver residents and downtown businesses should prepare for a busy summer as Meet in the Street returns to the 16th Street Mall this month. 

The outdoor event series, which is run by the Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) and based off of similar happenings like New York Summer Streets and Ciclovia in Bogotá, includes small business participation and street performances, and will take place over five Sundays this year—June 28, July 5, July 19, August 2, and August 9. On those dates, the Free Mall Ride will be detoured to 15th and 17th Streets for the entire day.

Launched as a way to get locals to go outside, walk, bike, and enjoy the outdoor beauty of downtown Denver, Meet in the Street has become a chance for local eateries and performers to interact with large groups of people who may not consider the center of a busy city as a place to spend a day outside. 

By Sarah Harvey  |  Photos by Giles Clasen

Although Kenneth Cooley is one of the newest Denver VOICE vendors, he’s quickly become one the top vendors in sales. 

New vendors often struggle when they first venture out to sell the VOICE. There’s a lot to learn: how to deal with rejection, where the best sales turfs are. But within his first month, Kenneth sold over 300 papers.

 

At the end of next month, the Denver VOICE will lose its home. After almost six years at our distribution office at Park Avenue and Champa, we’ve got to move on. The building has been sold. The neighborhood is changing.

By Matthew Van Deventer  |  Photo by Giles Clasen

Initially, Denver’s public toilet talk was a part of a greater look into mitigating conflict between the homeless and a growing city. Demands for these facilities, however, are now being voiced not only by the homeless but the community at large. 

 

By Sarah Ford  |  Photo by Kristin Pazulski

The gym of the Union Baptist Church, just off of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, hasn’t seen a lot of activity in the past few years. But tonight, the walls echo with repeated shouts of “knuckleheads” and the squeaking of gym shoes over worn wood. 

 

By Gina Tron  |  Photo by Giles Clasen

Marcus Weaver’s work with organizations like Denver’s New Genesis helped him heal after surviving the 2012 shooting at Aurora’s Fox Theater.

It seemed like everything was on the right track for Marcus Weaver after he graduated radiology school. He was the top student in his class and even won a national award. Despite that, he admits, “you can always find ways to self destruct.” He was going on crime sprees, stealing mp3 players and computer products and trading them in for thousands, and dealing and taking drugs. At his lowest point, he engaged in a high-speed chase with the police, which resulted in him being briefly hospitalized.

By Matthew Van Deventer | Photos by Mike Bohner and Giles Clasen

Denver-based hip-hop group the Flobots want to change the outcome of the sometimes-unorganized nature of protests. Their experiential art piece, No Enemies, takes their music off the stage and back to the streets. 

Once a month the Flobots hold a call and response, inviting people to share movement songs and get involved.

This issue of the Denver VOICE includes a special section on volunteer opportunities throughout Metro Denver. This is the third year the VOICE has partnered with Metro Volunteers to publish their Volunteer Guide, an excellent resource on volunteer opportunities in the area. National Volunteer Week is April 12-18. Make sure you check out the guide for ideas on how you can give back to your community that week—and all year long!

The City of Denver is revitalizing its composting program in order to accommodate residents’ desire to go green.

In 2008 Denver Solid Waste Management (DSWM), a division of the Department of Public Works, performed a waste composition sampling funded by a state grant. Before the analysis, the assumption was that Colorado’s garbage was 25–30 percent organic material that could be compostable, which would have been in line with the national average.