What to do when friends or relatives come to visit? Here is where Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper takes his guests when they come to town.
goColorado What is your favorite bar or night spot?
John Hickenlooper The Bluebird Theatre is an opportunity to experience great music in a locally owned venue that’s in the center of East Colfax Avenue’s commercial revitalization.
As far as music spots, El Chapultepec has offered great jazz with no cover for more than 50 years. Many times, the biggest names in jazz come here to jam after playing in one of Denver’s more formal concert venues.
goColorado
What about your favorite restaurant? Where would you take friends?
John Hickenlooper
Zengo sits in a vibrant part of Denver (Riverfront Park) that didn’t even exist a few years ago. Now it is bustling with housing, retail and this energetic restaurant that takes the dining experience to a whole new level. Perfect for anyone who can’t decide between Asian or Latin food — it combines both.
goColorado
Let’s say your family wants some excercise. What’s the best outdoor activity?
John Hickenlooper
Why drive to the ski slopes of Winter Park Resort when you can experience the comfort, convenience and tradition of the Ski Train? You not only get to have a great opportunity for world-class skiing, but the round-trip scenery and experience are unbeatable.
Playing tennis at Gates Tennis Center is another option. Located in the 14-acre Pulaski Park in the heart of Denver, this 20-court public tennis facility is a recreational oasis.
GoColorado
Where are your favorite places to shop?
John Hickenlooper
The Tattered Cover is more than just an amazing locally-owned bookstore and community gathering place, it’s a Denver institution.
And my son is obsessed with anything that has to do with trains, so imagine our familial delight to learn that Caboose Hobbies, the largest railroad hobby shop in the world, is five minutes from downtown Denver.
GoColorado
Colorado is known for its outdoors. What’s your favorite natural attraction?
John Hickenlooper As a former geologist, the natural rock formations at Red Rocks Amphitheatre have an allure all their own. As a music lover, there is no better concert venue. It has become an iconic place in music history, and visitors love to experience it.
GoColorado
Denver has some great museums. Can you choose the best?
John Hickenlooper
The amazing collections at the Denver Art Museum have always been a big draw, but now the architecture of the Hamilton Building itself, designed by internationally-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, will be a draw all its own.
With more than 775,000 objects, the Museum of Nature and Science is the fifth-largest natural history museum in the country and now home to one of the world’s most advanced digital planetariums.
GoColorado
What surprises have your relatives most enjoyed while visiting Denver?
John Hickenlooper
The balmy climate in February — you can’t beat it!