Colfax? (Denver: gated, living, safe)

[awsun1980]

I avoid Colfax like the plague. It's the crappiest looking street in all of Denver.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by new-to-CO

I avoid Colfax like the plague. It's the crappiest looking street in all of Denver.

I disagree--Colfax has color, character and history.
Colorado Boulevard would be the crappiest looking street in all of Denver for me.
But we probably have different criteria.

[DenverAztec]

Colfax is the longest commercial road in the United States and is an incredibly valuable and important road in Denver’s history and continued functionality. Not to see Colfax is not to see Denver, Aurora, Lakewood or Golden. Because of its size and length, you will find the best of Denver on it along with some of the more seedy places to hang out. However, the significant miles of landmarks and venues to visit totally outweigh one or two blocks of undesirables.

Not to mention all of the restaurants I have already listed previously on this thread, here are some of the important modern and historic structures that come to mind:

• New medical campus at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Base
• Casa Bonita (horrid food but tourist who don’t know good Mexican food love this place)
• The neon of the various road side motels along west Colfax
• Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
• Colorado State Capitol
• Carnegie Library, soon to become part of the new Colorado History Museum
• City and County Building
• The U.S. Mint
• The Denver Justice Center, under construction
• The Auraria Campus
• New Denver Post/Rocky Mountain news building
• Bluebird Theater
• National Jewish Lung Center at Colorado and Colfax
• Mile High at Invesco Field
• Denver East High School
• The Bonfill Theater, which is now the Tattered Cover
• The Fillmore Theater
• Civic Center Park
• Views of these structures and within a block or two from Colfax:
  • Lake Junior High School at Sloan’s Lake
  • Saint John’s Episcopal Church
  • Temple Emmanuel Events Center
  • The Colorado Convention Center
  • 16th Street Mall
  • Denver Art Museum
  • Denver Central Library
  • City Park and the Museum of Natural History
  • Capitol Hill/Park Hill/Mayfair
  • Denver Center for Performing
• Access to:
  • Downtown
  • I-25
  • Light Rail
  • In Denver alone – access to the major avenues and boulevards of Quebec/Monaco/Colorado Blvd./York/Broadway/Speer/Federal/Sheridan

There is a reason most major Denver parades and now marathons have routes that include Colfax. To think Colfax is ugly is to think Denver is ugly.

[DenverAztec]

As for seedy:

• Civic Center Park at night
• Kitty's
• Argonaut Liquors
• Adult Bookstore next to the Bluebird Theater
• Adult Bookstore on about Irving on West Colfax
• Former Biker bar at about Yates and Colfax, the place with the windmill in the front. Might be a Chinese diner now?
• Where Clarkson and Washington intersect Colfax, there is a reason for the Guardian Angels Headquarters and a large Police station to be located on these blocks.
• Far east Colfax at about Dayton - cheap motels and hoochie mamas

It is predominately drug deals and prostitution types of crime, no need to worry about walking the entire length of Colfax, a section at a time that is.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by DenverAztec

As for seedy:

• Civic Center Park at night
• Kitty's
• Argonaut Liquors
• Adult Bookstore next to the Bluebird Theater
• Adult Bookstore on about Irving on West Colfax
• Former Biker bar at about Yates and Colfax, the place with the windmill in the front. Might be a Chinese diner now?
• Where Clarkson and Washington intersect Colfax, there is a reason for the Guardian Angels Headquarters and a large Police station to be located on these blocks.
• Far east Colfax at about Dayton - cheap motels and hoochie mamas

It is predominately drug deals and prostitution types of crime, no need to worry about walking the entire length of Colfax, a section at a time that is.

Heeey... I've been to 5 of those points of interest on your "seedy" list Not today or anything, but in my past. Actually, I hit Argonaut's about once per month because they have great wine prices.

[DenverAztec]

Originally Posted by denverian

Heeey... I've been to 5 of those points of interest on your "seedy" list Not today or anything, but in my past. Actually, I hit Argonaut's about once per month because they have great wine prices.

I hope your past was not just this past weekend and that you didn't combine any of them (liquor/hoocie/kitty's or Civic Center park).

[flyingbuffalos]

Thanks, DenverAztec,
Your list was indeed thorough. I think Colfax is a very interesting street, and as you pointed out, there are several important landmarks located there. But anywhere The Tattered Cover is, is OK by me!

avid reader,
flyingbuffalos

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by denverian

Actually, I hit Argonaut's about once per month because they have great wine prices.

I think they have the best selection of French wine in the Denver metro area.
And their salespeople actually *know* what they are talking about.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by DenverAztec

I hope your past was not just this past weekend and that you didn't combine any of them (liquor/hoocie/kitty's or Civic Center park).

No, other than Argonaut, I haven't been in any of the other places since the mid '90s, in my young, single days!

There are also some "interesting" businesses on S. Broadway. The Crypt is an interesting browse

[denverian]

Originally Posted by cil

I think they have the best selection of French wine in the Denver metro area.
And their salespeople actually *know* what they are talking about.

I heard a rumor that they were going to buy whatever that fast food restaurant is to the east and do a major expansion. I don't know if there's any truth to it though. And I've found them very helpful in locating and explaining certain wines.