16th street mall exaggerated social problems? (Denver, Lake City: ski resort, violent crime, hotel)

[lovecrowds]

I have to admit, despite how over-rated Denver is in my opinion, the most overrated element is the concern over safety on the 16th street mall.

I have been the 16th street mall many times over the summer and have never felt the slightest bit off-ease in the area.

I have been going there for decades on and off and it seems in better shape then ever in my opinion as far as being at ease. They have large numbers of workers and tourists that blend out the riff-raff.

In my opinion, the only reason for the 16th street mall publicity is because of bad experience some high level personhad at a major convention.

I loved how they said they would no longer have being their business to Denver. What other western city will they go to? Salt Lake City with all it's aggressive panhandlers and muggers or Las Vegas with the drive by shootings and disgruntled residents driving cars down the sidewalk.

It seems like 16th street mall gets so much publicity, but a vast majority of the worst of the violent crime is in areas like Cole, Whittier and SW Denver.

It seems as though that the instances except for the one with the guy who just from Indiana have been fit-fights between cliques similar to what cities in the 1950s had. Usually the quarrels are between people who know each other in Denver.

I was just in Salt Lake City and talk about a breakdown of social order in a downtown.

Downtown Salt Lake City outside of it's two upscale malls is basically homeless, people who high on illicit drugs, the smell of marijuana walking down the street is strong.

There are also people on street corners in Salt Lake City who just stand there looking to basically rob people. I have never felt so scared and been in rust-belt cities and have never felt like this in downtown Denver.

Unlike Denver which has aggressive patrols with police on each block in additional to private security, Salt Lake City seems to have no police to be found in it's downtown except giving out tickets for revenue generation.

Las Vegas also has a massive crisis of people sleeping on the streets on the strip where tourists are basically stepping over them and just ignores it.

Downtown Denver has some people who are on Marijuana but when I was in Tucson it seems like the majority of people were high on illicit drugs that were far worse then what the 16th street mall element is on.

Out of the western cities, I have lived in Denver and Phoenix seem to be only ones that are aggressive with enforcing the peace and pro-active in keeping social order in the downtown.

[sammy87]

16th Mall sucks. Its a bunch of chains that you can find in any other city. Only reason theres business there is due to convention traffic. Nobody is going from out of state to see it. I dont know any CO residents that go there. I go to a lot of conventions there and the out of town guests all have the same comment....I thought Denver was supposed to be nice? Its a decent city close to MTNS. If you like the outdoors its great....if not well then you might think it sucks. DPD needs to do a better job cleaning it up.

SLC I agree with as well. Gateway and City Creek are nice, the rest is really sketchy and considering nobody drinks in the town....its eerily quiet after 8pm. I travel to SLC 4x/yr....I usually stay near a ski resort since its so close to downtown.

[history nerd]

I agree with all of the above... 16th is safe but boring. The really interesting stuff is going on in areas that would make the people who are afraid of 16th Street Mall **** their pants.

[JrzDefector]

I've never felt unsafe in Denver for even a moment. 16th Street Mall is tame. The panhandlers are annoying, but I just give them my best dead-eyed stare and they move on.

But really, it's just a boring strip with retail options you can find pretty much anywhere else. Most of the indoor malls have better and more interesting dining options, or you can go to Cherry Creek's shopping district. The only time I go there is when there's a business event and I'm meeting someone for a work-related meal or drink because it's near their hotel - and then we almost always go to Earl's. Which is ok.

I will sometimes swing by the Tattered Cover, but I like the one on Colfax better.

[caverunner17]

I personally find it a shrunken down version of Chicago's Michigan Ave / State Street.

[Mezter]

As much as I love Downtown, I've noticed a shift within the last year. I'm not necessarily afraid for my safety, but the vibe isn't as care free as it was even a few months ago. Every time I go down there now I see the homeless loudly arguing and battling each other. It's so awkward.

[davebarnes]

Hope and dread on the 16th Street Mall

[skins_fan82]

Originally Posted by history nerd

I agree with all of the above... 16th is safe but boring.

Count me in as well. I work @ 18th & California...just two blocks away. And yet I've only walked down there maybe 4 or 5 times in 2016 for lunch. I'd rather go to Wall Street for lunch (yum!)

The only reason 16th Street is even relevant is because of it's proximity to the convention centers and business district.

I'm going to put everyone in a box here (LOL), but there are basically 4 types of people at the 16th Street Mall:

1. soccer moms in yoga pants, meeting other soccer moms in yoga pants for coffee
2. Out-of-town convention folks in a group for lunch
3. downtown Denver workers who are out for a luncheon or grabbing a quick to go order.
4. homeless

I doubt that very many people who live in the Denver metro plan to "go spend a day" at 16th street. As many have said, there just isn't much there in the way of culture. Nothing but chain restaurants, crappy shopping, and a bunch of homeless people.

Far as safety goes, I've never felt unsafe. At least during the day, anyway. There are just too many people for something super crazy to happen. Yeah, that one homeless dude swinging a PVC pipe at people was nuts, but nobody was seriously hurt. And since that happened and the news started doing special reports about "the dangers" of 16th, there are now cops at damn near every corner, just waiting around for something to happen.

[Timmyy]

Shocking, lovescrowds finds Denver over rated. We have never heard that before on here.

[sammy87]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

Hope and dread on the 16th Street Mall

The comments in that article got out of control fast.


When we moved here we went there for lunch, heard it was cool whatever.....been back 1 time since then for the Christmas market and it got sketchy quick at night. Literally had to step over people, **** everywhere, harassed for money. That was the last time I took my wife there.

For work I've been there maybe a dozen times for lunch meetings or for conferences. I always tell clients and visitors to go to Union Station or somewhere else. They get excited over a closed city street with shops/food then they find out it sucks pretty bad. Its like the river walk of Denver.....same crappy restraurants, and mainly a tourist trap, lots of bums.