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Featured Location

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Denver

Late in the 19th century, Denver saw its population surge when gold was discovered in "them thar hills."

In the past decade, nearly as many newcomers have put down stakes in the Colorado capital. Many factors figure into Denver's desirability as a place to live, including its strong economy, scenic and cultural attractions, and sports and recreational facilities.

Geographically, Denver is located on rolling plains, 5,280 feet above sea level. Here in this so-named "Mile High City," the sky's the limit.

After the Gold Rush

In place of mining and other resource-based industries, telecommunications, aerospace, financial services, and computer software companies now anchor Denver's economy. In fact, many industry leaders are located in the area, including cable television provider Telecommunications Inc.; telecommunications company U S WEST; aerospace giant Lockheed Martin; international financial services company Merrill Lynch; utility provider New Century Energies (parent of Public Service Company of Colorado); and a new player in the Denver area, Internet software pioneer Sun Microsystems. These companies have helped Denver prosper and provide career opportunities for many new college graduates.

A good education is practically a prerequisite to joining the Denver work force. And if your job requires it or it is part of your long-range plans, you can continue your education in the city at Metropolitan State College, Regis University, the University of Colorado-Denver, the University of Denver, or the Westwood College of Technology.

Fine and Performing Arts

Exhibits emphasizing themes from local history to horticulture distinguish Denver's museums.

The Black American West Museum tells the story of African-American cowboys who made up as many as one-third of all the cowboys on the great cattle drives.

Buffalo Bill's Grave & Museum is filled with memorabilia honoring William F. Cody, the famous frontier scout, showman, and Pony Express rider.

The Butterfly Pavilion & Insect Center features a lush tropical forest filled with 1,600 free-flying butterflies.

The Colorado History Museum offers a series of dioramas and exhibits that trace the history of the Indians, explorers, gold miners, cowboys, and pioneers who have called Colorado home.

The Denver Art Museum has what is considered to be the finest collection of American Indian art works in the world, covering all tribes.

The Denver Botanic Gardens has a large conservatory, and alpine, water, and Japanese tea gardens.

The Denver Museum of Natural History features more than 80 dioramas depicting animals from around the world, an outstanding dinosaur collection, a Hall of Life devoted to studying the human body, and a planetarium.

With eight theaters accommodating 10,800 patrons, the Denver Performing Arts Complex is the nation's second largest performing arts center in seating capacity (after Lincoln Center in New York) and the largest in the world under one roof. The four-square-block center features Boettcher Concert Hall, the nation's first symphony hall in-the-round; the Denver Center Theater Company, home to the West's largest resident acting company; the Temple Buell Theater, a Broadway theater; and the world's first voice research laboratory.

Denver has 30 other theaters and more than 100 cinemas and has always had a love affair with the arts. As a gold rush town in the 1870s, the city boasted a theater with sold-out performances of "Macbeth," long before it had either a school or a hospital.

Sports and Recreation

With 300 days of sunshine a year, Denver gives its residents a number of reasons to be outdoors: more than 450 miles of paved, designated bike paths; 70 golf courses; and 143 free tennis courts.

Within an hour-and-a-half drive from Denver, outdoor enthusiasts also can enjoy skiing, river running, hiking, fishing, camping, horseback riding, sailing, or mountain biking.

If you lean toward spectator sports, you'll find plenty to catch your eye in Denver. The state capital is also a sports capital, home to the National Football League's 1998 Super Bowl champions, the Denver Broncos; and the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets. Rounding out the region's professional sports teams are the National Hockey League's Colorado Avalanche and Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies.

Colorado's home teams are clearly crowd pleasers. For example, the Rockies attracted the highest attendance in baseball history at their opening game in April 1993 and went on to break 11 Major League attendance records.

Sites Worth Seeing

Things to see and do in Denver include the following attractions:

Ocean Journey is a world-class aquarium that takes visitors on two adventures, one along the Colorado River through red rock canyons and flash floods and the other through tropical rain forests following the Kampar River.

The Denver Zoo is home to 3,500 animals representing more than 685 species. The zoo features a 1.5-acre simulated rainforest in which visitors feel the sensation of walking through a jungle teeming with wildlife.

Six Flags Elitch Gardens is a theme park with a distinctly European flavor, elaborate floral gardens, thrill rides, lagoons, and restaurants. The Molly Brown House honors the heroine of the Titanic disaster with mementos from her life displayed in her home on Capitol Hill.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a 9,000-seat natural outdoor arena carved out of huge, red sandstone cliffs overlooking Denver. One of the world's most famous concert sites, Red Rocks has played host to everyone from the Beatles to symphony orchestras. The U.S. Mint makes money (more than five billion coins each year) and is the second largest storehouse of gold bullion in the country after Fort Knox.

Where to Shop

As the largest city in a 600-mile radius, Denver has long been a shopping mecca. The city features the largest sporting goods store in the world (Gart Brothers Sports Castle) and the largest independent book store in America (The Tattered Cover).

Cherry Creek Shopping Center is the largest in the Rocky Mountain region with 140 upscale stores while Cherry Creek North features an eclectic mix of galleries, clothing designers, and cafes.

The 16th Street Mall is a mile-long pedestrian mall through the heart of downtown Denver, lined with shops, department stores, and outdoor cafes. The Shops at Tabor Center on this downtown stretch houses 80 shops and restaurants.

Larimer Square is a restored section of Denver's oldest street, where beautiful Victorian buildings have been converted into art galleries, clothing stores, and cafes.

Denver Pavilions features a Wolfgang Puck Café, Maggiano's Little Italy, Virgin Records Megastore, and Barnes & Noble Superstore.

Park Meadows is Denver's newest addition to the shopping scene. Featuring a Nordstrom, Dillard's, Foleys, and Joslins, Park Meadows was designed to resemble a ski lodge, complete with a huge center court fireplace.

For your dining pleasure, Denver has more than 2,000 restaurants serving all kinds of cuisine. Area specialties include Rocky Mountain Trout, fresh Colorado beef, lamb, and buffalo. Local residents also enjoy an abundance of Mexican and Southwestern dishes.

Nearby Attractions

Colorado's natural beauty and rich history extend beyond Denver city limits.

Central City is 34 miles west of Denver and is known as the "Richest Square Mile on Earth" because of the half billion dollars of gold mined there. A new "gold rush" was launched when limited stakes casino gambling was legalized for Central City and neighboring Black Hawk.

Georgetown is a Victorian village with 200 restored buildings set in a mountain valley. The Georgetown Loop Railroad operates in the summer months with narrow- gauge steam locomotives curling down a mountain ledge, at one point crossing over a 90-foot-high trestle. Georgetown is 42 miles west of Denver.

Mount Evans has the highest paved auto road in North America, snaking its way to the 14,260-foot summit. The road is open only from June through Labor Day and frequently has snow on it, even in August. The summit is 60 miles from downtown Denver.

Pikes Peak Country is located 60 miles south of Denver and features more than 40 attractions centered around 14,000-foot-high Pikes Peak. Things to see include the Air Force Academy, one of three United States military colleges; and the Garden of the Gods, which has gigantic 500-foot-high red sandstone rock monuments in a spectacular setting at the base of Pikes Peak.

Rocky Mountain National Park is 71 miles northwest of Denver and features 400 square miles of scenic beauty, including hiking trails, lakes, and waterfalls.

Making Denver Home

There's no one reason for Denver's 23 percent population increase since 1990. There are many, beginning with the city's healthy economy and affordable cost of living.

Denver, of course, has even more to offer, including a first-rate educational system, outstanding historic and cultural attractions, and dynamic sports and recreational facilities, topped off by a remarkably mild climate.

In Colorado's capital, the gold rush never really ended; it just took a different form. That's why, all these years later, so many people are making Denver home.