The Denver Newbie

Since I've Been Here--Personal Faves: Food

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Since I've been in Denver, I've taken in some of the coolest sights, eaten some of the best food, enjoyed some of the best live music, and more. I'll take a few posts to share some of my personal faves in different categories. Here are just a few of my personal favorites in food, in no particular order:

Maggiano's. I know this is a chain, and they're not just in Denver. However, they weren't in Oklahoma, and this is probably the best Italian food I've ever eaten. Plus, they give you a ton of it--a full order of pasta can last you for days! They have two stores in Denver--one downtown, and one in the Denver Tech Center (DTC) area. Downtown has a bit more atmosphere, but in my experience, DTC gives you more food. :)
Large Marge's. A little dinky storefront on Kipling Street in Wheat Ridge, but no place better to get authentic Philly steak sandwiches. Except maybe for Philly. :) The owner is from Philadelphia and knows her stuff.
Sam's No. 3. Also downtown, on 15th and Curtis, this is a historic restaurant/cafe that's kept up with the times--hard to describe, like you're in the past and the present at the same time. I've yet to have a bad meal there. Try the hot turkey sandwich. MMM! Also, the best chocolate shake I've had so far in Denver. (Although, admittedly, I try not to have too many shakes these days.)

Next: favorite sights. And I'll probably also post on my favorite coffee shop hangouts at some point.

Use the 1800Flowers Coupon Code for special discounts this holiday season

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Okay, I'm getting used to this place now. :) One of the first things I did when arriving in Denver (having nothing to do with sightseeing and everything to do with surviving) is look around for work. I have done a lot of flower delivery for extra money over the years, so I thought I'd check and see if any of the flower shops needed someone.

What I'm learning is that the landscape is changing (pun intended) in the flower biz. Local florists, especially here in Denver, aren't just off unto themselves anymore. For one thing, Internet services like 1800Flowers.com have caused them to shift and adapt. One of the major florists in town, Veldkamps, actually lists 1800Flowers.com above its own name to highlight the fact that they work with 1800Flowers.com to deliver fresh, timely arrangements. So it's not just local anymore. Everything's getting interconnected.

Flowers are a great holiday idea, both for Thanksgiving and Christmas--and it seems more and more folks are finding that out. (I delivered flowers Christmas Eve last year--I know what I'm talking about. Sheesh!) If you like that idea, you can get a discount by using 1800Flowers.com coupon codes.

And if you have them delivered here in Denver--chances are they'll be coming from Veldkamps.

The Amazing Magical Exploding Mayonnaise

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:07:00 +0000

We should have remembered this from trips to Denver before.

When you come to Denver from a the lower plains, there is a surprising drop in air pressure because of the altitude. You don't really notice it driving the miles and miles across the open Kansas prairie, because the climb is so gradual.

But let's just say that when you leave Oklahoma and arrive in Denver, any sealed bottle or tube you bring with you on the trip--like, say, hand lotion, or mayonnaise--is going to have more air pressure inside than outside.

And that means, when you open it the first time after arriving in Denver, you should keep a safe distance.

So after a 12-hour trip, we we stayed the night in a hotel before signing our lease the next day. Since it was late, we decided to make sandwiches from the stuff we'd brought in the cooler, rather than go out to eat.

All was well, until WildChild decided we should have mayonnaise on our sandwiches.

Apparently, it is a Denver tradition that when you first open a bottle of Oklahoma mayonnaise there, you should have it not just on your sandwich. You should have it on everything. And the Oklahoma mayonnaise apparently knew this, because it honored the tradition. As WildChild opened the flip-top lid...POP!

Want to know what's even more funny than the magical exploding mayonnaise? The fact that we kept forgetting about opening sealed containers for the first time, and having to clean up mess after mess. Not everything exploded like the mayonnaise. But there is something both astounding and annoying about opening a small tube of hand lotion, and having to watch helplessly as almost the entire tube's worth oozes out onto your hands.

If you were born and raised here, you probably don't even know what I'm talking about. If you migrated to Denver like we did, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. And if you are thinking to move to Denver (which is a great place, and you really should come)...just remember about the mayonnaise.

Or better yet...just leave the mayonnaise behind and buy it new here.

And the Colorado Skies Said Hello

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:50:00 +0000

Well, we're here. :)

While we're still finding the carpet underneath all these boxes, let me take a moment and tell you how the Colorado skies welcomed us.

After driving all day on the Kansas plains under a dull mix of clouds and sun...almost as soon as we crossed the Colorado border, the skies came alive with activity and color.

As we drove westward, the southern skies grew brilliantly blue, but the northern skies filled with a huge, dark thunderstorm, backlit by the golds and reds of a magnificent sunset. We watched for over an hour and a half, barely able to keep our eyes on the road, while the colors shifted and changed. As the southern end of the storm covered over the sun in front of us, the sun's rays shone gold and white around the edges of the clouds, while illuminating the rain below the cloud with a deep red hue. As the sun set, we could see the lightning striking the plains. We thought the storm would move past us.

It didn't.

Just before the southern tip of the storm caught us, we could see the dust kicked up as the rain hit the dirt of the plains miles away. It didn't look like much right in front of us, but then the torrents came, and I found myself yanking the wheel to keep the crosswinds from blowing our rental truck off the road. For 15 minutes or so, we drove through this, even while seeing the blue skies on the other side. When we passed it, we stopped at a gas station to regroup, and looked back on the storm as the last rays of sun illuminated the spiked cloud tops.

But the show wasn't over yet. As we drove the last hour into Denver, scattered thunderstorms (not as big as the first) dotted the plains and created black silhouettes against the gathering purple dusk. Where you could see the sky, it was deep and clear. At one point, I noticed the clouds were backlit again, this time from behind me. I looked around behind me through the side window; the light was from a brilliant full moon shining through an opening in the clouds.

It was completely captivating. Almost everything you can see in a sky, we saw in the space of about three hours. It left me feeling like the Colorado skies were giving us a show, to welcome us.

I've been here two days. Every time I look outside, I am captivated by something in the sky. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this.

Just Be Patient...

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:35:00 +0000

We're loading up the truck today to move to Denver!!!

Tomorrow, we're going to Denver!!!

The next day, we're moving into our new place!!!

So I'm not posting right now!!!

Be patient...I can't do too many things at once!!!

:)

Back in a few days to talk Denver...for real.

If You're Wondering Why I'm Not Posting...

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:59:00 +0000

...it's because I'm packing. :)

Next week: DENVER!!!

See? It's Just Stuff Like THIS that Makes Me Want to Move Here

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:38:00 +0000

I found this article on Yahoo! today that lists Denver as one of America's 10 Best Places to Grow Up. It also mentions that Denver is one of America's safest larger cities.

I know I can't wait to grow up here. :)

Bluer

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:37:00 +0000

In the part of the country I'm moving from, blue sky feels like a commodity. So often there is enough haze and moisture in the air that it makes the sky look more white than blue. This is a constant annoyance especially to WildChild, who is a photographer--blue skies are the best for outdoor photography.

On our first drive to Denver, the first time we noticed the sky was right after we crossed the border from Kansas to Colorado. We all marveled because it wasn't just blue; it was a brilliant blue, the kind you see when you're flying in an airplane.

In fact, that's kind of how it felt. It felt like we were driving in the sky.

In a way, I guess we were. Even though the first part of Colorado is still on the plains, you are gaining altitude slowly all through Kansas when you drive west. As you gain altitude, the atmosphere gets thinner. (You guys all probably know this already, but indulge me.) Thinner atmosphere = bluer sky.

But that's not all. Denver is much more arid than Oklahoma--much less moisture in the air, partly from being on the leeward side of the mountains.

Thinner atmosphere + lower humidity = even bluer sky.

What some people don't know (but many photographers do) is that when you have a blue sky, it makes all the colors show more brilliantly. So bluer sky = more brilliant colors.

Colorful Colorado.

So when you have a family who lives constantly around white-and-sometimes-kinda-blue sky, and they see Denver for the first time...let's just say I guess you could tell we were tourists. :) It was like living in that allergy commercial where the picture peels back and everything suddenly gets more colorful. "There's clear, and then there's Claritin clear." That's how it felt. It wasn't just the mountains that filled us with wonder, nor the bigness of the city; it was the color.

Oh, and we came in the fall, too. That helped. :)

So fine people of Denver, don't take for granted the gift you're given. There are some people in this nation of ours who don't even really know what blue sky looks like. What a sky!

One Step Closer

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Received word today officially that our rent application was approved! We're in!!!

Two weeks and one day until...Mountain Time, here we come!

My (Already) Favorite Spots in Denver

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:49:00 +0000

So in the three trips I've taken to Denver so far, the fam and I have taken in as much sightseeing as we can. I'm sure I'll write more about these once I move there, but for now...here are some of my favorite places to go in the Denver Metro...

Sixteenth Street Mall. Dude--this is a mall? Someteen blocks of walking and shopping between the train station and the Civic Center. Street musicians, lots of great places to eat, and no motor vehicles except for the free trams that go up and down the street. There's always something different to see; last time, I saw a whole parade of people dressed in animal costumes walking the mall. (Must have been some kind of convention or something.) Oh--looks great at Christmastime, too!

Flatirons Crossing. Dude--this is a MALL. North of the city, on the way to Boulder, they don't make malls like this in Oklahoma. Yeah, it's mall shops and stuff. But the decor is like a huge ski lodge. I just like to walk around and look up! Aand...eat at the food court. Or if you want something a bit more sophisticated, there is an outdoor shopping area just outside mall, called The Village at FlatIron Crossing, with more shops, fancier restaurants, and a movie theater.

Sloans Lake Park. We just stumbled across this area one day at W. 17th Ave. and Sheridan Blvd.--a lake in the midst of the city, with a great walking area around it. Some awesome older houses in the surrounding neighborhoods, too--very picturesque.

Red Rocks Amphitheater. Okay, so this isn't really in Denver--but it's still cool. :) Those, um, red rocks jutting out of the mountain like some alien planted them. I haven't seen anyone play there (yet), but I'm looking forward to it.

Performing Arts Center. Just two blocks from the 16th Street mall, this is just an amazing place to walk around. A whole series of auditoriums built around the original historic opera house, with a huge glass awning over the walkway. Makes you want to wait around until nightfall for a show to open up.

There are some other places I like, too, and a lot of places I still want to see, like the art museum and the zoo--and more of the mountains. The fam and I are explorers at heart. There will be a lot to keep us busy...

A True Story

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:55:00 +0000

Wanna know why we're moving to Denver? The following story might give a little insight.

On our first trip to Denver last fall, we were completely unfamiliar with the city, and didn't have the luxury of a GPS. Normally I can find my way around pretty well with a plain old street map. But the Denver metro is so large that the map sprawled halfway across the car when we opened it.

We ventured downtown one afternoon and had to be back to Arvada by a certain time. We ate dinner at P.F. Changs, and when we found our way back to the car, it was dusk.

Downtown Denver, as you may already know, is set cattywampus to the rest of town, so I hadn't driven us very far before getting disoriented and frustrated. We stopped at a traffic signal, and I pulled out the map and hurriedly tried to find our location in the dim light before the signal changed.

Then FilmGuy spoke up from the back seat: "Hey, I think that guy wants you to talk to you."

In the lane to our right, a young guy had pulled up next to us and was gesturing for us to roll down the window. Now, where we come from, that kind of behavior would make us a little suspicious or even concerned for our safety, because it just isn't done. But he had a pleasant enough face. We rolled down the window.

"Hey, are you guys lost? Do you need directions someplace?"

"Yes," I replied, shouting across WildChild through the passenger side window. "We need to get to West 80th."

"You want to get on Federal," he replied. "You need to turn right here at this intersection, and a left turn over there on ****** (I can't remember the street he said.) That will take you right to Federal."

"Thanks!" we said.

But he wasn't done helping us. We needed to make a right turn, and we were in the left lane. So he said:

"Tell you what. Pull over right in front of me here when the light changes, so you can make the turn. I'll stay put until you get over."

Now, if you're from Denver, you might be used to this kind of thing. We'd been told by all the travel sites that Denver people were friendlier than most, and more apt to talk to you. But we weren't used to this, not by a long shot. This guy wasn't just friendly; he was aware. In the dusk, he saw through our car windows and noticed us wrestling with the map--and took action to help us.

When the light changed, we pulled in front of him, and turned the corner...and just about cried. I'm not the kind of guy who is above asking for directions, but I was flabbergasted that someone in another car would offer them, and then make room for us.

This wasn't the only example of Denver niceness we encountered; we found the people in general to be as friendly as the travel sites said they were. I'm sure for the guy in the other car, what he did was just common decency. But he will probably never know how much his actions influenced us as we considered making Denver our new home.

Simple acts of kindness don't cost us much...but they can go a long way, can't they?

Meet the Fam

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:14:00 +0000

Well, there's not too much to tell, because we are a family of three--well, four, if you count the dog. But our family is pretty tight-knit, and we do a lot of stuff together. So it's inevitable that you're going to hear about them as I share my experiences as a newbie in Denver. For the sake of privacy, I'll protect their real names for now; but what I tell you about them is true.

WildChild--my beautiful wife of 21 years. Adventurous and artistic, she's never done well inside the box. I'm the one who likes to play it safe, color inside the lines--that kind of thing. We're actually quite good for each other. She keeps me on my toes, and I keep her out of jail. WildChild is also keenly intuitive, and can read people like a book. She says it like it is, which is actually very good for me. She's a photographer, and loves the outdoors--which makes "colorful Colorado" a wonderful choice of location for her! I might as well tell you now--I'm absolutely crazy about her.

FilmGuy--our 19-year-old son, who still lives at home and is moving with us. FilmGuy is going to be famous one day. I'm serious. He's a young director who has written and directed two short films with one camera, novice actors, and almost no money--and they both look better than most of the indie short films you see on the Internet. (And I'm not talking about YouTube.) FilmGuy is very creative and marches to his own drum beat, but he also has a good head on his shoulders. He's chosen on purpose to do without teenage luxuries like a driver license, a car, and a place of his own, because he wants to put his money toward his dream. He figures if he plays his cards right, one day he'll be able to pay cash for any car and house he wants. He's a great young man, a dreamer who inspires others to dream. I believe in him.

And me? I'm the Denver Newbie. But you already knew that. See the sidebar for more information. :)

In case you hadn't noticed the pattern--we are all artistic/creative types. I'm a writer and musician, and WildChild and FilmGuy are both gifted in the visual arts. I think that also makes Denver a good place for us to move.

Oh, and the dog? He's a sweet 9-year-old cocker spaniel who has to be in the middle of whatever we're doing. Let's just call him...The Dog. Keeps things simple.

So Here's the Scoop

noreply@blogger.com (Denver Newbie) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:07:00 +0000

To all those who have accidentally come across this blog (which is how you would probably HAVE to find it this early in the game)...welcome.

This is the very beginning of my journey. As I write these words, my family and I are still in Oklahoma, our house in utter disarray, preparing rather frantically to make our trip home--to our new home in Denver. We have less than three weeks.

We've lived in Oklahoma for ten years, and thought we'd be here for life. We've accumulated quite a bit of stuff, settled in a nice house, done all the things to make a life for ourselves here. I won't go into all the reasons why we're leaving--this is not a blog about Oklahoma. But when we began thinking about making a change in our lives, and considered where to move--Denver stood out head and shoulders above any other place we considered.

We're a family of three, with no prior connection to the city. We've made some friends in our visits there, but we're not coming because of friends, or family, or job. We're coming because Denver is beautiful, alive, awake.

No, really. I'm not being dramatic. That's why we're coming.

Up until a few days ago, we honestly didn't know how we were going to make this move. We don't have lots of money saved up. I have a gig or two lined up, but no real job offers. But things here are drying up fast, and last week when we were up in Denver, we figured out a way to come. So we're coming--it's that simple.

It's a dramatic change, in every sense of the word. We currently live in a house on the outskirts of Tulsa, practically in the country; we're moving to a small flat in an eclectic area where you can walk to almost everything. From three bedrooms, two-car garage and fenced yard to a two-bedroom apartment with less than half the square footage. From country french decor to modern chic.

We thought once we found a place, we'd have a couple of months to get ready. We have less than three weeks.

We thought we'd get a place about the same size as we have now, or a little smaller. Now we're unpacking boxes that were already packed, and selling nearly everything just to squeeze in.

From Bible-belt to artsy-urban-Bohemian. That's change. Obama would be proud.

So I was thinking in my mind (which is where I do most of my thinking)...why not blog about this? Why not document the move, and blog for a year or so about my new city, cool things I find, places I go, stuff I do--all that jazz?

So that's what you've stumbled upon accidentally--as no doubt that's how you got here. Welcome. Hope you'll stick around. You'll learn more about me and the fam as we go along...and hopefully you'll get a feel of what a great town like Denver is like, through the eyes of a newbie.

That would be me.