What do you answer when someone asks you - Where are you from? I am from Denver, you say, right? But what is Denver for you? What is Denver for others? What is Denver for the travelers passing by? Did you ever think about the city we are all living in?
We moved here about decade ago and we had no idea what to expect at this time. And I bet it would look differently in the eyes of someone who just arrived here today. And I heard it was way different a couple of dozen years ago... Let's take a look at the city of Denver how we found it a dozen years ago...
Denver is located in the center of the United States. Just in the middle of it. It's the capital of the state of Colorado, which traditionally positioned itself as western state and state of cattles and cows. Friend of mine, who has lived here for almost 40 years, told me he was unable to order a fish in the restaurant when he just arrived here. Steak, steak and only steak was the meal for the real man! OK, burger for everyday and steak for all other occasions. It has changed now and you can order not only well done fish, but also a suchi, which was impossible just recently...
Not only food had changed, actually. The lifestyle is not the same either. The skyscrapers and web of highways, fancy stores and technocenter, busy neighbourhoods and technological hub... Everything is different nowadays. But so many things are still the same and changed very little during hundreds of years.
Denver is a relatively young city, just about 150 years old, has a rich and interesting history. It lays at the foothills of Rockies and it means one can escape the urban landscape in just half an hour in the car. Just 30 minutes and you can find yourself looking at Denver from the bird eye.
City of Golden is just a walking distance from the viewpoint and looks more traditional and old fashioned than Denver itself.
If you turn 180 degrees you immediately get lost in the mountains. The ridges and valleys, the same view people admire from this hilltop hundred and thousand years ago. Isn't it beautiful?
Ups, I was caught by this wild beauty and almost forgot we were talking about Denver. So let's drive back and walk on the streets of downtown. I guess this is how the corner of Broadway and 17th St might look many years ago.
And, actually, it's how it looks now, right, a bit brighter as 300 days in every year the sun is shining and brightening everything.
There are some older buildings can be found downtown, like this Bell company headquarters and one of the first Denver's skyscrapers. Isn't it charming? Not as glassy as the modern ones, but steps out and shows the prosperity and success of the Bell company.
There are also a lot of new buildings erected downtown during the last few decades. All glass and metal, cool reflections and modern style... But, honestly, they are too cold and faceless compared to the oldtimers, don't you think?
Just outside the heart of the city you can find a Civic Center Park and Denver City Council building.
And just across from the last building is Colorado State Capitol. We, probably, take a tour into the Capitol building later, but for now let's move and see some downtown.
There are a lot of modern buildings there, all made from glass and one of them is a Convention Center. A big modern structure, with a huge garage and a street running through the building.
And the most unusual part of it is the Blue Bear. The huge sculpture of the bear looking inside the conventional center. Why? I have no idea. It became quite famous though even no one can really say they like it Modern world, I guess, it's full of unanswered questions...
If you go around the Convention Center, you can find another modern sculpture - the Dancing People... And I don't know what else to add to this description. Only to point out the people are way too skinny. Even by 21 century standards. Why? Again - I have no idea.
The next one is even more bizarre. The small coil of wire? Rusted wire... Or anything else? Have no answer to this question either.
And if you move a couple blocks to the Performance Center you see a couple more figures. Modern... Big... But at least they look more like people. Strange people... Aliens, maybe?
You can see some old buildings along some streets with more modern ones in the background. I guess this is common for many modern cities nowadays. Well... Good we still have some of the oldies still in use.
This ship-shaped building is a Denver museum of art. And it is art itself, I guess. And one of its buildings is decorated with the scenes from the Wild West time legends. Was decorated I mean. Because last year this part of the museum was demolished and a new one was built. And I think the new installation will be even better, but... I liked the old one... It reminded me of Westerns...
Modern art is... interesting... sometimes confusing, like this set of house tools.
The Denver Public library. Eclectic, but very convenient for customers. And has modern art just outside the building too :)
This is the best (for me) part of downtown. Old church, hundred years old buildings, gossiping women in the Writers Square (now square renovated and sculpture was removed).
Here is Denver, the city where old and new meet together and stay intertwined. The city that is constantly changing. The place where more and more people find a home lately and which attracts more of them every day.
The pictures were taken in 2008-2011.
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