Downtown Current View

The Sixteenth Street Mall, a mile – long pedestrian plaza, brought to Downtown elements that one would expect to find in European countries: park benches, trees, vendors, musicians, flower carts, entertainers and horse – drawn carriages. The Mall provides a transit linkage (with a free shuttle) between upper Downtown, with its commercial base, and lower Downtown. The futuristic tower of the United Bank of Denver, with its curved top and grand atrium, stands as a landmark at the upper end. Coors Stadium anchors the lower end. Lower Downtown (LODO) has, to a large extent, been preserved as a historic district with renovated warehouse space converted to galleries, nightclubs, restaurants, antique and specialty shops and private office lofts and dwellings. This eclectic mixture makes Lower Downtown the night spot of the city.

The construction of the 42 – story Brooks Tower, at the old site of the Mining and Exchange Building in the late 1960s, brought cosmopolitan living to Downtown. Other high – rise apartments and condominiums, along with loft and warehouse conversions, continue to cater to the confirmed city – dweller.

The 1970s brought a preservation movement to Downtown. The D & F Tower, Larimer Square, the Gas & Electric Building and the Tivoli Brewery are just a few examples of old buildings renovated to serve the current needs of the city.

North of the Auraria, the historic Tivoli Brewery has been converted to the Auraria campus student center. Recently, Elitch Gardens Amusement Park was relocated and has reclaimed the former railroad yards north of the Tivoli, joined by the new Aquarium and the Pepsi Arena.

Throughout the year, popular events and festivals bring people from throughout the metro area to Downtown Denver. Denver loves to celebrate its diverse origins, western heritage and holidays. From the few tents along the Platte to the towers of today, Downtown was, is now and will always be the heartbeat of the “Queen City of the Plains”

Lower Downtown
With over 100 restaurants, 30 art galleries, numerous loft apartments, clubs and boutiques, the neighborhood bordered by the Platte River, Speer Boulevard, 23rd Street and Lawrence Street has been transformed unlike any other in Denver. Former early frontier town, 1920s Market Street red-light district and 1970s warehouse center, LoDo now epitomizes ideal urban living. Wooden buildings destroyed by fire in 1863 resulted in LoDo’s characteristic simple designs with red brick and arched windows. Once a robust transportation hub, stagecoaches carrying gold left the Wells Fargo Depot at 1338 15th Street and Union Station trafficked over 80 trains a day.