Denver needs more than renovation to draw people in

Indie concert venue Herman’s Hideaway just closed. The 16th Street Mall may get a new name. The Denver Zoo is now the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance. So much of what I remember about the Denver of my childhood exists only in memories or has been transformed beyond recognition.

Gone are the original Colorado locations for theme restaurants White Fence Farm, Organ Grinder and Baby Doe’s Matchless Mine. Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour, located in Cinderella City, once the largest shopping mall west of the Mississippi, was demolished along with the mall. Celebrity Sports Center, Heritage Square, and the Country Dinner Playhouse have sadly closed. At least Skate City remains. Some locations of The Magic Pan and Shakey’s Pizza have shuttered.

The haunts of my teen and college years are no more: Paris on the Platte and Muddy’s, where I downed gallons of coffee, and Rock Island, Modeans, and El Chapultepec, where I downed gallons of spirits. The Reese Coffee House, the best place to sober up, is long gone. Racines had the best breakfast, the Paramount Cafe the best French fries, and the White Spot the best burgers and drag queens. Only Wax Trax, Pints Pub, and The Cruise Room remain.

The Tattered Cover survived the rise of  Amazon.com but will likely be acquired by Barnes & Noble. I hope the corporation keeps the name. By the time I started calling it Gart’s Sports Authority, my favorite sporting goods store closed.

These losses aside, many of the changes since my youth have been for the better. Thanks to Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park cartoon fame, Casa Bonita has been restored to its former glory. Without 50 years of grease and dust, the Mexican-themed restaurant is all that I remember and more. The price is much higher but the food, drinks, and service are substantially better.

If only Parker and Stone could bring their magic to restore the charming but dilapidated Lakeside Amusement Park. It would be great to see all the rides in working order including the Cyclone rollercoaster and the old Funhouse. They could bring back Laffing Sall, the wild papier mâché figure that perched on top of the Funhouse, and restore the derelict speedway especially now that Bandimere is closed.

Other iconic Denver institutions have experienced substantial improvement over the years. The newly named Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance better reflects the institution’s involvement in wildlife conservation. During college, I worked in the gift shop. Since that time the zoo has reduced the number of exhibits and made the habitats more natural and spacious. The incomparably beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens and the fantastic Denver Museum of Nature & Science have also matured into world-class institutions. Even so, I miss Bird World.

The Denver Center for Performing Arts is a first-rate venue, but arts fans can also see concerts and plays at art centers in Arvada, Belmar, Lone Tree, and Parker and private venues like Denver University’s Newman Center without having to endure the traffic or parking expenses associated with going downtown. Denver does not enjoy a monopoly on culture, outdoor shopping, or good restaurants.

Littleton and Golden have delightful main streets. Parker has an outstanding farmer’s market. Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park and Hudson Gardens host outdoor concerts. Broomfield will be the new home of an expanded Butterfly Pavilion. Aurora has more delicious restaurants per square mile than anywhere in the metro area and its own bison herd roaming free at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.