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First Fridays are one of my favorite things about Denver. The first friday of every month, all galleries are open and free. The key is to go to all of the little independent places, but first, you have to know where they are! Several are located at the same intersection as the Bug Theatre, others are sprinkled around. If the pyrate bus is running, it'll run you around, but you'll need a costume of some sort. Here is a  First Fridays map for the Golden Triangle district that also includes information on the art bus.
If you're into independent film, the theaters to check out are the Mayan (110 Broadway, 303.744.6796) and the Starz in the Tivoli building on the CU-denver campus. To check out the emerging local independent film scene, every second Thursday of the month is the Red Reel at Rock Island, and every third Thursday is the Emerging Filmmakers Project at the Bug Theater.
Video One
1301 E Colfax Ave
Denver, CO 80218
303-832-4646 |
So far, I've enjoyed the films at Emerging Filmmakers more than those at the Red Reel. To rent videos, go to Video One on Colfax and stay away from the corporate pig called Blockbusters. To buy books, stay away from Borders or whatever, and go to a Tattered Cover. They are big and have the selection of the gigantrons, but the warmth of a smaller bookstore. I've only been to the one across from Union Station at 1628 16th Street.
All you beatniks check out Andrew Burnett's almost obsessive, but very entertaining, tours of
Beat Denver, with details and locations from Neal Cassidy's life in Hobo Denver, mostly the Curtis Park neighborhood.
If you haven't heard of Neal Cassady (I hadn't before I checked out this site), he was a pal of Ginsburg and Karouak.
 He is Karouak's partner in "On The Road" and appears in "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test". Neal Cassady wrote a book that has a lot of the history of the hobo side of Denver called The First Third. I liked the book, but be prepared for almost too much detail from the Denver alleys of his childhood. I would recommend it to anyone that lives in downtown Denver or anyone really into the beat poets.
There is a bunch of historical info on Devner on the denvergov.org history page.
Stay away from the REI flagship store, unless you absolutely can't get it anywhere else. Despite being a coop (and me being a co-op member, REI has gone way too corporate for my tastes. They have really moved away from the little guy, and embraced yuppies. Instead, try out:
Wilderness Exchange
Denver's Alternative Outdoor Gear Shop
Right across 15th from REI!
Denver, CO 80202
303.964.0708
www.wildernessexchangeunlimited.com
or
Confluence Kayaks, almost across the street!
www.denverdrinks.com always up-to-date list of drink specials in Denver bars.
www.dodenver.com is an alternative guide to Denver.
denver.com is a fairly thorough list of links to stuff in Denver.
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Boulder
Denver