Walking RiNo On An RTD Free Day

All the Light Rail trains here in Denver were free this past Saturday, in celebration of the opening of the G line to the suburbs of Arvada and Wheat Ridge, which has been delayed over two years due to problems with the crossing gates.  And so it was a no-brainer to take the train free of cost to downtown Denver and enjoy an afternoon walk on Upper Larimer Street (aka hipster central).  I was just amazed at how many people were walking around the neighborhood and hanging out at various brew pubs.  And I counted five separate mobile bar bikes (which take various groups from bar to bar via pedal power, as seen in the photo on the left) heading up and down Larimer.  It is one the the most reliable signs of spring here in Denver - far more so than those damn robins.

In any case, as I have mentioned before, the River North (RiNo) neighborhood seems to be hipster central these days.  It's hallmark are the murals (such as the one in the photograph on the right) that seem to adorn virtually every building in the neighborhood.  Some are quite beautiful, and some are much more macabre, featuring skeletons taking off their masks to reveal their true selves. It is actually a lot of fun to wander this street, because virtually every outdoor patio is jammed with young people with lots of energy (not to mention drinking lots of beer) and that youthful enthusiasm for life and living. 

In any case, there are beer gardens galore in this neighborhood.  In fact, so many that I was torn as to which one I should feature on this blog.  One such beer garden encompasses an entire block, with food trucks along one side and hundreds of partying hipsters taking up the rest of the area.  Just behind this beer garden is a bar and/or brew pub called Improper City, which I assume is attached to this beer garden and supplies all the alcohol for this very popular spot.  However, instead of featuring the photographs of this really fun spot, I decided to feature a photograph of Our Mutual Friend Brewery, which was crowded as hell on this warm, spring Saturday afternoon and which I assume, due to it's name, has a Charles Dickens, Victorian England type of atmosphere.  I have never been inside, and am only guessing about this, although I must admit the patio does not seem to have that Dickinson vibe. Go figure.