I took the bus up to Colfax Avenue the other day, close to Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore, and walked from there to downtown Denver. I usually walk down 17th Street, but this time decided to take Colfax Avenue to see what was new on what Hugh Hefner once called "America's longest, wickedest street." And I must say, I was surprised to see so many empty storefronts and so many homeless people. A very depressing sight, and something that definitely needs to be addressed, not only here but nationwide. There is a ballot measure this year here in Denver that proposes increasing the sales tax to help the homeless, and that I hope will pass, and perhaps make a difference.
Amazingly enough, 17th Street - running parallel to Colfax, just two blocks to the north - is a playground for hipsters, with restaurants, bars, boutiques, and upscale apartments. I took the photograph on the right at a place called Stoney's Uptown, which to me looks like ground zero for Denver's hipsters. I walked 17th Street all the way to downtown, and did not see a single homeless person. I am amazed that these two worlds exist so close together, but never interact. What strange times we live in.
No comments:
Post a Comment