A Rino Sighting!

I spotted the rhino in the photograph on the left the other day on a wall next to the RiNo Beer Garden, located in Denver's River North Arts District (RiNo for short). I know this is supposed to be the hippest neighborhood in Denver, but to me it seems a strange place. It is divided into two distinct districts by railroad tracks. The side between those railroad tracks and the Platte River is centered around Brighton Boulevard, and is filled with high-rise apartments, a food hall, hotels, and a number of brewpubs. But there are still enough vacant lots and industrial buildings to discourage people from walking through the area. The other district is centered around North Larimer Street, which has many fine Victorian buildings and lots of restaurants, brewpubs, and shops, as well as the historic Five Points neighborhood to the east. But to the west, the new apartment buildings and breweries are surrounded by still operating factories, boarded up warehouses, and large fenced off lots waiting for future development. The building in the background of the photograph, by the way, is One River North.

One River North is currently under construction, and will feature a large gash running from the 6th to the 16th floor. Floors 6 through 9 will have outdoor, trail-like walkways, a flowing creek, and lots of plants. Floors 9 to the roof of the 16-story building will feature a vertical "slot canyon," with the rooftop hosting trees and a pool. The developer believes this building will become the symbol of Denver, kind of like the Empire State Building in New York or the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Yeah, right. We will see how that goes. Right now, the building looks just plain ugly to me, much like RiNo itself. And how much will it cost to live there? A one-bedroom will average $3,400 per month. I hope whoever rents one of those units has a lot of roommates to split the rent with. Maybe they can get quantity discounts on sleeping bags they can use out on those trail-like walkways.