The Corner Grocery - Gone But Not Forgotten

I have passed by what used to be Joe's Grocery and Market up in Boulder, Colorado, a number of times now, and finally decided to stop and take a photograph of it a few weeks ago. During the 19th and early 20th Century, before the advent of supermarkets, the corner market was where people used to buy their groceries, and many of these buildings are still around, put to new uses. I am not sure what Joe's Grocery has become, but my guess is it has been turned into a residence, what with the privacy fence along its eastern side. Whatever it is, the good news is that the building itself still exists

My favorite former corner grocery is The Fair Market, seen in the photograph on the right. This building is located in the Lower Highlands neighborhood of Denver (LoHi), which was founded as a separate city back in 1858, but later annexed by Denver. LoDo is filled with Victorian homes and is now one of Denver's most popular neighborhoods. When I first saw this building, it was the home of Gallery Sink, a photography studio and gallery run by Mark Sink, a local photographer and the founder of Denver's Month of Photography, which takes place this coming March. When I took the photograph, it was home to Studio David, although I never actually saw it when it was open to the public. These days, who knows what it is? But again, the building itself is still there.

Just a short distance from my condo across the street from the University of Denver is another former market, now the home of an insurance agency, and seen in the photograph on the left. I have walked past this building many times, and knew it was pretty old, but had no idea it was formerly a grocery store until I was going through the Denver Public Library's historic photograph collection and ran across an old photograph of it.

I am not sure when the photograph on the right was taken but recognized the building immediately. Back then it was called the University Park Market. University Park is the neighborhood that was built just to the east of the University of Denver when it moved to its current location back in 1892. It is a pretty upscale place these days and still has a lot of late 19th Century Victorian homes, although a lot of the houses in the neighborhood have been torn down in recent years to build huge new residences. In fact, across the street from this building is Buchtel House, the former residence of Henry Buchtel, who was chancellor of the University of Denver from 1900 to 1920 and also the 17th governor of Colorado. The house was acquired by DU in 1927 and was once the official residence of the chancellor. But recently, DU has decided to sell it. They hoped to get top dollar for it, but despite opposition by DU, the neighborhood has become an historic district, meaning whoever buys the place can't tear it down and put up something more suitable, and much larger, thus lowering its value to a buyer. Poor DU. Foiled again.

Charlie Blackmon Is Back! After Just 4 Months!

I attended the Colorado Rockies' final game of the season at Coors Field last September, and the highlight was celebrating the retirement of long-time outfielder Charlie Blackmon, seen in the photograph on the left with his young son. But just the other day, it was announced that Blackmon has been hired by the Colorado Rockies as a special assistant to the general manager. Blackmon recently sold his home in Denver's Belcaro neighborhood, and I was wondering whether he might be regretting that decision, but when I went deeper into the article, I read that Blackmon would be spending much of his time scouting prospects in his home state of Georgia. In addition, he will be working with the team at spring training in Arizona and with young players at the Rockies' minor league parks. In other words, he won't be spending much time here in Denver, which is a shame, since he was the most fan friendly player on the team, and as far as I can tell, a really nice guy. But at least he is still part of the organization. 

Happy Hour At The Wynkoop! Always A Treat!

My sister Susan, seen in the photograph on the left, and I stopped in at Denver's Wynkoop Brewing Company for happy hour this past Friday night. The Wynkoop is Denver's first brewpub, started by former mayor, governor, and current U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (Hick to his friends) back in 1988. It is located in the J.S. Brown Mercantile Building, built in 1899, and this brewpub helped transform the Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood into the Denver's top entertainment district. And sitting at a table in the bar area, you really do seem to be back in the 19th century, except for all those televisions over the bar, of course.

But I don't mind a few modern conveniences. Years ago, I visited the lounge on the second floor of the Buckhorn Exchange, which has been in business since 1893. It was Saturday night, and someone was playing authentic music from that era on, I believe, a harpsicord. I ordered a pint of beer and found out they had no beers on tap. Harpsicord music and no beer on tap might be authentic 19th Century experiences, but I much prefer the Wynkoop experience to that, where you can get a happy hour pint of IPA for $6.00 and enjoy a lively LoDo atmosphere. And I can't help feeling that if the Buckhorn Exchange truly wanted to recreate the atmosphere of the Wild West, they should go with candles and gas lamps instead of electricity, and have people use an outhouse out back when nature calls. As for me, I'm happy to stick with the Wynkoop.

Boulder In The Snow

Boulder, Colorado is a beautiful place any time of year, but it especially pretty in the snow. We had a little bit of snow here in Denver this past weekend, but as usual, Boulder received a lot more, due to its location right up against the Flatirons. I drove up there last Sunday, when the sun was finally shining again, although the temperatures were still in the 20s. The photograph on the left, which I took from my car window, shows the Pearl Street Mall under a coating of snow. The main streets were all plowed, but on West Pearl Street the parking spaces were not, and the snow looked pretty damn deep. I was afraid that if I stopped to take a photograph and parked there, I would never be able to get out again.

Instead, I headed to Chatauqua Park, located off Baseline Road, directly underneath the Flatirons. And yes, all the parking spaces there were indeed plowed out, allowing me to finally park and take a few photographs, including of Chatauqua's Dining Hall, as seen in the photo on the right. I noticed that there were no diners on the front porch, which is usually the prime spot to sit. I have had brunch there a number of times, but never in the winter.  Fun is fun, but the view is not worth dining out in the cold.

The photograph on the left shows the snow-covered bear in front of the Chatauqua General Store. I have been in the General Store exactly once, when I had parked in downtown Boulder and biked up the hill from there to Chatauqua Park. It was in the middle of summer, and the ride took a lot of energy. And so, I was dying of thirst by the time I arrived. I went into that general store and was happily able to buy a coke, although I do remember it did seem a bit pricey. But not enough to keep me from buying it. I am a cheapskate, but not insane. Crazy, but not insane.

And I must say, the parking spaces along the start of the hiking trails were all filled, and lots of people were out and about, including the fellow on cross-country skis in the photograph on the right. The park in front of the Dining Hall is relatively flat, but just to the west the trails quickly get pretty steep as they wind into the Flatirons. It has been quite a few years since I last hiked in them, and only once did I try it during the winter. I wound up almost falling down quite a few times, as I remember. As humorist Dave Barry famously says, "The problem with winter sports is - follow me closely here - they take place in the winter." I can't agree more.

Remembering Dana Crawford

Historic Preservationist Dana Crawford passed away last Thursday at the age of 93. Crawford was responsible for preserving much of what was left of Denver's historic buildings after the Denver Urban Renewal Authority leveled much of downtown Denver. Back in the 1960s, Crawford's car overheated in the 1400 block of Larimer Street, which at the time was Denver's skid row. The urban renewal people thought that if they leveled all the buildings on that street, including the Windsor Hotel and Tabor Opera House, the bums would just disappear. But Crawford looked around that particular block and immediately knew it needed to be revitalized. She fought very hard to save it, eventually making it the most vibrant part of downtown Denver and seen in the photograph on the left.

Crawford also was instrumental in preserving Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood, which is now the city's main entertainment district. In conjunction with that, she redeveloped both the Oxford Hotel and Union Station. She also worked on projects in Pueblo, Trinidad, and Idaho Springs, Colorado, where she was most recently helping to turn the Argo Mine there into a major tourist destination. And not only were the places she restored important historical areas, Crawford also had a vision of how they could become both important parts of the community and economic successes. She will be missed.

My Mother's 109th Birthday!

Today would have been my mother Mary's 109th birthday if she was still alive today. She passed away back in 2009 at the age of 93, after living almost 30 years at her condo in Stuart, Florida. That is the place where she was happiest, and where she made more friends than at any other time in her life, which is why I'm featuring a photograph I took of her in front of that condo next to some of the flowers she planted around the place. My sister Susan and I took back that condo, which we had been renting out for the past 15 years, this past June, and it is much the way she left it, except for a few necessary updates. Lots of happy memories every time we head back there.

Two Days Left To See The Denver City And County Building's Holiday Lights

Denver's City and County Building's annual holiday lighting display is a popular sight to see during the holidays here in Denver, and has been since 1922, when a city-employed electrician named Johnny Malpiede first came up with the idea. Some people think the display is a bit tacky (including my ex-wife Lisa), but as far as I am concerned, if it isn't flashing, it is perfectly fine. And for a reason I don't understand, it is a tradition in Denver to keep holiday lights, including at the City and County Building, up until the end of the National Western Stock Show, the last day of which is this Sunday. So be warned, holiday lights lovers - you have only two days left to come down to Civic Center Park, admire that fabulous lighting display, and take a few photos, such as the one seen in the photograph above. Plus, just to let you know, if anyone still has any holiday lights up after this Sunday, expect to get some strange looks. Trust me, I know. They don't call me "Crazy Old Man Hoyt" for nothing.