Capitol Hill part 1

Visitors to Denver tend to stay in the “downtown” area – the area called LoDo. This is somewhat understandable as LoDo is home to a variety of galleries, hotels, restaurants, etc. It even has its own website www.lodo.org and its own membership (you can check it out on the webpage). But really, the nightlife of LoDo is overrated, overpriced, and overdone. Unfortunately, even Denver locals can fall pray to this trap. Where else is there to go? Anyone who has tired of frat boy, sorority girl atmosphere of most of LoDo’s late night bar scene might try an unexpected change of pace.
Capitol Hill. A surprising number of people have negative reactions to those two words. Startled gasps and wide eyes precede questions like, “Have you ever been mugged?” and “Aren’t there drug dealers down there?” Of course, from tourists questions are more along the lines of, “Is that near Four Points? Or is it Five Points?” and “Isn’t it… dirty?” People seem highly surprised to learn that Capitol Hill is a diverse neighborhood that may not metaphorically bloom with freshness and sunshine, but which certainly presents a myriad of things to do, surprising nuances, and a diverse nightlife.
So the next time you find yourself looking for a night out in Denver but don’t feel like getting all dolled up exactly like every other person at the bar, throw on whatever ensemble you want – it can be bizarre, people won’t really notice – and head to the Hill. Stop in at The Park Tavern on Saturdays between 10 and midnight to get one-dollar wells, wine, and drafts (if you can’t make Saturday try for times when you get chips for drinks, you’ll understand when you go) or swing by the Streets of London Pub for some transplant brews and some stereotypical British eats. Don’t fill up too much on the snacks there though, because Benny Blanco’s pizza is a must. Nestled near a records store and bar that this writer has yet to visit, Benny Blanco’s calls out to drunk and/or hungry with it’s little neon sign proclaiming “PIZZA”. Customers cram inside, lucky to fit five standing people, and order giant floppy slices of “Bronx style” pizza starting at $2.00 for a slice of cheese. This writer recommends letting alone the perfection and skipping the toppings. (Though if you’re ever in the mood to try the “cheese dicks” drop me a line and let me know how – and what – they are).
And as you stagger home with your friends, smile politely at the man who offers you cocaine and then advises you to get an M.A. because a Bachelor’s is worthless, avoid Cheeseman park at all costs, try not to make eye contact with the prostitutes, and make sure to grab some water, because in the morning, there is an entirely different world you’ll want to explore – headache-free.