The House of Wu

Photo courtesy Jonny B.

The House of Wu building is still around today, only now it's Winning Coiffures!

I Heart Casa Bonita

Merry Go Rotunda

Lake Steam Baths Sauna

I've been driving by this place almost all of my life, and I'm finally going in! I'll keep you posted...

Roy Romer at the Colorado State Capitol, 1989

Original Photo of Deke Slayton, Randy Gradishar, and Roy Romer at the Colorado State Capitol, 1989

7 Things to Do While You're in Denver

The following came from Elevationists.org's list of 7 Things to Do While You're in Denver:

#7. Crawl Colfax

Colfax Avenue was once described by Playboy as “the longest, wickedest street in America.” At 26.8 miles, that’s long enough to stage a marathon. However, we don’t recommend doing all that running. Instead, we suggest doing a pub crawl along the most decadent stretch from Capitol Hill Books to Voodoo Doughnut Mile High — an easily walkable distance of around half a mile.
Having already pre-gamed on White Russians, and having reached just east of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, we spilled from our UBER and into Prohibition, a faux-feeling bar with dark wood and some good beers. The best part is the hipsterrific children’s adventure book within which we were presented the check.
We stagger into LGBT hotspot X Bar. The window side of the bar is quite short, but we appreciate that it’s likely helpful to the differently-abled, and order drinks. The 2-4-1 beers during Happy Hour is a great deal. Cool place if it’s your scene.
On to 1Up Bar, and it’s awesome. It has the world’s biggest Pac-Man arcade game, tons of drink choices, dozens of classic arcade games (although no Asteroids. Bummer).
At Kinga’s Lounge things started to get messy — we had a couple more beers, and a delectable $25 carafe of cucumber and jalapeno vodka. Amazing. Things are falling apart.
The Irish Snug seemed like a great place for a Guinness and trivia night. After, we accidently walk into Kavasutra and order something without alcohol. There is a mild moment of panic.
Food happens. A calzone from D.P. Dough hits the spot. A cone from Ice Cream Riot slays.
Everything is right with the world again — punk rock and beer at the Streets of London Pub.
The group is breaking. Going home. Time to call UBER.

Seeking Investor for The Colfax Museum

Colfax Avenue has come such an incredibly long way and the amazing history of the street is finally being told. (Be sure to check out our "History of Colfax Avenue" link if you haven't already...) We are happy to see the community embracing the street with love, and newfound enthusiasm.

When we first started ColfaxAvenue.com in 2004, we were the only website and social media page related to Colfax in existence. Our page on myspace.com had over 35,000 friends, and actor Johnny Depp had us in his top friends, right next to Keith Richards! We pioneered a lot of the techniques that people take for granted today. But times sure have changed! By my last count, there are now at least 50 websites and Facebook pages covering Colfax Avenue today. Business Improvement Districts have sprung up all along the street, and new development is really kicking into high gear. Our work is almost done here.

Except for one thing: we want to make a major contribution to the people of Denver and the World and create a Colfax Museum to house our vast collection of artifacts and artwork. We have registered the trade name and bought ColfaxMuseum.org. We have been offered potential locations, but what we really need is an investor with vision to buy the collection and house it in a way that will draw tourists from all over the world.

Please write us at colfaxavenuemuseum@gmail.com if you, or someone you know, would be interested in helping us make this a reality. Sincere thanks to all of the Colfax lovers out there that have supported us over the years.

Very respectfully,

Jonny and Anistacia Barber

Sid King's Drive Thru Shoe & Boot Repair

The Sultan of Striptease Sid King, one-time proprietor of Sid King's Crazy Horse Bar on East Colfax Avenue, spent his post-club days working at his drive thru shoe & boot repair shop. How nice of one of the girls from back in the day to drop by for a quick high heel repair!

Holiday Drive In

Photo courtesy of the Richard Crowther Archives at the Denver Public Library Western History Collection

Holiday Drive In, 4595 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1956

Driftwood Motel

Postcard courtesy The Colfax Museum Collection

What a groovy place to stay back in the day!

The Weicker Depository, 1925

Courtesy the Denver Public Library, Western History Collection

The Weicker Transfer & Storage building, designed 1925 by Fisher & Fisher.

BARF Fest II coming to Streets of London Pub

I'm all in at the All Inn

Photo by Jonny B.

Brian Toerber recently bought the All Inn (3105 E. Colfax Ave.) and is considering various projects for its redevelopment. At the top of the list is an updated hotel using the existing structure...but I'm pretty sure I'm not alone when I say "Bring back the Rockbar!"

Denver Drumstick Grand Opening

Colfax Speedway

The World's Largest Tepees

The "World's Largest Tepees" used to be out by Evergreen, Colorado along Historic Route 40 (Colfax Avenue).

#LifeOnColfax

Lions Lair by Karl Christian Krumpholz

#SeenOnColfax: Judy Collins

Folk singer Judy Collins, show here with the staff over at Twist and Shout Record Store, signing some autographs. So fitting, because Judy graduated from East High School across the street!

Bugs Bunny Motel Sign

Just a beautiful shot of the Bugs Bunny Motel Sign (now the Big Bunny for legal reasons), at 6218 West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado.

Jack Brown Motors

Jack Brown Motors, Inc. Used to be able to get a better service deal on your Rambler at 5784 West Colfax.

The Most Haunted Location in Colorado: Fitzsimons Army Hospital

From the "Most Haunted Location in Every State" list on thoughtcatalog.com

New Phil Goodstein Book: The Story of Modern East Denver

Nobody has published more books about Colfax than Phil Goodstein. In such volumes as the Ghosts of Denver, The Denver Civic Center, and North Side Story, he has looked at the character of the road between Colorado Boulevard west to the city limits at Sheridan Boulevard. His Park Hill Promise covers the north side of the street from Colorado Boulevard to Syracuse Street. Now he has added to this by focusing on the south side of Colfax between Colorado Boulevard and Monaco Street Parkway in The Story of Modern East Denver: Magnificent Mayfair, Beautiful Bellevue, Hale, Hilltop, Hospitals.

When residential development started to emerge east of Colorado Boulevard near Colfax in the 1880s, Colfax was still something of a rural road. A branch of the Mayfair Ditch ran along it, eventually draining into City Park. Efforts soon saw the extension of streetcar lines east of York Street. Businesses popped up on the boulevard near substantial houses. In 1902, the Denver Orphans’ Home occupied its new premises at the northwest corner of Colfax Avenue and Albion Street. For a while, it had a school of its own, Albion Street, across the road at the northeast corner of the intersections.

In the course of the mid-20th century, Colfax east of Colorado Boulevard was an exemplar of middle-class retail. Some stores, such as the Dolly Madison at Colfax Avenue and Forest Street and the nearby Colfax Radio & Appliance at 5128 Colfax Avenue were crucial parts of the city’s business scene. The Mayfair Shopping Center at 14th Avenue and Krameria Street, opened in 1951, was once the city’s busiest shopping center. It blended it with stores on Colfax. Among them was the city’s leading toy store, Guys and Dolls, at the southeast corner of Krameria Street next to a Walgreens.

During much of the 20th century, Colfax was a premier automobile-oriented boulevard. Not only were there numerous filling stations along the road, but such new car dealers as Empire Olds, Seifert Pontiac, and Deane Buick were on the arterial. So were car washes, body shops, car rental agencies, and tire dealerships. As The Story of Modern East Denver notes, such businesses are still part of the fabric of Colfax.

Business improvement and leadership has been another Colfax theme. In the mid-20th century, the East Denver Civic Association claimed ownership of the strip. Then, in the 1980s, groups such as Colfax United and Colfax to the Limits emerged, seeking to forge business partnerships to improve the image of the famed arterial. The 21st century, as the volume observes, has been marked by the formation of the Fax Partnership and the Colfax–Mayfair Business Improvement District.

This is but the beginning of the volume’s wide-ranging emphasis on Colfax. Included is the time when stripper joints invaded the road in the 1970s, followed by used bookstores in the 1980s. The Story of Modern East Denver highlights both achievements and failures. Not only does it address the people who have lived nearby, but it is a balanced measure of what Colfax has been all about. Anybody interested in the road will want to read it.

Phil Goodstein, The Story of Modern East Denver: Magnificent Mayfair, Beautiful Bellevue, Hale, Hilltop, Hospitals. Denver: New Social Publications, 2017. ISBN 0–9860748–3–7. vi + 474 pp. Illustrations. Index. $24.95.
 

Eden Motor Lodge

Postcard courtesy The Colfax Museum Collection

Happy 100th Birthday to the Ogden Theatre!

From the Western History and Genealogy Dept., Denver Public Library

The Ogden Theatre on Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado turned 100 today. The two-story brick building has a tile roof and ornate entryway. Classic automobiles and a bicycle are parked nearby. A sign reads: "This Theatre Will Open Thurs. Sept. 6th" 1917. #OgdenTheatre

Remembering the Ram Lounge

 

The Ram Lounge is now closed, soon to be re-opened as The Owl Saloon. Photos by Jeremy Matzke.

Max Mosko Hi-Way Motel

Postcard courtesy The Colfax Museum Collection

Max Mosko Hi-Way Motel on West Colfax ...brand new in 1952!

Bar X - Best in the West - Bar None

Postcard courtesy The Colfax Museum Collection

Magic Lantern Glass Slide of Early Denver

Courtesy The Colfax Museum Collection

Magic Lantern Glass Slide view of early Denver, taken from the Colorado State Capitol steps.

Fitzsimons Motel & Apartments

Postcard courtesy The Colfax Museum Collection

Fitzsimons Motel & Apartments ~12290 E Colfax Ave, Aurora, COLO ~ U.S. Hwy 40