Thursday, March 31, 2016

Westword Best of Denver 2016

ColfaxAvenue.com - Best Blog Dedicated to Colfax

A notoriously misunderstood player in Denver's history, Colfax Avenue still works hard to showcase its role as the vibrant city thoroughfare it was intended to be. Fortunately, ColfaxAvenue.com is shining the spotlight on what Playboy magazine once called "the longest, wickedest street in America." Founded and run by Anistacia and Jonny Barber, ColfaxAvenue.com regularly publishes photos, personal stories and news updates that prove that the 26-mile-long main street, though still wild, is definitely welcoming. Whether you're looking for throwback images of the gone-but-not-forgotten Eddie Bohn's Pig 'N Whistle or Mammoth Skating Rink (now the Fillmore Auditorium) or a tribute to Pete Contos — owner of the Satire Lounge, Pete's Kitchen, Pete's Greek Town Cafe and many of the other Pete's-named businesses in the city — ColfaxAvenue.com is worth repeat visits.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Tipsy Tiger


Oh, if the walls of the ol' Tipsy Tiger Strip Club could talk...(WOW!) In the 1950's, long before it was the Tipsy Tiger, it was a family restaurant called the "Chat & Chew."

Monday, March 28, 2016

Inside the Aladdin Theatre

Aladdin Theatre, where a Walgreen's now stands.
The site of such stellar screenings as Last Tango in Paris, Fiddler on the Roof, and Evita.

I cry every time someone mentions her name... the Aladdin Theater was the Taj Mahal of Denver at Colfax and Race Street.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Lane's Tavern

Lane's Tavern (no longer standing) was the first (and last?) of the roadhouses on West Colfax Avenue.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Carpenter Chevrolet Co.

Carpenter Chevrolet Co., Denver - 1928
View of the Carpenter Chevrolet automobile dealership, 2120 East Colfax (at Gaylord) Street, in Denver, Colorado. A man poses by an electric sign which reads: "Chevrolet". The Weicker Storage and Transfer Company warehouse is in the background. 


Thursday, March 24, 2016

Humble Pie Store

Photo by Jonny B.
This building is now the Humble Pie Store. Let's hope they are not taking their inspiration from Sweeney Todd!!

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Peace on Earth in Civic Center Park

Genuine original vintage POSTCARD circa 1920 Denver, Colorado, features Civic Center Park with natural snow & Christmas tree, Santa Claus & reindeer atop archway, "Peace on Earth" among other holiday decorations. Further in background is E.J. Johnson auto dealer. Some signage on dealership includes: "Bargains in rebuilt cars", Willys, Chalmers, Wills Sainte Claire etc.  There was an E.J. Johnson used car dealership at 633 Van Ness Avenue in Fresno, California as early as 1937, possibly the same auto dealer, but a new location? 

From Wikipedia: Civic Center is a neighborhood and park in Denver, Colorado. The area is known as the center of the civic life in the city, with numerous institutions of arts, government, and culture as well as numerous festivals, parades, and protests throughout the year. The park is home to many fountains, statues, and formal gardens, and includes a Greek amphitheater, a war memorial, and the Voorhies Memorial Seal Pond. It is well known for its symmetrical Neoclassical design.

Civic Center is located in central Denver just south of the Central Business District. The park is located at the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Broadway, perhaps the best-known and most important streets in Denver. The park borders are defined as Bannock Street on the west, Lincoln Street on the east, Colfax Avenue on the north, and 14th Avenue on the south. The institutions surrounding the civic center are generally thought of as part of the Civic Center area, and future plans for the civic center would extend the area further west all the way to Speer Boulevard. Civic Center is also a neighborhood defined by the Denver city government, but is probably identified in the minds of Denverites as the "Golden Triangle." The borders of this neighborhood are Speer Boulevard on the west and south, Broadway on the east, and Colfax Avenue on the north.

Civic Center was an idea that originated with former Denver mayor Robert W. Speer. In 1904, Speer proposed a series of civic improvements based on the City Beautiful Ideas shown to him at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Speer hired Charles Mulford Robinson among others to develop plans for the area. Robinson proposed extending 16th Street to the Colorado State Capitol and to group other municipal buildings around a central park area. However, the plan was defeated in a 1907 election. Undaunted, Speer gathered business leaders who brought in new ideas for the Civic Center including the creation of an east-west axial between the Colorado State Capitol, and swinging the north and south borders of the park into the city grid system. These plans were stalled when in 1912, Speer was replaced as mayor. The new mayor brought in Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. who was developing plans for Denver's mountain parks. His ideas include an informal grove of trees on the eastern edge of the park, and a lighted concert area.

When Speer was reelected in 1916, he re-pursued his ideas about the Civic Center, hiring Chicago planner and architect Edward H. Bennett, a protégé of Daniel Burnham. Bennett combined the ideas of all of the previous plans, adding the Greek amphitheater, theColonnade, the seal pond, and the realignment of Colfax Avenue and 14th Ave., around the park. The park officially opened in 1919. Civic Center has long been the government, arts, history, and learning nexus of both the state of Colorado and the Denver Metropolitan Area. Among the institutions in the Civic Center areDenver Art Museum, and the Denver Public Library's Central Library along the parks south side, the Colorado State Capitoland the City and County Building of Denver along the east and west axis of the park, the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Office Building on the park's north side, and the Colorado History Museum and the Colorado State Judicial Building towards the southeast of the park. The Denver Mint lies immediately west of the Civic Center Park across the street from the City and County Building.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Friday, March 18, 2016

Mammoth Skating Rink, 1908.

Pictured here in 1908, the Mammoth Skating Rink went through many major changes until it became the Fillmore Auditorium.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Blue Bird Lounge and the Green Lantern Bar, 1973


View of the Green Lantern Bar and Blue Bird Lounge, 3420 and 3416 East Colfax Avenue, in the City Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. This two-story, commercial, brick building (constructed in 1924) has a facade with an arched entrance, a shaped parapet, pilasters, arched windows and a lettering that reads: "Green Lantern." The building has bays, leaded windows and roof dormers. The Blue Bird Cocktail Lounge is next door and has a wooden facade with pilasters, bricked in windows and a sign that juts our from the building and reads: "Cocktails, Blue Bird Lounge." A sign over the entry reads; "Blue Bird Cocktail Lounge."

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Vintage Ad for The Denver Post

The Denver Post headquarters is currently located at 101 West Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Chris Stapleton coming to the Fillmore Auditorium

CHRIS STAPLETON
Special Guest Anderson East
Fillmore Auditorium
Thursday, May 5 & Friday, May 6 –
2 NIGHTS!
Showtime 8:00 pm / Doors 7:00 pm


CHRIS STAPLETON ADDS SPRING TOUR DATES
NOMINATED FOR FOUR GRAMMY AWARDS® &
FIVE ACM AWARDS

Chris Stapleton will continue his worldwide tour this spring, including newly confirmed headlining shows at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, The Santa Barbara Bowl, L.A.’s Greek Theatre, and stops in Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, Bakersfield, Mesa and Albuquerque. These shows will feature special guest Anderson East.

Stapleton is nominated in four categories at the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards®, including Album of the Year (for Traveller), Best Country Album (for Traveller), Best Country Song (for the album’s title track) and Best Country Solo Performance (for the album’s title track).
Just announced on Monday morning, Stapleton received five ACM Award nominations, including nods for Male Vocalist of the Year, New Male Vocalist of the Year, Vocal Event of the Year (for “Hangover Tonight” with Gary Allan) and as an artist and producer in the Album of the Year category (for Traveller).

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
at the Fillmore Auditorium Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or call 800 – 745 – 3000. 

Tickets are $42.75 GA ADV and $45.00 GA DOS plus applicable service charges.

The Fillmore box office is open Monday - Friday from 12:00 Noon - 6:00pm & Saturdays from 10:00am - 2:00pm.  On days of Fillmore shows, the box office is open from 12:00 Noon – 9:00pm.  The box office accepts cash, MasterCard, Visa and American Express – No checks!  Service charges may apply. 
                                                                                                                                                                                               
THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM IS LOCATED AT 1510 CLARKSON ST. AT COLFAX.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Ages 16+

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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Feeling Magic by Charly Fasano and Magic Cyclops

New short animated film called "Feeling Magic", about Magic Cyclops (Denver comedian) falling in love with the mannequin from Sid King's Crazy Horse club sign and taking her on a " date" around Denver and Colfax Avenue. Denver landmarks featured are Lions Lair, Tom's Diner, the cash register building, Newhouse Hotel, Sid King's Club sign, Celebrity Fun Center, Old Elitches and Wax Trax Records.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016