Pokey

Give my regards to Broadway! This street is a north/south running street whose highlighs begin in downtown Denver and continue southward to the city of Englewood. Broadway features an eclectic mix of offices, retail, restaurants, nighclubs, and, further south, a host of antique shops where one can find many treasures. The Mayan movie theater features many independent films, and there are a few art galleries and vintage clothing shops in the area. Further south are some 1950s remnants, including the Breakfast Queen diner and the Gothic Theater, which is now used as a concert venue for independent musicians. Broadway is a fun drive, to see both the old and the new attractions of Denver.

East Hampden Avenue is an east/west street that runs through the southeast portion of the city and eventually winds and turns into Havana, a north/south street in the neighboring city of Aurora. From Broadway and heading east, Hampden borders parkways and golf courses and the prestigious neighborhood of Cherry Hills Village. Further east you will find numerous retail outlets and office space, the only downside being that the offices appear to have been built in the 1950s and 60s and look quite dated. One can easily access I-25 on Hampden, and past the highway you will find the aging Tamarac Square retail area, along with a couple of movie theaters. Keep driving and you will see Kennedy Golf Course and a miniature course before the street turns into Havana, home of auto dealerships galore.

East 17th Avenue is an east/west street running from downtown Denver through the eastern portion of the city and into the neighboring city of Aurora. Near downtown, 17th hosts mixed retail, nightclubs, restaurants and health facilities. It manages to retain a park-like atmosphere as it winds past East High School and the southern border of City Park. Past Colorado Boulevard, the street turns into a residential area that features some of the inner city's finest homes. It turns into an actual parkway, with a large green median that is favored by joggers and walkers alike. It is a quiet street, sometimes very busy, but the variety of structures one encounters while cruising it makes it an enjoyable place to drive.

Leetsdale Drive is an east/west street that curves southward and has a fairly short stretch running between Colorado Boulevard and East Mississippi Avenue. It is considered to be part of the city of Glendale, a small municipality located in eastern central Denver. Along Leetsdale you will find mostly retail, from ski shops to auto care facilities, to fast-food restaurants. Towards Monaco Parkway you will find George Washington High School and several grocery outlets. Leetsdale is sometimes a faster-moving, more interesting thoroughfare than its "competitor" East Alameda, but being so short one may need advance planning to navigate it.

East Alameda Avenue is the eastern portion of an east/west street that runs through central Denver. From Colorado Boulevard it will run east through to the city of Aurora and is a central hub for Aurora's retail markets with the Aurora Town Centre and Mall. But before you get there, you will pass by one of the city's oldest cemeteries, Fairmount Cemetery. Here there are many historic gravesites for some of Denver's pioneering families. To the north of the cemetery is the recently-developed Lowry neighborhood, with beautiful newer homes and mixed retail.

East Evans Avenue is the eastern portion of an east/west street, of which one highlight is the proximity to the University of Denver. In this area you may find mixed retail and restaurants, often geared towards the collegiate population. Head east past Colorado Boulevard and you will see a few strip malls and restaurants, including the Palace Chinese Restaurant, one of the city's most renowned. Even further east, towards Monaco Street, there are more shopping centers with more brand-name retail. It's probably a typical city street, but there are gems to be found.

Colorado Boulevard is a north/south three- to four-lane street (depending on where you are) that is located on the eastern side of Denver. You may connect to several highways from Colorado, and the street is adjacent to some of the city's finest attractions as well as mixed retail. Up north you will find the Colorado Museum of Nature and Science and will be a stone's throw away from the Denver Zoo. There is also City Park, the largest park in the metro area and the Park Hill Golf Course. Further south you will find retail of all types and can access the world-class Cherry Creek Mall, just a few blocks west of Colorado Boulevard. Near the end of the major stretch you will also find the nostalgic University Hills area and Wellshire Golf Course and Restaurant. It is a fine street to cruise on, with something for everybody.

Growing up in the northeast Denver neighborhood known as Park Hill, I considered Montview Boulevard to be a wonderful street to take walks and get to know my neigbors. In the heart of Park Hill, the boulevard is really a two-lane street running east to from Colorado Boulevard and into Aurora (where it expands into more lanes). This section of Montview also houses no retail, restaurants, or other commercial enterprises, but it does house a historic public library, several churches, schools, and some of the best, most distinctive homes in the area. Architecturally, the houses range from Tudors to farmhouses, to French Provencal, to Spanish, to contemporary - a real mix of tastes and styles. It is a great street to take a stroll in the city.

Federal Boulevard is another legendary north/south stretch on the west side of Denver, near downtown. The lure of this thoroughfare is the area around Alameda Avenue that hosts many Asian wonders, particularly restaurants and markets. You won't find "chow mein" here - everything is authentic and home-style. There are also plenty of Asian-owned businesses and services, including hair salons and insurance brokers. At night, Federal Boulevard is also a main cruising street, where one can find the city's multicultural youth showing off their tricked-out cars.

East Colfax Avenue is, as its name suggests, the eastern portion of the longest east/west street in central Denver and, for that matter, the state of Colorado. The street has been the subject of many colorful and lurid references amongst residents, partly because of its reputation of fostering drug use and prostitution. Granted, if walking or driving down Colfax in the late evening, one might see questionable activity here and there. But over the past two decades there have been many efforts to redevelop the commercial properties along this urban wonder. Perhaps the most famous redevelopment in recent years is the relocation of the nationally-recognized bookstore, The Tattered Cover, and other mid- to upscale retail installed in the area of Denver's beloved East High School. East Colfax has become such a multicultural wonder, with everything from Korean to Ethiopian to Mexican storefronts along it's stretch, that there are now organized tours of this one street.