16th Street Mall – Denver Downtown – Colorado

I was born and raised in small-town Colorado.  Fifth Generation.  With all of the forests, mountains, rivers and canyons to enjoy, Denver was forever the least-interesting place to go.  I remember never looking forward to it.

Denver has changed however.  So have I.  I’ve come to find Denver a wonderful city. One weekend I took an evening and, splurging on a well-located hotel way out of my price range, I spent an evening roaming the 16th St. Mall, a two kilometer long pedestrian and transit mall that is home to hundreds of shops and stores and somewhere near fifty restaurants – many of them absolutely outstanding.

The 16th Street Mall opened in 1982, originally from Market Street to Broadway, and was designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. While I.M. Pei is often credited for the distinctive rattlesnake pattern found in the mall’s granite pavers, Pei credits the design to his partner Henry N. Cobb.

The Mall was extended from Market Street to Wynkoop Street in 2001 and to Union Station in 2002 to coincide with the completion of the Central Platte Valley (CPV) light rail spur. Before 1982, 16th Street was still a shopping and business destination that was home to four major department stores and many office buildings.

Currently, the 16th Street Mall serves as a nexus for the major businesses downtown as well as the various tourist attractions that are nearby.

After some fabulous sushi I combed the alleyways for interesting characters, watched some impressive street performances and ended the evening with a fine whiskey and great people watching.

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