Denver Guide

Denver earns its nickname on a step: on the west staircase of the gold-domed State Capitol, a marker set into the 13th step sits exactly 5,280 feet above sea level — one mile, on the nose. From there the city fans out into neighborhoods worth a day each: LoDo and the restored 1881 Union Station, whose Great Hall is now a hotel lobby and cocktail bar where locals actually hang out; RiNo (River North Art District), a square mile of old warehouses turned into murals, breweries, and studios north of downtown; and the U.S. Mint, which has stamped coins here since 1906 and still runs free tours past vaults of gold. It’s a real city with real altitude — the beer hits harder than you expect.