New Entrepreneur-Friendly, Tech Center in the Golden Triangle

It seems like such a simple idea: create a technology campus where entrepreneurs can come to try and promote their small businesses. This one, central area will offer a shared workspace, mentorship, investor insight, and a software-programming school-all under one roof. Yet this has yet to been seen in Denver. Introducing Galvanize, a project aimed to combine all of these services and other support tactics for up to 70 different startups. These small businesses are expected to drive half of Denver’s workforce in the foreseeable future, and they now have a central hub. With technology growing at an exponential rate, Galvanize is using this to its advantage and helping the little guy establish something great. In a recent Denver Post article, the executive director of Denver’s economic-development office, Paul Washington, said that Galvanize “makes Denver a more attractive place to work for the 21st century employee.” Galvanize is the brainchild of restaurateur-turned-entrepreneur Jim Deters, who is known for opening the Asian bistro, ChoLon in LoDo. Recognize the name, ChoLon? That’s because Galvanize’s neighborhood-to-be, Gather Café and Lounge, is the work of ChoLon’s executive chef, Lon Symensma. In picking the perfect location, Deter focused on Denver’s circulation paths and main nodes, and eventually came up with the Rocky Mountain Bank Note Building in the Golden Triangle. Situated near a bike trail and a short distance to other downtown hotspots, the building was the prefect place to gather a crowd and hopefully use the community ties to an entrepreneur’s advantage. And with the Gather Café and Lounge in the lobby, the Rocky Mountain Bank Note Building will create its own some community within the larger LoDo area. A startup company can use the communal atrium for $300 a month, or pay $450 for a permanent desk on the mezzanine level. For more details and rental options, check out Galvanize’s website and start your business off on the right foot!

Groovy New Café to Open in Denver’s Golden Triangle

Gather, a new café and lounge, is set to open up in the historic Rocky Mountain Bank Note Building in Denver’s Golden Triangle. A joint project between Chef Lon Symensma of ChoLon and the Flow Restaurant Group, Gather’s main goal is to provide a comfortable, yet trendy and vibrant, community space for the surrounding businesses and residents, and serve as a place where people are encouraged to exchange ideas while indulging in great food. Intrigued? Well, it gets even better. The menu, crafted by the critically acclaimed and successful executive chef, Lon Symensa, will include your typical breakfast and lunch fares, like muffins, scones, bagels, and sandwiches, but will also showcase Symensa’s own creations, inspired by Vietnamese street foods. And if you are simply in the mood for a happy hour beer, Gather can satisfy that as well. The café will include a wide variety of Colorado beers on tap, but also offer fresh squeezed juices, an outstanding superior coffee program by Ninety Plus, and a full liquor bar is in the works. The downside? You’ll have to wait until December for Gather to open, but we’re sure that it will be worth the wait.

Denver Real Estate Market Strengthening

There are concrete, solid stats that support everyone’s hopes-the Denver real estate market is recovering. According to the Real Estate Market Trends, released by the Denver Metro Association of Realtors, as of September 2012, there is the lowest inventory per capita that Denver has ever seen. In general, there are only about 2.7 months of inventory and more buyers than there are sellers. And compared to 2001, there are about 20% more people in Denver, but we still have the same inventory levels as 2001. And for the first time since the housing market crash in 2008, the September average sale price has beat levels from six and seven years ago, surpassing those levels from 2005 and 2006. These are sure signs that the market is making a strong comeback! So if you wanting to sell your house, now is the time!

Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum is a bold statement in the heart of the capitol. Its geometric shapes and rock crystal inspirations can be seen blocks away, towering over the surrounding streets. And to make an even bigger statement, the architect himself, famous and daring, is shrouded in criticism and questionable design techniques. Daniel Libeskind, known for his bold architectural elements, designed the building with the Rockies as inspiration and with the full support of the Denver Artists’ Club. There is no question that the building is spectacular, but perfect for a museum? That is where the controversy begins. Yes, the angled walls and cantilevered sections are stunning and graphic, but they make hanging art difficult, a problem in an art museum. Some may argue that the building itself is a piece of art and others claim that it focus on form more than function. So we will let you decide for yourself. Whether you like the building or not, the art inside is sure to astound. With galleries ranging from European classics to modernist photography to Pre-Columbian pieces, there is something for every art lover, regardless of how the pieces may be hung.

New Restaurant in LoHi Gets Rave Reviews

If LoHi didn’t already have enough trendy and attractive restaurants, another has opened that brings East Coast chic to Rocky Mountain modish. Uncle, offering Asian-inspired eats, closely mirrors David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City, yet brings its own original spin. For those of you who aren’t familiar with David Chang, he’s a noted Korean-American chef that owns numerous restaurants throughout the world, included Ko in New York City, the recipient of 2 Michelin stars. Needless say, Uncle could be compared to a worse restaurant. It is located at the corner of W. 32nd and Vallejo Street, in the heart of the Highlands. Although Uncle has only been open for a month, it already attracts a regular crowd and is quickly becoming a neighborhood hotspot. Official reviews of the restaurant haven’t been released yet, but word on the street is that Uncle is awesome. So if you’re into a minimalist setting, amazing food and an energetic atmosphere, hit up Uncle for your next night out.

Big City, Train Boom in US

It is hard to miss the massive renovation that Union Station is currently under. It may be visibly difficult to see what is actually happening in the large pits surrounding the station, but numerous blogs and news articles will tell you that the rail depots and terminals are getting quite the upgrade. And Denver is not the only city making this momentous investment. Throughout the United States, somewhat rundown and underused rail stations are finally getting the attention they deserve. In the early 1900’s, train travel was the best, and cheapest, way to get around the country. And the train stations that housed these popular terminals were architectural gems, invoking various architectural styles and design innovations, as seen by the Los Angeles Union Station. As train travel started to decline, the design of these stations did as well, giving way to bland, and architecturally boring, buildings. A prime example is the Salt Lake City Amtrak Station, a drab box that hardly elicits a second glance. But with the resurgence of train travel, cities are starting to invest in their train stations and give these historic structures a modern finish. The New York Moynihan Station will involve the classic Penn Station and the historical post office next door, while the Washington DC Union Station will add on to the existing station. The historic Seattle King Street Station is getting a major renovation and who can forget about Denver’s own Union Station, with plans to create a new multimodal transportation hub in downtown. This new train boom is paving the way for a different way to travel around the United States, yet maintaining its historic roots.