Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/3108
ThE MiLE hiGh CiTY FOR MEETinGS BY STANLEY BRANCH With snowcapped peaks providing a spectacular backdrop, Denver is as refined as it is laid-back. It's a place where aerospace engineers rub elbows with rock climbers at local brewpubs, at art festivals, or while strolling their favorite pedestrian mall. Denver is a clean, young and green city with more than 200 parks and dozens of tree- lined streets. Unlike some Western cities, Denver has a central downtown area so that within walking distance visitors will find over 7,300 hotel rooms, the city's convention complex, performing arts complex, and a wide variety of shops, restaurants and nightspots. Also within walking dis- tance are some of the city's top attrac- tions including the Denver Pavilions, Denver Art Museum and Colorado History Museum. A mile-long pedes- trian mall cuts through the heart of downtown Denver that is the perfect way to view the city's impressive archi- tecture. And with 300 days of sunshine per year, it's easy to see why people fall in love with Denver the first time they visit. The new Colorado Convention Center is one of the most practical and "user friendly" meeting facilities ever built. More than 100 professional meeting planners worked with the architects to design every aspect of the building. The result is a simple, sensi- ble, state-of-the-art facility with easy traffic flow and everything you need all in a stunningly beautiful building in the heart of exciting downtown Denver. The Colorado Convention Center offers 584,000 sq. ft. exhibit space on one level, 63 meeting rooms providing 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space on one level, the 35,000 sq. ft. Four Seasons Ballroom, the 50,000 sq. ft. Korbel Ballroom, the 5,000 fixed- seat Wells Fargo Theatre, and 7,300 hotel rooms within walking distance. Some options include the Hyatt Regency Denver, Loews Denver, and the Radisson Denver to name a few. Denver is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own unique charm. Be sure to leave time in your visit to explore the independent boutiques, galleries, and restaurants nestled in areas outside the vibrant downtown. With a diverse population, there is something for everyone. From the stately Victorian mansions of Five Points, rich in African-American cul- ture, to the hip restaurants and night- clubs of historic LoDo, to the quaint, tree-lined streets of Old South Gaylord and Old South Pearl, Denver's laid-back attitude is exempli- fied in the neighborhoods surrounding downtown. The 210-ft.-high French Gothic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception towers above turn-of-the- century mansions in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, while the adjacent Colfax Avenue has some of the best music venues in the city. One of Denver's oldest neighbor- hoods, with block after block of Victorian homes mixed with luxury lofts and new housing developments, Five Points is one of the few predomi- nantly African-American-owned com- mercial strips in the country. Some have referred to the area as the "Harlem of the West" for its long- standing jazz history, where many of the greats, including Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and more played at clubs like Rossonian and the Rainbow Room. The Stiles African American Heritage Center and The Black American West Museum & Heritage Center tell the story of the African-American cow- boys and pioneers that helped settle the West. Explore Five Points' rich heritage with the Denver Story Trek, an interactive, multimedia tour that takes you to Denver's greatest historic attractions. Denver International Airport is one of busiest airports in the world with 23 airlines offering 1,500 flights to 130 worldwide cities. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Denver Metro CVB – (303) 892-1112 www.denver.org Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce – (303) 831-0720 www.coloradoblackchamber.orz Black Meetings & Tourism April/May 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 114 Reenactment of a time gone by Photo Credit: Denver Metro CVB AREA GUIDES DEnVER