City Cast Denver

There are ten candidates in the running to fill the vacant at-large city council position. With less than three weeks until election day how are all the candidates setting themselves apart? Denver Post City Government reporter Elliott Wenzler joins Bree Davies to talk about two women in the race running for this short-term position that will be on ballots again next spring. Plus, they go beyond th...

Are politics creating a division in Denver’s dating scene? Or are lovers on opposite sides of the political spectrum just really good at navigating conflict? Food and dating contributor Sara Rosenthal talked to local couples therapists, and she tells host Bree Davies about the state of partisan love in the Mile High City. They also discuss some recent vegan restaurant openings and share personal r...

Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love are opening up the mailbag to hear from you, our dear listeners. We’re sharing your ideas for a new name for Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, what Colorado rules of thumb you live by, and a very specific listener recommendation for a Casa Bonita-like pizza experience in Colorado Springs. Plus, Olivia shares her top five most Denver halloween costume idea...

There’s a measure on this November’s ballot that would create a sales tax to support the proposed Front Range Passenger Rail, but around 800,000 ballots featuring 7A were sent out this week to Coloradans that don’t technically have a say in the matter. Now everyone is asking: Who messed up, and how will they fix it? City Cast producer Jason Paton has been reporting on the snafu in our newsletter,...

Another Denver school year has begun — how are cell phones being handled? In Minnesota, one high school is demonstrating that a strict no-phone school day can work, and they’ve got the (mostly) positive feedback to show for it. City Cast Twin Cities host Sean McPherson joins David to talk about how St. Paul Central High School is succeeding at enforcing a phone-free school environment, the surpris...

It might not feel like it, but we are, actually, in the fall season! Contributor Michelle Jackson joins producer Olivia Jewell Love to chat about their favorite fall bevs (don’t worry, they come iced!) and talk shop about Olivia’s hunt for the best PSL in Denver. Then, DIA officials are facing a new ethics complaint about a lavish retirement party, complete with a $3,000 budget for sausage and che...

It's election season, and those blue books are beefy this year! We’re going one by one through some of the thorniest ballot measures all month, and today creative producer Shane Franklin joins fellow producer Olivia Jewell Love to break down everything you need to know about Amendment 84, the proposal for new voter ID requirements. Then, contributor Molly Smith joins Olivia to talk about her exper...

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park may not be long for this world – well, the name anyway. For the first time in the Colorado Rapids soccer stadium’s 20-year history, the team is looking at new sponsors and a potential moniker change. Comedian and Casa Bonita performer Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies to share his top five picks for renaming Dick’s. Plus, they dig into the controversy involving a big...

The conservative nonprofit Advance Colorado brought a whopping eight initiatives to the ballot this year – that’s more than half of the 14 amendments and propositions voters will decide. But after a record turnout by Democrats in this summer’s primaries, why is this Republican-leaning organization banking so much on the midterms? Logan M. Davis, who wrote “The Muckraker Official Ballot Guide” for...

Denver Public Schools board member DJ Torres resigned last week, his reasoning being “too much of my time and energy have been consumed by internal conflict.” But this is just the latest issue for a leadership entity seemingly plagued with drama over the last half-decade, including recent allegations against Torres himself that he has missed too many crucial meetings. Politics correspondent Adrian...

When Denver looks for inspiration for the future, does it look to the Netherlands? That’s what designers and officials in New York City did in order to integrate flood mitigation into public housing. Inspired by places like Rotterdam, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) collaborated with other groups to give Queens a state-of-the-art, climate-resilient amenity — in this case, a basketball...

Denverites already pay for trash pick-up, but what if that money went to a private company instead of the city? The city’s waste services are costing more cash than they bring in, and two city council members have proposed exploring privatizing the system. Green chile correspondent and democratic candidate for house district 5 Justine Sandoval joins host Bree Davies to dig into the trash cost dile...

A proposal to make sweeping changes to the zoning code was sent back to the drawing board by city council – signalling the end of a push by Denver planners to make it easier to build duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes citywide. Will the Mile High ever get closer to housing advocates’ dream of a denser, more affordable city? Denver Post city government reporter Elliott Wenzler and political corres...

Fall is here — and we’re ready for the sweater weather, cozy vibes, and spiced everything! From finding the right craft meetup to enjoying Little Man Ice Cream’s autumnal ice cream flavors, host Bree Davies, producer Olivia Jewell Love, and audience development manager Grace Zahn share their picks for the best things to do, see, eat, drink, and enjoy all around the Mile High City and beyond this O...

The historically counter-cultural strip of 13th Avenue in Capitol Hill will be home to a concert venue once again! After all the drama and seizure of Your Mom’s House, the Poison Pit will usher in the next era of local music at 608 E. 13th Avenue this October. Westword editor emeritus Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies to talk about Denver’s newest independent venue, plus dig into why Glendale’s...

Ballots are hitting mailboxes soon and the campaign money is flowing. But where is it coming from and where is it going? In his investigation for the Colorado Times Recorder, reporter Logan M. Davis traces the cashflow funding conservative-backed initiatives and measures that Coloradans will be voting on this November. Earlier this year, host Bree Davies sat down with Logan to learn more about the...

What’s a seemingly small project in Denver that’s made a big difference? In the Oregon suburb of Tualatin, a drinking water pipe has just been fitted with a seamless electrical turbine, so that an existing utility can now have a dual purpose. David is joined by Nic Westendorf, Tualatin’s deputy public works director, to talk about the power of thinking local, using existing tools, and looking ahea...

What are the things you need to know to thrive in Denver? You know, like remembering to bring a jacket regardless of the weather – which may change at a moment’s notice! – or making sure to drink enough water during the workday, not just when you’re hiking. Today, host Bree Davies and producer Shane Franklin are joined by City Cast Denver regular Michelle Jackson to lay out their unwritten rules o...

Sundance Film Festival’s Colorado debut is just months away, but there are plenty of homegrown film fests happening this fall and winter. Denver Post arts and entertainment reporter John Wenzel joins host Bree Davies to talk about his recent guide to navigating the fest landscape and how to enjoy the screenings, parties, and more. Plus, they speculate on EDM artist GRiZ’s motives behind performing...

Ball Arena is set to get a $135 million makeover, complete with more escalators and a giant LED screen outside for fans to watch the action. Editor and founder of The Lever David Sirota joins host Bree Davies to talk about why Ball Arena’s owner Stan Kroenke is spending millions to update the lobby of his arena and what, if anything, it means for the fan experience. Plus, they discuss the complete...

A grocery store or a bar? This is the question at the center of the future of The Holly, a shopping center in Northeast Park Hill. The generational gathering place for Denver’s Black community is currently embroiled in a fight between a landlord and tenants – and it’s exposing a deeper conversation about who a proposed remodel of The Holly is for. Green chile correspondent (and current candidate f...

Green chile is a staple of Colorado cuisine – both the pepper itself and the spicy, soupy stew used to smother everything from burritos and french fries to eggs and hamburgers. For decades, Denverites have been flocking to The Original Chubby’s Burger Drive In for their version of the versatile dish, and there is perhaps no version as hotly contested as Chubby’s. Our resident green chile correspon...

Would Denver be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime and depression recorded near newly transformed, “greened” neighborhood lots. But how did they do it? David talks with City Cast Philly host Trenae Nuri and special guest Matt Rader, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, about how Philly prioritized re...

The Mercury Cafe is back! Again! This time around, the buyers are asking the community what they want from this legendary space before moving into it. Can a cultural icon be preserved while also evolving with the times? City government reporter Elliott Wenzler joins host Bree Davies to peer into the crystal ball to see the Merc’s future, plus they discuss Mayor Mike Johnston’s optimistic city budg...

Denver chefs and restaurateurs celebrated this week when both the Michelin Guide announced its 2026 winners and the New York Times dropped its 50 best restaurants in America list! In no surprise to local foodies, culinary superstars Johnny and Kasie Curiel’s latest spot, Milpero, nabbed accolades from both. Our coffee shop connoisseur and downtown champ Michelle Jackson joins host Bree Davies to t...