City Cast Denver

Little Man Ice Cream just announced plans to start shipping its beloved sweet treats nationwide, inviting the country to get in on Denver-favorite flavors like Salty O, Space Junkie, and more. But this also had us thinking about Colorado’s greatest contributions to the national culinary landscape – what are our claims to food fame anyway? Dan Pashman, host of the James Beard Award-Winning podcast...

A delegation of higher-ups from the Democratic Party is in town this week evaluating Denver’s bid to host the DNC in 2028, and Mayor Mike is doing his best to spark “little moments of joy,” according to the Denver Post. So, we’re asking the question: Where would you go to show off Denver? Comedian Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to speculate about the mayor’s planne...

Construction on the Bus Rapid Transit project on Colfax has officially moved into Aurora, and the end is in sight! So, we are looking ahead to the BRT line planned for Federal Boulevard, where ⁠the recent news⁠ of the proposed redevelopment of the Asia Center strip mall sparked a wave of concerns about, among other things, the impact of construction on small businesses. Host Bree Davies and produc...

Democrats in Colorado are expected to retain control of the state legislature, governor’s mansion, and  every statewide office this year, but that doesn’t mean conservatives aren’t having an impact! Logan M. Davis is a reporter with the progressive media outlet Colorado Times Recorder, and he’s dedicated himself to untangling the mysterious web of think tanks, dark money groups and billionaires wh...

It looks like THC-infused drinks won’t be having a moment in Colorado any time soon. A bill to increase levels of THC allowed in beverages sold at bars and liquor stores died this week when sponsors pulled it before a vote. So, why can a neighboring state like Kansas sell these higher level drinks when cannabis isn’t even legal there? Food and culture writer Sara Rosenthal joins host Bree Davies a...

It’s May! Here in Denver, that means flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and the Rockies are losing – but they have not yet been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention yet. But what about all the good stuff going on outside Coors Field? Keep It Local newsletter writer Michelle Polizzi joins producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love to share our recommendations for how to make...

For decades, the nightclub district in LoDo has been notorious for violence and other unsavory activities going down around 2 a.m. when the clubs let out. Many policy proposals have come and gone without changing much, and now Denver’s newly renamed Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection has a proposal that they say will reduce problems and help businesses. Denver Post reporter Elliott We...

There will be no Museum of Ice Cream in downtown Denver – at least for now. The interactive dairy-themed selfie attraction has become the latest project turned down for support by the Downtown Development Authority. So, what gives? Are the mayor’s big plans for a downtown comeback in peril? Westword Editor-in-Chief Patty Calhoun joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk through the...

The Denver International Airport is well known for all its crazy conspiracy theories and big blue mascot out front. But what’s actually going on in those secret tunnels beneath the concourses? We’re revisiting a conversation Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi had with YouTuber Dave Chung about our investigation into all the airport lore and what we heard from the people who work there.  Fo...

Are DIY urban projects the key to improving the infrastructure in cities like Denver? The grassroots group To Nashville, With Love has built and installed 60 benches at bus stops around Nashville, all without government approval. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Nashville podcast host Marie Cecile Anderson about what this guerrilla campaign is doing, why it’s gotten pushback from the...

News broke this week that the owner of the Asia Center on Federal Boulevard is ⁠planning to demolish⁠ the strip mall and build in its place three floors of residences on top of ground-floor retail. That story sparked an outpouring of love for the small businesses in the Asia Center and ⁠a petition⁠ now with more than 4,000 signatures demanding “a more thoughtful and inclusive approach.” Politics c...

Is it time to say goodbye to Lime and Bird? Denver City Council is set to vote Monday evening on a new contract with Veo Micromobility to be Denver’s exclusive scooters and e-bike provider, but the lobbying has been intense and the votes could still fall either way. Denver Post city government reported Elliott Wenzler joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about the vote and what...

A banner appeared outside REI’s flagship store at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River a few days ago, calling on REI corporate to offer the workers’ union a better contract or risk a boycott. So, what does REI’s inner turmoil mean for Denverites just looking to buy some snowboard wax? Contributor and stand-up comedian Josh Emerson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karo...

A delegation of hotshot urban planning consultants was downtown last week to examine the newly city-owned Denver Pavilions mall on 16th Street and propose a new vision for the site – turns out, their vision includes demolishing a lot of it. So, what’s the plan? Chief economist for the Colorado Legislative Council Greg Sobetski joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to swap stories of the...

What’s really going on with the water source that is supposed to fill Huston Lake? Is it legal to ⁠hunt beavers in Colorado⁠? Will Peyton Manning’s new restaurant serve chicken parm that ⁠tastes so good⁠? Host Bree Davies and producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi open up the City Cast Denver mailbag to hear listeners’ thoughts, expertise, and hot takes on some of our recent show topics. Pl...

Could public financing get more Denverites involved in local elections? For the last decade, the City of Seattle has issued $100 in vouchers to every voter to donate to the candidate of their choice in municipal elections. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Seattle podcast host Jane C. Hu about how these Democracy Vouchers work, how many people are participating, and what the impact on...

One week ago, Denverites crowdfunded $83,000 to save our city’s last lesbian bar. Today, there’s a lock on the door, The Pearl’s instagram has been deleted, and the co-owners are fighting over who’s responsible. So, what happened? Green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval and politics contributor Adrian Felix join host Bree Davies to talk through all the turmoil inside the former home of the lege...

After being in business since the 1980s, Moda Man is closing the doors of its downtown menswear shop. Was the pandemic to blame? Or a loss of parking to bike lanes, the lack of Denverites going back to the office, or something more? Freelance journalist Daliah Singer joins host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love to look at how retail trends are reshaping downtown. Plus, they dig into the...

Denver’s local TV news scene is on the precipice of a big shake-up, with Fox31’s parent company Nexstar poised to acquire 9News’ parent company TEGNA. But the $6.2 billion deal isn’t done yet, as multiple federal and state antitrust lawsuits against the merger wind their way through the courts. So, do Denverites still rely on the nightly news for the latest information? Comedian and Casa Bonita ac...

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was in New Orleans last week along with someone dressed up like the Big Blue Bear to help make the case that the Mile High City should host the Democratic National Convention in 2028, when the party will formally announce its next presidential nominee. Will a dancing bear do the trick? Or will Denver lose out to Boston or Philly? Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins host...

From an unseasonably warm winter to the premature blooms of an early spring, Colorado’s wacky weather has left Denver gardeners stumped. But fear not – our resident gardening expert Ann Marie Awad is here! They sit down with host Bree Davies to answer City Cast Denver listeners and readers’ burning questions about cultivating veggies during a drought, the best chemical-free ways to ward off grassh...

Denverites, what do you do when your night life starts to dwindle? Nightlife is a huge economic driver for cities, but city offices are often closed when those businesses need help. That’s why Portland is considering hiring a Night Mayor. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Portland podcast host Claudia Meza about what this new position would do, and if it is the answer to the pandemic’...

Lakewood voters sent a big statement to the rest of Colorado this week, with the campaign to reverse the Denver suburb’s new housing density rules dominating Tuesday’s special election. But what exactly does this election say about Coloradans and the housing affordability issue? RTD Board director Chris Nicholson joins producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi to discuss the blowback to densit...

There was a huge shakeup at Denver’s transit provider RTD yesterday as CEO and GM Debra Johnson ⁠declined to renew her contract⁠, effectively ending her leadership of the agency after leading it through the pandemic, some costly light rail maintenance projects, and a recent decline in ridership. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi discuss the breaking news before Chandra Thomas Whitfield, a...

What is happening to Huston Lake? The southwest Denver body of water has almost completely dried up, taking with it some of the park’s flora and fauna and leaving neighbors concerned. Regular contributor and host of the Square State podcast Michelle Jackson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dig into the sorry recent state of Denver’s park lakes. Plus, they discuss the sci-fi seri...