City Cast Denver

Nearly three years of a global pandemic have done a number on downtown Denver — high vacancy rates, shuttering businesses, low foot traffic, and crime and safety concerns abound. It’s clear every mayoral candidate is going to need a plan to bring life back to our economic center, but the question is how? When Federico Peña was elected mayor in 1983, he faced a very similar set of challenges downto...

When you pay $80 for an Uber to the airport, how much of that fare goes to the driver? A recent survey of local gig drivers showed that they’re only making an average of $5.49 per hour. That data has brought the debate over gig work back to the state legislature, where some lawmakers are pushing a new “Gig Worker Transparency” bill to require these tech platforms to disclose information about paym...

It’s Tuesday and we’re breaking down the big stories of the week so far: The mayor’s race is heating up, and we’re finally getting to know the lesser known candidates — like Andy Rougeot, who made some big claims on AM radio recently, which 9News promptly investigated. Then, there’s the story of Maggie Barton, a teacher who was fired from All Souls Catholic school in Englewood — the Archdiocese cl...

It’s Black History Month, and we’re thinking about the people and experiences that have been foundational to this place. Much of who and what has been depicted as Colorado history paints a picture that is not very diverse, let alone accurate. But Colorado’s history is Black history — today on the show, host Bree Davies talks with Dexter Nelson II, History Colorado’s associate curator of African Am...

Renate Behrens worked as a caretaker in Germany before moving to Colorado to get married, and she wants to be Denver’s next mayor. She speaks with producer Paul Karolyi about transportation, homelessness, and Casa Bonita.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat with other listen...

Leslie Herod is a state representative serving parts of Denver, and she wants to be Denver’s next mayor. Host Bree Davies speaks with her about the rising cost of energy, public transportation, the Park Hill Golf Course, and Casa Bonita.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866 Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver Chat w...

It’s Friday and we’re talking about the stories we couldn’t stop thinking about this week. Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi and returning favorite, public radio veteran and host of the Been There Done That podcast, Jo Ann Allen. Inspired by multimodal-transit advocate Molly McKinley’s op-ed for Westword, the crew talks through the failures of Vision Zero and questions Denver’s a...

We’ve tackled breakfast burritos. We’ve eaten our way through Denver’s donut scene. We’ve chowed down on fried chicken and compared Denver-style, Mission-style burritos. Finally, we’re taking on the toughest tussle of them all: tacos. But not just any tacos, we’re talking al pastor street tacos. Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Paul Karolyi, newsletter editor Adrian González, and producer Er...

If you’ve been in Denver for a while, you’ve seen the work of internationally renowned artist Anthony Garcia. Born n’ raised in Globeville, he paints with bold, bright colors and serape-inspired patterns to create murals that enrobe whole buildings across the metro area and take over gallery walls from Miami to Amsterdam. Recently, the artist collaborated with the GES Coalition, an environmental a...

Do you have what it takes to be “entertainer (wet)” — aka, a cliff diver at Casa Bonita? The South Park guys are hiring ahead of their planned May re-opening. Meanwhile, many Denverites’ energy bills have more than doubled in the past few months while Xcel posted massive profits for 2022 — so, what gives? And on the transit front, RTD is debating a policy change that would prohibit passengers with...

For the first time in his now five years as governor, Jared Polis is focusing on housing. Whether its an urban, rural, or suburban community, every part of Colorado is just too expensive. So how does our uber-popular, tech-loving, libertarian-leaning governor plan to tackle the housing issue? And what would a hypothetical future Polis-opolis look like? CPR state politics and housing reporter Andy...

It’s Friday and we’re rounding up the stories that caught our eye this week. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by Denver Post reporter Elizabeth Hernandez to chat all things fowl and lewd (as in crude license plates!) Demand for chicks and home hen house supplies has skyrocketed as consumers reel from the egg shortage, and Elizabeth has the inside scoop. We’re also talking abou...

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. And boy, do we in the West really need to figure out how to use less water. The federal government has imposed a February 1 deadline for the seven Colorado River Basin states to come up with a new conservation plan, so what would be realistic for us in the Denver metro area to contribute? Colorado Sun environment reporter Michael Booth is on toda...

On our hunt for Denver’s best street tacos, we stumbled on a story we had to share: After decades working in other peoples’ restaurants on the Northside, Jose Ramirez ventured into the suburbs to open Los Dos Potrillos in 2002. Serving his version of Colorado’s famed green chile alongside dishes reflecting his hometown of Jerez, Zacatecas in Mexico, Jose gained a loyal following. Now Jose’s sons,...

It’s Tuesday and we’ve got everything you need to know about the local stories Denverites are talking about: Meth residue found inside libraries in Englewood, Boulder, and Littleton is causing concern, the gun debate heats up at the Capitol after another mass shooting, and we regret to inform you that the Aurora police department is at it again. Plus, all the taco news you can use — first, Westwor...

For almost 100 years, the Park Hill neighborhood has featured an 18-hole golf course. But then a major developer, Westside Investment Partners, bought the land and put forth ambitious plans to redevelop the site into a walkable new community and park. The purchase sparked a neighborhood fight that’s escalated into a city-wide debate over housing, growth, and change. And if City Council approves We...

It’s Friday and that means we’re looking back at the local stories that mattered this week. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by returning fave Sam Brasch of Colorado Public Radio. We discuss the hot topic of gas stoves and how Colorado got tangled up in what at first seemed to be a very Florida mess. Plus, our resident nerd Paul runs a game of “Did Governor Polis Actually Say...

Once upon a time, New Belgium Brewing ruled the craft brew scene in Colorado, and Fat Tire was its flagship beer. When the Fort Collins–based brewmasters debuted their signature amber ale in 1991, it inspired imitators, dominated shelves, and satisfied beer lovers for decades… until it didn’t. This week, New Belgium announced they were giving Fat Tire a whole new look and taste. Today on the show,...

Mayoral hopefuls are rolling out their strategies to tackle public safety and homelessness, and others have set social media abuzz with plans for more snow plowing — in other words, the race is on! But there’s still a crucial hurdle to clear before the dozens of aspiring leaders make the ballot: 300 verified, unique signatures from registered Denver voters. With that deadline coming up this Thursd...

The National Western Stock Show has been an annual attraction in Denver since 1906, bringing cowboys, cowgirls, farmers, ranchers, and agri-business titans here to buy, sell, show, and celebrate all things agriculture. But the big question is, how relevant is this famous show to an evolving modern city like Denver today? We wanted to understand what it meant to one Arvada family, so today on the s...

It’s Friday! And we’re looking back at the news of the week with one of our favorite returning guests — podcaster extraordinaire and weed expert Ann Marie Awad. She joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dig deep into two debates over the state of our streets. Does Denver suck at plowing snow? And should we decriminalize jaywalking? Plus, Bree has a few words of remembrance for the gr...

Grocery prices are through the roof, but gas is under $3 a gallon. The housing market in Denver finally seems to be cooling, but mortgage interest rates are high. Governor Polis campaigned for re-election on how well Colorado is doing, but some experts say a recession is looming. So, what gives? What’s going on with Denver’s — and Colorado’s — economy and how should we feel about it in 2023? Today...

“Given the city’s strained resources, the expansion of recycling and compost service next year will be a significant burden that might not come with the hoped-for environmental benefits.” Denver’s auditor Tim O’Brien wrote those words back in November about the 2023 rollout of some big changes to our waste removal system. Denverites will soon have both compost and recycling pickup weekly for free...

It’s Tuesday and we’re bringing you a midweek roundup of news across the metro area: As migrants and asylum seekers continue to show up in Denver, things get more complicated — we have the latest on Governor Polis’s recent people-moving plan. Plus, another dude jumps in the race for mayor, e-bike rebates are back, and why Su Teatro is burning their mortgage (it’s for a really good reason, we promi...

The Denver Broncos opened their 2022-23 season with Mile High expectations. A new ownership group led by deep-pocketed Walmart heirs made a big splash signing superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to a $245 million contract, and the new head coach Nathaniel Hackett boasted a championship pedigree (his father Paul Hackett coached Joe Montana to a Super Bowl victory in 1984.) Still, the losses piled...