—by Andrew Brawley
I must admit I haven’t spent much time in Denver. In fact, I’ve spent more time in the airport during layovers than in the city itself. Thankfully, I managed to get in touch a Timbers hero of recent years for some help.
Former Timbers goalkeeper Steve Cronin is now retired and living with his wife Laura and daughter Kaiya in Denver. Steve is currently studying for an upcoming Series 6 exam, and is on track to run a State Farm Insurance agency downtown early next year. (If you have friends in Denver…send them to Steve!). They just celebrated Kaiya’s first birthday, and are enjoying their time in Denver, especially since Laura’s family lives in the area. Steve was nice enough to take a break from his studies to put together a list of places for any traveling TA heading to Denver!
Hard to compare anything to PDX but there are a few that strike a chord.
Peaks Lounge at the Hyatt Regency Downtown. Most comparable to one of my favorite places in PDX, Portland City Grill.
For breakfast, check out Snooze. Great food along the lines of Morning Star Café.
Fado's is an Irish pub with great atmosphere and they are showing the Euros! Right around the corner is the Celtic Tavern so take your pick. (I obviously relate these places to Kells.) Unfortunately there is no speakeasy cigar bar in the basement. The more I think about it, the more I miss Kells, and PDX!
Cherry Creek North. I live right by here and there is a great array of privately owned shops and restaurants. It is a great outdoor area similar in a lot of ways to NW 21st and 23rd in PDX.
Red Rocks Park. Great area for hiking and biking. Very different but outdoor activities are similar to that of Mt. Hood.
Larimer Square. This is a great area in downtown with even more shops and restaurants. It's a lot like Pioneer Square.
Hopefully the visiting Timbers faithful will enjoy one or two of these places. Laura and I really miss PDX and were very disappointed to leave. Portland and the TA will hold a special place in our hearts forever.
