What's New

Colorado's Front Range cities of Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs offer a rich combination of old and new. They lure us with both their city attractions, such as museums, galleries, and historic sites, and their outdoor recreation opportunities and proximity to some of America's most beautiful mountains. Here you can sleep in a grand historic hotel, awake to a gourmet breakfast, hike or ride to the top of a spectacular mountain, and be back in town in time for the ballet.

Growth, which Coloradans see as both a blessing and a curse, is the main agent of change in the area. And for at least the next few years, outdoor recreationists who venture into the mountains will see the damage done by major forest fires in the summer of 2002. Following are some of the changes, including some exciting new things to watch for in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs.

Denver

Southwest Airlines has made a splash in Denver since its first flights touched down at Denver International Airport in 2006. T-REX, a major road and light-rail project, was completed in 2006, making for a wider highway through the south end of town and a light-rail line alongside I-25 from the Broadway exit south to County Line Road. The first high-rise built in downtown Denver in a quarter-century, the Hyatt Regency Denver, 650 15th St. (tel. 800/233-1234 or 303/436-1234), rivals Denver's best downtown luxury hotels and has a bar on the 27th floor, Altitude, with dramatic views. Denver also boasts some fine new restaurants. These include the Rioja, 1431 Larimer Sq. (tel. 303/820-2282), serving some of the most creative plates in town under the direction of chef-owner Jennifer Jasinski; Elway's, 2500 E. 1st Ave. next to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center Writer Square (tel. 303/399-5353), a popular "New West" steakhouse owned by Denver Broncos legend John Elway; and Table 6, 609 Corona St. (tel. 303/831-8800), which melds slick and cozy into a great neighborhood bistro, and has a terrific wine list to boot.

The Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. (tel. 720/865-5000), opened its splashy new expansion designed by Daniel Libeskind in 2006, doubling the amount of exhibit space. The expansion is an avant-garde, platinum-clad building that is the most distinctive in town, if not the Rocky Mountain region. After a period of increased security and bureaucracy, it's back to business as usual for visiting the U.S. Mint, City Park, 320 W. Colfax Ave. (tel. 303/405-4757). Formerly Colorado's Ocean Journey, Downtown Aquarium, City Park, 700 Water St. (tel. 303/561-4444), remodeled, added several exhibits, and opened a restaurant and lounge. New in 2006, Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, in the basement of the D&F Tower, 1601 Arapahoe St. (tel. 303/293-0075), is a funky bordello-inspired theater that sees a wide variety of entertainers on its stage. The Colorado Rapids (tel. 303/405-1100; www.coloradorapids.com) of Major League Soccer play home games at a new, soccer-only stadium in Commerce City.

Boulder

In 2006, the Colorado Chautauqua, 900 Walnut St. (tel. 303/442-3282), became the first National Historical Landmark on Colorado's central Front Range. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, more than 400 Chautauquas -- adult education and cultural entertainment centers -- sprang up around the United States, and this is one of the few remaining. The Leanin' Tree Museum of Western Art, 6055 Longbow Dr. (tel. 800/777-8716), has a new outdoor sculpture garden. On the culinary side of things, relative newcomers Frasca, 1738 Pearl St. (tel. 303/442-6966), and The Kitchen, 1039 Pearl St. (tel. 303/544-5973), have risen to the top of Boulder's dining scene in recent years. Under the same ownership as (and next door to) Sushi Zanmai is Amu, 1221 Spruce St. (tel. 303/440-0807), a new traditional sake bar with its own menu of artfully prepared sashimi and other Japanese staples. A major new outdoor shopping center, Twenty Ninth Street, is centered on the former site of the Crossroads Mall at the intersection of Canyon Boulevard and 29th Street (tel. 303/440-0722). Tenants include Wild Oats, MontBell, Borders Books & Music, Apple, and Century Theatres.

Colorado Springs

Since opening in January 2006, the Summit, at The Broadmoor, 19 Lake Circle (tel. 719/577-5896), has been the rage of the Colorado Springs restaurant scene, garnering lots of national acclaim. The strikingly contemporary room is aesthetically matched by the fare. The Black Sheep, 2106 E. Platte Ave. (tel. 710/227-7625), has emerged as a standout local rock club. The shopping scene has extended farther north with the Promenade Shops at Briargate, 1885 Briargate Pkwy. (tel. 719/265-5516).