Why Choose Denver & Colorado?
Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/) is the capital of Colorado with a population of 2,506,626.
Denver is nicknamed the Mile-High City because its official elevation is exactly one mile, or 5,280 feet (1,609 m) above sea level. The 105th meridian west of Greenwich passes through downtown Denver, making it the reference point for the Mountain Time Zone.
The city has the 10th largest central business district in the United States and the main one in the Mountain West, with major industries including technology, telecommunications, defense, and tourism, making the city a diverse and dynamic city with outstanding arts, culture, and cuisine. The region’s outstanding quality of life translates into a productive workforce that experiences less absenteeism and places fewer demands on the healthcare system. Colorado has the nation’s lowest rate of obesity and is among the five lowest states for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer rates.
Denver lies just outside the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and is the gateway to thousands of outdoor adventures.
The capital of Colorado has a reputation for safety, cleanliness, friendly and open residents.
Food:
Denver is known for "western" food, using ingredients such as angus beef, buffalo, rattlesnake, cutthroat trout, and Rocky Mountain oysters. Denver has most types of cuisine like other large cities and has several restaurants recently noted in top food publications. Denver is also famous for its beer breweries and vineyard.
You can enjoy many types of ethnic food in Denver, such as Mexican, Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Korean, Mongolian, Indian...Just name it!
Transportation:
Denver's existing light rail system can efficiently get you from downtown to the suburbs. One light rail line travels parallel to the freeway, I-25; another light rail line connects downtown Denver to Englewood and Littleton. All light rail lines go to downtown where the school is located.
There are also many RTD buses you can take for additional travel throughout the city. RTD offers a free shuttle bus along the 16th Street pedestrian mall, which is 1.25 miles long and takes you close to most places downtown.
Denver has an extensive bike path system with 850 miles of urban paths and bike routes!
Culture, Arts, & Entertainment:
Denver is home to many nationally recognized museums, including the new wing of the Denver Art Museum designed by world-renowned architect, Daniel Libeskind. It also boasts the second largest performing arts center in the nation, after Lincoln Center in New York City. Bustling neighborhoods such as LoDo, close to the school, are filled with art galleries, restaurants, bars, and clubs.
That is part of the reason why Denver was recently recognized for the third year in a row as the best city for singles. Denver’s neighborhoods also continue their influx of diverse people and businesses, while the city's cultural institutions grow and prosper. The city acquired the estate of abstract expressionist painter Clyfford Still in 2004 and a museum to exhibit his works will be completed in 2010.
Denver is also the setting for the The Bill Engvall Show, and the setting for the 18th season of MTV's The Real World. It was also the setting for the prime time drama Dynasty from 1981 to 1989. United Artist Movie Theaters is headquartered in Denver and Colorado is a big hub for the cable networks film studios.
A Cosmopolitan & International City:
The Dragon Boat Festival in July, the Moon Festival in September, and Chinese New Year are annual events in Denver for the Chinese and Asian residents. Chinese hot pot (huo guo) and Korean BBQ restaurants have been growing in popularity. Denver is also well known for the large Korean, Mongolian, Vietnamese, Russian and general eastern European, Ethiopian, west African and Greek communities. Two other cultures are annually highlighted by traditional celebrations: Cinco de Mayo in May, is one of the largest Hispanic celebrations in the nation. The Japanese community in downtown's Sakura Square celebrates its Cherry Blossom festival in June. And in September, the Festival of the Mountains and Plain, also known as A Taste of Colorado, is a free, 4-day, end-of-summer family celebration that includes live entertainment, artisans and vendors, 50 different food establishments, and educational programs promoting the diverse culture and western heritage of the region.
Sports:
Denver is home to many sports teams and belongs to a select group of U.S. cities with teams from all four major sports (American football, basketball, baseball, and hockey). Denver is also one of only 3 cities in the nation that has a team representing all 8 of the major sports leagues in the US, along with Chicago and New York.
Parks and Greenery:
Denver has over 200 parks, from small mini-parks all over the city to the giant 314 acre City Park and amazing Washington Park. Denver also has 29 recreation centers providing gyms, racquet courts, swimming pools, and more, plus classes for residents' recreation and relaxation.
Climate:
Contrary to popular belief, Denver residents enjoy a mild climate, and tons of sunshine (more than 300 days of sunshine per year), and they enjoy all of the four seasons.
Winter: If you're planning to visit Denver during the winter, be prepared with full winter clothing, but consider packing a light sweater or t-shirt - you never know what you may be treated to. The bright side is, there is plenty of sunshine and blue sky!
Spring in Denver is pleasant, though generally, rather brief. Trees begin budding by late March and are in full leaf by late April to mid May. March, on average, is Denver's snowiest month.
Summer: By the middle part of June, Denver enters its summer season. Temperatures typically rise in earnest by this time. Most heat waves begin in the latter part of June and continue through July, the hottest month in Denver on average.
Fall: Early- to mid-autumn is one of the best times to visit, with decent mild temperatures, little severe weather and the famous clear blue skies. This is also a wonderful time to see the fall colors, which typically peak around the second or third week of September in the mountains and in October in the city itself.
Outdoors Activities:
Because of its proximity to the mountains, and generally sunny weather, Denver has gained a reputation as being a very active, outdoor-oriented city. Late spring/early summer and early autumn are excellent times to visit Denver if you are an outdoor sports enthusiast. The weather is generally pleasant, there is an abundance of outdoor festivals at these times, and the mountains offer great beauty in the form of plenty of wildflowers in early summer and the fantastic color of the changing aspen trees in September.
Many Denver residents spend the weekends in the mountains, either skiing in the winter or hiking, climbing, kayaking, and camping in the summer.
Of course, for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts, winter is the best time to visit Denver. There are many ski resorts about 1 1/2-2 hours west of Denver. To avoid the drive, you can take the Ski Train from Union Station to the Denver-owned Winter Park and Mary Jane ski resorts or the RTD bus service to the Eldora Ski Resort west of Boulder. There are also numerous mountain trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing that are generally free.
Source: WikiPedia