'Why go to 16th Street when there are places like Tennyson?'

Is downtown back up? Not yet, but Westword Editor Emeritus Patricia Calhoun has been spending time on 16th Street and around Lower Downtown lately, and she sees a lot of potential. Potential and results are two different things, though, and downtown Denver remains in the 'trying' phase as it fights a sustained COVID drop-off, reputational issues and an increasing work-from-home force. The city has poured millions of dollars worth of projects into downtown and even followed some of Calhoun's suggestions, like bringing back the mounted police force or pushing for more live music on 16th Street. While there have been some hits and moments of success, visitors still haven't returned in full force. Some of our readers provided reasons why downtown has lost its mojo in the 2020s, such as too many corporate businesses or competition from other neighborhoods, like the Highlands or Capitol Hill. Others defended downtown's current state, arguing that most of its current detractors don't visit enough to have an opinion. As someone who lives on 16th, smack dab in the middle of downtown, the sentiment I see online is wild. I love it here. I just signed for another 13 months on my lease. I would have doubled that if the owner let me! Honestly, it's pretty easy to tell who actually visits the city at all and whose negative opinion can be summarily discarded. Does it need to keep improving? Of course, that should be universal, but where it's at now is highly deserving of praise and enjoyment. Can't wait to see how this city continues to develop. 💪 —Luke Perez GET MORE COVERAGE LIKE THIS Sign up for the This Week's Top Stories newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox Email * SIGN UP Thanks for Joining! Here is another newsletter you might like: ICYMI: Today's Top Stories NO THANKS THANK YOU! You're all set. CLOSE I actually ran down 16th street mall this morning, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. It has a bit of a corporate vibe, but it was nice. —Chris Jayson theyre gonna say the same about colfax next year. maybe ask the business owners? and not talking about target or ross.. — Christopher Bullock It's a bunch of corporate restaurants and nothing else. It's practically a target parking lot downtown. I'm happy to live in cap hill. — Kelly Pennigton The people who complain about downtown haven't been there in 2 years — Jessie Daniel advertisement advertisement Most of the people who say downtown isn't safe also say they haven't been there in years. I go downtown regularly and I think it's safe — Jane Feldman Why go to 16th Street when there are places like Tennyson? To me it just doesn't have many shops that I can only see downtown that I love. There are better Targets, Rosses, and everything else in places where I dont have to pay to park. — Chelsea Everix Janes What do you think of the state of downtown Denver? Is it dead? Alive? Or does it just need a little longer to get its groove back? Share your thoughts in a comment, or email editorial@westword.com.