City Cast Denver

The mayor’s race is grabbing all the headlines lately, but what about Denver City Council? With contested runoffs in Districts 8, 9, and 10 and many new faces already elected, this key branch of our local government is poised for some big changes. Incumbents Candi CdeBaca (District 9) and Chris Hinds (District 10) are both fighting to retain their seats, while District 8 is a battle between two new contenders, Shontel Lewis and Brad Revare. But these votes are about more than who gets onto City Council, they could lead to a major ideological swing and a new approach to how lawmaking gets done in Denver. Host Bree Davies and Producer Paul Karolyi break down the races and talk about what’s at stake ahead of Election Day on June 6. 

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While Denver’s dining scene has attracted top chefs from all over the world, it’s our mom-and-pop shops and holes in the wall that tell a deeper culinary story. Like Noodles Express, a nondescript eatery in a strip mall on Colorado Boulevard that happens to serve up some of the best Szechuan cuisine in town. We stopped by the recently a lo-fi feast of sweet, salty, and tongue-numbing spice with our fave gastro guide, Westword food editor Molly Martin. Today on the show, newsletter editor Peyton Garcia and host Bree Davies celebrate the last day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Molly as they dine on mapo tofu and dish about their fave Asian restaurants across the Mile High. 

Molly mentioned the Crazy Hungry Asians of Colorado group on Facebook, the Westword profile of Adam You, You’s Denver Chinese Source blog and the return of Mile High Asian Restaurant Week. Here’s Molly’s original review of Noodle Express, as well as her story on the restaurant bouncing back from the brink of closure. 

All the great places we mentioned:

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Shinesty CEO Chris White got his start selling thrift store finds to his fellow CU Boulder students hoping to stand out at parties. Thanks to a surprise shout-out from Al Roker, Shinesty is now the fastest growing apparel company in Denver, with millions in venture-capital investment, new retail deals with Zoomies and Buckle, and their own MTV docu-series to boot. But they’ve captured Coloradans’ attention not with a better puffer jacket or cowboy hat, but with novelty underwear and raunchy, irreverent, and over-the-top designs for the kind of theme parties millennials love. Host Bree Davies sits down with White in Shinesty’s Highland office to ask how he made millions with products like the “Daytona Dong Sarong,” where to find the best thrift shops and estate sales across the Front Range, and what Shinesty’s success says about Coloradans’ taste in fashion.

Paul mentioned the e-bike rebates re-opening today at 11 a.m., Mayor Hancock’s bike lanes, and layoffs at Twitter and Guild. 

The “Year of Efficiency” Hotline is Open! Have you or someone you know been affected by layoffs in the tech industry? We’d love to hear what’s happening inside these local tech companies. Send us a text or leave us a voicemail at (720)500-5418. 

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The mayor’s race is getting spicy! No, we’re not talking about the latest attack ad; we’re talking about hot wings. Earlier this week, host Bree Davies moderated a Hot Ones-style forum featuring candidates Kelly Brough and Mike Johnston eating progressively spicier wings while answering progressively spicier questions. Since there’s less than two weeks until Denver elects Brough or Johnston as its first new mayor in 12 years, we’re proud to share a recording of that event here with you today. 

And just a note, this episode has some explicit moments, but only because those wings were really hot.

Huge thanks to our partners New Era Colorado, ONE Colorado, Cobalt, and COLOR for making this a mayoral forum to remember!

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

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Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia got a sneak preview of the new Casa Bonita this morning, and she’s calling in from that strip mall parking lot in Lakewood to dish on everything the “South Park” guys cared to reveal — a new ticketing system, the chlorine smell, the sopaipillas, and how they plan to open to the public, and more!

Subscribe to Hey Denver to see all of Peyton’s photos and more from inside the Pink Palace. All you’ve got to do is text “Denver” to 66866.

Sign up for the Casa Bonita email newsletter list for further updates: https://www.casabonitadenver.com/

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It’s Friday, and we’re talking about all the local stories that mattered this week. After sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers, our Denver Nuggets are waiting to tip off in their first-ever NBA Finals. But are they really “our” Nuggets? Or are they billionaire owner Stan Kroenke’s Nuggets? And what exactly is he planning to build in the 55 acres of empty parking lots around Ball Arena? “Silent Stan” never talks to the press, so producer Paul Karolyi is sitting down with DNVR Nuggets co-host Adam Mares and Denverite senior reporter Kyle Harris to talk about what the Nuggets’ playoff run means for the whole city — even non-basketball fans. They also dig into the planned demolition of the 1stBank Center, a new inflatable amusement park in Lafayette, and the state GOP’s fundraising troubles. Then, Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia shares her recommendations for your long weekend.

We’re off on Monday for Memorial Day, so don’t expect a new episode in your feed until Tuesday morning!

Here are some links to the weekend events Peyton recommended:

For even more weekend event recs and local stories that matter, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

If you’re as excited about the Nuggets’ run as we are, definitely do yourself a favor and subscribe to the DNVR Nuggets Podcast for daily commentary and analysis. 

Kyle mentioned this tweet from transit advocate Emily Kleinfelter.

Follow our weather guy for all your weekend weather needs: Rain or Shine, it's Andy Stein!

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A nostalgia bomb is about to go off on West Colfax, because the long-awaited return of Casa Bonita is expected any day now. That means Denver’s favorite birthday party venue is back, but so are the tax revenues for the City of Lakewood (and likely crowds in a janky strip mall parking lot). While we wait for the Pink Palace to announce a re-opening date, we called up the mayor of Lakewood, Adam Paul, to talk about how much this actually matters for the local economy and culture. 

Mayor Paul mentioned Lauren Coleman’s purchase of the White Swan Motel on West Colfax. 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

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After a historic 12 years in what he calls the “best political job in Colorado,” Michael Hancock is ready to say goodbye to the mayor’s office. His administration was defined by growing pains, with explosive population growth outpacing Denver’s housing supply. But through it all he has maintained a single vision: Make Denver into a “world-class city.” So now that he is leaving office and Denver’s population growth is waning, we ask: Did he do it? And what does it mean to be a world-class city anyway? Overlooking Civic Center Park from his office, mayor Michael Hancock joins host Bree Davies to discuss growth, his legacy, and the race to succeed him. 

Bree mentioned 9News’ coverage of the Christian Glass settlement and the big announcement from United Airlines.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

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It’s Tuesday, and we’re breaking down all the local stories that matter this week. First, Colorado Springs has a brand-new mayor and a brand-new narrative — could this be an opportunity for Democrats? Also, the Denver Art Museum has, for the first time, exhibited art made with AI — does it matter? And finally, the Casa Bonita hype has reached a fever pitch, with Les Claypool concert rumors and and opening date possibilities swirling. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi respond to a listener’s criticism of our “breathless” CB coverage, and Bree plays the quizmaster with the Ultimate Old Denver Gatekeeper Trivia.

Bree mentioned the digital art of a Colorado-born artist, Milton Melvin Croissant III, who was also a founder of Rhinoceropolis. 

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

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Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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More than 10,000 migrants from Central and South America have arrived in Denver since December, seeking opportunity, shelter, or just a friendly pitstop on the way to a new home. Denver’s support services were already straining to manage the unexpected influx of people in need, but now that a key pandemic-era border restriction has been lifted, no one knows how many more migrants we can expect this summer. So today on the show, host Bree Davies sits down with Denver Post reporter Saja Hindi who tracked this recent wave of migration from Venezuela all the way to Denver, where our local officials are scrambling to plan for an uncertain future.

There are lots of ways to support migrants arriving in Denver:

Bree mentioned The Denver Post story on the DMNS’s closure of the North American Indian Cultures Hall and the museum’s “healing statement.”

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

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Chat with other listeners on Reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

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Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise