Denver, Colorado- The Mile High city
Denver is the biggest city and the capital of the U.S state Colorado. Denver is officially nicknamed the ‘Mile-High’ city because the elevation is exactly one mile, or 5280 feet above sea level. It is the 27th most populous U.S. city with a population of 600,158. Because of its close proximity to mountains, Denver has gained a reputation as being an outdoor oriented city.
History
Denver was founded in 1858 as a mining town during the Pikes Peak gold rush. Its name was taken after Kansas territorial governor James William Denver. Denver, at first, was a frontier town with an economy that was based on gambling, saloons, livestock, and brothels. Between 1880 and 1895 the city experienced a huge increase of corruption as crime bosses worked along city officials and the police to control elections, gambling, brothels, and several local gangs. In 1893 the city experienced a depression because of the drop of silver prices. In 1900,Denver was the third largest populated city west of Omaha, only behind San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Major Attractions
Denver is home to one of the most popular NFL teams, The Denver Broncos. It is also home to the MLB team, The Colorado Rockies. Many museums are also located in Denver, including the Denver Art Museum. Additionally, Denver is home to a large number of local and national breweries.Colfax Avenue, located near Denver’s Capital Hill neighborhood, is the longest continuous street in America. Every year Denver hosts the World’s largest rodeo, the western stock show.Denver has the largest city park system in the nation, with 205 parks within city limits. The city also welcomes visitors from around the world when it hosts the annual Great American Beer Festival each fall.
Haunted Sites
Cheesman Park, Credit- buckley
Because of its turbulent history of a booming mining town in the 1850’s,Denver, especially the Capital Hill district, is rumored to be one of the most haunted cities in America. Cheesman Park is viewed by locals to be haunted by several angry spirits. The fact that it is located in the heart of a busy city and is virtually abandoned at night is testimony to that prerogative. Millionaire’s Row, where several high-profile Americans resided including Molly Brown, has several homes supposedly haunted by ghosts. It should be noted that the 1979 film ‘The Changeling’ was based on events witnessed from Cheesman Park.
Geography/Economy
Denver is located between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the High Plains to the east. The city has an area of 154.9 square miles. Denver is the 18th largest metro economy in the United States. Several major companies including AIMCO, the largest owner and operator of apartment communities in the U.S. are located there. Denver is the 16th most walk able city in the United States. Most residents choose to walk or ride a bicycle as their preferred method of transportation. Denver also saw home values and construction costs rise more than 200 percent over the past two decades
