Top five new names for Midtown at Vallagio

As a resident of a town even further south than Vallagio at Inverness, the new development at Dry Creek and I-25 that's now trying to call its restaurant-centric self "Midtown," I have to admire the guts of developer Peter Kudla.

By bringing a number of established restaurateurs and chefs, including Mark Dym, Biker Jim, Brian Laird and Mary Nguyen, to the project, he's trying to establish Vallagio as a suburb that's not a suburb -- a Midtown, if you will, even if it's located at a wide spot on the prairie.

Still, I can think of five better names for Vallagio's Midtown:

1.We Are Not Suburbia: The owners of this prairie-dog project hope a snazzy name will draw in all those former urbanites who moved to the suburbs to raise a family -- and a big bank balance. Will they drop some of that cash here? Maybe if they think it's cooler than that Chili's down the street.

2. High Density Overpriced Dishes Town: An impressive lineup of central Denver restaurateurs have signed on to open second outposts in Midtown. The last time I saw such an impressive suburban lineup was at the Vistas at Park Meadows. Let's see how many are in the unemployment line with former employees of the Counter next year.

3. Tiny Town: Oops, already taken.

4. Midtown Is the New Downtown: If developers can convince people that a place as far south as Inverness is really the center of the action, just think about how it will pave the way for more developments even further down I-25. Out of our way, Colorado Springs!

5. Cowtown. I'm certain Denver would happily surrender this title.