Best of Denver

The ten best stores on Tennyson Street

By Susan Froyd Wed., May 8 2013 at 7:24 AM
Categories: Best of Denver, Neighborhoods, Shopping, Talking Shop

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Tenn Street Coffee and Books
It's ironic that nearly all the businesses mentioned when we named Tennyson Street the best neighborhood shopping district in 2011 have left the block or closed their doors (see the link below), including some that were strangled by prolonged street construction in the heart of the district. But now that the street's been put back together, the new Tennyson is blossoming with both new and renewed businesses. Healthy commerce is returning to Tennyson, and here are ten reasons why.

See also:
- Best Neighborhood Shopping District - 2011: Tennyson Street, Berkeley
- The Bookery Nook, an independent bookstore and ice cream parlor, is closing
- Tennyson Street businesses creating promotions to offset disruptive construction


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Best of Denver

The ten best stores on Broadway

By Susan Froyd Thu., Apr. 11 2013 at 8:00 AM
Categories: Best of Denver, Neighborhoods, Shopping, Style, Talking Shop

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Jesse Dawson
Lowbrow's Tymla Welch and Lauren Seip.
We gave the Broadway/Baker retail strip the award for Denver's Best Neighborhood Shopping District two years in a row -- in 2012 and 2013 -- for so many good reasons: The area is spilling over with hip, modern creative ventures. But some of that contemporary spark flares further south, too, along Antique Row. Here are ten of our favorite local retailers on Broadway: Some are old, some are new, but every one of them rocks.

See also:
- Best of Denver: The ten best local drag queen names
- Best of Denver: Denver's ten best comedy nights
- Best New Public Art: Our picks for the past decade


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Talking Shop

Designer toy shop Plastic Chapel closes its doors, but not its spirit

By Susan Froyd Fri., Mar. 29 2013 at 6:59 AM
Categories: Arts and Culture, Popular Culture, Shopping, Street Art, Talking Shop

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Scribe's lowbrow poker dogs are seeking a new home.
When Dea Webb and Dave Wendt opened Plastic Chapel eight years ago in a literal hole in the wall in Baker, the designer toy emporium was not only a pioneer business in the neighborhood, but it also owned a retail niche that hadn't been explored much in Denver. They opened the chapel doors to make public the collectible vinyl toys they loved (and that Kidrobot popularized on the coasts), and even though the space was closet-sized, they also began to host gallery shows for lowbrow and graffiti artists.

See also:
- Best Toys for Grownups -- Living Room, 2006: Plastic Chapel
- Slide show: DIY Designer Toy Show at Plastic Chapel
- Task One creates designer toys based on television favorites for "As Seen On TV"


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Events

Concoctory Creativity Shoppe and Cafe Crescendo celebrate with a grand opening party

By Bree Davies Fri., Mar. 22 2013 at 9:00 AM
Categories: Events, Talking Shop

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The idea behind the Concoctory Creativity Shoppe was simple: to give people a place to tinker and create without being intimidated by the world of electronics. The venture will debut this Saturday, March 23 in a joint South Broadway Grand Opening Block Party with a new coffee shop, Cafe Crescendo, joining the ranks of cool craft shops in Denver aimed at getting people doing and making.

See also:
- Shop for deals tonight at Sewn and other South Broadway boutiques in Denver
- First look: Happy Coffee on South Broadway
- Fancy Tiger and Buffalo Exchange move in together on Broadway


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Tags:

Cafe Crescendo, grand opening Tesla Coil, The Concoctory
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Talking Shop

MegaFauna kicks off a year of artist/designer showcases with a rock-poster extravaganza

By Susan Froyd Wed., Jan. 9 2013 at 6:00 AM
Categories: Arts and Culture, Talking Shop

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By Moon Light Speed, at MegaFauna.

John McCaskill of the Upper Larimer boutique/gallery MegaFauna got his start at Derailed Ink, a screen-printing business, and printed work -- more specifically, exquisitely crafted band posters -- is still one of his passions as a retailer. No surprise, then, that McCaskill has chosen to showcase posters and artists in the first of what he expects to be a yearlong, traveling series of It's a MF Art Show exhibitions featuring different aspects of MegaFauna's creative stock.

See also:
- Best RiNo Boutique - 2012: MegaFauna
- Art for the people: MegaFauna comes to roost at the Meadowlark


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Tags:

Denver, It's a MF Art Show, MegaFauna, rock posters, Upper Larimer
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Fashion

Meet five designers showing at Frost: Fashion Denver's Holiday Market

By Bree Davies Thu., Dec. 13 2012 at 12:22 PM
Categories: Fashion, Shopping, Talking Shop

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One-of-a-kind jewelry from MKaltenbach will be available at Frost.
Over the past eight years, Frost: Fashion Denver's Holiday Market has established itself as more than a gathering place for local vendors: It's also it's a hot spot for designers looking to connect with stylish buyers. In fact, the marketplace -- going down this Sunday, December 16, at the Grant-Humphreys Mansion in Denver -- has proved so popular that it's been expanded this year to include 31 designers.

Westword caught up with five of the independent creators to find out what they'll be bringing to this weekend's bazaar.

See also:
- Sixteen holiday markets to shop and celebrate in Denver
- Brandi Shigley closes Fashion Denver boutique, opens new chapter
- Rave's Oh My Goth is dying in Denver -- but the store will be resurrected online


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Tags:

50 Dresses, Bustle Packs, Fashion Denver, Frost Holiday Market, local fashion, Mama Mahoney Creations, MEANt Clothing, MKaltenbach
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Talking Shop

Shop for deals tonight at Sewn and other South Broadway boutiques in Denver

By Susan Froyd Thu., Dec. 13 2012 at 11:21 AM
Categories: Holidaze, Shopping, Talking Shop

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Courtesy of Sewn.
If you want to get funky this holiday season, tonight's late-night shopping event on Broadway is just the ticket: Word has come down from Jil Cappuccio and Kirsten Coplans of the Westword Best of Denver-winning Sewn boutique that nineteen independent SoBo shops will keep their doors open until 8 p.m.

As for Sewn, the evening also includes a 10 percent discount on everything in the store -- and there's a lot, according to their pitch below.

See also:
- Mona Lucero Design Boutique Tenth Anniversary Fashion Show
- Frost: Fashion Denver's Holiday Market
- Meet five designers showing at Frost: Fashion Denver's Holiday Market
- Best Store on Broadway -- 2012: Sewn
- Best Eclectica -- 2012: Ironwood
- Best Kitchen Store -- 2012: Hazel & Dewey



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Tags:

Denver, late-night shopping, Sewn, South Broadway boutiques
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Talking Shop

Rave's Oh My Goth is dying in Denver -- but the store will be resurrected online

By Jenn Wohletz Tue., Dec. 11 2012 at 6:58 AM
Categories: Shopping, Style, Talking Shop

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Rave's physical location will close at the end of the year.
Local goths often have a general attitude of deep, dark despair -- and now they have a reason for it: They will soon have to crawl back to Hot Topic to buy their gear...at least for a little while.

Rave's Oh My Goth, the brick-and-mortar store at 1516 Emerson Street, is shuttering at the end of the year, and is selling off its moderately-to-expensively-priced gothic clothes and accessories. But they won't be gone for good: Owner Mistress Raven plans to sell goth/alt/fetish/rockabilly/cyberpunk merchandise online at a new website.

See also:
-Talking Shop: Rave's Oh My Goth
-Rave's Oh My Goth finds its final resting place.
-Best Place for Deadly Style 2006 : Rave's Oh My Goth

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Tags:

boots, corsets, goth, goth wear, Mistress Raven, Rave's, Rave's Oh My Goth closing, store closing
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Talking Shop

Sixteen holiday markets to shop and celebrate in Denver

By Susan Froyd Fri., Dec. 7 2012 at 10:45 AM
Categories: Holidaze, Shopping, Talking Shop

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A Monster to Love, Horseshoe Holiday Market.

A crush of holiday markets will divide and multiply over the next two weeks, giving proof to the notion that Colorado is a hotbed of talented crafters, artists and creatives. Only a bona fide Scrooge couldn't find a place to shop on the list below. And you're likely to want to hit them all over the next two weeks -- because these goods are all good.

Read on (including the links below), and visit our holiday shopping listings online for even more events. And if you don't see your favorite, tell us about it in the comments below.

See also:

- Holiday Mancraft: Art, Craft & Stuff Guys Make
- Mona Lucero Design Boutique Tenth Anniversary Fashion Show and Indy Holiday Handmade Gift Sale
- Frost: Fashion Denver's Holiday Market


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Tags:

buy local, christmas shopping, craft fairs, Denver, handmade, holiday markets
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Talking Shop

Small Business Saturday: In Boulder, they shop local, too!

By Susan Froyd Fri., Nov. 23 2012 at 6:55 AM
Categories: Holidaze, Shopping, Talking Shop

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Denver's not the only buy-local shopper's Valhalla to have big plans for tomorrow's national AMEX-sponsored Small Business Saturday. Downtown Boulder is spreading the love to loyal gift-hunters, and more than forty businesses on the Pearl Street Mall and environs will participate by offering discounts, open houses, free good cheer and other perks throughout the day.

See also:
- Shop local on Small Business Saturday, and feel good about where you spend your money
- Cash Mobster

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Tags:

Downtown Boulder, shop local, Small Business Saturday
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