Weathervane Cafe, Denver

Always on the hunt for a new coffee haunt? Weathervane Cafe in Uptown might just be the coolest coffee shop in town. Decorated with antiques and comfy furniture, it feels like hanging out at your hippy friend’s house. The eclectic menu has everything from coconut chia pudding to a sriacha beef sandwich.Their coffee drinks are just as unique, like a lavender latte with homemade syrup. As if great food and drinks aren’t enough, there’s a vintage clothing shop upstairs! Grab a book and spend a lazy day at Weathervane.

How To Ski Colorado Like A Local

Base of Beaver Creek Resort. Stop by at 3 PM daily for free chocolate chip cookies!

It’s no secret that Colorado has some of the best ski resorts in the world. The words Vail, Aspen, and Breckenridge have become synonyms for world class skiing.  What may be less apparent to tourists planning their dream ski vacations are the consequences of Colorado’s popularity, mainly traffic on I-70, absurd lift tickets, and long lift lines. Coloradoans know when and where to go to avoid those hassles. Do as the locals do and have a stress free ski trip in the Rocky Mountains.

Not the worst view to be stuck in traffic with!

• Beat the Traffic

The only way to access the ski resorts from Denver is on I-70. The very acronym sends shivers up the spines of the most seasoned winter drivers. If it’s snowing, the winding interstate can become an ice skating rink of semi-trucks and sedans inching forward in white out conditions. With the exception of a new tunnel, the road has not been updated to match the increasing volume of skiers that trek to the mountains every weekend. Without traffic, the drive from Denver to Summit County takes just over an hour. On a Friday evening, the commute can increase threefold. To avoid being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic plan your arrival for a weekday morning. According to the stats on the  Colorado Department of Transportation website (http://www.cotrip.org/) , traffic spikes at 2pm through 7pm for both eastbound and westbound. A common mistake is to jump on  I70 at 4pm right after the lifts stop running, which basically guarantees being stuck in a traffic jam. Delay your departure for a few hours by hanging out at the resort base and grabbing a bite to eat .

• Lose the Crowds

While Colorado boasts over 20 ski resorts, it always seems that everyone chooses to go to the same resort as you. While there’s no secret to bypassing long lift lines (unless you’re confident in your ability to pass as a ski instructor) , don’t let the crowded lifts at the base discourage you. Beginner skiers tend to congregate on the easy runs at the bottom, which clogs the base lifts.  Locals know to get as high up on the mountain as possible as soon as they get there. This may mean hopping from lift to lift for a half hour or so, but once your away from the base crowds thin out. So study the trail map to see how to get as far away from the base as you can. Always bring snacks (and maybe a pocket beer or two) to make long lines more bearable.

Another common mistake is to stop at a lodge to eat lunch. Between 12-2, tourists rush to buy $15 sandwiches and $8 coffees, leaving many parts of the mountain deserted. Lunchtime is the best time to get a run to yourself. Take advantage of the mass migration inside by eating outside of those hours, or better yet bring a sandwich to eat on the lift. Bringing your own food saves a lot of money, especially if you’re skiing for multiple days. Maximize skiing time by minimizing stops and save the Irish coffee break for après ski.

• Buy A Pass

Buying a season pass is a winter rite of passage for Coloradoans. While buying a ski pass may seem like an unnecessary expense for a tourist, it pays for itself if you ski for more than four days.  The most popular passes in Colorado are the Epic Local Pass and the Rocky Mountain Super Pass. The Epic pass covers Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado as well as resorts in Utah and California. If you want to try multiple resorts it is a great value at $589. That figure may seem steep, but keep in mind that a single day lift ticket for Vail is now an absurd $159. Four and 7 day passes are also available if you miss the December deadline for the season passes.

If you’ve grown tired of the Vail resorts and seek more challenging terrain, the Rocky Mountain Superpass is for you. This option accesses Copper Mountain, Winter Park, Eldora, Steamboat, and Crested Butte. An adult pass is comparable to the Epic Pass, at $579, but offers a greater diversity of terrain. Steamboat is farther away than the other resorts but the quintessential ski town and epic powder make the journey well worth it.

The crowds and cost of skiing Colorado are easily avoidable by planning ahead. Plan your drive outside of rush hour, avoid the base area and buy a pass. Then relax, drink a PBR and have fun out there!

An Insider’s Guide to Renting Apartments in Denver

So you’re looking for a new apartment in the mile high city. You may envisage your search as an episode of House Hunters, being led from one gorgeous apartment to another by a patient real estate agent. Reality is quite different. When you finally get a leasing agent to call you back, not only has the apartment you’re interested in been rented, but there won’t be another one available till May. There’s no denying that the Denver housing market has become increasingly cutthroat as prices skyrocket. So what can you do to increase your chances of actually renting a decent apartment? Lucky for you, I am a Denver leasing agent, and I’m here to spill the secrets.

Step 1: Do Your Research

The word “research” may bring up terrible memories of high school History papers, but housing research is a whole lot more fun. Use the map feature on craigslist.com and Zillow.com to zoom in on the area you’d like to live in to see the available apartments. Look up the address on Google street view so it’s not a huge surprise when you arrive for a showing that the building is right next to a garbage dump. People always ask me what the closest grocery stores, bus lines, and restaurants are. Find all this out beforehand on walkscore.com, and determine if the neighborhood is a good match for your lifestyle.

A common question is what the other tenants are like. Due to the Fair Housing Laws, leasing agents are forbidden from telling you anything about the neighbors. So we can’t say if they’re young or old, if there are lots of kids, or there are mostly college students. To get a feel for the building and neighborhood, show up early for your showing and scope out the area. Stalking residents from your car with binoculars is optional.

Another frequent inquiry is whether the building has bed bugs or cockroaches. Now I rarely know which units are infested, because that information is sent to the property manager not the leasing agent. Our job is to sell you the apartment, so the chances that we’d tell you if it was infested even we knew are small. You can see if any bedbug issues have been reported at the building you’re interested in at http://www.bedbugregistry.com/  .

Step 2: Read the Ad CAREFULLY

Before you contact the leasing agent, make sure to read the entire ad. I always make sure to post the pet policy, lease terms, and tenant qualifications. Any decent property management company will have that information on their ad or website. Please don’t leave a message that says, “Hey uh, saw that apartment online. Don’t know the address; think it’s around $900 a month…Yeah so I have 2 felonies and 5 dogs hope that’s okay. Call me back.”

Step 3: Have Realistic Expectations

We’d all love to live in a newly renovated flat with exposed brick walls and stainless steel appliances. While those apartments certainly exist, be prepared to shell out the big bucks for it.  The average price of a 1 Bedroom in Denver is currently $1080/month, so finding a nice place for less than that is a steal.  From what I’ve seen, if you’re looking to stay under $800/month, you’ll end up in a 400 square foot studio that hasn’t been updated since 1940. These will be advertised as “cozy” and “vintage.”

Step 4: Ask ALL The Questions

Before you contact the ad poster, be sure to know your credit score and the management company’s income requirements. When you finally get in contact with the leasing agent (texting works best!), be sure to clarify the following:

-When will the unit be available?

– What is the pet policy and fee?

-Do they accept cosigners?

-Is it street parking?

-How much is the application fee?

-What is needed to take the unit off the market?

While all the information should be on the ad, it never hurts to make sure everybody’s on the same page.

Step 5: Like Scar said, Be Prepared!!

The most important things to bring to a showing are an open mind and your checkbook. By this stage you should know if the apartment is in your budget and in an area that you’d want to live in. Even the nicest apartments can look weird while empty, so use your imagination. Where would your furniture go? Would a few precisely placed paintings cover the ugly yellow walls? If you think the place is decent enough to crash there for a bit, snag it immediately. If you decide to mull it over for a day or two, chances are it will be rented by the person who saw it after you. Have enough time eked out in your schedule to go to the leasing office immediately after your showing to pay the application fee and put down a deposit.  In most cases that’s the only way to prevent someone else from snagging it from under your feet.

Finding an apartment in Denver is difficult, but not impossible. There are deals to be found if you’re willing to look a bit outside of the most desired neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, and Lower Downtown. Looking just a few miles farther may save you hundreds of dollars in rent. Know your budget and what you need in an apartment, as opposed to what you may want. Happy hunting!