back in the hood

Beth and I moved from south Boulder to central Denver about a month ago, but I think it didn’t fully sink in until just today how wonderful it is being in a real neighborhood of a real city. I’d seen some small signs over the past month, like the fact that I calculated there are seven coffee shops within a half mile. And, of course, the fact that it takes 30 minutes to drive to an actual suburb. And the fact we can easily walk to the Fillmore Auditorium, the state capitol, Voodoo Doughnut, Cherry Creek, the Denver Art Museum, and four different supermarkets.

Today's WalkBut today’s experience was special in how mundanely urban it was. I needed to go to King Soopers pharmacy to pick up a prescription refill, but Beth took the car today. So I set out on foot, Audiobook in my earpods. I wanted some lunch, so I decided to stop in at a pho restaurant that I hadn’t visited before. After lunch I walked up to the pharmacy and got my prescription. But then I realized I was next door to one of the coffee shops on my checklist, so I stopped in for espresso and a scone. Refortified against the spring snowstorm, I set out for home.

But then I passed by a little neighborhood Ace Hardware I didn’t even know existed. It’s the exact opposite of Home Depot, more employees than customers, a small shop where you can buy everything you need in 5 minutes, and no parking. I remembered we needed a few things for the new apartment, so I stopped in and picked them up. Then I set out again. Oh, but wait, Beth mentioned the other day we’re out of tonic water, and there’s a liquor store right next store. Another stop. After that I passed by a cleaners (the fourth one I passed on this walk), an antique store, the mysterious walled-off premises of an international religious cult’s mansion, and some other mansions, before finally getting back to our apartment.

I’m glad to be here, in a real neighborhood in a real city.

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Categorized as Drivel

2 comments

  1. Why didn’t you stop by “Trout’s Fly Fishing”? I notice it is the only business listed on your map. And I’m hoping the pho restaurant wasn’t the one with the public safety warning on the door. ?

  2. Thanks for sharing. Sort of like a city inside the city. Sort of like why some folks like Fords and others like Chevy’s. I guess I could ask: how many pristine creeks did you see? Could you smell the pines and spruce? Did you see many elk or bighorn sheep? Was it quiet enough to hear the birds singing? And how many good friends did you run across during your walk? But I won’t.
    Its good you (and others) enjoy the urban life – leaves more of nature for the rest of us. Rural life worked pretty well when there was 1/10 the current population. I endured it (and enjoyed it at times) off and on trying to make a living, and it certainly offered more services for us raising a family.

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