City Cast Denver

Latest Episodes:

The Case for Radical Parking Reform Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

Driving around downtown Denver, you’d be forgiven for getting frustrated about parking. But is the solution to our parking woes more spaces? Or fewer? State lawmakers are working on a bill to ban parking minimums, and Governor Jared Polis sounds excited about it. But CU urban planning professor Ken Schroeppel thinks we could take it a step further, by enacting parking maximums. He joins host Bree Davies to explain why less parking might be the best way to fix downtown.

Ken founded the DenverInFill blog to track development around the city in 2004. Check out the archives for nearly two decades of hi-def photos of a changing Denver!

For more, the Denver Post reported on the parking debate a couple weeks ago.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Boebert vs. Buck, America’s Worst Grocery Stores, and Peña Blvd. Confusion Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

It’s Friday and we’re talking about the biggest stories of the week. First, Rep. Ken Buck announced this week that he’s leaving Congress even earlier than expected, throwing another wrench in an already chaotic race to represent Colorado’s Congressional District 4. So host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval are talking through the implications of what CD4 candidate (and Buck’s fellow representative) Lauren Boebert called a “swampy backroom deal.” Plus, four Denver-area grocery stores ranked among the worst in the country, and our wins and fails of the week.

Paul mentioned the city’s new plan for the Cherry Creek Trail and construction on Peña Boulevard. Justine talked about Frozen Dead Guy Days and the latest push for funeral home regulation (Here's a link to our recent, eye-opening ep on the topic). Bree talked about the micro-community in Overland.

What do you think about Boebert’s chances in CD4? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Get your Annual Portal Pass to Meow Wolf today!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Sen. Michael Bennet on Why TikTok Has Got To Go Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

If Sen. Michael Bennet had his way, TikTok would already be banned. But after more than a year of intense lobbying, he’s finally going to have his chance to cast that vote. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday compelling the Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok, and if they won’t, to ban the app for good. So we’re revisiting a conversation host Bree Davies had with Bennet last spring about why he feels so strongly TikTok has to go, despite how many Denverites love it.

Here is some of Sen. Bennet’s correspondence on the topic:

1. Sen. Bennet’s letter requesting Apple and Google remove TikTok from their app stores

2. Sen. Bennet’s statement after his meeting with the TikTok CEO

3. Sen. Bennet’s Digital Platform Commission Act

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Get your Annual Portal Pass to Meow Wolf today!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Demolishing El Chapultepec, Landlord Watch: Algorithm Edition, and Your Bike Lane Comments Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

When Denver’s most historic jazz club was sold in 2021, developer Kenneth Monfort said he didn’t want to “erase El Chapultepec out of the history books.” But now, the real estate mogul says the building will have to be demolished. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about the future of The ‘Pec, then our latest edition of Landlord Watch highlights a new bill that could stop the use of algorithms to determine rent prices, plus tenants at the Welton Park apartments have been without hot water for a week?! And listeners respond to the ongoing drama that is the Broadway bike lane.

Paul mentioned a post on X from former DPS board vice president Auon’tai Anderson about the water situation on Welton Street, as well as a 9News report on the building and a piece from Business Insider on the business benefits of bike lanes. Bree mentioned the “junk fee” lawsuit we discussed back in January.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Have you got a bad landlord story to share? Landlord Watch needs your help! Hit us with stories, tips, or questions about how to deal with your landlord. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Get your Annual Portal Pass to Meow Wolf today!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

City Council Soda Fight, Avs/Nuggs TV Hopes, and Who’s Unionizing Now? Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

It’s Tuesday and we’re looking at the biggest stories of the week. First, it’s been five years and the Avalanche and Nuggets still aren’t available on most Denver TVs! Kroenke Sports & Entertainment just hired a new guy who is promising to end the Altitude Sports vs. Comcast dispute for good, so can he pull it off? Then, Denver City Council is considering a proposal to ban sugary drinks in kid’s meals at fast food restaurants, which one man says is just politicians attempting to “micromanage” their constituents. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi dissect these stories and share listener comments on The Epoch Times’s billboards and how, exactly, you’re supposed to eat oysters.

We went deep on the Altitude/Comcast dispute with our pal Jake Shapiro from Denver Sports back in 2021. Bree mentioned an episode of the If Books Could Kill podcast about the book “Nudge” by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

What do you think about a ban on sugary drinks? We want to hear from you (especially if you work for Pepsi)! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Get your Annual Portal Pass to Meow Wolf today!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Denver’s Best Bars (for St. Paddy's and Beyond) Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

What’s the best bar in Denver? Is it the bar with the highest average rating on Yelp? Is it the diviest dive that ever dove? Or somewhere new and fresh? With St. Paddy’s Day coming up this weekend, producer Paul Karolyi is sitting down with two people who know Denver’s bar scene as well as anyone — AAA spokesman, Oak Creek Tavern owner, and part-time bartender at Pete’s Satire Skyler McKinley, and our politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval — to pick Denver’s best bars.

We are gonna have a huge list of St. Paddy’s Day stuff to do in our newsletter Hey Denver later this week, subscribe now at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Get your Annual Portal Pass to Meow Wolf today!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Who Really Won the Primaries? Plus, CPR’s Layoffs and a Celebrity Stoner Fail Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

Even with record low voter turnout, President Biden and former President Trump easily cruised to victory in Colorado’s presidential primaries on Tuesday. But will “noncommitted” voters, RFK Jr., and Nikki Haley’s popularity in Denver signal trouble for the parties this November? Then, stoner comedian Nick Swardson bombed his set in Beaver Creek, blaming edibles, alcohol, and altitude — but he’s still headlining three nights at Comedy Works in Denver this weekend! Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to dig into these stories, plus Russell Wilson’s goodbye, local media layoffs, and more rocky mountain highs and lows of the week.

Bree mentioned the forgotten Beau Monde Mall and photos that surfaced on Reddit. Paul talked about Ben Markus’s report on CPR’s layoffs and RFK Jr.’s relative strength in Colorado. Justine talked about two anti-abortion bills that both died in committee in the Colorado house this week.

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

PineMelon

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Why Denver’s Hottest Chef Walked Away From a Michelin Star Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Chef Michael Diaz de Leon had a great 2023. For his work at the buzzy Mexican-inspired fine-downtown dining spot BRUTØ, he was nominated for a James Beard Award. Then one of his dishes appeared on the New York Times’ list of Best American Dishes of 2023. Then, in October, a Michelin star. So why did he quit? Producer Paul Karolyi sits down with Diaz de Leon to talk about why he left a Michelin star behind and what he’s cooking up next. Plus, Michelin wasn’t the only one-star review Diaz de Leon has earned, so Paul asked him to respond to some of BRUTØ’s one-star reviews on Yelp.

Diaz de Leon’s “taco omakase” pop-up at Hop Alley this month is sold out, unfortunately, but you can be first to know about his next project by following him on Instagram @michaeldleon.

While you’re waiting for his next pop-up, here are the spots where Chef Michael says he likes to eat:

Hop Alley (RiNo)
sắp sửa(East Colfax)
Alma Fonda Fina (Highlands)
Somebody People (South Broadway)

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

PineMelon

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

WTF is Wrong With Colorado’s Funeral Industry? Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

Last month, boxes of cremated remains were found in the home of a funeral director, along with a decomposing body discovered in a hearse in his backyard. But this was far from the only disturbing case — over the last few years, local funeral homes have been caught illegally selling body parts, giving families “ashes” of loved ones that turned out to be concrete mix, and abandoning corpses in 70 degree rooms for years. This week lawmakers introduced legislation to fix a long deregulated industry. But how did Colorado become the place with the most lax regulations and oversight in the country? We asked an expert.

Here’s the full text of Senate Bill 174, Regulate Mortuary Science Occupations. Learn more about Faith Haug’s department and the mortuary science program at Arapahoe Community College.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

PineMelon

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Gaza Protest Vote, Labor Union Drama, and Real OG Denver Bagels Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

Colorado’s presidential primaries are today, and we already know who’s going to win. But local Palestinian solidarity groups have launched a last-minute campaign for Denverites to vote for “noncommitted delegate” on the Democratic primary ballot, so there’s still plenty of intrigue for host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to parse. Plus, Denver’s most powerful union isn’t more powerful than local labor laws. And finally, we respond to your ideas for fixing downtown and share comments responding to our new regular segment, Landlord Watch.

Bree mentioned a few episodes of Ezra Klein’s podcast about the non-committed vote and his case for why Biden should walk away from running again. Paul talked about the “uncommitted” vote in Michigan last week and the last time the president of the UFCW Local 7 got in hot water with the union’s members. We also talked about the current plans for The 5280 Trail.

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: