Good News: Rosenberg’s is Reopening!
(Photo source: Rosenberg’s Bagels and Delicatessen Facebook Page)
Rosenberg’s Bagels and Delicatessen has earned a reputation for dishing out the best bagels in Denver (by far)–but it has been closed since May due to damage from an arson incident that took place in an apartment above the shop. Thankfully, Rosenberg’s has announced that it is reopening Sunday October 16th, and it should be better than ever.
According to a post in 5280 Magazine, owner Josh Pollack used the closure to make some changes: “The shop’s murals have been refabbed to include a theme of Phoenix rising from the ashes; the kitchen (which was heavily damaged) layout has changed to be more efficient; the flattop surface has been doubled to help keep pace when egg sandwiches are in high demand; and new display cases are higher set and more retail-friendly. ‘That’s the silver lining to this awful event,’ Pollack says. ‘No one really gets a chance like this to take a step back and look at the lessons of the last two years. It’s hard to get better when you’re in full swing.'”
As someone who loves Good bagels and has been craving Rosenberg’s for months, I’m ecstatic that they’ll be reopening their doors. And–what’s more–they’ll be opening yet another set of doors at their upcoming second location in the Stanley Marketplace, which is expected to open in December.
So what’s the secret to Rosenberg’s delicious bagels? It’s all about the water. Rosenberg’s modifies its water to mimic the natural mineral content of New York City water to create the perfect chemistry, taste, and texture. The results, I can affirm, are spot on.
Mazel tov to Rosenberg’s on the reopening, and see you in there soon!
Rosenberg’s is located at 27th and Welton in the Five Points neighborhood. To search nearby homes for sale, click here.
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David and his team help clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their residential real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
Good Denver Breakfast/Brunch: Onefold
We finally got to Onefold for the first time in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood, and we are so glad we did. The breakfast/brunch/lunch restaurant is a small hole in the wall on 18th Avenue with nice ambiance and a delicious menu. It’s a great little spot to meet for a bite to eat!
We went for breakfast, and it was a tough decision on what to choose–everything looked Good. Coming off of having a cold, I settled on the congee, a savory rice porridge cooked in chicken stock, duck confit, poached egg, green onions, soy sauce, salted ginger and chili oil. It was delicious–and just what the doctor ordered.
My teammate Tom had the breakfast burrito, which featured a handmade flour tortilla, choice of tender belly bacon or house made breakfast sausage, green chili, eggs, duck fat fried potatoes, and asadero cheese (and is available plain or smothered). In a city where breakfast burritos are plentiful, Tom said it was among the best he’s ever had.
Other breakfast options include bacon fried rice (two duck fat fried eggs, Tender Belly bacon, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, and chili oil), breakfast tacos, crepes, frittata, and the simple breakfast (two slices of Tender Belly bacon or house made maple sausage, duck fat fried potatoes or sweet potatoes, and two duck fat fried eggs). The lunch options also had us drooling: options include chicken enchiladas de mole, duck fried rice, chicken adobo, and carne asada.
I’m very much looking forward to getting back to Onefold soon for another delicious breakfast!
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David and his team help clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their residential real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
The 2016 Colorado Fall Colors Are Here
Hiking the Booth Falls Trail on September 16, 2016
The fall colors are here, and they are stunning. It is time to get out to the mountains and explore!
Every season in Colorado has its unique outdoor advantages. Winter offers amazing skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice climbing. Spring offers prime rafting, kayaking, and fishing. Summer is perfect for road cycling, mountain biking, rock climbing, mountain climbing, and hiking. Fall may just be my favorite Colorado season, though; the colors are breath taking, the weather is not too hot but not too cold, the tourists haven’t arrived yet, lodging is inexpensive, and there is so much to do and see!
We spent this past weekend in Vail where the fall colors are gorgeous and only getting better. A satisfying hike up the Booth Falls Trail led us through the changing aspens and past a waterfall. A gondola ride up to the top of Vail for a wedding of a close friend offered a panoramic view of golden yellow and orange hillsides. The drive between Denver and Vail was wonderful (and the traffic was easy). The restaurants were mostly empty.
Now, to put it simply, is a fantastic time to get up to the mountains.
Vail Restaurant Week runs from September 30th to October 9th this year and features price fixe menus and specials from some of Vail’s best restaurants for $20.16. It is generally very easy to get reservations, and, in contrast to ski season, you have the (beautiful) mountains almost entirely to yourself. We’ve spent time in Vail the last two years during Restaurant Week, and the cheap dining is Good icing on the cake after a long day exploring the mountains.
Here, here, and here are some links to articles I’ve written with Good places to see the fall colors.  I hope you enjoy!
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David and his team help clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their residential real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
This Denver home listed by David Schlichter went under contract in one day for cash above the asking price.
The temperature is hot in Denver, and the Denver real estate market is even hotter. As we move into the peak of summer, here are a few key facts about the Denver market as of summer 2016 with detailed commentary and a chart below.
Key Facts
- Across all home types from this time last year, the median sold price increased 11% in the Denver metro area, and prices have never been higher.
- Attached single-family home values are up 13% year-over-year in the metro area.
- Detached single-family home values are up 10% year-over-year in the metro area.
- Year-to-date, there have been 3% less listings in the metro area than there were last year, which brought our inventory levels to a new record low.
- The median Days On Market for listings in the city of Denver was a mere 5—homes in Denver have never sold more quickly.
- In May 2016, homes sold for an average of 101.2% of the list price in the city of Denver.
Denver residential real estate has appreciated more than any city in the country since the Great Recession (prices have doubled since 2008), and people have begun to ask if Denver’s single family residential real estate market a bubble. According to economists, the answer is no.
The Denver metro area population is growing faster than any other metro area in the country, and that growth actually accelerated last year. Rapidly increasing demand for single-family housing combined with a decreasing supply of it is driving the rise in prices. There are significantly more people moving here than are leaving, and builders aren’t building enough single-family homes to keep up. According to the Denver Post, Colorado is 55,000 units short of what we need to keep up with our population growth, and we would need six(!) times the number of homes that are currently for sale in Denver for the market to become a balanced market. So, even if things improve slightly—if builders pick up the pace of new housing starts, population inflow slows (though this is not what the data suggests is happening or will happen), or more sellers put their homes on the market, the market still has plenty of room for additional significant price appreciation.Â
Click the chart below to see inventory levels (in green) dropping year after year, with prices rising (in red) year after year:
Do I think that 10-12% year-over-year appreciation is sustainable indefinitely? Definitely not. At a certain point, the rapid price appreciation will start to make other cities more attractive alternatives because they will have a lower cost of living than here, and our rate of appreciation will begin to slow. But the mountains aren’t going anywhere. The vibrancy of the city–from the dining scene, to the brewery scene, to the public transportation system–has only gotten better and better. The local economy is one of the strongest in the country. People love Denver, and are willing (and will continue to be willing) to pay a premium to experience all that it has to offer.
So is it a good time to be a buyer? I’d still argue yes. In spite of the bidding wars and low supply, with room for significant appreciation and interest rates at historic lows, it is still a great time to be a buyer. Is it a good time to be a seller? Indisputably. Prices have never been higher, supply has never been lower, and the median Days On Market in Denver has never been lower.
Contact me today if you would like to discuss the Denver real estate market further or are interested in selling or purchasing Denver real estate.
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David and his team help clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their residential real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
Must Read: “The Train That Saved Denver”
Rail riders lined up all the way around Union Station on the opening day of the A line out to the airport.
Late last month I wrote about how the new commuter rail line out to the airport is a game-changer for the region. This month, Politico Magazine has a phenomenal article on Denver’s successful efforts to bring modern transit to the city and the region. The piece walks readers through the history of transportation in, around, to, and from the city, and it provides an in-depth look at the painstaking steps and collaboration it took to deliver our new transit system in addition to the economic development it is fostering in the city.
If you live in, love, or want to get to know Denver, this article is a must read! Click here to read it.
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David and his team help clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their residential real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
Dae Gee Korean BBQ: Can’t Wait to Go Back
The bibimbap (or bee bim bhap) from Dae Gee
For the last week I’ve been salivating over the thought of the bibimbap I had for lunch at Dae Gee on South Broadway. You know how great the experience of going to a Mexican restaurant, ordering fajitas, and having the iron plate come out sizzling hot and ready for your enjoyment is, right? Those are usually very tasty, but that sizzling typically ends after a minute or two. This piping hot clay bowl of rice, vegetables, beef short rib, and an egg, filled to the brim literally sizzled my entire meal; the bowl was that hot. And it was delicious. And it was accompanied by eight(!) side dishes. And at $12 all-in, it was a steal.
Dae Gee is a Korean barbecue restaurant with three locations in the Denver metro area. The name of the restaurant means pig, and its owners want you to pig out. The restaurant is known for its all-you-can-eat barbecue which guests cook themselves at their tables at the reasonable price of $17-22/person depending on the protein choice.
Dae Gee was recently featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-In’s, and Dives: Tastes of Asia with Guy Fieri. The clip below gives you a good taste of what you’re in for if you pay Dae Gee a visit–something I will be doing again very soon!
Dae Gee has three locations in the Denver metro area: at 8th and Colorado, 4th and Broadway, and 75th and Sheridan.
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David and his team help clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their residential real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
The new commuter rail line starts at Denver’s Union Station, seen here on the rail line’s opening day.
The “train to the plane,” officially known as the University of Colorado A Line, started running today between Denver’s Union Station and Denver International Airport, and it is, without a doubt, going to be a game-changer for the region. In 37 minutes, riders can get between downtown and the airport on a commuter rail line that runs every 15 minutes, removing the wild card of I-70 traffic, reducing the time needed for parking and shuttling once at the airport, and providing point to point service between the international hub that initially brings people to this city (the 6th busiest airport in the world) and the heart of downtown Denver.
People waited in a line that extended from behind Union Station all the way around it and to the front of the building.
Lines of people eager to take a free ride lined up behind Union Station, around the corner of it…and then around the corner again all the way to the front of the building. The energy and excitement around the new rail line was palpable, and the beautiful rehabilitation of Union Station provided a spectacular setting for such a monumental event for the city.
A map of the new A line (Source: RTD-Denver)
The new line enhances our credibility and functionality as a major international city in which to live, work, and play, makes it easier for residents and visitors to get to and from the airport, and has already served as an engine for development downtown and in the northeast quadrant of the city. RiNo has exploded in the last few years, and this new line will only further enhance its rapid development. Now, neighborhoods like Whittier, Cole, Swansea, Globeville, Clayton, North Park Hill, Stapleton, Montbello, and Green Valley Ranch will have even easier access to the heart of downtown (and to the airport)–and while these neighborhoods have already seen significant appreciation in real estate prices in anticipation of the new line, expect values to rise and development to take off even more rapidly now that the line is complete. And fun fact: if you’re a beer lover (whether you live in Denver or want to come from afar to enjoy what we have to offer) there are at least 20 breweries within one mile of a stop on the new line (here’s an article with them all).
Denver has been getting lots of Good national press lately, and with the new A line out to the airport, the recently launched W line from Denver to Golden, the forthcoming B line to Boulder, and all of the other Good things going on in this city, I believe the sun is rising over a truly great new era in Denver’s history. For those of us who live here, we are all very lucky to be experiencing and participating in it. For those of you who are reading this from elsewhere–come see what the excitement is all about!
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David and his team help clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their residential real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
The National Media is Celebrating Denver
The Underground Music Showcase (Photo Credit: Visit Denver)
Denver has been undergoing an amazing transition over the last twenty years, and people all across the country are finally starting to notice! We’re growing more rapidly than almost anywhere in the country. Our real estate market is the hottest in the country. Our dining scene has gone from Good to phenomenal. Unemployment is lower here than any large US city.
It brings me great joy to write about all of the Good things going on in Denver, and, last week, the New York Times jumped on the bandwagon. The article describes Denver as being on the “sunny side of the economy” due to our our low unemployment rate, economic diversification, real estate development, start-up energy, investments in infrastructure, prevalence of research and skilled labor, lifestyle, and more. You can find the full article here, and I encourage everyone to read it!
Forbes also recently featured an article called “5 Reasons You Should Plan a Trip to Denver Right Now,” citing the redevelopment of Union Station, the fantastic food, the updated Ritz Carlton hotel and spa, the Good beer, and the trendy marketplaces. That article can be found here.
And last month, US News & World Report named Denver the “Best Place to Live” in the entire US. The study compared American cities’ quality of life, job market, value of living there, and people’s desire to live there. An article about it in the Denver Business Journal can be found here, and here is a link to ranking page.
While in some ways it is bittersweet that Denver is no longer America’s best kept secret, the recognition the city is getting is well deserved. We are so fortunate to live here, and I’m very excited by what is still yet to come! Thanks to everyone who is making Denver such a great place to live, work, and play!
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David helps his clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
Must-Try New Restaurant: Arcana in Boulder
The Oxford Greens from Arcana in Boulder
Boulder’s Arcana Restaurant opened just over a week ago, and it is VERY Good.
We’ve had the chance to visit lots of area restaurants shortly after they’ve opened, and they almost always have quite a few hiccups in the first few days of operation. Servers may not be familiar with the whole menu, incorrect dishes might be served, timing can be off, etc. We visited Arcana on the first Saturday it was open, though, and the food, the service, and the overall experience were all impeccable from start to finish–no hiccups whatsoever.
There are a lot of “New American” restaurants in Denver and Boulder these days, but Arcana restaurant takes a somewhat different approach to American cuisine. Rather than focusing on what’s “new” for the future, Arcana creates dishes inspired by the country’s past.
“We fully believe that in years to come we will look back at this moment in our history and see it as the renaissance of American identity as it relates to food. In our exploration of American cuisine, Arcana will look to historic preparations and ingredients while honoring our own regionality. Arcana will look to honor all of the influences of our past as a country to create a cuisine that is bold, creative, and unflinchingly American, in the truest sense of the word. Don’t be surprised to see influences from Western Africa, South America, and Native American traditions on the menu.  At Arcana we will never stop imagining how to exceed your expectations.”
Nearly everything at the restaurant is made from scratch, including the bitters the bar uses in its cocktails (which, by the way are delicious).  Fermenting, ember-roasting, and pickling are just a few of the techniques Arcana employs to create bold, unusual, and mouth-watering flavors. The plating technique is beautiful, and you can tell that husband and wife owners Elliott and Annie Toan put an enormous amount of love into the crafting and execution every last detail of the restaurant.
One common pitfall that can cause new restaurants to experience growing pains when first launching is offering a large and complex menu right out of the gates. Arcana avoided this temptation, though, opting instead to open with a focused (and delicious) ten-item dinner menu, with each dish executed to perfection. In the coming weeks the restaurant will be adding several dishes to its menu and will eventually feature a new dish each night.
The Oxford Greens with pickled egg, ham, Aleppo chili, wild flower, and sumac was bright and refreshing. The Shawnee Cake was the highlight of our night–a cornmeal based griddle cake was topped with easily the best crispy pork belly I’ve ever eaten in my life, fermented chili, green apple, and yogurt. The Colorado Trout was tasty with fire carrot, carrot top pesto, crispy onion, chili, and buttermilk. The Capped Pork Loin was excellent and perfectly salty, served with a mouth-watering pork sausage (made with house-made fermented chilis), lacinato kale, kabocha squash, and house-made crème fraîche. For dessert, the carrot cake with maple, hibiscus, burnt tangelo, and ginger ice cream was absolutely divine–we only wish that there was more of it. The same goes for the layer cake with brown butter, chocolate, compressed apple, whiskey, and quinoa ice cream.
It isn’t often that we go to Boulder just to dine out, but trust us when we say that Arcana is well worth the trip from Denver. And if the restaurant was this Good on week one, we can’t wait to see what it will accomplish after a few weeks, months, and years of operation. In the mean time, we are already trying to figure out when we can come back for seconds…
Arcana is located at 909 Walnut St. in Boulder.
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David helps his clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
Railroad Earth Returns to Colorado: Andy Goessling Discusses Railroad Earth and the Colorado Music Scene
[UPDATE: The two Denver shows have been postponed to 3/25 and 3/26 due to an illness.]
Railroad Earth is returning to Colorado for a two night run at The Fillmore in Denver on Friday and Saturday night followed by two shows at Belly Up in Aspen. The band, whose first gig was nearly 15 years ago on the main stage at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, has maintained a loyal following in Colorado, and it seems that every time they play in Colorado magic happens on stage.
I spoke today with Railroad Earth’s Andy Goessling, who plays acoustic guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin, lap steel, saxophones (sometimes two at once), flute, and pennywhistle about the evolution of the band, the Colorado music scene, and more. Below are excerpts from my interview.
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Railroad Earth’s first real gig was the main stage of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2001. Though home base is New Jersey, it seems that your visits to Colorado are something of a homecoming. What is it like from the band’s perspective to come back to Colorado?
It just seems like you’re going back to where everything is really happening, and every band now is passing through Colorado. One day I was looking through an entertainment magazine in Colorado, and I counted 200 venues on a Friday night. So coming to Colorado is coming to a real music community. The night you’re playing there are tons of people playing. It’s a really happening entertainment center. It gives you a lot of excitement to rise to the occasion. Everybody’s out on Friday night playing, and you’re just one of tons of live musicians that are out there putting a show on, so it’s just really cool feeling like you’re in a community. And the concert-goers, they might go to two or three shows in one night. They might have even already hit two shows before they came to yours, so it’s just a really cool feeling because they are really excited–seeing and absorbing the music.
It seems like your Colorado fan base is among the strongest you have across the country–is that fair?
Yeah, definitely. I’d say it’s the strongest audience.
Why do you think that is?
Well, like attracts like–with that many venues, with that much music to be seen, it just keeps on sucking in talent and people from 5-10 states away. At this gig I did yesterday I ran into someone I knew and they said, “Our daughter’s not here anymore, she moved out to Denver, and she’s looking forward to seeing you guys at the Fillmore.” It seems like there’s nobody out here anymore to go to shows–they’ve all moved to Denver! It’s actually not even a joke–I keep running into it every day, and conversely, you try to go play a gig here in New Jersey, and you run into five people who say “Oh, my friend just moved to Denver.” So, there’s a reason Denver’s got such huge crowds.
You’ve got two shows coming up this weekend at The Fillmore, two more in Aspen at Belly Up, then you’ll be coming back and playing Red Rocks in September. Which types of shows excite you the most–the outdoor Red Rocks ones, or the indoor, more intimate shows like those you’ve done at the Ogden, Fillmore, or Boulder Theater?
I don’t think it’s a matter of which is better or most exciting. A show at a place like the Boulder Theater is different because some songs are really hard to do at a place like Red Rocks. Some songs are better doing a huge venue like that, but sometimes a place like the Boulder Theater will pull out something that you haven’t done in a while or maybe a song with a little more complicated instrumentation. I might end up using a pennywhistle or a bass clarinet or something I wouldn’t otherwise use–you know, I might end up doing a song with instruments that sometimes just don’t translate at a big venue. So that’s always fun to open up a few more possibilities at smaller venues–possibilities that fans don’t get to see a lot.
Do you and the rest of the band ever have the time to get out and take part in any outdoor adventures in between shows when you come visit Colorado?
We try to do that everywhere. Really people get out and do whatever they can. We were in Flagstaff and we went to the Grand Canyon twice, and the same thing in Colorado; we’ve done shows in Aspen and Breckenridge and gone out hiking during the day, or some people go skiing (I’m not going to go skiing), but everyone does whatever they can before they show because it’s such a great opportunity.
In the last several years, the band members have done a lot of side projects in addition to their music with Railroad Earth. You mentioned you played a gig yesterday, Todd has done solo shows, Andrew released a solo album in addition to having a child, etc. What are you all working on now and do you ever feel like you’re running out of time for the side projects?
I’m doing a couple different things, and everyone is doing different stuff–it is always a challenge to juggle the schedule. Timmy produces records, Todd has done solo shows and he’s done reunions with his old band From Good Homes, John did a solo mandolin thing a while back and he still gets together with people and does bluegrass jams when he’s home. I’ve got a couple things going on–I’ve got a four-piece world music band called Sleeping Bee that we’ve been working hard to get out there–I released an album with that and am working on another one, and there are some youtube videos of it. I released a zither video, that’s a German instrument, and I’ve been doing solo stuff with that. And this gig I did yesterday, I got a call from Beppe Gambetta, who’s an Italian acoustic guitar player who tours all over the world, and I ended up coming down into New York City and sitting in with him for two days. He’s an amazing acoustic guitar player. But yeah, it’s a challenge just to fit it all in…but it all seems to work out.
As I’ve seen the band play over the years, it seems that at each show the band is even tighter, more cohesive, and more polished–and that at each show the band seems to have gotten better and better. What are your thoughts on the evolution of Railroad Earth over the last 15 years?
Just trying to keep a band together is a really hard thing, and yet it’s the best way to get musical evolution and tightness. So, the fact that you can have the same people and keep honing the songs is a real luxury. In a lot of situations, you just can’t keep a band together or you have to get new musicians all the time, so there’s really just no substitute for having the same people and being able to work on something like that–no matter whether it is a string quartet or a bluegrass band. I feel very lucky to be in a situation where it’s stable enough so that you can help the music like that. Like you’re saying, you can play the same tune for years, but you come back and realize the band is doing something new and that makes it fresh for everybody.
***
Be sure to get your tickets to the upcoming Colorado Railroad Earth shows before they sell out, and while you’re at it, check out the recently released feature on PBS called Bluegrass Underground (a show that was done with Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon, and Greensky Bluegrass deep in a cave in Tennessee) and the recent album that RRE recorded with Warren Haynes. See you this weekend at Railroad Earth at the Fillmore!
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David helps his clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
A Denver loft David Schlichter sold in 2015 for a record-breaking price.
2015 was a banner year for residential real estate in Denver, and it appears that the trend of low inventory, high demand, and rising prices will continue in 2016. Here is what you need to know if you are thinking about selling or buying Denver residential real estate in 2016!
KEY FACTS:
- On average, all residential real estate prices in Denver County ended the year up 10.9% from the end of 2014.
- Detached single family home prices were up 9.1% year over year, while attached single family home prices were up a whopping 16.2%.
- In December 2015, the average detached single family home in Denver sold for $434,577, and the average attached single family home sold for $364,860.
- Colorado’s population grew by 101,000 last year, and it is expected to grow by another 100,000 in 2016.
- Residential rents in metro Denver rose nearly 10% in 2015 to a median of $1,952.
- If cyclical trends continue, in 2016 (for the first time in recent history) the number of closed sales in a given month may exceed the number of active listings that month (this is possible because closed transactions generally result from prior months’ active listings).
- In December 2015, Denver had only one month of inventory available for sale (months of inventory means how long it would take for all of the active homes to sell at the current rate if no new homes hit the market). A seller’s market is defined as a market in which there are less than six months of inventory available, so Denver is an extreme seller’s market.
- The number of active listings in Denver in December 2015 was at the lowest level ever in recent history for the end of year. If cyclical trends continue, it is likely that this February and/or March there will be less homes on the market than ever in recent history.
- In December 2015, the median Days On Market was 14, the lowest level at year end in recent history. The DOM figure has dropped, on average, every year over the last five years, and if trends continue, we will see even shorter DOM in 2016.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SELLING A DENVER PROPERTY IN 2016:
There is no dispute that it is a phenomenal time to be a seller in Denver. Given the market appreciation in recent years, the average seller who has owned their property for a year or more will likely walk away with (potentially significant) proceeds when selling their property in 2016. Average sale prices are up, days on market are down, inventory is exceptionally low, and buyer demand is high. The Denver market needs more inventory (desperately), and the odds are your home is perfect for someone out there looking for it today–literally right now. Keep in mind if you are selling a house in Denver in 2016 that you’ll need a place to move to–just as your sale price will likely be higher than your original purchase price, your new purchase price will also likely be higher if you plan to stay in Denver.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BUYING A DENVER PROPERTY IN 2016:
Given that it’s a great time to be a seller, does that mean that it is a horrible time to be a buyer? I believe that it is a great time to be both a buyer and a seller, but below are the glass half-full or half-empty arguments.
The “It’s a Horrible Time to be a Buyer in Denver” Argument:
- Inventory levels are at record lows (supply). The number of closed transactions are averaging record highs and the population is continuing to increase at the second fastest pace in the country (demand). Exceptionally low supply and exceptionally high demand is resulting in prices rising to record highs and Days On Market dropping to record lows. It is a very strong seller’s market–this year it was more common for a property to get multiple offers than not, and signs are pointing toward another summer of intense bidding wars. And to top it all off, interest rates are finally going to rise this year.
The “It’s a Great Time to be a Buyer in Denver” Argument:
- Interest rates are still near historic lows, though they are expected to rise in small increments this year. Even with slowly rising rates, loans are still incredibly cheap at around 4-4.5% for a 30-year fixed rate loan–just ask someone who bought a house in the early 1980’s, when interest rates neared an average of 18%! Yes, prices are rising, but they’ve been rising for years, and they are expected to continue to do so. If homes appreciate at the same rate this year as they did last year and you put 20% down, the return on your investment (since your investment would be levered) would be approximately 54.5%. What other market or product is offering that type of return in today’s world? And, what is the next best alternative for your living situation? With median rents at $1,952, renting is more expensive than ever. In a city experiencing double-digit percent appreciation on average, Denver is booming, and I don’t foresee people stopping moving here any time soon–so get in while you can, odds are prices (and interest rates) will continue to rise!
SUMMARY:
All signs suggest that 2016 is going to be another banner year for Denver residential real estate. Sellers will likely enjoy favorable price appreciation, low days on market, and multiple offers–particularly when working with a highly competent and strategic agent. Buyers will still benefit from historically low interest rates and likely above-average appreciation for when their purchase is complete, though the purchase process itself may be stressful and could involve multiple offer situations. While I do believe Denver home prices will continue to rise at a rapid rate in 2016, I believe the rate of appreciation will be somewhat slower than it was last year. And, of course, even though it is unlikely, something calamitous could happen to Denver or to the economy that could cause prices to stagnate or even drop.
If you are considering selling or buying Denver real estate in 2016, it is important to work with someone who is intimately familiar with the market, highly intelligent and strategic, an exceptional negotiator, and communicates proactively and effectively. Contact me today to discuss how I can help you achieve your Denver real estate goals.
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David helps his clients (ranging from sellers, to buyers, to seasoned investors) achieve their real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
Acorn is Consistently Outstanding
The potato gnocchi from Acorn
Acorn has been flooded with positive press since it opened in 2013. This year, it was named the best restaurant in Denver by 5280 Magazine (up from #2 last year). With all of the Good press, does the restaurant live up to its hype?Â
Yes.
Acorn is one of the two restaurants housed within The Source in RiNo. It serves small plates that are meant to be shared with two to three plates recommended per person. We tried out ten different dishes on our recent visit. It is exceptionally rare to be able to go to a restaurant, order ten dishes, and not have a few misses–or at least one or two that were “so-so.” Acorn, however, delivered beautiful and delicious dishes–one after another, all of them consistently outstanding.
The meatballs from Acorn
At Acorn, you order the dishes you want, and the server courses them out for you. The meal builds upon itself as each new course brings a unique flavor profile and wets your appetite for more food. Our meal started with the crispy fried pickles, then moved on to the kale & apple salad, crispy cauliflower, house-made potato gnocchi, matsutake mushrooms, Florida deep water shrimp and grits, tomato braised meatballs, oak smoked short ribs, oak smoked bone marrow, and finished with the Nantucket Bay scallop spaghetti.
After eating ten outstanding dishes, it can be hard to pick favorites. The gnocchi was light as a cloud and perfectly cooked. The tomato braised meatballs, served with grits, burrata, and basil, were awesome and filling–while not being overly dense. And the kale and apple salad was a favorite of everyone at the table–definitely a must-order. With so many Good options, you can’t go wrong at Acorn–you will love whatever you order.
The oak smoked bone marrow from Acorn
Acorn is the sister restaurant of Oak at Fourteenth in Boulder. While being associated with that restaurant certainly gave Acorn some initial street credibility, Acorn has definitely earned, on its own, the excellent reputation it has made for itself here in Denver. And the restaurant’s success has not only been a critical ingredient for the success of The Source, but it has also helped The Source serve as an anchor for the explosion of development in RiNo. New restaurants, breweries, art galleries, and shops, are taking the place of vacant lots and abandoned warehouses, and that is because concepts like Acorn and The Source proved that people don’t mind (and may prefer) a slightly grittier part of town with cutting edge food, drinks, and shops.
I can’t wait to see what the area looks like in 5 years, and I can’t wait to return to Acorn (which I am doing next week) for another delicious meal!
Acorn is located in The Source at 3350 Brighton Blvd. Interested in living near Acorn and The Source? Click here to search nearby homes for sale!
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David helps his clients (ranging from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to seasoned investors) achieve their real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
Gozo on S. Broadway is Delicious
Roasted salmon from Gozo
It used to be that I would mostly avoid eating on Broadway and S. Broadway because the street was so busy. The street is still busy, but with so many Good dining options opening there recently, it has become an impossible stretch of restaurants to ignore–and it actually has become one of my favorite dining destinations in the city.
Gozo is one of the newest restaurants to arrive on the scene. Billed as “Italian and Spanish Mediterranean food with a Californian twist,” the restaurant offers tasty, well-crafted, healthy and beautiful dishes in a lively, bright, and open space.
Buratta from Gozo
The menu at Gozo is fantastic. Starters include options like the tasty buratta, meatballs, grilled artichoke, grilled octopus, and wood oven-cooked clams. The pasta and risotto section features spaghetti with wild rabbit ragu, a rigatoni with pork bolognese, orcchiette with summer squash/zucchini/mint/browned butter, and a risotto of the day. The wood-fired pizzas cooked at 850 degrees are delicious, but I must say that, while the whole menu is Good, my favorite dishes come from the grande section of the menu.
I generally don’t seek out fish on dinner menus, but the pan roasted Colorado bass with crispy skin, smoked farro salad, and chili oil is phenomenal. The fish is perfectly cooked, and I was thrilled with the farro salad with chili oil. The three day smoked short rib with summer squash and tomato risotto is delicious and hearty. And the roasted salmon with heirloom beans, kale, baby carrots, and carrot-greens pesto is as tasty as it is beautiful.
Pan roasted Colorado bass from Gozo
The happy hour menu, offered from 3-6pm, is also awesome. The small bites such as the buratta, Brussels sprouts salad, truffle fries are fantastic; the wood-fired pizzas are Good and offered at discounted prices; snack sized sandwiches are offered at $4 apiece, and drinks are $3 off. And the brunch menu, which I have yet to try in person, looks excellent with items such as a bacon and egg pizza, a short rib hash, and a Spanish torta.
I highly recommend you pay Gozo a visit before it starts to get hard to get a table there! Gozo is located at 30 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80209.
Interested in purchasing a home near Gozo? Click here to search nearby homes for sale.
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David helps his clients (ranging from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to seasoned investors) achieve their real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
Good Food Hall: Avanti Food and Beverage
Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and along with that population growth has come a dramatic explosion of our dining scene. Many great new restaurants open every month, and while some American cities have long histories of Italian, German, and other ethnic influences on their cuisine, Denver, as a younger, non-coastal city full of transplants, is more of a blank canvas–perfect for culinary innovation.
Avanti Food and Beverage is an exciting new contemporary food hall in Denver featuring seven different restaurant concepts housed within one common space. Inspired by European food halls and the emerging popularity of American food trucks, Avanti opened in early 2015 and offers a space for new chefs and restaurateurs to try out innovative new restaurant concepts on short 1-2 year leases. By providing an appealing physical space and a strong customer base for these new concepts to be tested, chefs and restaurateurs can be more cutting edge; instead of allocating resources to all of the “non-food” aspects of starting a restaurant, they can focus on the food.
The decor at Avanti is contemporary and appealing, with each restaurant concept housed within a modified shipping container (shipping container architecture is a trend that is taking off in Denver and around the country). Patrons can come as a group and eat from different restaurants while sitting together–inside at a booth or table, outside on the rooftop at communal benches, or in the rooftop amphitheater-style seating with great views of the Denver skyline. Someone is craving pizza? They can get it from Brava Pizzeria della Strada. Someone needs gluten-free? They can choose Quiero Arepas. Someone wants local and sustainable? They can try out Farmer Girl.
Food halls are an emerging trend across America, and Denver is a perfect city to capitalize on that trend. The Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (who is the former Denver Mayor and a former brewpub owner) has used as a defining principle throughout his career and life in public office the idea that “there is no margin in making enemies.“ Avanti is a microcosm for what I call collaborative competition, and this collaborative competition can be seen in other aspects of the Colorado economy.
Colorado has the third most microbreweries per capita of any state in the country. These microbreweries, while in competition with each other, are also creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Every year, microbreweries assemble here in Denver for the Great American Beer Festival, the largest of its kind in the country. Throughout the year, the microbreweries collaborate with local food trucks, which take turns rotating through the microbreweries to provide patrons with food they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get on site. The microbreweries, in turn, provide the food trucks with a steady supply of (hungry) patrons. The food trucks also collaborate with each other by rallying together in the summer for Civic Center Eats, a biweekly assembly of food trucks in the heart of downtown.
Concepts like Avanti that encourage culinary innovation and embrace collaborative competition are destined for success in cities like Denver, and I predict more food halls like it will pop up in the coming years both in Denver and in other American cities with significant population growth and cutting edge dining scenes.
Avanti is located in LoHi at 3200 Pecos St. Interested in living near Avanti? Click here to search nearby homes for sale. (Photo courtesy of Avanti and used with permission.)
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram!
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David helps his clients (ranging from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to seasoned investors) achieve their real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 720-440-2340
What to do on a Cold or Rainy Day in Denver
Denver is known as one of the best cities in the country to work hard and play hard–with most of the “play hard” activities taking place outside. But when it is a cold or rainy day, sometimes the Denver activity options seem a bit less abundant.
Thankfully, just in time for winter, 5280 Magazine’s latest cover story features 75 things to do in the Mile High City inside on cold and wet days. From climbing an indoor rock wall at Movement Climbing & Fitness, to touring a Good local distillery (which I’ve featured on this site here), building a banjo (in Boulder), playing trivia (all over town), taking a music lesson, and more, author Lindsey Koehler included a little something for everyone.
I plan to pull out this article for some Good ideas the next time I’m getting stir crazy on a cold and wet Denver day, and I think you’ll enjoy it too! Click here for the full article.
The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter. To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter and @thegoodlifedenver on Instagram.
In addition to writing for The Good Life Denver, David works full-time as a Denver real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Downtown, LLC. David helps his clients (ranging from first-time home buyers, to sellers, to seasoned investors) achieve their real estate goals. Contact David today for all of your Denver real estate needs. Direct: 7/440-2340
