Two LEAP Ambassadors, Chrissy Biello and Olivia Discon, are presenting at their first conference, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conference in Denver, CO. There is a certain amount of dread associated with your first formal academic conference, and Biello and Discon are not immune from such anxieties. Fortunately, having arrived a day early to the conference–LEAP Ambassadors are punctual–they had a day to prepare and to explore the mile-high city, having as much food and fun as they could bear.
Coffee:
Being coffee fiends, we explored two coffee shops on our first day in Denver. The first, “Dandy Lion Coffee,” is a coffee and boutique plant shop. While we admit that we are not exactly world travelers, we suspect that this is not a common combination. But it works in this charming cafe, which is located in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver.
The shop’s plants are warm and colorful, and they add a vibrant, down-home quality that is reinforced by the friendly and professional staff.
The warm and welcoming ambiance had its desired effect. The store was filled with customers, some speaking with each other, some mixing in small groups, and others doing their own thing, but they all exuded a comfort borne of an environment that was cozy without being crowded.
While the shop was pleasing, we were there for the coffee. And it, too, delivered. With an enormously helpful and friendly barista named Taylor leading the way, we tried an “everything croissant,” which was excellent, and we sampled a chocolate croissant–which was excellent and chocolate.
The drip coffee was very good, and the iced vanilla latte, which is what the store is famous for, was very, very good.
This was the perfect pick-me-up spot for what would prove to be a long day. Also, please note that while the pronunciation of the cafe suggests a weed, the name of the coffee-plant shop is referring to a well-dressed king of the jungle–monocle and all.
Needing an afternoon burst of energy and a place to work, we also visited Novo Coffee, a third-wave coffee shop indigenous to Denver. We each enjoyed a vanilla latte and settled into a cozy and productive atmosphere, where the hum of conversations and the scent of freshly brewed coffee fueled our focus. Novo offered just the right balance—bustling enough to be lively but quiet enough to get some work done.
Food
After being on the road for a couple of days and eating like scavengers in a desert, we made the most of a city filled with restaurants. For lunch, we had Giordano’s Pizza, an Italian eatery on the famous 16th-Street (pedestrian) Mall in Denver.
With garlic bread and a “meat and more meat” pizza, we may have overdone it.
This did not, however, get in the way of us finishing the pizza and the bread sticks. And, in our defense, it did not get in the way of us also getting some work done and, several hours later, searching for a hearty dinner to bookend our day of culinary adventures.
Dinner took us to the world of Asian cuisine in the form of Chopstickers, where we sampled chicken potstickers, soup dumplings, and edamame. The food was excellent, though one of us (who shall remain nameless) had a slight mishap that led to an unfortunate spill. Let’s just say soup dumplings live up to their name. Still, no mess could ruin the experience, and we left satisfied, if slightly damp.
Exploration
With a conference presentation approaching (have we mentioned that?) and with us impersonating foodies, we didn’t have a whole lot of time for exploration. But we did manage to walk almost half-a-mile of the 16th-Street Mall, venture down many other streets, and see a bit of what Denver has to offer.
It is a very walkable city. Indeed, it’s downtown and capitol hill area have a 94 walkability score, and at least one publication ranks Denver second in walkability, trailing only New York City. Interestingly, this means we have walked the two most walkable cities in the United States in the past two months!
We also saw our share of critters. With a lot of food establishments and many pedestrians, there are also a lot of pigeons. Generally speaking, they are not scared of humans. We were also visited by some aggressive squirrels. One squirrel actually ran a circle around us, as if he was determined to singlehandedly surround us and demand food–despite already having a nut in his mouth!
By far the most interesting animal we encountered, however, was a blue bear.
As fearsome as he looks from below, he is rather tame and endearing. He simply wants to see what the humans are doing in the Colorado Convention Center.
The bear, a creation of the late artist (and art professor) Lawrence Argent, is titled “I See What You Mean” and was installed in Denver in 2005. Over the past two decades, he has become a symbol of Denver.
He certainly brought a smile to our faces, and with his whimsical blue color, curiosity, and potential for ferocity, he provided just the attitude we were looking for to approach our first-ever conference.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 