![]() I’m not sure why this area is being marketed as a ‘must do’. In my own hometown, I know what areas to avoid, but as a tourist in an unfamiliar city, I was unpleasantly surprised that this is one of the "attractions" that visitors are encouraged to go to. I am a pretty fit and feisty middle-aged lady, and I have always lived in big cities, but I felt very uncomfortable in this area. By 10:30AM, the panhandlers were out in droves, and I charted my course along the sidewalk to (as much as possible) avoid being begged for money. On the one hand, I was glad they were there, but on the other hand, it just confirmed my impression that this area is pretty dismal. Both stores had not just one, but several, uniformed security officers standing very conspicuously by the doors, and in Ross, a security officer was also roaming the aisles. A couple of stores were already open (Ross Dress For Less, and Walgreens), so I went in both to browse. A couple of sketchy-looking fellows were hanging around the doorway of the marijuana dispensary, apparently eager for it to open. ![]() I was literally the only female out there. At 9:30 on a Thursday morning, dozens of homeless people were wandering around with their blankets, shopping carts, and what have you. Our hotel was just steps away from the 16th Street Mall, so I wandered over there. My husband had to travel to Denver on business, and I tagged along, thinking I would do a little sightseeing while he attended his conference. Avoid downtown Denver, as you will not enjoy it, even in the daylight, and will feel threatened for your safety the whole time. While we really feel for anyone who is homeless or has a serious drug problem, Denver has to be the worst city we have ever visited, and clearly has major problems. We had to find snactuary in a hotel lobby and get an Uber quickly to get us back to our hotel near the airport. My wife & I felt really scared, and couldn't stay any longer than 45 minutes after the taxi dropped us off near the main bell-tower. It was 12md, in the daylight, and in the central area near the Capitol building, and office area. We really wished we hadn't as Denver central is full of homeless people, dug addicts, and crackheads standing in the middle of the streets screaming and shouting. We have a few hours to spare in Denver before getting our flight back to the UK, and decided to visit the 'nicer' areas of Denver in the early December sunshine. All of the places we visited in Utah were amazing, and we would definitely go back to Utah. ![]() This story has been updated with comments from Denver Police chief Ron Thomas and additional information about Thursday’s shooting.We were flying back to London Heathrow from Denver airport after a fantastic holiday in Utah (Logan, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park & the North rim of the Grand canyon). “It’s a sad reality, but it’s unfortunately what happens nowadays.” “I guess it can happen anywhere,” Castillo said. Castillo said she thought the risk of violence occurring like on Tuesday morning had passed. When asked why shootings keep happening despite the presence of so many officers, Thomas said that “individuals now in our community are emboldened to act in an irresponsible way regardless of who’s watching.”Ĭastillo, who had been at City Park before Thursday’s parade, said the Tuesday shooting was on her mind before going down town for the parade. Still, both the Tuesday and Thursday shootings occurred in areas where the ongoing celebrations brought a heavy police presence. We have a significant contingent of officers deployed in our downtown core, particularly on the weekends during the entertainment hours.” “We continue to take measures to keep the downtown area safe. “Unfortunately, we have, again, far too many guns in our society, far too many individuals that act irresponsibly with guns, and that’s certainly something that we as a community need to continue to address,” Thomas said. Most of the injured had been celebrating the Nuggets’ win.ĭespite the two shootings, Chief Thomas said that he believes downtown is still safe for work and play. Ten people, including one of the suspected shooters, were injured. ![]() On early Tuesday morning, just hours after the Nuggets clinched their first NBA title in franchise history, a dispute over a drug deal led to a shooting. Beaty/Denverite For the second time this week, gun violence has marred Nuggets celebrations downtown. Denver Police officers lock down Curtis Street after a shooting, which happened after a parade celebrating the Denver Nuggets NBA Championship win. ![]()
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