April Newsletter 2024
Denver Spring Happenings
This month, we wanted to take a look at stuff going on in and around Denver this spring.
Of course, it is also Small Business Week, so we normally talk about that, and if you want to learn more you can find out here. Of course, as a small business, we are proud to be part of the fabric of commerce here in Denver.
Beyond that, it is indeed spring and there is a lot to do in and around Denver, and we wanted to share some ideas (and places) in this month’s newsletter.
Following that, we have an update on both DIA and Larimer Square, and an excellent fitness test for us all to try, which can accurately predict your lifespan, or so they say.
Also, if you have ever wondered if there are regions of the country that are “smarter” than others, we have your answers. Read on to see more.
Meanwhile, what is going on across the Front Range this spring?
For starters, May will feature both Cinco De Mayo celebrations as well as the annual Denver Arts Festival.
For those of you (like us) who love Red Rocks, the full schedule is out as well and Axios published a list here of their favorite shows coming there in 2024. Red Rocks has also undergone some changes over the past year, and those can be found here.
Our loyal readers will also know we love to dine out in our fine city, so we wanted to share 5280’s list of Denver’s best new restaurants in 2024.
We also cherish the old establishments in our city, like Buckhorn Exchange and My Brother’s Bar. For the nostalgic in the audience, 5280 came up with a cool list of 12 of our most iconic bars and restaurants and you can enjoy that here.
The bottom line, is there are so many remarkable things to do here that we don’t have space for all of them. Some fun links below for your reading pleasure:
Spring and Summer Festival Schedule
10 Things to do in Denver this spring
Trip Advisor top Denver area activities
We feel spoiled when we realize all the wonderful things we have to do here in Denver. We are happy to share a few of our favorites and we hope to see you out and about.
We wish the best to you and yours for a great spring!
DIA & Busiest Airports
If you haven’t been to the airport lately, you might be in for a surprise.
The old North and South screening checkpoints are no more. Well, the South still exists but the North is no more, replaced by the new, state-of-the-art West.
If you are confused, so were we, but after using it we have to say that the new setup is pretty high-tech.
Located on level 6 behind United, there are 3 separate entrances for different travelers. The announcement and all the details behind the new security area can be found here.
You can also now reserve a spot in security in advance, which is very innovative and should save time.
The new checkpoint is part of the second phase of the $2.1 billion Great Hall Program, which will be completed by the end of 2027, with segments opening along the way. The new East Security Checkpoint will open by the end of 2025.
To learn more about the Great Hall Project or sign up for the project newsletter visit the project page.
While the DIA Great Hall project has undergone much scrutiny and criticism, we are happy to see progress being made.
Safe travels everyone!
Larimer Square Update
Not long ago, we wrote about the troubles facing Larimer Square and what the plan going forward was going to be.
Now, three years later, the $20 million effort to restore Larimer Square is almost complete.
From the recent article in the Denver Business Journal, “It’s been more than three years since North Carolina-based Asana Partners purchased Larimer Square for $92.5 million. Now, the developers are wrapping up a yearslong, $20 million effort that’s “restoring its former glory,” according to Ashley McDonald, senior director of development at Asana Partners.”
“Currently, scaffolding remains at one of the 18 buildings along Larimer Square slated for renovation, with signage up from Denver-based Building Restoration Specialties Inc. After the exit of multiple tenants from the street to make way for the renovations, the end of the road is near, with the final building’s exterior restoration finishing up in May.”
We think this is particularly good news, and it seems other folks do too, as some very strong retail brands have committed to a presence in the renovated square.
For a complete update with all the details on the project, visit Mile High CRE here.
Larimer Square also has its own website with a list of all retailers here.
We are so happy to see Denver protecting one of its historical areas and the heart of our city. Well done!
10-Second Longevity Test
How long will you live? If we knew that we would tell you for sure.
Seriously though, none of us has a clue, but researchers have found a quite simple way to help determine longevity.
Can you stand on one leg for 10 seconds?
If you can, then you are ahead of the game.
From the article on Inc.:
“Researchers had participants — all between the ages of 51 and 75 — attempt to stand on one leg for 10 seconds. Over a seven-year period, people who could not stand on one leg for 10 seconds (approximately 20 percent of the total) were four times as likely to have died.”
“Even when the researchers accounted for other factors like age, sex, body mass index, and comorbidities (a fancy word for the presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions), those who could not stand on one leg for 10 seconds were still twice as likely to die in the subsequent seven years than those who could.”
As the researchers write:
The ability to successfully complete the (ten-second one-leg stand) is independently associated with all-cause mortality and adds relevant prognostic information beyond age, sex and several other anthropometric and clinical variables.”
Wow. Kind of stunning, really.
When we tried this, we were a bit wobbly but upright, so we hope you are better than we are.
Meanwhile, it’s time for us to work on our balance, core, and muscle strength so we can stay upright!!!
The full article and methodology can be found here.
How Smart is Colorado?
There seems to be a notion that some parts of the United States are smarter than others.
Anecdotally, the South seems to get picked on the most, and the folks in the Northeast seem pretty highbrow to us, so we figured we would investigate.
What did we find?
Seems there is something to the anecdotal evidence that we noted above.
The smartest states? Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Go figure.
Mississippi and Louisiana at the bottom, and bang, all stereotypes are in place.
What was odd about the list? California rolling in at 48, for starters. Hawaii and New Mexico rounded out the bottom five.
Our fine state ranks 15th in Safe Home’s rankings of smartest Americans, which uses a different and more complex methodology than pure IQ.
From a pure IQ standpoint, Colorado ranks 20th, The best website we found that parsed the data out in a reader-friendly way is here at datapandas.com.
Fascinating information really and might come in handy if you need to win a bar bet sometime.
We hope you enjoy looking into this, we sure did.
Monthly Award Winners
Our monthly award winners for March were Maria Zapata, Sandra Vidales, Patricia Rodriguez, Nimia Espinoza, and Haydee Espinoza.
In the Team Leader ranks, it was Socorro Ibarra and Natalia Olivas.
We are so proud of our winners, and of all the folks that are in and out of your homes each week.
We are also very appreciative to be a part of your lives and your homes. You provide the platform for our teams to perform, and for that we are grateful.
Please join me in congratulating our best performers for the month of March.
Queen Bee Corner
by Angela
April is Dog Appreciation Month.
Denver Concierge considers every month dog appreciation month. We love dogs great and small. Most love us back. Many of our clients’ dogs greet us eagerly each visit with wagging tails and enthusiastic jumps. Others not so much.
But there are ways to establish an atmosphere of calm co-existence between our teams and all dogs, even those who see us as invaders.
Formally introducing the dog on the first meet and greet shows the dog that these are welcome guests. A dog called by his given name is more likely to respond positively to requests.
Clients may feel the dog would be more at ease in his crate during the clean, or in another room. Long walks are fun as is time spent in the backyard chasing squirrels. A day at the doggy spa can’t be topped.
Doggie biscuits left on the counter are helpful. If the dog is free to roam during the clean, these can be handy in convincing Lilly or Mookie to move to another area and are also valuable to calm loud welcoming barks that may go on a tad too long.
We appreciate the consideration our clients show our ladies by the thoughtful arrangements they make for their furry friends on clean days. We know this can be bothersome. The effort means a great deal to our ladies.
On our part, please rest assured that while we are guests in your home, we treat all your pets with kindness and compassion due to all animals everywhere.
Bee