June Newsletter 2023
Happy Independence Day
247 years ago.
It’s been a long time since our great country formed its independence. Sadly, with all the strife and issues in our modern society, it is easy to forget the struggles we had to overcome together to survive as long as we have as a nation.
We are here today to share our appreciation for our country, its freedoms, and the liberties we all have thanks to the sacrifices made nearly 250 years ago by our independent and very stubborn forefathers.
In the words of French officer and American army volunteer Marquis de Lafayette,
“The happiness of America is intimately connected with the happiness of all mankind; she is destined to become the safe and venerable asylum of virtue, of honesty, of tolerance, and quality and of peaceful liberty.”
We love that quote, and we love our country, even with all its current challenges.
Many of us don’t realize that the Revolutionary War lasted nearly eight long years and we were massive underdogs against what was then the largest and most powerful military in the world, the British.
We sincerely hope you get to celebrate a wonderful holiday with your families this weekend and on Tuesday.
In that spirit, we will be closed on Tuesday but will be operating on Monday as usual. Odd holiday timing, but fortunate for our Monday clients who always get the short straw on holidays it seems.
Meanwhile, happy birthday to our great nation. We thank you, our clients and partners for allowing us to prosper in it alongside you.
Happy 4th of July!!!
Casa Bonita Returns
Nothing like a good old-fashioned Denver institution making a comeback.
Since then, they have invested $40 million into restoration and renovation, which is not a typo.
The duo has had a long love affair with Casa Bonita, even featuring it on a season seven episode of South Park.
Dinner tickets are $39.99 for adults and $24.99 for kids aged 3-12. Ticket purchases also come with a 15% service charge.
Only eight people per group can get tickets at one time. Tickets must be purchased online and are final sales only, non-refundable, and non-transferable.
It sounds like things are much better, yet familiar which is the way they should be.
We look forward to getting in and watching some cliff divers very soon!
Bravo to the South Park guys for restoring a Denver institution. Now, let’s just hope the food has improved, we bet it has.
Denver’s Best Neighborhood
Yes, it is that time again when 5280 Magazine unveils Denver’s best neighborhoods.
As they do each year, they followed a specific methodology which includes home sale prices, crime data, school ratings, and an X-factor score.
The winner?
Wash Park, followed by Hilltop, Berkeley, West Highland, and Cherry Creek.
You might recall we featured the 2022 list recently and those ranks were as follows: Wellshire. Belcaro, Wash Park, Platt Park, and City Park.
Quite the churn really, and congrats to Wash Park for moving up two spots to number one in 2023.
From the article regarding methodology: “Our ranking is based on four variables: home prices, crime data, school rankings, and an X factor score that accounts for things that can’t be as easily quantified, such as access to open space, public transportation, and restaurants and shops.”
“Each category is weighted: 30 percent for year-over-year percentage change in home values; 25 percent for safety; 15 percent for neighborhood school ratings; and 30 percent for the X factor. Our initial list of 78 neighborhoods (which was whittled down to 75, as you’ll read below) is based on the city of Denver’s official map. That’s why you won’t see areas like LoHi or RiNo listed; officially, they’re not considered their own neighborhoods, despite what locals might say.”
Lists like this always stimulate thought and debate, the complete article can be found here.
We love all the neighborhoods in Denver, especially the ones we clean in!!!
Outdoor Music Venues
We love a great concert, even better at a place like Red Rocks, which we are incredibly lucky to have so close.
Of course, when considering outdoor music venues, that is the first place that pops into mind, but there are so many more across our fine state that we wanted to make you all aware of.
We also are all probably aware of Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, which holds 17,000 people and gets a lot of big acts.
What about smaller venues?
For example, did you know that the Denver Botanic Gardens has a concert series? 10 evenings over June, July, and August, as well as local musicians playing during the week.
We also have seen shows at Levitt Pavilion, which is a non-profit venue offering 50 free concerts a year.
How about the Mishawaka venue near Fort Collins, pictured above? It started as a dance hall after motorcyclist and musician Walter S. Thompson stumbled across the site in 1916.
We are so fortunate to have these wonderful venues and many more to attend concerts at.
The complete list of the “13 Best outdoor music venues” by 5280 can be found here.
We hope you get a chance to enjoy these wonderful and iconic venues in 2023!
What Is “Wealthy” In Denver?
Being “wealthy” has a different connotation for almost all of us.
It is also impacted by the area we live in, as a dollar will go a lot farther in some places than in others.
So, what makes one “wealthy” in Denver? Well, Charles Schwab did a survey of Denver residents to find that out.
“But those same people said that to be “considered wealthy,” it takes an average net worth closer to $2.5 million.”
There you have it. From an opinion standpoint, at least.
What about how far our dollars go here?
Well, that is where it gets interesting. For example, in New York City, $250,000 income is effectively just short of $83,000 after factoring in the cost of living and taxes, the bottom of the list.
The place where your dollar goes furthest? Look no further than Memphis, TN, where $250k gives you roughly $180K in purchasing power.
We found the complete study by Smart Asset to be very informative about the real value of a dollar, by city.
Denver comes in at 55th, which means $250k here effectively is worth about $150k.
The complete study can be found here, and was quite eye-opening!
Monthly Award Winners
Our monthly award winners for May were Guadalupe Caloca, Maria Zapata, Josefina Quinonez, Maria Concepcion Reyes, and Sandra Vidales.
In the Team Leader ranks, it was Mayra Soto and Isela Mendoza.
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 May.
Queen Bee Corner
by Angela
In the early days of Denver Concierge, we were less discerning than we are today.
We accepted jobs in outlying areas that sometimes meant a drive time of 2 hours one way. We accepted apartment move-out cleans where the teams had to wade through empty pizza boxes and dirty dishes. We cleaned offices and we cleaned the common areas of apartment buildings.
Then, gradually through the years, we developed a style more suited to the skills of our employees; a style that offers them a safe and attractive cleaning environment in some of the most beautiful homes in Denver, while allowing the company to thrive.
We brought our service area closer to Denver and the South, focusing on single-family homes cleaned on a regular basis. The clients became part of the Denver Concierge family.
We pride ourselves on quality over quantity. With respect to our employees, we are very selective in who we hire to work alongside them. We are careful to bring in new clients who we feel will appreciate and respect our employees’ hard work.
This is Denver Concierge today. We’ve come a long way.
Bee