The small city of Edgewater is a city on the edge that, quite literally, sprung from the earth. When a farmer in 1861 named Thomas Sloan went to dig a well, he got a lot more than he had bargained for, 200 acres more. His entire farm went under. With the development of Fort Logan twenty years later, Edgewater’s main route, Sheridan Boulevard, brought traffic along the waterfront. As residents settled along Sheridan Boulevard and the water’s edge, a small development began to form.  

The Foundation of a City

By 1889 Edgewater was on the map as a resort town when it opened Manhattan Beach on its northwest shore. Manhattan Beach was the largest amusement park west of the Mississippi. The construction of the West End Street Railroad the following year, which ran along 29th Avenue to Sheridan Boulevard, became a Denver artery. Eventually Elitch Gardens and Lakeside Amusement Park lead to the closure of Manhattan Beach in 1914. Even so, the foundation of a city was laid.

In 1904 Edgewater became a city. The muddy streets and saloons that were Edgewater were restructured into wooden boardwalks, the well was replaced by piped water, streets were named, and telephone and electric lines were laid.  

Edgewater in the 1960s was blocked-in by the newly annexed cities of Wheat Ridge and Lakewood and its grand lake. But the 1970s saw Sheridan Boulevard in Edgewater’s city district lined with restaurants and shops. In the 1980s and 1990s, this meant that Edgewater’s less than 1 square mile area was to remain a quaint and tiny speck on the water’s edge with a view of the increasingly growing city of Denver beyond its waterfront.

Edgewater's Future is Bright

Today, the quaintness of this little city is on the edge again. Its location is ideal. It is just outside of Denver’s city limits, reachable by several RTD routes and sandwiched by I-70 to the north and 6th Avenue to the south. It boasts the second largest park in Denver (only City Park is larger), and the only park with such a waterfront presence. With a 2 ½ mile paved shoreline hedged by trees and several parks, Edgewater is prone to become an attractive real estate hit.

New Era Group can find your place in a quaint and up-and-coming little gem, if you’re interested in becoming part of an emerging, hip town with an edge.

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Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to clean out over-congested closets, downsize your family’s belongings and simplify all of the stuff in your home? As we wind down the first 30 days of the New Year are you feeling overwhelmed on where to start your de-cluttering mission and already feeling defeated from this never-ending home project? As stacks of your kids’ school projects continue to pile up and holiday gifts stay scattered throughout your house, don’t give up now on trying to accomplish a clean and neat home. Instead, clear the clutter one step and one day at a time with the following easy-to-execute home de-cluttering tips.

Tip One: Dedicate One Bag Per Week to Donate

To help manage the abundance of stuff that builds up throughout your home after the holidays, focus on one area of your home at a time to clean out and de-clutter. Whether it’s your children’s toy boxes, a hall closet or laundry room shelves, pick one thing at a time to organize and designate one trash bag or box per week to collect all of the items that are ready for donation. Your goal should be to fill at least one donation bag each week, as you really can only start organizing your home after you purge everything that is no longer used or needed in your household.

Tip Two: Adopt the One In, One Out Policy

To manage the influx of gifts and goods that are brought into your house throughout the year, it’s important to set up a “One In, One Out” policy for your household. For every new book, toy, stuffed animal or pair of shoes that comes into the door, one existing counterpart must be sent to the donation pile. This system helps eliminate the tendency for old toys, clothes and equipment to pile up in the corners around your home, yard and garage.

Tip Three: Tackle Your Pantry One Shelf at a Time

A large pantry can be a huge asset when it comes to the marketability of your home. But, when you are living in your home day-to-day, a pantry can quickly turn into overstuffed shelves stocked with everything from canned goods to screw drivers. To help manage the mayhem of an overflowing pantry, designate the space for kitchen-only items such as dry goods, seldom used appliances and paper goods. Label each shelf in your pantry with the items that belong there and add baskets or bins to collect small items. It also can be helpful and economical to organize food items by expiration dates so you use the oldest canned vegetables from the shelf first, minimizing the waste of expired goods.

Tip Four: Stick to Only What You Need

When items go on sale or you shop at discount warehouses like Costco or Sam’s Club, it can be really tempting to pick up five pounds of lettuce, a 100 pack of batteries or 24 pairs of athletic socks. At face value, you may really be getting a deal when buying in bulk. But, if you don’t have an organized place to store all of your items or you can’t possibly eat the amount of food you bought before it expires, you end up losing track of items like batteries in the junk drawer, throwing away half of the lettuce that wilts before it’s eaten and mix matching your socks while doing laundry. At the end of the day, it’s better for your bank account and your home’s state of organization to just stick with regular weekly shopping trips where you buy only what your family can consume in the shorter amount of time. 

Tip Five: Start Dedicating Time Today a Clutter-Free Home

If your home is still in a state of despair after the holiday season has been long gone, it is time to start taking some organization action by cleansing your house of last year’s clutter. Today is the day to start making room for all of the new things you received and kicking off the New Year enjoying your living space once again. By breaking down your tasks into one step, one room and one week at a time, you can more easily manage your home de-cluttering project and start seeing progress a lot more quickly.

Keeping your home clutter-free going forward also can help minimize the stress down the road when you are ready to prepare your home for sale. When you’re ready to downsize into a downtown Denver condo or loft or upsize into a larger Suburban home to accommodate your growing family, give the Denver metro area real estate experts at New Era Group a call. We can help you find the perfect home with all of the storage and space you need to live a clutter-free and organized lifestyle.

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One of Denver and Colorado’s long standing institutions is the Tattered Cover. Enduring through the multiple years of merging conglomerates and consolidations, the tiny little piece of Denver withstood all of it. When books moved to digital, it may have seemed like the end then too. With bookstores as large as several football fields popping up in the 1990s, the Tattered Cover remained the little book store that could and indeed did.

Joyce Meskis opened the first store in Cherry Creek North on Second Avenue. With two employees working the 950sqft store the Tattered Cover expanded over the next ten years. The first Tattered Cover Book Store opened in Cherry Creek North on Second Avenue. By January 1983, Meskis was opening a second location just one block east of the first store and three years later, the entire store was moved there. In 1990 the LoDo store on 16th and Wynkoop was opened. The book stores became cafés four years later. In 2004, the tattered Cover opened its Highlands Ranch location. By now, the LoDo store had expanded to over 20,000sqft and was regularly featuring prominent writers at its event space that could seat over 300 people. The Tattered Cover saw a lot of changes in 2006 when it closed its Cherry Creek store and moved to Colfax.

A Spirit of Independence

This little monumental book store celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2011 and today continues to inspire a spirit of independence. In the author circles, this little book store is a beacon of light, a resource of care and love for, not just books, but the people who write them, all of which Joyce Meskis has nurtured through the years like her own children. Today, the little book store has grown to be the largest independent book store in the nation and this year you will find the Tattered Cover even at the airport at the terminal B course.

Instead of folding, the Tattered Cover continued to expand and relocate. From its lean and meager beginnings, today, the Tattered Cover stands as a monument for independent bookstores around the nation and worldwide. Akin to the battles of microbreweries vs. big beer or Walmart vs Tom’s Grocery store, the tattered cover has fought off, not only Walmart, but Barnes and Noble, the era of mall bookstores such as Waldens and the likes of Borders and Daltons, all of which have been closing in the last five years.

Not bad for a little store. But I doubt such a story could have unfolded in just any other city.

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If you’ve weathered the recent cold winter storms that have blanketed the Denver metro area over the past few weeks by staying cooped up inside your home, you might be ready to step outside of your comfort zone to update the interior of your living quarters. After all of the holiday decorations have been put away for another year, your home may feel a little empty, lifeless and mundane. If so, the New Year is the perfect time to incorporate new designs, decorations and furniture arrangements to spice up your home’s interior. To help you warm up the inside of your home this winter, we’re sharing some of the latest hot trends in the industry for 2014.

Hot Interior Design Trends

To keep a pulse on what’s happening nationally in the home interior industry, The Wall Street Journal has compiled the following list of hottest trends for in-home design, as well as ones that may be better left out in the cold. The top five hottest trends for 2014 to melt away the drab, dark spaces that have taken up residence in your home this winter include:

• Macramé and Fiber-Art Wall Hangings: Professionals see this design accessory as an alternative to wallpaper and a less expensive option than hanging fine art on your walls.
• Window Sheers: Heavy drapes are being replaced with lighter, more transparent curtains that let more natural light into your home, which is abundant in most days of the year in our sunny state of Colorado. 
• Corduroy Upholstery: Whether it’s covering an office couch or a leisure living room chair, corduroy is one of the top upholstery options for contemporary, trendy living spaces this year.
• Venetian Marbled-Paper Prints: Industry professionals believe this unique style will be seen on a variety of accessories, including wallpaper, silk-screened linens and porcelain.
• Deco Hues: Bright colors are hot this year, while muted gray colors are taking a back seat in home design.

Design Trends Better Left in the Cold

As this year’s hottest trends hit the interior design scene, some old ones have to hit the road to make room for the newbies. Some trends that are being left behind this year include:

• Ikat Prints: A form of textile decoration, this Bohemian vibe design has been seen in the past on pillows, prints, rugs and kitchen towels. However, this once popular trend is now taking a back burner for 2014.
• All-White Kitchens: While white kitchens are seen as being clean and neat, more people are opting to add a splash of color to their kitchens to make this central hub of the home more vibrant and alive.
• Woodland Creatures: Decorative animals from nature such as owls, deer and foxes are being shelved this year, leading the way for more lively nature accessories such as fig trees and green plants. 
• Books Reduced to Décor: Rather than stacking lifeless books in a pre-designed tower on your table, books (traditional and electronic) are better seen actually being read and enjoyed by you and your family.
• The Belgian Look: Described by professionals as what a hotel lobby looks like, manufactured antiques, linen upholstery and neutral tones have seen better days.

For complete descriptions on what’s hot and what’s not for interior design this year, the complete WSJ’s Top Ten Interior Design Trends for 2014 is available online. Use these trends as guidelines to warm up your house this winter by transforming your old, lifeless house into a new vibrant home for the New Year. And, when you’re ready to put your trendy home on the market, contact the real estate experts at New Era Group. They can help you find the trendiest home in the most popular Denver neighborhoods.

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If you haven’t heard yet, that great deli, Master Piece Delicatessen, is opened for business in downtown Denver. The new location at the Wells Fargo Center, at 1710 Sherman Street is way bigger, two-and-a-half times the size of the original deli on 1575 Central Street. The new store has a real kitchen with a walk in cooler and all those things that a real restaurant has. The new location can be rented out at night to groups of 50 and under. If you’d rather have your party at home, well, the new deli allows for catering. The new store will continue its lunch box delivery all over the greater Denver area and as far as Colorado Springs, as well as an addition of a delivery driver who will deliver their regular sandwiches within a one mile radius.

“Soon after we opened the first Master Piece,” Chef Justin Brunson explains, “we knew there was going to be a second, but we just didn’t know when it was going to happen.”

New Denver Location Serves up Success!

The two young chefs, Justin Brunson and Steve Allee began in the kitchen of the now defunct Lancer Lounge. The space was cramped to say the least, but it was a launching pad. Not even a year later, the deli opened its doors at the Center Street location. With hot plates and some ingenious maneuvering, the cramped little deli began to pack customers.  

“It’s the same menu but the difference is the décor and the size. With three terminals we can get people through much faster. At the original deli we are slowed down by the bottleneck from the lines, the small cooking area and one register to work from. We would add to the old store, but there’s just nowhere to put it. Using hot plate vs gas at the new place is also an extraordinary change.”

And people have definitely been coming in to see the new deli, doing twice the business than the original location right off the bat. Of course, with so many offices having 40,000 employees within 40 blocks helps. Though it was difficult opening up during the holidays, Master Piece is looking forward to the spring business. But the Uptown store is just one of many to come. The duo plans to open several more stores throughout Colorado within the next five years.

“We did it to get our food out there for more people, to create jobs and more business; all those great things that come with opening a business.” Concluded Chef Justin.

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As the housing market begins to get back on its feet, houses are starting to sell and that means appraisers are back in business. But what exactly is an appraiser looking for? Matt Mcwhoter who owns Ask Appraisals LLC in Indianapolis, Indiana has provided us below with some valuable insight into their thinking and process. Though housing markets vary from state to state, appraisers generally are looking for the same things. There are certainly more comprehensive lists out there to follow, but here are some personal notes from a seasoned appraiser...

Curb Appeal

The way your house looks from the street is very important. But if you spend 20k or 30k on landscaping which is easy to do, this added amount most likely won't show up in the appraisal. It is good if the home owner knows that I’m not going to add 20k extra to the property value. All that landscaping is essentially labor and plants and those bushes and trees may get ripped out or die next year.

People feel that if they have a 100k home and show a receipt for 70k worth of work that showing the receipt is enough to raise the appraisal. As you may have guessed, it doesn’t work that way. An appraiser has to find this out themselves. In essence, the market says this house is worth this on this date, not tomorrow. I look at other homes in the area and what they sold for, not listed for, because you can list a house for anything — the value is in the sale of the house.

Adjustments can be done on about anything, but an appraiser has to explain the adjustment. I made an adjustment for a pool once for $20,000 adding it to the house, but it was an $80,000 swimming pool.

Sometimes in a neighborhood I can find five or six houses that are the same house, with little differences. As an example, if you are selling a house that you took from 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft, I will find other houses in the neighborhood that are similar. I’ll make an adjustment for the extra 500 feet. However, I’m not adjusting at $100 a square foot, but rather at $25 — a quarter of what it costs to build (note: this ratio varies and depends on many factors). So in this example, that 500 sq ft on a $200,000 home would be about a $12,500 adjustment, moving the appraised price to $212,500. This is of course in an ideal world, where there were nothing different between the two houses, but that’s never the case.

As an appraiser, people try to sell me all the time on water softeners or appliances, but really those thing don't matter that much. In the grand scheme of things, I’m looking the quality of construction. Like, is your house all brick, siding, wood plank—is it well built? The way I look at it, you’re buying the floor plan not the paint.

Let the other people drag you up

Be careful when you buy a house that has been upgraded. You never want to be the biggest or most expensive in the neighborhood. You want those houses to drag you up. We have to be bracketed. I have to have a house bigger or smaller to appraise it. If it’s two baths, I like to have at least one house that is the same in the neighborhood in order to make a good estimate. In essence, I am trying to take a snapshot of the market.

You don’t want to over improve and price yourself out of the neighborhood. Builders build houses within a price range. You don’t want to have a 500k home in a 200k neighborhood. If all the houses in the neighborhood sell at 200k you can’t put your house for sale at 300k because you put a 75k kitchen in your house. Let the other people drag you up. As the big guy’s value increases, so does yours, so make your improvements but don’t go wild.

If your house was for sale and there is a house sold recently nearby that matches it, that house is what an appraiser will use as a reliable indicator of value. We call that "matched pair analysis".

You can’t plan for everyone

No matter what you do to sell your house, not everyone will love it. Now if someone feels that a small master closet was too small; well, too bad. Every house in an area was built by the same builder and the master closets are going to be the same. And going out to just make your closet bigger may not be worth the expense. The things that matter a lot are the bedrooms, baths and square footage. In addition, basements, patios, fireplaces, ponds, vistas and size of lot also factor in. The nit picked finishes, lighting, and upgraded carpet don't have a huge impact on appraisals because the appraiser doesn’t know what the comparable is.

Do what you want with your home. You live there for 10 years and then, when it’s time to sell you decide to fix it up for someone else? Why not make it nice for yourself? Very rarely has anyone walked into a house and said, "I love it. I’m going to keep it this way". Unless someone is doing a custom build, they're probably going to make adjustments to the house they buy.

Check out your competition

Competition in this case would be the other homes in your neighborhood. Realtors have open houses, go to them and if you see all the kitchens in the last five years have had rehab work and yours is still a 1970’s model, then remodel the kitchen.

You don’t want to be the only 1970’s Brady-Bunch kitchen. People blame appraisers, because people think we can just pull numbers out, but I have to see what houses sold within a year, so the price you knew about two years ago — can’t use it.

You can’t "cherry pick" neighborhoods to find the same house at a higher price; usually it’s about 1 mile or maybe 5 if the area is a bit more rural. Going online and seeing the same house as yours but in a different county at 40k more is just not the same.

For an appraiser the bank is the client, not the homeowner, so we can't discuss the appraisal. But if you get a good one, you might get some general information or a good direction to look at.

Don’t sacrifice your home — live in it how you want to

It amazes me that people do not know if they want upgrade the garage or office. But if you work from home, build in the place you’re in most of the time — the office. Who cares if the garage is nice but you’re never out there. If you’re a chef, spend it where you want it — in the kitchen. Do what is interesting to you while you live there. And make sure what you want is doable.

If you put your house up for sale and you have a kid and his room is painted Disney world; well, take it down to earth tones because it’s easier for buyers to picture their own kids in there. They may not like Disney. They’re going to be changing things anyway. Do what you want to do, not what you believe has the most value. Trends change.

If you are about to have your house appraised, call the New Era Group. We can answer your questions and help set you up for true success with buying or selling your home.

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Don’t be duped by this year’s warm fall. This winter’s forecast is going to be cold and wet and you should be prepared. An Accuweather report on this winter predicts bitter cold and a snow-buried Rockies. That’s great news for skiers, and it’s a welcomed forecast for our thirsty croplands, but it should be a warning to be prepared.

A Winter-Safe House

You would think your home is shelter enough. But what if your power goes out due to an ice or snowstorm? If you have a fireplace and dry wood, you’re better off already. Even so, if you have an electric stove, you won’t be able to warm up food and warm food is the best means to keeping your inner body core heated. Keep canned foods and extra jugs of water stored, as well as dry goods like oatmeal and dry fruits and nuts. Check your batteries in all flashlights and be sure to stow away some candles with matches just in case. A good suggestion is to place matches in a plastic Ziplock bag to keep them dry. You should also add extra cell phone batteries in the bag. If a felled tree damages your roof, isolate yourself in one room, covering all the windows blocking off the bottom of the door to keep the warm air in.

The difference between surviving or not comes with a simple scout’s motto: Be Prepared. Now is the time to check your batteries and flashlights, buy extra batteries, get propane containers and check camping stoves. At home you have the luxury of having extra towels and blankets throughout the house, but what about your car?

Car Safety Tips in the Cold

You should always have a first aid kit available in your car summer or winter. But in addition to that, you should keep a sleeping bag and blankets along with some basic camping gear such as matches. Military Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) are a great way to keep imperishable foods in your car. If you should get stranded or have an accident while driving in the mountains, MREs are perfect.

A small camping stove could easily be the difference between survival or not. The main thing is to stay warm and dry. But mountain conditions can become extreme very quickly. Stay in your car. Your car is your shelter. As long as you have your equipment and you stay dry, you can survive for days and that could mean the difference between going home alive. Make sure you have several, full propane canisters and a camping stove. Not only can you use the stove to cook a warm meal, but also to melt snow for water.

A car cover is also a great means to up your chances of survival. Paint or stitch a bright X on the top, inside part of the car cover. Should you find yourself stranded, placing the car cover with the X out gives rescuers something to see in the blanket of white snow and covering the car keeps the cold wind out and the warm air in.

Women should be especially prepared for the cold. A UC Berkeley study reports that women make up two-thirds of the deaths after a cold spell.

Don’t forget your folks

The elderly and the infirm are most susceptible to cold weather. So once you’ve fulfilled your own home and car safety, make sure you’re elderly family members and neighbors are also safe and ready for any winter mishaps.

The New Era Group hopes you have a warm and safe winter this cold season.

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It’s amazing the difference a day can make when you live in Denver.  In the past 24 hours temperatures dropped, ice filled the streets, and snow covers just about everything.  

Those of us who have lived in Denver know this is just a quick cold spell and that our 300+ days of sunshine weather will soon arrive to warm things up again.  But until that happens we wanted to share a few great spots to celebrate the snow and chill with food drink, and a fireplace.

So for our clients and fans here is a quick rundown of a 7 great spots to spend a chilly night in Denver: (in no particular order)

Colt and Grey Restaurant, located in the Platte River area is a great destination for a couple of reasons.  First, they have a reputation for an excellent mixology team that can whip up a belly warming cocktail and second, if you can snag a seat they have a wonderful little fireplace.

Highland Garden Café in the Highlands has great food, ambiance and warmth.  Designed in an old Victorian house the Highland Garden café offers multiple rooms of dining and with more than one chance to be seated and eat next to a fireplace.

Barolo Grill offers amazing Italian food in a warm and cozy atmosphere with a few select tables close to their fireplace.  Call ahead if you want a seat though, Barolo is almost always full and during a snowstorm you might have a hard time getting one of these coveted spots.

The Bull and Bush in Glendale is one of those dark and cozy spots where you can take in some casual fare and enjoy a cocktail with friends.  The fireplace is just a bonus when you want to seek comfort away from the chill of winter.

Ernies Bar and Grill in the Highlands is a great spot to grab some pizza, fresh made salads, or pasta and a glass of wine or beer with friends.  It’s even better if you can find a spot close to the fireplace as you enjoy this Highlands favorite.

If what warms your belly during these winter months is a glass of great wine you can find the fireplace and a great wine selection at Caveau Wine Bar in Uptown. 

If an Irish Stout is more to your liking or you are already downtown the famous Fado Irish Pub is a great place to gather with friends and find warmth, drinks, food, fun, and of course a fireplace.

So celebrate the snow Denver and we hope this quick list of some great fireplace warming huts across Denver will help you plan your next outing.

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As inventory remains low and monthly rents continue to rise, the rental market in the Denver metro area is providing lucrative investment opportunities for landlords across the city. However, The Denver Post reported earlier this month that one Denver area in particular has been identified by a recent RealtyTrac report as among one of the Top 25 Hipster Zips in the country.

The 80218 Denver zip code was identified by the report as one of the hottest areas in the Mile High City for rentals and one of the best places in the country for landlords to invest their time and money. With boundaries of East 21st Avenue to the north and East 1st Avenue to the south, as well as York Street to the east and Grant Street to the west, the 80218 zip code includes some of the most sought-after trendiest neighborhoods in the city such as Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, City Park West and Uptown.

The 80218 Caters to Hip, Younger Generation

According to Census information, the 80218 zip code includes a majority population of 25-39 year olds who live in either single-person or dual households. Located in the heart of downtown and bordering the upscale Cherry Creek residential and retail neighborhoods, the 80218 area is only steps away from trendy restaurants, happening nightlife establishments and tasty coffee shops.

The top five popular restaurants in this zip code, according to UrbanSpoon include:

• WaterCourse in the Uptown Neighborhood at 837 E 17th Ave.

• Pho on 6th in the Country Club Neighborhood at 1312 E. 6th Ave.

• Wokano Asian Bistro in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood at 1078 Ogden St.

• Potager in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood at 1109 Ogden St.

• Fruition in the Country Club Neighborhood at 1313 E 6th Ave.  

UrbanSpoon also lists the following top five popular coffee shops in this area:

• Dazbog Coffee in the Capitol Hill and Uptown Neighborhoods at 1201 E. 9th Ave. and 1100 E 17th Ave.

• Illegal Grounds Coffeehouse in the Uptown Neighborhood at 925 East 17th Ave.

• Caffe Sanora in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood at 1201 East Colfax Ave.

• Denver Bicycle Cafe in the City Park Neighborhood at 1308 E. 17th Ave.

• Novo Coffee in the Country Club Neighborhood at 1700 E 6th Ave.

New Developments Capitalize on Trendy Rental Market

To capitalize on the demand for rentals in and around the Downtown Denver area, developers have recently announced plans or are beginning construction on various mixed-used projects that are combining apartments and condos with high-end retail and commercial space. Some of the most recently announced construction projects include:

• ENV Denver at 1000 Speer Boulevard will include a 16-story apartment building with 224 units, 5 floors of parking, a recreation center and pool on the 6th floor, as well as four townhome units on the first two floors facing Cherokee St. 2

• The Cherry Creek East Neighborhood will feature a 297 unit apartment project at 360 South Monroe St. The 8-story building will cover two-thirds of a block and include structured parking. 2

• The Steele Creek retail and apartment project on the southeast corner of 1st Ave. and Steele St. will include 218 rental apartments and about 17,000 square feet of retail space.  

• While new condo developments are scarce in and around downtown, you can head just west of the downtown to Jefferson Park where 21 condominiums are underway at the CLAY/28th development. Or, just North of the city, 27 city-living brownstones are being developed at The Glenarm building (2137 Glenarm), which is located at the edge of Denver’s downtown high rises.

If you’re considering the options of investing in the Denver rental market, trends and reports are pointing toward rental opportunities in the neighborhoods in and around the 80218 zip code.  If you need help pinpointing the best rental properties to invest in, give the Denver real estate experts at New Era Realty a call. They can help you find the best Denver rental investments in the high demand Downtown Denver neighborhoods of Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, City Park West, Uptown and Cherry Creek.

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As the holiday season comes alive in the Mile High City this weekend, it’s a great time to get out of hibernation after your Thanksgiving Day feast and spend a day out on the town.  Take time this weekend to fuel your holiday spirit with a fun-filled day of soaking in holiday cheer and enjoying your favorite winter pastimes. We have put together the following sample weekend-after Thanksgiving agenda to help you close out Turkey week by kicking off the 2013 holiday season in Mile High style. 

Start Out the Day with a Holiday Brunch

If you’re burned out on leftover turkey sandwiches and pumpkin pie, it’s time to switch gears into the holiday season by enjoying one of the many winter brunches offered throughout the Downtown Denver area. Some notable brunches in the trendy LoHi neighborhood that are worth trying include Root Down, LoHi Steakbar, Gallop Café, LOLA’s and the Duo Restaurant. Fuel up on crepes, benedicts, omelets and pastries at your favorite LoHi or Downtown Denver neighborhood restaurant before heading out on the town for a day of Mile High holiday activities, glittering lights and cheer.

Get Active on Denver’s Outdoor Skating Rink

One of Downtown Denver’s favorite winter pastimes, The Southwest Rink at Skyline Park, is a must-experience holiday experience for all residents and visitors of the Mile High City. Offering free ice skating for the community starting November 29, this fun family-friendly ice rink is a unique and active way to experience the downtown area. After you enjoy your morning brunch, grab your parka, a pair of gloves and lace up your skates to spend the afternoon gliding your way into a happy holiday season.

Warm Up with a Piping Hot Holiday Beverage

An ice skating experience is never complete until you warm your body and soul with a hot cocoa, coffee or afternoon tea. The 16th Street Mall is lined with delicious beverage options ranging from various Starbucks, Ink! and Caribou coffee shops. Or, if you want to make your warm beverage endeavor even more special, consider heading over to the Brown Palace Tea Room for a traditional European Afternoon Tea experience you won’t regret. This popular afternoon tea tradition includes a variety of loose leaf hot tea options that are coupled with fresh scones, pastries and tea sandwiches. Just make sure to arrange for reservations before going downtown as the holiday season is one of the Brown Palace’s busiest times of the year.

Have a Seat with Old St. Nick

To round out the afternoon, the next stop on your holiday tour should be the Pavilions where you can relax and enjoy entertainment, shopping and visits with Santa. While children get their photos taken with jolly old St. Nick, adults can enjoy live holiday music on Nov. 29 and 30 from the a cappella group, The Mistletones and The Rocky Mountain Steel Band’s holiday steel drum performance.

Save the Best Winter in the City Attraction for Last

Downtown Denver will unveil its holiday sparkle this weekend throughout the city as colorful lights will run through the 16th Street Mall and the 14th Street District to Denver’s historic D&F Tower, Larimer Square, the Denver Pavilions and Union Station. But, the granddaddy of the Mile High City holiday lights will once again be the 9NEWS Light the Lights event when the City and County Building comes alive for the holiday season with thousands of sparkling lights illuminating the city. This grand lighting event on Nov. 29 will include live performances starting at 6 p.m. and will conclude with a countdown to the lighting ceremony at 6:45 p.m. If you want to make a night out of the holiday light displays across the city, you can opt for a special horse drawn carriage ride down the 16th Street Mall area or you can snuggle into a Pedi-Cab for a fun and exciting holiday light tour.

The Mile High City will be buzzing with holiday excitement, bright cheer and colorful decorations this weekend to officially kick off the holiday season. Don’t miss out on making special memories with your friends or new traditions with your family by spending the day enjoying all that our winter wonderland city has to offer during the holiday season.

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