The Central Business District is the core of many of downtown Denver's largest sectors in banking, energy and law.
Beneath all the skyscrapers and surrounding all the suit-clad men and women rushing between appointments is some of the city's best in dining, bars, shopping, arts and culture.
WHERE EXACTLY IS DENVER CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT?
The district is bounded by Lawrence and 20th streets to the north, Broadway to the east and West Colfax Avenue and Speer Boulevard to the west — smack dab in the middle of everything.
Some of the metro's best-known landmarks reside in the CBD, like the Colorado Convention Center and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
HOTELS, SHOPPING, AND FOOD
It's also a hub of hotels: The Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt Denver, Crowne Plaza Denver, the Ritz-Carlton, Denver Marriott City Center, Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center, The Curtis Hotel and the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa all call the Central Business District home.
Cutting right through the center of the CBD is the 16th Street Mall, an outdoor, walkable shopping center with several big box retailers (like H&M, T.J. Maxx, Ross, Walgreens and Rite Aid), as well as Denver Pavilions, home to 40 cafés, clothing stores, taverns, burger bars and more.
Off the 16th Street Mall, you'll also find some of the best Denver has to offer, including Sam's No. 3 Diner, Panzano, Syrup-Downtown and Guard & Grace. There's also some quaint off-the-beaten path coffee shops, like The Evil Bean.
DENVER CHRISTKINDL MARKET
Until Thursday, Dec. 23, Denver's Christkindl market will be opened on Arapahoe Street.
The market features crafts of vendors from Europe and Colorado. You can find handmade Christmas tree ornaments, jewelry, dolls, and artworks. There's also traditional European food like Bavarian salt pretzels, smoked salmon, European style fries, and Danishes.
Denver Christkindlmarket
HISTORICAL DOWNTOWN
If you want to take a look at CBD in the late 1900s, click on each photo in the gallery below to see when and where it was taken.
HISTORICAL LANDMARKS AND MUSEUMS
Paramount Theater on Glenarm Place was built in 1930 by architect Temple Buell. It was declared a historic landmark by the city in 1988. Another nationally registered landmark is the Daniels and Fisher Clock Tower that was built in 1911. At the time, the 393 ft. tower was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi. The recently renovated top five floors are now used for weddings and parties.
If you have a few minutes downtown, check out the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank. It has free admission and there's a few hands-on activities for kids. Plus, visitors can take bags of shredded bills as souvenirs.
Another cool museum downtown is the Denver Firefighters Museum. Housed in the original Station One, the two-story firehouse built in 1909 shows the history of the Denver Fire Department through artifacts and photographs.
THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE OF THE DISTRICT
Living near all that hustle and bustle is far from cheap: The CBD is the most expensive neighborhood to rent in the city, with a median rent of $2,000 per month, according to Zumper. Homes there have a median price of $575,000, according to Trulia.
