City Cast Denver

After the announcement of State Sen. Julie Gonzales’ bid to unseat U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, stories emerged alleging Democratic Party insiders tried to deter her from running. Comedian Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dissect the details of Hick’s primary strategy, as well as Denver’s questionable new homeless service provider contracts, disability activists’ lawsuit against RTD, and more wins and fails of the week.  Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor. Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm  Vote for the finalists of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to buy your ticket to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. Vote here and get your tickets now! Paul quoted this Denver Post reporting on RTD’s on-time performance, in which buses “lagged at 83%” as of July of 2025 (On-time performance for light rail recovered to 91% this year). Paul also discussed the Sports Castle and the Denver Summit FC stadium vote.  We mentioned Atlantis ADAPT’s lawsuit against RTD and multiple stories on Denver’s homeless shelter contracts from Denverite’s Kyle Harris. Bree talked about Westwood resident Norma Brambila. Joshua discussed a new Native community-focused housing and healthcare building. What do you think about the Hickenlooper vs. Gonzales race? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Watch clips from the show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver or Instagram @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver Learn more about the sponsors of this December 12th episode: Denver Health Colfax Ave BID Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Use code CITYCAST for $35 off Elizabeth Martinez with PorchLight Real Estate - Do you have a question about Denver real estate? Submit your questions for Elizabeth Martinez HERE, and she might answer in next week’s segment. Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

What gift do you get the Denverite who seems to have everything? Or your friend who suddenly became a minimalist and has, like, no material possessions? Fear not, the Mile High is filled with exciting and unique potential gifts — from newly released books from great local authors to quirky classes they can take! Host Bree Davies is joined by producer Olivia Jewell Love and content creator/political candidate Rayna Kingston to share recommendations for some of the best gifts you can find around Denver this holiday season.  Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor. Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm  Vote for the finalists of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to buy your ticket to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. Vote here and get your tickets now! Where do you like to shop local for holiday gifts? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Rayna mentioned these thrifting accounts for bundled gifts: @thriftgirlieclub and @cherrypickedthreads_. Olivia mentioned some of the neurodivergent friendly programming happening at the Autism Community Store.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Learn more about the sponsors of this December 11th episode: Denver Health Colfax Ave BID Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Use code CITYCAST for $35 off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

Creative takes on the classic martini, pickles on pizza, and … a hotly contested debate over the tipped minimum wage? It was an up and down year for Denverites looking for a good meal at a fair price. ⁠Westword food and drink editor Molly Martin⁠ returns to talk about all the hottest trends, most exciting new restaurants, biggest stories, and best bites of the year with host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi.  Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor.  Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at ⁠https://membership.citycast.fm⁠  ⁠Vote for the finalists⁠ of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to ⁠buy your ticket⁠ to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. ⁠Vote here⁠ and ⁠get your tickets⁠ now! What was your best bite of the year? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Some of the great places we mentioned: ⁠Rougarou⁠ ⁠Boombots⁠ ⁠Semiprecious⁠ ⁠Fellow Traveler⁠ ⁠Molino Chido⁠ ⁠Malinche Audiobar⁠ ⁠Alteño⁠ ⁠Black Cat Restaurant⁠ ⁠Golden Banh Mi⁠ ⁠D’Corazon⁠ ⁠Los Socios Birreria⁠ ⁠Curtis Park Deli⁠ ⁠Odell’s Chef’s Counter⁠ ⁠Sushi by Scratch⁠ ⁠Kizaki⁠ ⁠Hop Alley⁠ ⁠Hong Kong Station⁠ ⁠Istanbul Cafe & Bakery⁠ ⁠Getright’s⁠ ⁠Riot BBQ⁠ ⁠Pig and Tiger⁠ ⁠BearLeek⁠ ⁠Ma’s Kitchen⁠ ⁠Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings⁠ Paul mentioned ⁠the saga of Clever Girl⁠ and the ⁠record low amount⁠ of American adults who say they drink alcohol.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at ⁠denver.citycast.fm⁠. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@citycastdenver⁠ Chat with other listeners on reddit: ⁠r/CityCastDenver⁠ Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠ Learn more about the sponsors of this December 10th episode: ⁠Denver Health⁠ ⁠Colfax Ave BID⁠ ⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST ⁠Aura Frames⁠ - Use code CITYCAST for $35 off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠

State Sen. Julie Gonzales announced yesterday that she’s challenging John Hickenlooper for his seat in the U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a very Denver Democratic primary next June. So, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about how this race reflects the broader divide within the Democratic Party, from Gonzales and Hickenlooper’s respective policy achievements to their approaches to resisting President Trump. Plus, internal city documents reveal just how much influence a wealthy neighbor had over the change to DOTI’s traffic calming plans for Alameda Avenue, and we respond to listener feedback on our interview with RTD CEO Debra Johnson. Bree mentioned the potential redesign of the cloverleaf interchange at Federal Boulevard and Colfax Avenue. Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor.  Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm  Vote for the finalists of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to buy your ticket to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. Vote here and get your tickets now! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think about Gonzales vs. Hickenlooper? Who will you vote for? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this December 9th episode: Denver Health Colfax Ave BID Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Use code CITYCAST for $35 off Cozy Earth - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise

‘Tis the season for holiday markets, ugly sweater parties, and pop-up bars aplenty — but what about the kids? Where do parents and caregivers take the little ones to have fun without breaking the bank? Last year, host Bree Davies sat down with fellow parents Linnea Covington, managing editor at DiningOut, and David Gilbert, writer and local history buff, to come up with a killer list of fun and affordable ways to keep kiddos entertained — from seasonal light displays to free visits with Santa and more. Get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor! You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm  Bree mentioned a video of the old, elaborate holiday displays at the long-demolished Buckingham Square in Aurora. What’s your favorite thing to do with the fam over the holidays? We want to hear from you! Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 There are plenty of things to do for adults, too! Check out our events calendar plus even more news from around the city by subscribing to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm Get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm  Learn more about the sponsors of this December 8th episode: Denver Health Colfax Ave BID Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Aura Frames - Use code CITYCAST for $35 off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise