L’Asie Fusion Bistro
July 19th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Restaurant Reviews
Our newest favorite Asian restaurant is L’Asie Fusion Bistro.
We’ve tried it twice and both times it was wonderful. My husband like Aisan food better than I do, but I’ve been pleased and lucky with all of the dishes I’ve ordered at L’Asie. The restaurant is in the old Emma’s space and has been open for a little over a year. Menu items are a fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai. The eclectic blending of dishes and spices makes for an explosion on your palate.
They also have a fun and crazy drink menu of “fou fou” drinks that are sold two for one. You may want to consider splitting your drink order, they are large, sweet and for me had plenty of alcohol. Wine is two for one as well.
Order the appetizer sampler plate for a terrific variety of snacks, but remember to leave room for your main dish. The first time we went to L’Asie, I was so full I could hardly eat my fish, and it was delicious!
L’Asie is at 603 E. 6th Avenue heading out from downtown towards Cherry Creek. You can usually find parking on 6th or on one of the side streets. They say you don’t need reservations, but both times we went there we’d made them at the last minute, and were happy we did.
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Gretchen Faber’s Top 10
July 1st, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Random Thoughts
Hi there! My name is Gretchen Faber, the author of LifeStyle Denver.
In case you haven’t had the opportunity to view my bio yet, I thought I’d give you a little background and tell you about my favorite things to do in Denver for the Fourth of July.
I sell Denver real estate, a profession I’ve loved for over 12 years. Denver is a fabulous city, with so many great neighborhoods. If you’re around Denver this coming weekend - here are a few of my favorite things to do over Independence Day:
1. Cherry Creek Arts Festival: Our central Denver neighborhood of Cherry Creek hosts the annual Arts Festival every Fourth of July. It’s a three day event with hundreds of booths and exhibits. This is no craft fair, it’s a juried show of some top artists throughout the U.S. You can also enjoy the Culinary Arts demonstrations, the kids’ creation area and several outdoor concerts.
2. Colorado Rockies: Every year the Rockies host a fireworks exhibit after the July 4th game, and this year is no exception. My son loves going to this game with his dad. We’re playing the Marlins, and the games with fireworks are on the 3rd and 4th at 6:05 pm. We need a couple of wins!
3. Four Mile Historic Park: Pioneer exhibits and Denver’s oldest standing structure. This place is a blast for the little kids, and interesting for adults with an appetite for history. Don’t miss the horse-drawn carriage rides!
4. Red Rocks: Looking for more adult entertainment? Blues Traveler/Live/Collective Soul are playing at Red Rocks. What a night! I just checked, and tickets are still available.
5. Santa Fe Arts First Friday: It’s First Friday again at the Santa Fe Arts District! Go there first on Friday evening to sample the terrific local artists, and then check out the CC Arts Fest over the weekend. An art-lover’s heaven of a weekend.
6. Pro Lacrosse: Lacrosse fan? Head over to Invesco Field (Mile Hi to locals) and watch the Outlaws play the San Francisco Dragons. Fireworks follow.
7. Symphony On the Rocks: The Colorado Symphony Orchestra will be playing at Red Rocks on Sunday evening at 7:30. Doesn’t this sound like a perfectly wonderful evening after all of the special events you’ve gone to for the past 3 days?
8. Colorado Renaissance Festival: Who needs to cook when you can get a big-a– turkey leg and carry it around with you? The Renaissance Festival is perennially a family favorite. It’s running weekends through early August.
9. Colorado History Museum: This is the last weekend for their exhibit called “The Italians” illustrating the impact that Italian Immigrants have had on our state.
10. Fireworks! Did you think I’d forget? The Glendale city fireworks display is Saturday, July 5th at dusk. Lannie Garrett is playing a concert there too. You can catch fireworks after the Rockies and the Outlaws games. Macy’s will be hosting a fireworks show on July 5th at the Cherry Creek shopping center - best viewing is from the Fillmore Plaza in Cherry Creek North.
Have a fun and safe weekend. If you’re thinking of buying, selling or relocating ~ think of me and click on the “contact me” button. I’ll send you customized information on real estate. Me~Gretchen Faber 
an agent who loves her job!
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Seven 30 South - Restaurant for Romantics
June 28th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Restaurant Reviews
My husband and I met on a blind date at Pour La France restaurant in Denver. We decided to meet in the Bonnie Brae neighborhood, nearby where I lived at the time. I was new to selling Denver real estate and some friends decided we should meet because we each had a 2-year-old son. I didn’t trust a man I didn’t know to pick me up at my house, so I made him meet me there at the restaurant located at 730 South University Boulevard.
We still visit the restaurant often even though it’s been renamed Seven 30 South.
A year and a half after we met, we went back to Pour La France and Mr. Right popped the question.
The waitress cried when she lifted up the plate and saw it there. He’d been busily drawing the entire time and I hadn’t paid any attention. It was sweet and romantic because he used the table crayons to make a chart with “Will You Marry Me? Check here: ________Yes _________No _________Maybe.”
I checked yes!
A few weeks ago, we strolled up to Seven 30 South to celebrate our wedding anniversary, and to reminisce about the years. The boys are now teenagers!
Seven 30 South is a terrific little neighborhood bistro with consistent food and service. You can order anything from a Southwest style salad to Chicken Pot Pie to a nice piece of grilled fish or Tuscan Beef Stew. In the summer they have an outdoor seating area that faces onto University Boulevard and the Bonnie Brae neighborhood center.
You may not want to go on a blind date, but you should still take someone special to Seven 30 South!
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Artsy Fartsy People Gather on Fridays
June 3rd, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
Have you heard of “First Friday?” Did you know about the vibrant art scene on Santa Fe Drive between 6th Avenue and 10th Avenue?
This week is the first Friday of June, the perfect time to head out the the Santa Fe Arts district First Friday event. It’s just the ticket for collectors, people looking for wedding gifts or budding artists. We’ve visited a few times and seen many fascinating mediums. Oils, Raku pottery, glass work and mosaic.
Check out the arts district’s web site, and subscribe to their e-newsletter.
See you on Friday!
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Gaylord Street Festival
May 24th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
Our favorite thing to do with our boys on Memorial Day weekend is walk over to the Gaylord Street Festival and celebrate the beginning of summer. We used to watch the kids bounce in the blow-up castle. Now, they’re too big for that and prefer the climbing wall.
There are booths with crafts, a kiddie carnival, plus the shops and restaurants are all open, and the neighbors are out enjoying the day with you. If you’re in town this weekend, don’t miss it!
May 24th, 25th and 26th, 2008
Hours: 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (Daily)
Free Parking at South High School: Louisiana Avenue & Franklin Street with Free Metro Taxi Shuttle Service to and from the Festival
Pancake Breakfast: 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM daily
Strolling Magician: Saturday 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
New this Year: Petting Zoo
Including a Wallaby, Baby Camel, Giant Rabbit and more
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Washington Park Home Tour 2008
May 9th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Real Estate News
If you don’t have anything to do tomorrow, and you like the idea of touring homes in one of Denver’s primo neighborhoods, then look no further than the Washington Park Home Tour.
You can drop in at any one of the featured homes, or begin at Steele Elementary. The neighborhood is eclectic - with many scrapes, “pop-tops,” Victorians and post-war bungalows. The home tour benefits Steele Elementary, the local Wash Park elementary school and runs from 10 am until 4 pm. While you’re in the neighborhood, head over to one of the fabulous restaurants for lunch or get ice cream at Dinos’ soda bar.
Finish up with a walk around the park to work off your ice cream, and enjoy the perfect Denver springtime. The tulips are in bloom, the flowering trees are radiant in shades of pink and white. Remember your allergy meds, and have a great weekend!
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Woof Woof - We’ve Gone to the Dogs
May 7th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
Colorado Dogs Parks - Fun for the Whole Family!
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University Park Home Tour
April 30th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver
An exciting event is on tap for this Sunday, May 4th in the University Park neighborhood.
The annual University Park Home Tour will include five fabulous homes as well as tours of the historic Chamberlin Observatory in lovely Observatory Park (”O Park”). The home tour begins at 11 am and ends at 5 pm.
Tickets are available at University Park Elementary or LuLu’s Furniture and also at the door (the school ~ 2300 South Saint Paul Street.)
This is an annual fundraiser for University Park Elementary and 100% of the proceeds are donated!
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Downtown Denver’s Development Direction
April 14th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Market Trends
2008 Downtown Development Update
Get a comprehensive overview of all of the Downtown development under construction and planned, and observations from experts in the industry as to where Downtown’s commercial, residential, mixed-use, and hospitality markets are headed.
April 17, 2008
7:30-9:00 am
Denver Marriott City Center
1701 California St., Denver
Moderator- Gary Desmond, AR7 Achitects, PC
Panelists-
Kim Koehn, Corporex Colorado, LLC
Bill Mosher, Trammell Crow Co.
Ken Schroeppel, Matrix Design Group, Inc.
RSVP: bwarnick <at> downtowndenver <dot> com
Free for members of Downtown Denver Partnership; $25/all others
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How to Find Your Children’s Next School
April 5th, 2008 categories: Life In Denver, Relocation Tips
This is a guest post written by Diane Sweeney of Spark Innovation. Remember, it’s not all about test scores.
Choosing the Right School for your Child
As an Educational Consultant and a mom with two small children, I have run into countless parents asking for advice on how to choose the right school for their child. Parents have an unprecedented array of choices when it comes to schooling today, and it is this array of choices that is stressing them out. They worry what type of school will best meet their child’s needs. They wonder if they should go public or private. And they fear that they might make the wrong decision. Here’s some advice if you are one of these parents:
Expect the school to be responsive:
Just like other aspects of our consumer-driven society, all schools are in the position to recruit students. It is never too much to ask to set up a meeting with the principal, visit classrooms, or meet with teachers. If a school seems to be less-than-responsive to these types of requests, it is an indication of potential climate issues that should be explored further.
Observe during instructional time:
Find out when the best time of day is to visit so you can observe during instructional time, and be sure to observe across the grades so you get a complete picture of the whole school. While observing, pay attention to how the teacher interacts with students. Does the teacher seem to like the kids? Does the teacher provide enough structure so that the class runs smoothly? Does the teacher also give the students freedom so they have the time and opportunity to discover new learning? My guiding question is always, “Would I want to be a student here”.
Don’t let nostalgia be your guide:
Odds are, if you have school age kids, you were in school about 30 years ago. Just like all professions, education has changed a lot in the past 30 years and schools look remarkably different today than they did in the 1970’s. When choosing a school, parents are sometimes comforted by the familiar, but the familiar isn’t always how children learn best.
Examine how classrooms are set up:
Elementary school classrooms can tell you a lot about instruction. When you visit schools, look for classrooms that have meeting areas where the class comes together to discuss ideas and share. Look for desks or tables that are clustered into conversational settings. Desks in rows, albeit familiar, indicate that students are isolated in their daily work…something that is no longer considered good instructional practice.
Real books are essential for literacy learning:
Classrooms should be bursting with books that are accessible and are at the students’ reading level. Most elementary classrooms today have a classroom library that is organized by reading level. Look for a school that spends money to provide teachers with the tools they need.
Math manipulatives count:
“Math what?” you might ask. Math manipulatives are the hands-on tools we use to teach math so the students not only understand how to solve math problems but also have a conceptual understanding of the math behind the problem. Ask the teacher if and how these are used with students.
Trust that it is going to be okay:
This is the hard part…no school is going to be perfect. Whether it is an upscale private school or the neighborhood school down the street, there will inevitably be challenges for your child. There will be years when your child has a teacher that is terrific and years when the teacher might not be top notch. There will also be times when you wonder if you made the right decision. If you’ve read this far, it’s fair to assume that you are a parent who cares deeply about the success of your child, and for that reason alone your child will be just fine. Well, maybe even better than fine.
Diane Sweeney is Lead Consultant for Spark Innovation, an organization that provides consulting support to school districts across the US. In the past, she has been a classroom teacher, a literacy coach, a trainer for literacy coaches, and an instructor at the university level.
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