Have you ever been surrounded by hundreds of magical and colorful butterflies? You can be at the Butterfly Pavilion! The Butterfly Pavilion is located about 15 minutes North of Denver in Westminster, Colorado. It is a 30,000 square foot facility that is located on an 11 acre campus. The vision of the Butterfly Pavilion is to teach an appreciation of the environment and of all living thing. It is considered an invertebrate zoo and hosts over 5,000 animals. There are five different exhibit areas (four indoor, and the garden and nature trail outside). The exhibit areas include: Crawl-a-See-Em, Water’s Edge, Wings of the Tropics, and Invertebrate World. For our visit, my 4 year old son particularly enjoyed holding Rosie the resident tarantula and touching a starfish. We were also lucky enough to have a butterfly land on our clothing as we were exploring the tropical rainforest area. What a great way to spend a Saturday! The Details: Cost: Adults $11, Seniors $9, Children 2-12 $7, Children under 2 FREE (reduced prices for Westminster Residents) Hours: 9-5pm daily, 7 days a week Contact: 303.469.5441 Address: 6252 W. 104th Avenue, Westminster CO 80020
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Ivy at the Glenn Restaurant at the Streets at Southglenn in Centennial is a seasonal, contemporary restaurant that changes out its menu and wine list four times per year. The restaurant is beautiful inside with its gorgeous wood feature wall, indoor/outdoor fireplace, contemporary and natural décor, and outdoor patio. The restaurant uses local and area purveyors for fresh fish and produce and its menu highlights small plates with different flavor profiles. This fall, you can try Fried Brussel Sprouts with with a garlic, bacon, lemon and balsamic reduction as well as an Ahi Tuna Carpaccio in a ginger soy reduction sauce with edamame and wonton chips. Ivy on the Glenn is a neighborhood restaurant and offers wine tastings, a $40 3-course dinner special, and hosts a big Oscar night, and several Holiday parties.
The restaurant was founded five years ago by Jimmy Lambatos, a 40-year veteran of the Denver Restaurant scene. In the 1970s Jimmy arrived in Colorado from New York to attend school at the University of Colorado. He started working at the (infamous) Colorado Mining Company Restaurant in Glendale where he ultimately became the executive chef. In the early 1980s he partnered to open the iconic Footers Restaurant and Catering Company in Capitol Hill. (Jimmy’s son now runs the award winning catering company!) He then partnered to open a small, fast, casual sandwich company you may have heard of---Quiznos. With its 2003 Superbowl ad, Jimmy (or Chef Jimmy), became the face of Quiznos and spent the following year promoting Quiznos nationally, getting to meet many famous people, such as Cameron Diaz, and even appearing on Jay Leno. In addition, from 2008-2011, Jimmy opened and operated Baur’s Ristorante near the Denver Performing Arts Center in Downtown Denver. Chef Jimmy certainly has the experience to guarantee you great food and impeccable service. He looks forward to welcoming you to his latest restaurant endeavor. "Please let me know when you're coming over so I can welcome you to my house. I am always looking forward to meeting and serving new friends and family." –Jimmy Lambatos Ivy at the Glenn 6955 South York Street Centennial, Colorado 80122 303.730.7200 Ivy at the Glenn is open Monday through Friday from 11am until close. Saturday and Sunday brunch is offered from 9am-2pm. Lunch is offered daily from 11am to 4pm. Dinner is offered daily from 5pm till close. This article was written by Kristin Kleimann and will be appearing in a future issue of "Life in the Park" magazine. Meet University Park Resident Ryan Surroz and Get to Know Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation9/2/2016 Ryan Surroz and his family are University Park residents and neighbors. He and his family have lived in the neighborhood since 2013. The Surroz Family loves living in the neighborhood and enjoys Dinosaur Park, morning and evening walks around the neighborhood, and The Pioneer and Ginza restaurants. Besides his full time job, Ryan Surroz also serves as President of Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation. Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation is a philanthropic organization dedicated to raising money to support at-risk and disadvantaged children throughout Colorado. A secondary goal is to cultivate the talents of young philanthropists (generally young male business leaders aged 20-39 years old) and to raise awareness of those less fortunate. Ryan has been involved in the organization for six years, served on the board for 4 years, and previously acted as the Membership Chair. He has raised over $200,000 for Denver Active 20-30 and also sits on several other philanthropic boards. “Denver Active 20-30 is the most rewarding activity that I pursue — I think it is safe to say that my involvement has developed into a healthy passion. I joined DA20-30 because I was inspired by this group of young professionals who were united in their dedication to supporting at-risk and underprivileged kids. I recognized right away that this was a truly unique organization and I wanted to be a part of it. Now as President of DA20-30, I see daily reminders of the impact on the kids that we support as well as the philanthropic leadership development in our members.” -Ryan Surroz (President of Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation) This year, Denver Active 20-30 is celebrating its 29th anniversary. It has given away more than $10 million through several established fundraising events. The largest and most well known is the Denver Polo Classic, which is the nation’s largest charitable polo tournament and takes place at the end of June. The next fundraising event is the 4th Annual Denver Active 20-30 Golf Classic presented by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. It will be held September 15, 2016 at the Arrowhead Golf Club. Sponsors will be treated to breakfast, drinks, a catered lunch, and great prizes. To find out more about the organization and how to get involved or to support the organization through their events, please visit: www.da2030.org This article was written by Kristin Kleimann and will be appearing in the August 2016 issue of "Life in the Park" magazine. Picture yourself relaxing in a calm, cool, beautifully decorated, French country blue room with the smell of lavender wafting through the air. The experience is rejuvenating, calming, transformative, and also one that almost anyone in your family will enjoy. Ivy McClure is a Denver native and a graduate of our neighborhood South High School. Her aesthetician experience includes graduating from the School of Botanical and Medical Aesthetics and serving as their Assistant Director of Aesthetics. She founded Skin & Tonic in 2013 to create a business and career that aligns her passion for fusing the best in medical, corrective skincare techniques and natural and botanical skincare approaches. As Ivy said, I came across a quote once: ‘Beauty is self confidence applied directly to the face.’ Over the years, I've learned that what really matters most, is how my clients see themselves. We can be so hard on ourselves, especially women. My focus is to address whatever concerns I can, then build up that confidence. Beautiful skin really does begin with a commitment to yourself. I can't tell you how much I love hearing ‘I got a compliment on how my skin was glowing today’ or ‘I get so many compliments on my lashes!’ That's why I do what I do---Build that confidence! (Ivy McClure, owner and founder) Ivy uses Naturopathica skin products that are holistic, plant based, soothing, and smell heavenly. (Try the Gotu Kola Healing Balm and the Lavender Protective Moisturizer!) In addition to customized and reasonably priced skin treatments, she also offers waxing and eyelash extension and tinting services, as well as specialized services for men and teenagers. Ivy is extremely personable, knowledgeable, and has built a following of dedicated clients through her expertise and results. She has several mother and daughter and husband and wife clients who come to her as a bonding experience and as a shared interest in taking care of themselves. As one pair of mother and daughter clients summed, Ivy has all of the qualities you want in an aesthetician. She's gentle, easy going, not at all intimidating, and you leave feeling beautiful. On top of this, she offers a teenybopper facial for my 14-year old daughter. What's not to love? (Bess Scully, mom) I love going to see Ivy! She is a great aesthetician who uses natural products (which is rare)! My mom gets her eyelashes done with Ivy, and I get regular teenybopper facials (which use more sensitive products). Ivy offers a great range of services for mothers, daughters, fathers, and sons alike… (LuLu Scully, daughter) Finally, Skin & Tonic also offers two different Membership Plans where for a reasonable flat monthly fee you receive specific services (skincare or eyelash) and discounts on other services and products. Treat yourself or a family member to a restorative and relaxing treatment today! Skin & Tonic Contact Information: Email: ivy@skin-tonic-skincare.com Phone: 303.868.6344 Website: www.skin-tonic-skincare.com Facebook: facebook.com/skinandtonicskincare/ Address: Located inside “The Workshops” 4340 E. Kentucky Ave., Suite 315 Glendale, CO 80246 This article was written by Kristin Kleimann and will be appearing in the August 2016 issue of "Life in the Park" magazine. “Esters is our way of using craft beer, great food, and atmosphere to build community” –Esters website
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Paul Sullivan moved to Colorado in 2002 to work first for a beer distributor and then for New Belgium Brewing, all the while planning to move back to New York. Fast forward to 2016 and guess who’s still here? In 2004, Paul bought a home in the nearby Krisana neighborhood yet always felt the neighborhood was lacking a gathering place. Recently, opportunity finally knocked when “Easy Pickens,” an old dive bar, came up for sale. Paul put together a business plan and found the right team to make the dream a reality. Paul’s wife, Emily, is currently a Commercial Flooring Account Manager and spent many years as a commercial Interior Designer. The architect who designed Esters is friend of the family, Adam Harding, who works for Roth Sheppard Architects. “Emily helped with a lot of details and had a lot of the original vision, but Adam came up with the design. They both are incredibly talented and they really made the idea come to life,” said Paul. Esters will celebrate their one-year anniversary in June 2016. All of the food at Esters is made from scratch and Paul says Esters tries to use and purchase local ingredients and support other local businesses. For example, Esters uses Bull & Bush (beer), Tender Belly (meat), Infinite Monkey Theorem (wine), and Bonnie Brae Flowers (flower arrangements). When asked what his goal is for Esters, Paul said, "I have always enjoyed being a part of this neighborhood and hope that Esters can help make it even a better place to live." According to neighbors who attended the community night on March 28, 2016, Paul and Esters have succeeded... Just had a wonderful meal at Esters. It is a cute place (bigger than it looks from the outside) located at Holly and Atlantic (just a couple blocks north of Evans.) Fantastic food. It's basically a pizza place, but the flavors are really interesting and wonderful. Great wine and beer list, good apps, salads and a fun Smores riff dessert. Definitely will go back. Highly recommend. Just moved into the neighborhood in December and was so happy to discover Esters. [It’s] perfect for everything from brunch to watching the Super Bowl to just having a drink with my lady or friends. For those of us with little ones it's a great place for families, and nothing better than sitting on the patio now that snow has turned to rain! Some of the best pizza I've had in a long time [Fee Pizza]. Great flavor and crust. I would come back for it. Favorite local spots: When the Sullivan family has a chance to sneak out outside of Esters they like to visit The Kitchen Next Door or Jax in the CitySet Center in Glendale. Paul also enjoys The Bull and Bush for a steak and one of their beers brewed on site. When the family has a couple of days together they try to go to either Frisco, Colorado, camping, or somewhere to play in the mountains. Fun Facts about Esters:
Things to Remember about Esters:
Contact: Paul Sullivan Address: 1950 South Holly St. Denver, Co 80222 Telephone: 303.955.4904 Website: www.estersdenver.com Hours: Open weekdays at 11am, 10am on weekends This article was written by Kristin Kleimann and will be appearing in the July 2016 issue of "Life in the Park" magazine. How fortunate are we to live in an urban community that has a world class historical telescope, housed in an architecturally beautiful and historic building, available to the public on a regular basis? Visit and answer for yourself… What’s the history? Construction on the Romanesque style Chamberlin Observatory, located at 2930 East Warren Avenue, in Observatory Park, Denver, began in 1890 after a generous donation by Humphrey Barker Chamberlin, a real estate businessman, in 1888. Chamberlin was one of Denver’s wealthiest citizens and believed in sharing his wealth and giving back to his community. Robert S. Roeschlaub designed the building itself and the astronomical functions were designed by Herbert Alonzo Howe, who was the very first professor of astronomy at the University of Denver and first director of the Observatory. The refracting telescope has a 20-inch aperture lens that was made by Alvan Clark and Sons of Massachusetts who were world renowned lens makers. The telescope is very large, at 28 feet long. The telescope became operational in 1894. The Observatory is currently owned and operated by the University of Denver and is considered priceless. Did you know these fun facts about Chamberlin Observatory?
Visiting Chamberlin Observatory On April 12, 2016, we visited the Chamberlin Observatory for one of the public nights. Even though the night started off cloudy and rainy, we were lucky enough to have the skies clear enough to be able to view Jupiter and its red spot. Here’s some more information about how you can visit. The Observatory, through the Denver Astronomical Society (DAS), offers both public nights and open house nights throughout the year. Events are appropriate for the cosmically-curious non-astronomer (or burgeoning astronomer) and are family-friendly. Public Nights: Each public night event begins with a 45-minute educational presentation by a DAS lecturer. Afterwards, and weather permitting, guests are invited to tour the Observatory and view the moon, stars, planets, galaxies, and other celestial wonders through the 28-foot long, 20-inch aperture Alvan Clark-Saegmuller refracting telescope. If the weather is not good for viewing guests can still tour the building itself. When: Each Tuesday and Thursday beginning at 8:30pm. How: Make reservations online in advance (nights do sell out) Costs: $4.00 for adults/ $3.00 for children (via PayPal online). http://www.denverastro.org/das/chamberlin-observatory/ Note: Children need to be at least 41” tall to be able to use the ladder to view. Open House Nights: Open House nights are for those who are interested in learning more about telescopes, cosmically curious children, parents, or teachers, or someone who is interested in learning something new. Denver Astronomical Society members are available to share information and views from personal telescopes on the Observatory ground, and to answer questions about astronomy or telescopes. Members can also help guests learn how to operate a personal telescope. When: Saturday of each month nearest the first quarter moon at dusk (varies by season- Winter, around 5:30 or 6pm, Spring and Fall, around 6:30 or 7:30pm, Summer, around 8 or 9pm) until 10pm. The remaining schedule for 2016 is as follows: June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, October 8, November 5, and December 3. How: Make reservations online in advance (nights do sell out) Costs: $3.00 per person/ $5.00 per family (via PayPal online) to view through the Observatory telescope. There is no charge for only viewing through DAS member telescopes. http://www.denverastro.org/das/chamberlin-observatory/ Note: Children need to be at least 41” tall to be able to use the ladder to view. Contact Information: 2930 East Warren Avenue Denver, Colorado 80210 Information line: 303-871-5172 Website for information about public and open house nights and observation conditions: http://www.denverastro.org/das/chamberlin-observatory/ Thank you to the websites of the University Park Community Council, Denver Astronomical Society, University of Denver, and Rosemary Stoffel for information relating to this article. This article was written by Kristin Kleimann and will be appearing in the June 2016 issue of "Life in the Park" magazine. Looking for an Interior Designer? Meet Margarita Bravo: Owner and Founder of Margarita Bravo4/18/2016 “In the end, Interior Design is not about a budget or pieces of furniture filling up a space. To me, Interior Design is the reflection of your personality and how you want to portray it in your space." –Margarita Bravo (owner and founder of Margarita Bravo) Originally an industrial engineer by trade, Margarita Bravo, moved to Denver with her family 9 years ago from Venezuela. She founded her interior design company, Margarita Bravo, in 2015 after falling in love with the University Park neighborhood and playing a key role in building and designing her family’s current home in the neighborhood. This experience helped her realize her passion for the overall process and the details involved in planning, designing, and decorating a space to create “lovable living spaces.” Through her company, Margarita works projects that are both big and small, including working in new builds, remodels, and as an interior designer. She enjoys working with clients who have different styles and the challenge of creating spaces that integrate the needs and styles of all family members. Her aim is for everyone to see their personal styles reflected, therefore feeling comfortable and enjoying the space. Margarita is proficient at integrating key pieces that clients may already have along with new purchases. “When working for clients, I base my craft on one simple premise: listen, listen and listen.” –Margarita Bravo Margarita’s goal in working with clients is to have fun, be creative, and to listen to the needs of her clients so she can help clients visualize what is in their head and make the vision come alive. Interior design allows her to integrate many of her best skills including those as a trained industrial engineer, listening and advising, and as a mom, helping clients with children plan for the little details that help a home run smoothly. "Interior Design is my gateway into a place where I can let my imagination go wild and think of ways to create something out of nothing. My mind, pen, paper, and unexpected places where I can find inspiration are the ingredients I need in order to turn my creative energy into a tangible reality." -Margarita Bravo There are two main services that Margarita offers: design consultation and project based services. In a design consultation, Margarita meets with clients and gives ideas room by room. This tends to be more of a one-time meeting, with clients then completing the project on their own. Her project based services tend to be more intensive with Margarita partnering with clients to both plan and execute an overall plan for a large (whole home) or small (individual room) space. Margarita can do as little or as much of the execution as the client prefers. She can work within all budgets. In addition, Margarita has a cadre of professional connections to help clients with additional services: for example, contractors, painters, wallpaper and carpet installers, and to help with purchases: for example, countertops, appliances, furniture, and hardware. When asked what inspires her to work each day, Margarita perfectly summed, “I love what I do, and I truly enjoy helping people materialize their dream space.” To see more samples of her work, visit her website at: www.margaritabravo.com. Favorite local spot: The Jimenez-Bravo family loves Observatory Park and spends lots of time at the park playing soccer, football, having picnics, and meeting up with friends and making new friends in the neighborhood. Contact: Margarita Bravo Email: mb@margaritabravo.com Telephone: 720.735.7533 Website: http://www.margaritabravo.com This article was published in "Life in the Park" magazine in May 2016 and was written by Kristin Kleimann. The Denver Metro Association of Realtors (DMAR) held their annual luncheon and awards ceremony on March 24th, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center to celebrate the past year of real estate and Realtor accomplishments. DMAR recognizes Denver-area’s top performers in residential real estate by presenting Denver Metro Realtors Excellence Awards. These prestigious awards honor the determination, dedication, and endless drive of Realtors in the Denver Metro area. Kristin Kleimann and Marilynn Wanamaker were recipients of a 2016 Excellence Award in the Bronze Team Category for 2015 sales. Thank you to DMAR and to our past, present, and future clients! Click here to see the full list of award winners: http://www.dmarealtors.com/sites/default/files/content/excellence_awards_winners_2016.pdf Click here to see the recap of the awards ceremony: http://www.dmarealtors.com/post-event-recap-excellence-awards-2016 Bucket lists are entertaining and dreamy. Bucket lists in your own city can be even more engaging because the experiences are easier to accomplish and check off. This list was originally a list of 29 essential Denver experiences from an article on Thrillist, published in 2015 by Rebecca Feder.
Since so many of the items on the list resonated with us and our love of Denver, adventure, history, and a challenge, we modified the original list to an attainable 20 experiences with a plan to complete each item and check it off the list. We’ll be posting our experiences over the next few months. If you are interested in joining us on our journey to check off these items, please follow us on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/homesimpledenver/ and post your own photos of these completed Denver bucket list items on Instagram with the hashtag: #yourdenverbucketlist We look forward to seeing your photos and hearing about your bucket list adventures! If you’d like a hard copy of the original list to help you keep track of the items, please send a private message and we will send you a copy. Finally, to see the original Thrillist list, visit: https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/denver/the-denver-bucket-list-red-rocks-my-brother-s-bar-mayan-theater Denver Realtors and Broker Associates, Kristin Kleimann and Marilynn Wanamaker, achieved Edelweiss Realty Company's highest honors three times in 2015: April, July, and December. "We are very pleased to receive these honors and we look forward to helping future clients meet their real estate dreams and goals," said Kristin Kleimann, Realtor and Broker Associate at Edelweiss Realty Company. Kristin Kleimann and Marilynn Wanamaker work together as a team to bring a high level of real estate services to clients. They believe that to make good decisions, you need to be an educated consumer and they strive to empower clients with information, education, and research to help them understand, compare, and make informed decisions. As a recent client said, "Marilynn and Kristin are the "Dream Team" of real estate brokers. They have helped us with four separate real estate transactions over the past three years and have been amazing to work with. They are knowledgeable about the market and provide excellent research and advice about pricing, timing and trends. They are timely and responsible and make the whole process enjoyable. We are so lucky to have had them on our team." Another recent client summed, "Kristin and Marilynn make a great team, because their combined knowledge and skill sets complement each other so well. Marilynn seems to know everything there is to know, real estate-wise, about Denver and the surrounding areas, having been in the business here for over 30 years, and with Kristin you get EnergyPlus – plus intelligence, insight, a great sense of humor, and a lot of hard work. Kristin and Marilynn did all the research and boring legwork without us ever having to prompt them, and their knowledge and sense of the markets here combined with their intelligent and instinctive approach to pricing, honesty, transparency and just plain old honor are top-notch. I would never hesitate to work with them again, or recommend them to friends and family." Cheers to 2016! About Kristin Kleimann and Marilynn Wanamaker of Edelweiss Realty Co. specialize in helping clients navigate the complex real estate buying and selling process by making it simple and transparent. They provide clients with the most current and accurate market information and guide them through the process step-by-step. Contact www.homesimpledenver.com www.marilynn-kristin.com |
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