Founded in 1993, 5280 is the largest local magazine in Colorado. The magazine's stories often make national headlines, and since 2005 5280 has been nominated for four National Magazine Awards. Get 5280 Magazine digital subscription today.
Have you ever done a mental audit of the number of humans you consider close friends? If so, would you need more than 10 fingers? This is a question I’ve pondered every so often throughout my life, probably because I’ve never needed any additional digits. The figure has fluctuated, of course, but what’s most interesting to me is how the same people seem to come and go and often come back again. I tend to think this is a sign of a strong relationship, one in which life circumstances might draw you together or tug you apart, but the ties that bind are never really broken. Over the past few years, for instance, a distance has developed between me and a friend I’ve had for almost 30 years. It hurts…
Home editor Each year, architects, interior designers, and homeowners submit their spaces for a shot at winning a spot in 5280’s Top Denver Home Design feature. When home editor Michelle Johnson met with her team in July to decide on this year’s most worthy projects, they were faced with the difficult task of selecting from a record number of submissions. While whittling down the contestants wasn’t easy, Johnson notes that each of the final picks included in “The High Life” (page 72) displays a special element. “There has to be some sort of wow factor,” she says, “whether it’s the quality of materials used in the design or the striking architecture.” This year, Johnson is particularly excited about the accolade bestowed on the “whole home” winner. Although 5280 has given…
Breckenridge’s Ullr Fest has celebrated the Norse god of snow since 1963, but it wasn’t until 2013 that two locals, Kristian Slaugh and Litch Polich, added a giant shot ski to the party. “We ended up collecting 60 skis,” says Polich, a partner at Breckenridge Distillery. “We bolted them together, glued plastic cups on them, and got 192 people to take a shot. We felt like we climbed Everest.” That unofficial world record (according to Polich, Guinness won’t sanction what it considers binge drinking) soon caught the attention of Park City, Utah. The ski town has organized its own mass toast every October since 2015, including a record-setting 1,340 shot-takers in 2022. It didn’t keep the title for long: Because Ullr Fest takes place later in the winter than Park…
1 In January, Colorado Public Radio launched Terra Firma, a podcast that serves up calming doses of serotonin each week thanks to the pastoral musings of writer and host CMarie Fuhrman and nature clips gathered by sound recordist Jacob Job. 2 Artist Virgil Ortiz’s Revolt 1680/2180: Runners and Gliders embraces sci-fi storytelling to bring attention to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when Indigenous tribes ousted the Spanish from northern New Mexico for more than a decade. The show runs through May 2024, a full year after its debut at History Colorado. 3 Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard, mountain goats, and Jamal Murray all make cameos in the music video for rapper Jack Harlow’s new single “Denver.” Released in April, the song is about insecurity—so we’re trying not to take…
Since it was founded in 1973 as a repository for rare and antique tomes, Hermitage Bookshop has seen a few major changes, including a move from downtown to Cherry Creek North in the early ’80s and new owners who took over last year. Its mission, however, remains the same. Although the Denver bookseller carries a wide range of titles, you’re still more likely to find a first-edition Hemingway on its shelves than anything from the For Dummies series. To celebrate Hermitage’s 50th anniversary, we asked general manager Sam Butler to share a few of the store’s most opulent opuses. Gorillas in the Mist First edition Author: Dian Fossey Year: 1983 | Price: $3,000 History: Primate conservationist and zoologist Dian Fossey gave this account of her life’s work studying gorillas in…
Paid leave doesn’t mean full pay Most Coloradans who have earned at least $2,500 in the past year are eligible for FAMLI. But benefits are doled out on a sliding scale, with the lowest earners receiving around 90 percent of their average weekly wage and applicants collecting a smaller percentage as their salaries increase. Regardless, there’s an $1,100 weekly max payout. What this means IRL: The state’s benefits calculator (famli.colorado.gov) will ballpark how much you qualify for. And speak with your employer: It can’t require you to take PTO before or during your leave, but you may be able to use it to fill in the gap between your benefits and the rest of your wage. The program embraces an expansive definition of family When someone gets sick, caretaking isn’t…
