When You're in the Mood for an Alternative
Buntport Theater
Thanks to the cast and crew at Buntport—a group of college friends who like to write, stage and perform their own scripts—a night at the theater has never been more irreverent. The Buntport ensemble has been entertaining Denver audiences with its quirky shows like Kafka on Ice, Macblank, and its now defunct live sitcom Magnets on the Fridge since 1998.
The Gothic
One of Denver's hippest concert venues lies right around the corner from DU on South Broadway. Alternative and mainstream acts flock to the Gothic, which blends cool 1920s art deco style with a newly remodeled sound and light system.
St. Mark's Coffeehouse
Denver is full of independent coffee shops, but St. Mark's Coffeehouse, located less than five miles from campus and just east of downtown, stands apart from the crowd. The clientele takes you back to the beat generation, the furnishings are artsy, and the hired help is happy to serve you.
Santa Fe Art District
The blocks between 5th and 11th Avenues on Santa Fe Drive are packed with small galleries, a theatre, ethnic restaurants and the Museo de las Americas. In-the-know Denverites flock to Santa Fe Drive each month for First Friday Art Walks, when galleries launch new exhibits and host meet-the-artist events.
The Esquire
Along with the Mayan Theater on Broadway, the Chez Artiste off Colorado Boulevard and the Starz Film Center downtown, the Esquire screens independent and foreign films and movies that never make it to the local metroplex.