Not Your Grandmother’s Colorado Springs

While Denver’s population explosion is old news, with record-setting increases pouring in year after year and a momentum that somehow refuses to slow, nearby Colorado Springs has been encouraging an evolution of its own. Colorado’s second largest city, just an hour from the capital, has clearly taken notice of its big sister’s boom and has been quietly preparing for what’s to come, laying the groundwork for more conscious development. With some projections showing the city will outpace Denver by 2050, Colorado Springs is looking to its downtown core for major development, but not at the expense of the city’s carefully cultivated culture. Pre-pandemic, investment projects in Downtown Colorado Springs grew 18% year-over-year from 2013 to 2020, reaching $1.7 billion, including hotels, residences and mixed-use commercial space, but don’t expect a concrete jungle to rise from its streets. Home to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and surrounded by natural splendors like Pike’s Peak and Garden of the Gods, the city’s ethos of athleticism, combined with its penchant for the arts (the Creative District holds more 230 arts-related businesses) have undoubtedly played a part in attracting millennials at a higher rate than any other U.S. city*, and Colorado Springs has no intention of sacrificing this quality of life while welcoming new visitors and residents. With another $2 billion worth of projects hitting the southwest portion of Downtown alone over the next two decades, here’s a glimpse at a few recent major developments, and some suggestions of where to eat, sleep and shop during your next stay.

Stay

Four new hotels are already underway or open in Downtown Colorado Springs, but one in particular is as focused on the city as it is on its out-of-town guests. Kinship Landing was specifically designed not just to welcome travelers, but to serve as a hub for locals, naturally mingling the two crowds that have plenty to share with each other, given the opportunity. The 80-bed boutique certainly offers lux options with suites that include fully-opening garage door windows, LED fireplaces and extravagant soaking tubs, but it’s the other end of the spectrum that makes this property seriously special. Co-founded by world travelers on a budget, Kinship Landing offers high quality hostel accommodations in a full-service hotel with bunk rooms so chill you may want to stay there no matter your budget.

Each bunk comes with premium mattresses on silent beds, personal towels and linens, charging outlets, and a full privacy curtain, and each room comes with in-room lockers and windows in both the bunk area and dedicated bathroom. In the hall, a private bathroom and separate guest kitchen offer unexpected comforts that also help keep noise away from tired travelers. Downstairs, Homa Bar + Café brings international flair to a menu of all-day breakfast, hearty handpies, sandwiches, bowls and bites with a coffee shop offering local roasts. You won’t find espresso drinks here, though, because the community-focused hotel champions the creations of Loyal Coffee across the street.

Explore

Olympic City’s torch is burning even brighter this year with the recent opening of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Complete your digital profile at the beginning of your visit and exhibits will recognize you throughout your journey, offering bonus details about your favorite athletes and events and storing your achievements in a digital locker as you train on a variety of interactive exhibits throughout (you can also stash facts and history in this digital cache if you want to study up later from home). With plenty of memorabilia and artefacts on display, including Olympic torches and medals from each host city, along with uniforms and equipment used by some of sport’s most memorable names, the gold clearly goes to the technological innovation that fully abandons the traditional notion of museum and replaces it with an experiential journey.

Just around the corner, the brand new Weidner Field opened its 8,000-seat soccer field and event space in May, converting an empty lot into an open-air entertainment hub. Capable of accommodating up to 15,000 ticketholders for concerts and special events, the technologically-advanced home of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks offers three club levels and is anchored by Epicenter, the $4.5 million, 35-foot-tall steel sculpture that reflects the field, the city and its visitors alike in its gleaming central orb. Expect to see this new city symbol in plenty of Instagram posts in the coming years.

Throughout the Downtown area, while retail pillars like Poor Richard’s Books & Gifts and Josh & John’s Ice Cream remain, a host of newer, millennial-owned businesses illustrate the city’s rapidly shifting demographics. Pop into Ladyfingers Letterpress for haute stationery and quirky gifts, Inherent Clothier for custom men’s suits with a social mission, and ICONS, the city’s new LGBTQ+ piano bar, for a glimpse at the city’s evolving offerings. If you’re feeling inspired by the creativity flowing through the city and want to try your hand at a new technique or bring home something special from the pros, visit Cottonwood Center for the Arts to explore the studios of 80 artists, shop the galleries or even take a class.

Eat

One of the city’s most exciting new culinary arrivals is CO.A.T.I. Uprise, a funky food hall on S. Tejon inside the former Colorado Automatic Trolley Interchange. Here you’ll find Korean street food, Texas Creole, sandwiches, sweets, seafood and superfoods along with a bar serving “curious cocktails” in a colorful space that also hosts events from live music to yoga. Sit indoors, outdoors, upstairs or downstairs—there’s plenty to spy everywhere.

Despite its address on N Tejon, find the mysterious glass “subway” entrance on Kiowa and descend to the underground world of The Rabbit Hole. Yes, it’s Wonderland themed; no, it’s not for children. Beneath the street you’ll find a chic restaurant and bar serving a New American menu of small plates and heftier helpings alongside a cocktail menu of adult pours with a playful side. You’ll typically need reservations to get in.

If you recall Brother Luck from Top Chef or Chopped, here’s your chance to sample his Southwest-inspired culinary creations. Four by Brother Luck honors the hunters, gatherers, farmers and fisherman with a seasonal menu inspired by each. Feel free to order à la carte, but the best way to experience this menu is through the four-course prix fixe that’s unusually generous in barring no regular menu items from your selection. Start with a cocktail and opt for the affordable wine pairing with your meal.

_{*Brookings Institution, 2018}