As the Mile High deals with high rental and housing costs, an increasing number of Denverites are finding creative and innovative ways to live here affordably. Recently, the Boulder Housing Coalition purchased a historic mansion in Capitol Hill with plans to convert what was once a single-family home into a collaborative living space for up to 22 people. Host Bree Davies recently toured the elegant residence with realtor and co-buying expert Sarah Wells to learn more about how this type of housi...
Jan 27, 2025•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast As President Trump plots the end of federal subsidies for electric vehicles, Denverites are buying Teslas, Nissan Leafs, Chevy Bolts, and other EVs at record rates. Will Trump’s plans impact our state’s love affair will gas-free cars? Then, voters approved the reintroduction of gray wolves in 2020, but now that 29 wolves are ranging across our state, the program has sparked conflict between ranchers, ecology advocates, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bre...
Jan 24, 2025•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes it feels like the local restaurant scene runs on hype. Just yesterday, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for their prestigious 2025 awards, including a bunch of local favorites. But especially as inflation pushes up the cost of going out to eat, do any of those accolades matter to eaters? Writer and former fine-dining server Jake Browne wrote a biting critique of one local awards favorite and the whole hype machine, and he joined host Bree Davies and producer Paul ...
Jan 23, 2025•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Now that Donald Trump has been sworn back in as president, Denverites are bracing for change, especially on the issue of immigration. The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that the president is getting to work on his mass deportation plan, with ICE raids potentially happening in Denver as soon as this week. So host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about how the mayor, Denver Public Schools, and the conservative suburbs are responding. Plus, we have been getting tons ...
Jan 22, 2025•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the spring of 2022, baristas at the Starbucks on Rock Creek Circle in Superior became the first Colorado location to unionize. Liza Nielsen was on the front lines of that union battle as a barista and shift organizer. Fast forward to today — she’s taking the cause to the Colorado Senate where she will be testifying in favor of the Worker Protection Act. Host Bree Davies sits down with the former barista-turned-labor-activist to talk about the fight labor organizers have been itching to have w...
Jan 21, 2025•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Four stabbings along the 16th Street Mall last weekend left two people dead and put downtown back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Was the tragic violence just another sign of an increasingly unsafe city? Or an outlier on the path back to a vibrant, thriving downtown? Former mayoral candidate and criminal justice reform advocate Lisa Calderón joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to discuss the vibe shift downtown and all the other big stories of the week — from the mayor’s...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Boulder is currently one of three finalists to become the new home of one of the most famous and influential cultural events in the world: Sundance Film Festival. Governor Jared Polis and his allies in the legislature are reportedly hoping to lure the fest with millions in tax incentives, but film lovers up and down the Front Range are divided, and no one is sure what the impact on Boulder would really be. So Host Bree Davies is sitting down with Ali Vallarta, the host of City Cast Salt Lake and...
Jan 16, 2025•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Colorado’s Governor Jared Polis is term-limited, and the election to replace him is still 23 months away. But that didn’t stop Attorney General Phil Weiser from jumping in to the race to replace him! Just a couple weeks off his campaign announcement, Weiser returns to the show today to talk to host Bree Davies about his early-bird strategy, how he’d bring a Denverite’s perspective back to the governor’s mansion (where Polis doesn’t even live!), the latest updates on his biggest lawsuits and inve...
Jan 15, 2025•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast The mayor is in the final stages of negotiating a future for the Park Hill Golf Course, according to CBS Colorado. But would a major land swap change much for the neighbors living around this 155 acres of dead grass? Then, City Council voted on some big changes to needle exchange sites in Denver last night, but the mayor still has final say. It’s Tuesday, and Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are digging into the biggest stories of the week -- plus, they answer one listener’s question: ...
Jan 14, 2025•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast The many esteemed lawmakers of Colorado’s 75th General Assembly returned to the Capitol last week for four months of high-stakes legislative action! So we’re looking ahead to the biggest stories to watch, fights to come, and potential triumphs of the session — plus a few predictions and inside scoops. Politics contributor Deep Singh Badhesha joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about some of the new faces, new battles, and familiar ideas we are likely to hear about this time ...
Jan 13, 2025•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Broncos are headed to the playoffs for the first time in nine years. But do they deserve a new stadium? And should taxpayers pay for it? It’s Friday and we’re looking back at the biggest news of the week, starting with an investigative series from the Denver Post digging into the economics and politics of big stadium projects. Then, beyond Blucifer and the big blue bear, is there a third big blue creature out there? Host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karolyi, and politics and green chile corres...
Jan 10, 2025•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast The National Western Stock Show is a Denver tradition — for 119 years, this event highlighting our livestock and agriculture industry has been bringing farmers, ranchers, and cowfolk from all over the country to the Mile High City each January. But once upon a time, this crucial economic and cultural legacy almost pulled up stakes and left for good. Last year, producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies spoke with some of the key players in that drama about what happened when Denver almost let a ...
Jan 09, 2025•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast What will 2025 yield for Denver? When it comes to new trends, spicy predictions, and future forecasts, there’s a lot on the horizon for the Mile High City. Will psychedelic-assisted therapy finally go mainstream? Are immersive art experiences played out? Will local politicians stop embarrassing themselves on Twitter? Host Bree Davies and producers Olivia Jewell Love and Paul Karolyi lay out what’s in — and what’s out — for Denver this year. Paul mentioned local journalist Scott Carney’s book abo...
Jan 08, 2025•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast What’s the best way to make a change in your community? You could gather signatures and put a question on the ballot, like some animal welfare activists did last year. Or, you could put on a mask, grab a bullhorn, barge into a local restaurant, and demand they stop serving foie gras, a French delicacy made from fattened duck or goose liver. That’s exactly the tactic a new group of animal lovers have been trying, and the results are… mixed. Producer Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love are talking...
Jan 07, 2025•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast If it seems like Denver’s skyline has been full of cranes lately, it’s not just you. The city has seen record construction of new apartment buildings over the past two years. But according to data from CoStar and the Apartment Association of Metro Denver, the average rent is either stagnant or falling slightly by $16 per month. So today we’re trying to understand what’s happening in the local rental market by talking to the landlords directly: Drew Hamrick is the general council and senior VP of...
Jan 06, 2025•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast The new year is not yet a week old, and there are already tons of local stories to catch up on. Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins producer Paul Karolyi to speculate about Mayor Mike Johnston’s new hire to help shape the future of downtown, Bill Mosher, including his connections with the Colorado Convention Center scandal of 2018. They also preview the 2026 governor’s race now that AG Phil Weiser has thrown the first official hat into the ring, discuss the recent attack on a TV journalist in Gr...
Jan 03, 2025•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to the new year in Denver! From warming up with a coffee flight to a hot tip on a discount for electric snowblowers, we’ve got some great recommendations for how to make the most out of your January in the Mile High City. If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Denver community. Get your tickets to HEYDAY now! We’re putting on an indoor fair with urban flair, like a classic county fair but with a v...
Jan 02, 2025•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Back in October, one of the Mile High’s most popular social media influencers, The Denver Foodie, found himself at the center of perhaps the biggest local scandal of the year. Restaurants claimed that he had ripped them off, while some of his fellow influencers came forward with allegations of content theft. At the height of uproar, host Bree Davies talked with 9News investigative reporter Jeremy Jojola, who dug into these allegations and even talked with the guy behind the account, Jonathan Dav...
Dec 30, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Given how many people have flocked to Denver because of our proximity to the mountains, craft beer scene, or recreational marijuana, you’d think it’d be easier than ever for singles to connect. But maybe shared interests aren’t the problem; maybe it’s a question of shared goals? Or maybe the apps just aren’t as effective as we’d like to think they are? Westword’s Hannah Metzger and Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton from the Denver Post have both been reporting on dating in the Mile High, and earlier this ...
Dec 26, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast When Donald Trump started talking about Aurora being “taken over” by gangs during the presidential campaign, many Denverites looked around and thought, “huh?” It’s always kind of awkward when someone or something in Colorado goes viral like that, and the Tren de Aragua moment was far from the first time a Colorado story went global. Whether for ridiculous or tragic reasons, these viral moments stick around in our collective memory … and maybe they also say something about who we are. So today, w...
Dec 23, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast What better time than the holidays for another round of the age-old Denver debate of old vs. new? We’re looking back at the biggest stories of the week, from the Landmark Preservation Commission’s ruling on the fate of two rundown yet historic East Colfax mansions to the latest moves to block the construction of new gas stations in Lakewood and Denver. Stand-up comedian and returning guest JD Lopez joins producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love and brings a heaping helping of holiday hijink...
Dec 20, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast What really goes down inside the shadowy backroom where political deals are made? Nearly a third of our state lawmakers have been elected by small groups of party leaders known as “vacancy committees,” and typically all that wheeling and dealing plays out behind closed doors. So today, as about 110 Democrats in central Denver prepare to elect a replacement for State Sen. Chris Hansen, we’re taking you inside the proverbial shadowy backroom. Our newest politics correspondent Deep Singh Badhesha i...
Dec 19, 2024•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast With food prices on the rise, it was a challenging year for Denverites who love to eat. But who are we to back down from a challenge! Westword food & drink editor Molly Martin and contributor Jake Browne join producer Paul Karolyi to talk about 2024’s most exciting new restaurants, biggest trends, saddest closings, and their best bites of the year. Plus, a round of predictions for 2025. Do you have a prediction for how Denverites will eat and drink in 2025? We want to hear it! Text or leave us a...
Dec 18, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast New data from CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business shows that Colorado’s economy — once a national leader — took a big turn this year, with our GDP growth ranking 41st in the country. Maybe that’s why Governor Jared Polis was so eager to take a literal table saw to a pile of regulations last week? Stand-up comic Joshua Emerson joins producer Paul Karolyi to dig into the data. Plus, we want your help picking Denver’s Word of the Year! And we respond to a listener’s fiery hot take on Denver’s pro...
Dec 17, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast While they may seem like a long-forgotten exploit of our Wild West history, bank robberies are a big problem in Colorado right now. Over the past few years, the local FBI office has cracked down and cut our annual bank robbery total from a nation-leading 191 in 2021 to 104 in 2023. But that still ranks Colorado third in the country behind Illinois and California! So why is this particular crime so prevalent here? And what does a modern bank robbery even look like? Host Bree Davies sits down with...
Dec 16, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Will Denver take the lead and embrace housing density? Or will car lovers prevail and get their coveted parking spots? It’s Friday, and we’re looking back at the news of the week — including Mayor Mike Johnston’s new plan for eliminating minimum parking requirements and CPR’s explosive story on RTD CEO Debra Johnson reportedly “despising” Denver. Producer Paul Karolyi and host Bree Davies are joined by fave guest Deep Singh Badhesha to dig into these parking and the messy politics of transit, as...
Dec 13, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the big City Cast Denver Year-in-Review Spectacular! Who had the biggest year in Denver? Who made the news for all the wrong reasons? And really, where does Mayor Mike Johnston’s jacket sit in the competition for “Most Denver-est” person, place, or thing of 2024? From a massive W for YIMBYs and land-use nerds to thirsty politicians trying anything to go viral, we’re looking back at this year in the Mile High City. Host Bree Davies and producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love share thei...
Dec 12, 2024•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast When 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey was found murdered in her family’s home in Boulder in 1996, the story made national headlines. Almost 30 years later, the death remains unsolved but the true crime machine has consumed it, producing endless speculation, conspiracy theories, and plenty of sensational media coverage. This month, Netflix released “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey,” putting Colorado and this gruesome crime once again in the spotlight. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi ar...
Dec 11, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s Tuesday, and we’re talking about the biggest stories of the week. First, Mayor Mike Johnston is poised to reverse one of his predecessor’s most controversial decisions and approve City Council’s proposal to ban sales of flavored tobacco, including Zyn. Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are talking about the changing politics of bubble gum vape juice, as well as some ongoing pizza drama and hear listeners responses to our conversation about CPR’s Caring for Denver investigation. Pau...
Dec 10, 2024•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Governor Jared Polis is finally turning his attention to an issue guaranteed to divide Denverites: transportation. Last month, he published a beefy new document laying out his vision for how he wants to change the way Coloradans get around over. His ambitious goals over the next decade include reducing the climate impacts of driving, getting more people out of their cars, and making public transit more efficient and useful. So what will this all mean for Denverites’ everyday lives? Southwest Ene...
Dec 09, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
