City Cast Denver

Join Host Bree Davies and the City Cast Denver crew every weekday morning as we celebrate, explore, and challenge an ever-changing Denver. It’s the daily news podcast for all Denverites — whether you’ve been here for six months or six generations. We’ll break down the news you need (and want) to know with journalists and culture makers; activists and artists; neighbors and ne’er-do-wells — and John Elway, if he ever returns our calls. Learn more and subscribe to our newsletter at denver.citycast.fm.. Named Westword's Best Podcast of 2021, 2023

Episodes

Replacing Cops With Drones, Cheap yet Controversial Calzones, and the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Fail

October 17, 2025 • 65 mins

Should law enforcement employ drones to respond to 911 calls? DPD has already signed a free-trial contract with Flock, but how these drones will actually be used isn’t clear. Then, even as restaurants say they are struggling to stay open amid rising costs, labor issues, and concerns about crime, one calzone shop owner on South Broadway has chosen to drastically lower his prices. Producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love are joi...

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Will Littleton Vote for Housing Density? The Fight Is Getting Nasty!

October 16, 2025 • 26 mins

A big fight over housing density has been brewing in Littleton for years, and with voters set to decide the fate of Mayor Kyle Schlachter’s “missing middle” housing reforms early next month, the debate is getting nasty! A rival mayoral candidate, Patrick Driscoll, was recently caught on a Ring camera swiping Schlachter’s campaign materials. So, what’s got Littleton so heated? We’re revisiting a conversation host Bree Davies had wit...

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The Secret Garden’s Sudden Closure, DIA Mutes Kristi Noem, and Love Is Blind Gossip

October 15, 2025 • 26 mins

What in the heck happened to the Secret Garden Cafe & Bar? We broke the story of the very popular spot’s sudden closure last week — and staff are wondering if it was connected to their recent unionizing efforts. Then, DIA and the Colorado Springs Airport have chosen not to air a new video of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem blaming the government shutdown on Democrats, but each for different reasons. Host Bree Davies and ...

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Has Denver Lost Its Swag? Fmr. Mayor Webb on the Park Hill Park, the Stadium Deals, and Mayor Johnston’s Bond

October 14, 2025 • 36 mins

Wellington Webb served as Denver’s mayor from 1991 to 2003. In those 12 years, he oversaw the expansion of the Denver Art Museum, the construction of DIA and Empower Field at Mile High, and many more city-defining projects. After a long political career, he started his own PR and economic development consulting firm — and was one of the biggest voices in the successful opposition to proposed housing development on the Park Hill Gol...

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Casa Bonita’s Spooky New Labor Dispute, DCPA’s Latest Flop, and Den-Mex Redemption

October 10, 2025 • 57 mins

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts announced this week that it was ⁠shutting down Off Center⁠, its immersive theater programming. Meanwhile at Casa Bonita, the restaurant unveiled its “Casa Boonita” theming for the Halloween season, which ⁠sparked a labor complaint⁠ over the associated reduction in roaming characters. So, is Denver over immersive art? Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi are joined by returning fave, c...

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Why Firefighters Are Getting Raises When the City Is Doing Layoffs

October 9, 2025 • 36 mins

City Council is meeting today to debate amendments to the mayor’s proposed budget for 2026, and it could get spicy! Because Mayor Mike Johnston been facing a lot of criticism for the way he’s handled the city’s $250 million shortfall lately. He laid off workers. He asked every department to look for cuts. Clerk and Recorder Paul López even said the mayor’s proposed cuts represent ”a threat to democracy.” And as López and other crit...

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Is ‘Love Is Blind’ Doing Denver Dirty?

October 8, 2025 • 40 mins

The Netflix dating show “Love Is Blind” has descended on Denver, but just how much of Denver really shines through in the contestants? We binge-watched the first six episodes to suss out these Colorado blind daters and decide: is Sparkle Megan really that sparkling? Is Jordan more than just the chicken-in-a-blender guy? Do any of these people scream Denver when it comes to their personalities and interests? Host Bree Davies is join...

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Could Conversion Therapy Return to CO? Plus, the Avs’ Betrayal and Another Diner Gets Bank-ified

October 7, 2025 • 32 mins

The conservative legal activists at Alliance Defending Freedom are taking another Colorado case to the Supreme Court this week. Will conversion therapy for minors — which has been illegal in this state since 2019 — be reconsidered as a free speech issue? Then, “gonzo journalist” and longtime Woody Creek resident Hunter S. Thompson’s widow is asking the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to reopen the case of his death in 2005, which ...

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Inside Denver’s Biggest Debates: Housing Density, the ‘Blue Ghetto,’ and the Mayor’s Budget

October 6, 2025 • 37 mins

Is your neighborhood ready for “gentle density”? The city’s community planning and development office is starting work on a project to bring missing middle housing — duplexes, fourplexes, etc. — to more Denver neighborhoods, and that means some neighbors are gearing up for a fight! City Councilman Kevin Flynn represents southwest Denver and was re-elected after he warned against so-called gentle density. So today he joins producer ...

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Mayor Mike Bought a Crusty Mall, More MAGA Boycotts, and RTD Defunds Disability Service

October 3, 2025 • 64 mins

One of Mayor Mike Johnston’s biggest priorities this year is showing Denverites how much better 16th St. looks post-construction. And as of Tuesday, he’s got a big new prize to show off: The Denver Pavilions. He’s arranged to buy the 27-year-old “mall on the mall” for $37 million — Coyote Ugly and all. Former Republican congressional candidate Valdamar Archuleta joins producers Paul Karolyi and Olivia Jewell Love to talk about the ...

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Rents Are Dropping. So, Why Are Evictions Still Skyrocketing?

October 2, 2025 • 34 mins

Something very weird is happening in Denver’s rental market. For the first time in what feels like forever, the average rent is going down. But at the same time, evictions are skyrocketing! They are set to break records again in 2025 after setting a tragic high-water mark in 2024. And amid the escalating eviction crisis, Mayor Mike Johnston informed eviction defense groups last week that he was cutting their funding. So producer Pa...

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Your Guide to October 2025 in Denver

October 1, 2025 • 35 mins

The leaves are turning, the temps are dropping, and that 12-foot plastic skeleton is back up in the neighbor’s yard. It’s officially October. So how’re you going to make the most of spooky season in Denver this year? From walking tacos on West Colfax to a chilling history museum exhibit, we’re back with our monthly guide to living the good life in the Mile High City. Get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Den...

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Why the Mayor Is Closing Shelters, a Felon for Governor, and Rats at Larimer Square?

September 30, 2025 • 37 mins

In the context of his proposed budget for 2026, Mayor Mike Johnston has announced plans to shut down two shelters, saving the city $11 million. But that’s still far from enough to cover the $250 million shortfall between 2025 and 2026. The mayor critics are growing in number and intensity, blaming him for mismanagement, so Westword editor Patty Calhoun joins producer Paul Karolyi to talk about who’s to blame for the budget woes and...

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Did That Age Well? Denver’s Most Divisive Places, Policies, and Icons

September 29, 2025 • 37 mins

Denver as a city is more than 160 years old. So, with quite a few decades under the city’s belt, how are things looking these days? From a former mayor’s COVID-era tweets to a popular theater with a questionable moniker, we put some of Denver’s most famous and iconic people, places, and things to the test: Did that age well? Host Bree Davies debates the Mile High City’s best and worst looks with politics and green chile corresponde...

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Did DoBetterDNVR Have a Change of Heart? Plus, Another Diner Closes and ‘Love Is Blind’ Gossip

September 26, 2025 • 61 mins

For years, the social media account DoBetterDNVR has been a thorn in Mayor Mike Johnston’s side, attracting 150,000 followers with harsh personal attacks, policy critiques, and crowd-sourced photos and videos of people experiencing homelessness in crisis. Then on Monday night, the anonymous admin mysteriously deactivated the accounts on Instagram and X. Our politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval joins host Bree Dav...

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Denver’s Coziest, Most Creative, and Classic Coffee Shops

September 25, 2025 • 32 mins

Fall is officially here, and the vibes are getting cozy. But beyond a quick service pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, where do you go to settle in and really enjoy a warm and welcoming cup of coffee? Host Bree Davies and producer Olivia Jewell Love are joined by entrepreneur, content creator, and coffee shop aficionado ⁠Michelle Jackson⁠ to talk about the best local spots that bring the ambiance, offer creative drink choices, and...

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The Best Eats on Havana Street (According to Someone Who’s Trying Every Restaurant)

September 24, 2025 • 31 mins

With some of the best pho, dim sum, and tacos in the city, Federal Boulevard long ago earned its reputation as a top dining destination. But lately, Havana Street in Aurora has been getting attention for its own variety of global cuisine. So, is Havana the new Federal? We posed this question to Westword food writer Antony Bruno, who’s been eating his way up Aurora’s boulevard of strip malls, box stores, and used car lots, finding d...

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Downtown's Real Estate Roller Coaster, New Shuttles to Red Rocks, and a Sweaty Weekend at the Federal Theatre

September 23, 2025 • 31 mins

A major commercial real estate company is ⁠buying up buildings⁠ in downtown Denver and wants to convert the empty offices into housing, but the mysterious landowner is ⁠standing in the way⁠. And what does the owner of Lakeside Amusement Park have to do with the mayor’s big plan to revitalize the city’s urban core? Then, RTD has committed almost $1 million to pilot a shuttle service to Red Rocks, but it ⁠won’t be serving concert goe...

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Are Mayor Johnston’s Budget Cuts ‘a Threat to Democracy’?

September 22, 2025 • 33 mins

Clerk and Recorder Paul López has been very vocal lately in his distaste for Mayor Johnston’s proposed city budget cuts. The top elections official feels the integrity of Denver’s ballot system is at stake and has even called the mayor’s decisions on city funding “a threat to democracy.” So, López himself sits down with host Bree Davies to hash out his beef with Johnston’s 2026 budget proposal and explain why he thinks the mayor’s ...

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Decoding the Mayor’s Budget, the Zoo’s Angry Neighbors, and an Exclusive Campaign Announcement

September 19, 2025 • 71 mins

Mayor Mike Johnston revealed his proposed budget for 2026 this week — the vibes are off and the numbers are down. But what can we read between the lines of his proposals to see where the city is going next? Our politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to talk about the mayor’s new priorities on homelessness and other secrets hidden in the budget. Plus, some City Park n...

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City Cast Denver

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Replacing Cops With Drones, Cheap yet Controversial Calzones, and the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Fail

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Will Littleton Vote for Housing Density? The Fight Is Getting Nasty!

The Secret Garden’s Sudden Closure, DIA Mutes Kristi Noem, and Love Is Blind Gossip

Has Denver Lost Its Swag? Fmr. Mayor Webb on the Park Hill Park, the Stadium Deals, and Mayor Johnston’s Bond

Casa Bonita’s Spooky New Labor Dispute, DCPA’s Latest Flop, and Den-Mex Redemption

Why Firefighters Are Getting Raises When the City Is Doing Layoffs

Is ‘Love Is Blind’ Doing Denver Dirty?

Could Conversion Therapy Return to CO? Plus, the Avs’ Betrayal and Another Diner Gets Bank-ified

Inside Denver’s Biggest Debates: Housing Density, the ‘Blue Ghetto,’ and the Mayor’s Budget

Mayor Mike Bought a Crusty Mall, More MAGA Boycotts, and RTD Defunds Disability Service

Rents Are Dropping. So, Why Are Evictions Still Skyrocketing?

Your Guide to October 2025 in Denver

Why the Mayor Is Closing Shelters, a Felon for Governor, and Rats at Larimer Square?

Did That Age Well? Denver’s Most Divisive Places, Policies, and Icons

Did DoBetterDNVR Have a Change of Heart? Plus, Another Diner Closes and ‘Love Is Blind’ Gossip

Denver’s Coziest, Most Creative, and Classic Coffee Shops

The Best Eats on Havana Street (According to Someone Who’s Trying Every Restaurant)

Downtown's Real Estate Roller Coaster, New Shuttles to Red Rocks, and a Sweaty Weekend at the Federal Theatre

Are Mayor Johnston’s Budget Cuts ‘a Threat to Democracy’?

Decoding the Mayor’s Budget, the Zoo’s Angry Neighbors, and an Exclusive Campaign Announcement

Popular Podcasts

Replacing Cops With Drones, Cheap yet Controversial Calzones, and the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Fail

Will Littleton Vote for Housing Density? The Fight Is Getting Nasty!