5280 Reasons to Love Denver 2021: We’re Doing Business Differently Because we got to know our neighborhood business owners as they battled the economic hardships of the past year.Geoff Van Dyke • July 1, 2021 Cities are often monolithic in the collective imagination, but what really makes them interesting is that they are collections of neighborhoods, each with its own feeling, vibe, and diversity of residents and experiences. Next month, I will have lived in Washington Park West for 13 years, and over that time I’ve become attuned to how the area feels. I’ve gotten to know the bartenders at my favorite pub; I make small talk with my dry cleaner; and I’ve become friendly with Michael, the owner of my neighborhood liquor store. I’m there enough that if Michael has a certain, desirable brand of bourbon in stock (a rarity), he’ll ask if I want a bottle he has kept behind the cash register. These kinds of relationships make living in a particular neighborhood feel special. They comprise, as the old cliché says, the fabric of the community.