Wine Off the Rails
Do you associate train stations with a chaotic whirlwind of grit, misery and anxiety, a place you avoid at all costs unless absolutely necessary? If your answer is yes, you are a normal person. A normal person, that is, who has never been to Denver's Union Station.
The original mile-high Union Station opened in 1881, during the railroad’s glory days, but was destroyed by fire just three years later; its modern-day Beaux Arts façade dates to 1914. A hundred years later, in July 2014, the city unveiled a $54 million renovation of the terminal, which included the opening of several restaurants, bars, casual eateries and coffee shops within the station's walls.
It's immediately obvious why Union Station is dubbed "Denver's living room." People—locals—hang out there regardless of whether or not they're waiting for a train. During both my recent trips to Denver, it became my mission to eat and drink at every venue in the station.