News From the Conventions

As a former (and wannabe-once-again) Chicagoan who now lives in Denver, I'm hearing from my Chicago friends who have blown into the Mile High City many of the same observations I made after moving here nearly five years ago: 

• Central downtown was poorly planned. People used to walking in nice, neat grids will get lost in a hurry in Denver -- where downtown streets hit the diagonal. One redeeming aspect of the central district's layout is the fleet of free shuttles that move visitors up and down its main drag, the 16th Street Mall. Have heard more than one person complain about this. And EVERYONE is wondering where Denver's mass transit is. ("I can't believe a city of this size doesn't have more buses and trains," one Chicagoan groused.)
• Downtown Denver has a lot of chain restaurants. Quaint -- and locally owned -- dining is found mostly outside of the downtown district. 
• Cabs. There aren't enough of them. The fares are expensive. And a whole lot of drivers are, um, "directionally challenged." Sounds as if a few of my reporter friends visiting from the Midwest have been taken for  a ride in more ways than one ...
• Colorado is sunny! And you can see through the clouds! My Chicago friends are discussing the (typically) gorgeous August weather here more than they're talking about Obama.