Secrets of the Suburbs

From gourmet pizzerias and beer gardens to eclectic boutiques and Asian markets, our Mile High suburbs are overflowing with places worth discovering. We’ve pulled together an assortment of spots that embody the vibrant, appealingly quirky spirit of our city’s outlying areas. So read up, get out there, and try something new in the next town over.

Cupcakes on Call

You’re shopping at Southlands Mall in Aurora. It’s a madhouse. A little pick-me-up is in order. Head for the fire pit, behind which you’ll find Bliss Cupcakes (www.blisscupcake.com). If available, try the King—aka the fluffy banana cupcake filled with sinful peanut-butter mousse and topped with peanut-butter buttercream. (Tip: Ask for shredded bacon on top. Really.) Or, maybe you’re perusing downtown Parker—in which case, pop into the charming Nomélie Cupcakes (www.nomeliecupcakes.com) for a taste of fresh, handmade ingredients and yummy flavors like Mom’s Fave Jam. And, for you really ambitious folks, let us point you toward The Makery (www.themakery.com">www.blisscupcake.com). If available, try the King—aka the fluffy banana cupcake filled with sinful peanut-butter mousse and topped with peanut-butter buttercream. (Tip: Ask for shredded bacon on top. Really.) Or, maybe you’re perusing downtown Parker—in which case, pop into the charming Nomélie Cupcakes (www.nomeliecupcakes.com) for a taste of fresh, handmade ingredients and yummy flavors like Mom’s Fave Jam. And, for you really ambitious folks, let us point you toward The Makery (www.themakery.com) in Centennial, where the “we bake, you make” policy lets you create and decorate your own designer (fancy tools provided) cupcakes and cakes while leaving the hard part—fear not, our oven-challenged friends—to the pros.

Center Stage

Talent isn’t necessarily proportional to the size of the stage. This past fall, in a strip mall-esque space in Westminster, the nonprofit 73rd Avenue Theatre Company (www.the73rdavenuetheatrecompany.com) produced a drama called The Container, about smuggling immigrants across a border. The entire play occurred inside an actual boxcar-size shipping container, audience and all—making for an intimate, thought-provoking, searing snapshot of humanity. In Arvada, try the Festival Playhouse (www.festivalplayhouse.com) for top-notch family-friendly theater; the historic playhouse, constructed in 1874, is Arvada’s oldest building. Or, reserve a table at Longmont’s Jesters Dinner Theatre (www.jesterstheatre.com">www.the73rdavenuetheatrecompany.com) produced a drama called The Container, about smuggling immigrants across a border. The entire play occurred inside an actual boxcar-size shipping container, audience and all—making for an intimate, thought-provoking, searing snapshot of humanity. In Arvada, try the Festival Playhouse (www.festivalplayhouse.com) for top-notch family-friendly theater; the historic playhouse, constructed in 1874, is Arvada’s oldest building. Or, reserve a table at Longmont’s Jesters Dinner Theatre (www.jesterstheatre.com) for dinner and a show. The costume shop, open to the public, is a Halloween jackpot.