Meet Joseph Newman, an antique vendor swallowed in the sea of hundreds of other vendors at the one and only, Mile High Flea Market. Even though the flea market is home to a vast amount of vendors and sellers, Joseph’s booth sticks out because of his expansive collection of antiques and funky goods. Joseph was born in Eagle, Michigan and grew up in a household ran by a single mom. One day in the 60’s, his mother decided that she wanted to move out to Colorado (her favorite state), so they packed up their Lincoln Continental and hit the road. His father was a professional wrestler but,... Read More

One of the great things about roaming around the urban epicenter of Denver, is the diversity of ethnicities of people you encounter on a daily basis. Jae Pop is a prime example of these multicultural interactions that can be experienced. When walking up to the family owned Thai food street cart, Liang’s Thai Food (located on the busy corner of 16th and Tremont), I was greeted by an upbeat, ultra-friendly guy, named Jae Pop. He treated me like we had been best friends for years, and for a second, I was almost convinced that we had been best friends for years. But that is the type of thing... Read More

Meet the Juan and only, Juan Machense. Juan was born in New York City where he lived all around the Queens and Long Island area. His family history runs deep in Colombia, so as a toddler, he moved down to Bogota and dwelled there for a couple of years. His Grandpa had a farm outside of the small town of Chiha, where he spend a good portion of his time at. After spending a smidge of his childhood in Colombia, he moved back to NYC where he stayed until he was 12 years old, in which his family packed up and moved down to Tampa, Florida – a city that seems to be quite the contrast to NYC. After... Read More

When driving through the quaint town of Morrison, it’s hard to miss the tiny, vibrant, and eccentric building of the little shop called “The Happy Shack.”  After this place caught my attention, I eagerly walked in to check it out, and was met with a giant smile from one of the owners, Ariane Curtis. Ariane is a Denver native who has lived all her life in  various places throughout Colorado. After graduating from Chatfield High School, she decided to pursue a degree in Design and Technical Graphics from the Art Institute. Her goal was to be able to work on movie sets, and to... Read More

Meet Random, (yes, that is his actual name) a multi-skilled Denver musician with a nice set of golden locks that makes others jealous. Random Temple, which has to be one of the most intriguing names ever, has lived in Denver for 5 years. He was born in Eugene, Oregon under, according to him, parents that were hippie-esque and avid followers of the Grateful Dead. He spent a chunk of his childhood going to Grateful Dead concerts with his parents; probably being credited as the beginning of his exposure to the music world. Even though he was born in Eugene, he spent a good portion of his life growing... Read More

Meet Michael “Santa” Thein. The Santa nickname coming from what people like to call him, and between his physical appearance and persona, it is an accurately fitting name. Michael is a very buoyant, upbeat character, radiating with charm as he sits in his wheelchair on the corner of 16th and Champa. He sits with a smile watching people pass by, asking for high fives and small donations-not donations for himself, but donations for the homeless community that he likes to help out. This is where the Santa nickname comes into play, Michael is a very generous and caring person, who is constantly... Read More

Meet Lauren Seip, one of the two owners of the eccentric and playful art store, Lowbrow. Lauren was not born in Denver, but considers Denver essentially her hometown after living here for 14 years. She originally is from Florida, but has moved around so much during her childhood that she has never really considered anywhere her home, until settling in Denver. Since Lowbrow is a beautifully aesthetic store with emphasis on art and design, it only makes sense that Lauren went to school for Media Art at The Art Institute of Colorado. Lowbrow is located at 38 Broadway in Denver, CO, and not a newcomer... Read More

                    Meet Karthish Ponnakachira, a recent Denver dweller that, only living in Denver for a year, has quickly fallen in love with Colorado. Karthish love for Colorado comes from the surprising similarities, he says, it shares with his hometown Bangalore, India. Being born and raised in Bangalore, the capital of India’s southern Karnataka state which is very mountainous and has a climate resembling Colorado’s (minus the snow), he has always had a passion for outdoor activities. This being one of the reasons Colorado enticed... Read More