LoDo (or Lower Downtown) Denver has emerged as our brightest, hottest place to be for dining and, bar hopping.

The LoDo area used to be pretty much a place for warehouses and for the homeless to hang out. Then, the city built Coors Field, the home of he Colorado Rockies, some 10 years ago. This spurred an amazing amount of growth that has turned LoDo into Denver's happening area where you'll find bars, restaurants, galleries, hotels, Coors Field and an increasing number of lofts and other residences.

LoDo is actually the city of Denver's birthplace some 200 years ago and, as such, is considered to be an historic district. But if you tell that to the hundreds (or thousands) of singles and couples you'll find hanging out in LoDo at night and they'll look at you funny. That's because, to them, it's the most up-to-date part of Denver.

Twenty restaurants call LoDo home, though many of these are more places to drink than eat. Some of the more popular places to, well, host a few, are the Wazee Supper Club, Wynkoop Brewing Company (founded by our Mayor as Denver's first brew pub), Fado Denver, The Falling Rock Tap House, LoDo's Bar and Grill, and the Sports Column.

There are some very nice galleries, including Center for Visual Art, Robischon Gallery and the William Matthews Gallery.

Places to shop include Bouquets, Colorado Saddlery, Players, Rockmount Ranch Wear (it provided shirts for Brokeback Mountain, and our beloved Tattered Cover Bookstore.

Lodo's boundaries are basically on the north to Wazee on the south, and from 15th St. on the west to Coors Field at 20th Street on the east.