Fort Greene: North Denver’s Hidden Gem
“One Night Queen please,” I ask Haylie, a rugged badass bartender with a truckload of travel stories. She does a smooth pirouette, grabbing all necessary ingredients and pours my drink, dancing.
“Here ya go hon,” she says, sliding over a cold glass with a picture of a hummingbird on it. I take one sip and feel like I’ve taken a bite of a ginger cloud.
When I first heard about Fort Greene my friend described it as a mysterious bar with a distinct character, eccentric personalities and dope music. With little information to go off, I imagined a cross between Narnia and Brooklyn. I wanted to know what made this bar different than the overabundant, yuppie hangouts of RiNo, so I made the drive up to Globeville, a time capsule of pre-gentrified Denver with only a few businesses sprinkled along the main drag including a bakery, concert hall, and liquor store. Tucked between a freeway cloverleaf and a rail yard, it’s managed to avoid the gaze of property developers, at least for now. At night time the emptiness of the neighborhood is chilling. Sodium vapor lamps paint the streets orange.
As you approach the red brick building that’s Fort Greene, there is no sign inviting you inside, signaling its presence. The only indicators of life are a pinkish light leaking through a small window where the silhouettes of dancing figures move gently to the muffled music. When I step inside, the sensation that I’ve entered some kaleidoscopic dream washes over me. A beautiful upside-down garden of tangerine colored tissue paper flowers dangles from the tall wooden ceiling. An ancient piano sits stoically on the opposite side of the room, and the antique coffee tables beckon, covered with subtle candle lights, voguish lamps, various plants, and old hardcover books. The Fort sprawls like a museum of kitsch dioramas: there’s a room with one side covered in old wallpaper depicting explorers, and the other a maroon paisley. Attached is an annex with a disco ball, dented (fashionably) with party scars. There’s also an outdoor deck area where during the warmer seasons a weekly puppy party takes place. Don’t forget to snap a selfie in the plywood coffin.
My love for Fort Greene comes from its strange knack for serendipity. I’ve encountered random clothing booth pop ups, rap cyphers and underground DJ sets. I have ended up in random dance parties on nights when the bar is nearly empty and it’s just you, five friends, and an encouraging bartender ready to make a memorable night. Like it or not, you’ll never have the same night twice.
Favorite Drinks:
Night Queen: The aforementioned ginger cloud
Our Time: Amari shot (your choice), with a Coors Banquet to wash it down. If you haven’t tried Amari before, let the bartenders walk you through their collection. It’s an Italian herbal liqueur you didn’t know you loved
* Header Photo: Taken by local photographer Sammy Keller. Her work can be found on Instagram and on her site, jvmpthegun
