37 MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | SHOPPING & SERVICES | SPORTS & RECREATION | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | FOOD & DRINK | MUSIC & VENUES | bullying, cybersafety, distracted driving and even Newton’s laws for crashes. Best E-Scooter Bird bird.co Bird is the new kid on the block in Denver, and its freshness shows when you take one of its e-scooters for a spin. The Bird scoot- ers have the latest advancements, includ- ing wider decks, turn signals and wireless phone-charging mounts that don’t launch your phone into the street when you hit a pothole (looking at you, Lime). The scoot- ers also have less wear and tear than their competition. Plus, when Bird took over Lyft’s dockless vehicle license in December, it only kept the newest generation of Lyft scooters in operation. So we can all thank Bird for getting those old, janky, skinny black Lyft scooters off of Denver’s streets. Best Free Recording Studio Denver Public Library 10 West 14th Avenue 720-865-1111 denverlibrary.org/studios So you want to be a star? All you need to use one of the Denver Public Library’s fi ve recording studios, located in the new ide- aLABS, is a library card and a reservation. Software and hardware vary, but most in- clude basics such as Logic Pro X, Garage- Band and FocusRite Scarlett 6i6 Audio Interface. The media conversion station also allows users to convert analog media to a digital format, or to convert photos, slides, negatives, VHS tapes or LPs into digital fi les. Each session is allotted two hours — but that should be enough time to shine. Best Way to Read the New York Times for Free Denver Public Library Databases 720 865-1111 denverlibrary.org/nytimes Whether you’re reading by hard copy or digital subscription, All the News That’s Fit to Print can put a big dent in your wallet. But with a library card, the searchable, complete text of today’s edition (and any date going back to 1980) can be yours for free through the Denver Public Library’s extensive list of online databases (which includes the Denver Post). With a few extra steps, you can view full-page scans of the Times as well as his- torical content and images dating back to 1851, plus access thousands of recipes from NYT Cooking and stories from The Athletic. With all the money you’ll be saving, you’ll soon have enough for a trip to the Big Apple. Best Place to Buy the Denver Post Dollar Tree 8000 East Quincy Avenue 720-853-4551 dollartree.com The cost of home-delivery subscriptions to the Denver Post is rising faster than the paper is shrinking, with people paying more than $1,000 a year for the privilege of having an actual copy at their door. That’s why so many readers have gone digital-only, but sometimes you just actually need that newsprint in your hand -- although you’ll pay a pretty penny for that, too...upwards of 400 pretty pennies. But there is an option: head to the Dollar Tree on East Quincy, where you can get the Sunday Post paper at a bargain $1.50. For now, at least, until the vampire hedge-fund owner, Alden Global Capital, poops on this party. Best Independent Bookstore Boulder Bookstore 1107 Pearl Street Boulder 303-447-2074 boulderbookstore.net These are days of struggle for independent bookstores, and many of those that have sur- vived the tyranny of online shopping have done so via shrinkage. But not the Boulder Bookstore. The Pearl Street Mall staple still boasts three big fl oors of retail space, with shelf after shelf after shelf crammed with tomes of every description. Yes, you can fi nd the latest bestsellers and approved-by- TikTok tales of dragon sex and more. But the space also makes room for scads of volumes that fall into more obscure categories – and the remainders section, where offerings are peddled at signifi cant discounts, is the deep- est and most interesting in the metro area. In this case, size matters, and the Boulder Bookstore makes the most of it. Bonus for the ongoing lineup of author’s appearances: You pay $5 (plus fees) for a ticket, but gt a $5 coupon for your fi rst book purchase. Best Corporate Bookstore Tattered Cover Colfax 2526 East Colfax Avenue 303-322-7727 tatteredcover.com When Tattered Cover, Colorado’s signa- ture bookseller, was purchased by Barnes & Noble last year, readers in the Mile High City prepared themselves for the worst. But thus far, at least, the quirky character that distinguished Tattered hasn’t been exiled to the cobwebbed corners of nostalgia...and the retailer’s fl agship branch on East Colfax Av- enue continues to feel distinctively Denver. The new owners wisely chose not to give the interior a major makeover, and the scruffy, lived-in atmosphere contributes mightily to a welcome sense of fa- Shopping & Services continued from page 34 continued on page 39
