🍼 Why Denverites aren’t having kids

📈 Another Record Year for Colorado Tourism

An all-time high of 93.3 million tourists visited the Centennial State last year, bringing in a record-setting $1.8 billion in local tax revenue. Roughly half (!) of the $28.2 billion spent by visitors in 2023 was spent right here in Denver. [CO Sun]

• Why Colorado? Why not Colorado?! There are so many incredible tourist treats to choose from. Here are just some of our most underrated favorites. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🍼 Denverites Aren’t Having Kids

From 2021 to 2022, Denver County saw the second largest drop in births among 100 of the nation’s most populous counties, exemplifying a generational shift around the idea of having children that can be seen around the country. [CO Sun]

• Context: What exactly does this stat say about our city? And what might it mean for our future? We spoke with state demographer Elizabeth Garner to learn more. [City Cast Denver 🎧]
• What do you think? Where do you stand on the procreation conversation? We want to hear from you 📧

✔️ Stretch Those Voting Muscles

City election officials are estimating November’s ballot could be Denver’s longest one ever — potentially five pages long! — touting as many as nine local measures and seven statewide measures, with possibly even more to come over the next few months. [Axios Denver]

⚰️ Latest in Penrose Funeral Home Scandal

The Colorado funeral home owners facing criminal charges — including corpse abuse and fraud for improperly storing 190 dead bodies and mailing grieving families fake ashes — were ordered by a judge to pay $950 million to the victims’ relatives. Unfortunately, the fine is merely symbolic, as the funeral home owners appear to have been in financial turmoil for years. [AP via KRCC]

• How TF did this happen?? We asked a mortuary science expert to explain it to us. [City Cast Dever 🎧]

9 Fun Tourist Attractions Without Huge Crowds

Sure, Red Rocks and Rocky Mountain National Park should be on every Colorado visitor’s can’t-miss list. But besides those often overcrowded mainstays, what are the hidden gems that make Colorado such a magical place to vacation? The City Cast Denver podcast crew rounds up an essential list of their fave underrated spots to take your next out-of-town guests.