The first mistake I made upon arriving in Denver was to refer to it as the Midwest. In my defense: the first person I saw after exiting the plane was a young man wearing a cowboy hat with—not luggage—a saddle. Then there's the actual location of Colorado. If you look at a map, it's pretty much Mid. West. Kind of in the middle of America. To avoid any future bar fights, I learned you simply call Colorado West or Rocky Mountain West. I can tell you anything about Europe and Asia, the best things to do in the Pacific, and even distinguish the unique characteristics of every Caribbean island for you. But I don't know my America, which is why I decided to check out a domestic destination I could learn from.

Denver is flat, streets like a grid, and rather than building high, they went wide. It's a sprawling city. Up until a few years ago, the highlights were major shopping centers like Cherry Creek and restaurants that served a damn good steak. But things have changed. Both Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons—opened within the past five years—brought an element of luxury, and iconic, local chef Frank Bonanno spearheaded a culinary movement that introduced the city to more creative and even ethnic dishes.

Neighborhoods have also claimed an identity, from LowHi (Lower Highlands) and LoDo (Lower Downtown), to Uptown and SoBo (South Broadway). Yes, locals actually use these terms.

The neighborhood that had the most personality was South Broadway, perhaps the more bohemian hipster part of Denver. It's a one-way road on the lower half of Broadway that's brimming with tattoo shops, independently owned restaurants, thrift stores, theaters, avant-guard boutiques and indie bookstores, art galleries, tattoo parlors and bars. I was down with the new El Diablo restaurant, open less than a year, which served some pretty amazing Mexican food (while there's a strong Mexican community in Denver, authentic Mexican is hard to come by inside Denver proper) and the staff is more than eager to give you the proper Denver tour with their own tips. Strolling down the wide street also showcases some of Denver's best outside the downtown core. While there's a popular Goodwill (inside you'll find all sorts of hipsters invading the racks), my favorite was Daredevil Apparel, which has the best selection of vintage swimwear for men I've ever encountered.

Just a few stores down is Fancy Tiger Clothing, which relocated to a larger space just last month and specializes in local designer wear for men and women, including screen-printed T-shirts by Adam Sikorski and vegan wallets by Beans & Rice. Denver's got some cool, it turns out, and the more I explore, the more I'm sure I'll be able to disassociate it with the Midwest