LoDo, Denver's High Point By Maryann Haggerty Sunday, August 3, 1997; Page E02

Today the transition is complete. Now everybody calls the neighborhood LoDo, and agrees it's the coolest place without a ski lift. Packs of folks in their twenties roam the streets looking for their next good meal or pitcher of beer. Art galleries are scattered among the restaurants, breweries, clubs and coffeehouses. Many of those once-vacant warehouses are loft apartments and condos.

In perhaps the most obvious sign that this is a neighborhood that's arrived, Denver's renowned Tattered Cover bookstore opened a large LoDo store last year. Tattered Cover is what all the chain mega-stores try to be -- a big, comfy place where customers feel as welcome to read as to buy. The three-story LoDo location (1628 16th St.) is one of just two stores; the original is in south Denver.

Many tourists pass quickly through the city on their way to skiing or hiking. But spending even a night or two in the city gives you time to acclimate yourself to the altitude. It's also enough time to sample the urban treats of LoDo before heading to the great outdoors.

LoDo is a 26-square-block historic district bounded by 14th, 20th, Wynkoop and Larimer streets. Its biggest anchor is Coors Field (20th and Blake streets), which opened in 1995. The baseball park routinely sells out its 50,000 seats; getting tickets is tough, but our hotel concierge offered to find us some.

Immediately after a game, baseball fans crowd the bars on Blake Street. One called Splinters From the Pine boasts that it's the Bar Where Baseball Fans Drink Beer, although it seems to have plenty of competition.

To enjoy LoDo, get rid of your car. Like all fun urban neighborhoods, it's compact and walkable. You'll know what you're looking for when you find it.

On the edge of the neighborhood is Larimer Square (Larimer Street between 14th and 15th streets), a staple of Denver tourism that's cute, clean and indistinguishable from most urban shopping zones. But the rest of LoDo maintains an independent edge. There are plenty of nightclubs, boasting local bands no tourist has ever heard of. (I particularly liked the names of some of the acts at Soapy Smith's Eagle Bar, 1317 14th St., a western-Victorian place. Who cares what a band sounds like when it's called HiFiMoJo?)

For meals, you're better off just reading the menus in windows. When President Clinton visited town recently, he ate at the much-praised McCormick's Fish House at the Oxford Hotel (1600 17th St.). The Wazee Supper Club (1600 15th St.) gets raves from local reviewers for great pizza in a neighborhood atmosphere. For appetizers, standouts include the sort-of-sushi and Asian-street-food style offerings at Tommy Tsunami's (1432 Market St.) and the generous nachos at Wynkoop Brewing Co. (1634 18th St.).

Denver is a city that takes its beer seriously. In LoDo, there seems to be a brew pub on every block. Wynkoop was the first in the city and still claims to be the largest in the nation. There's a pool room, a comedy club and the sort of hearty menu that a brew pub requires.

All that beer makes a nearby hotel a smart idea. The big downtown hotels are either within walking distance of LoDo or a short cab ride away (although few cabs cruise the streets). But the winner for convenience is the historic Oxford, just up the street from Amtrak's Union Station. It's the city's oldest hotel, built in 1891. Prices range from $89 to $295 per night, with the lowest prices available on weekends. It took us a bit of negotiating to get the $89 rate, but we managed. The $12 valet parking fee was a nuisance -- we could have parked for half that a block away -- but it made life easier.

Most major airlines fly into Denver International Airport. United is quoting a round-trip fare of $246 from the Washington area. The airport is 20 miles from downtown; taxi and limousine services are available.