Bookstores and Bars

Denver’s Tattered Cover Announces Move

By Allen Jones, 1-27-06

One of the West's largest and most distinguished independent bookstores, Denver's Tattered Cover, recently announced that, in June of this year it will be closing its venerable Cherry Creek store in favor of setting up shop in the refurbished Lowenstein Theater on Colfax Avenue. In an e-mail sent yesterday, Tattered Cover wrote, "While we have cherished our remarkable thirty-four years in the Cherry Creek area, recent years have seen a significant decline in business accompanied by increased costs, necessitating the difficult decision to move the store when our lease expires. Fortunately, this marvelous opportunity arose in the form of the Lowenstein Redevelopment Project."

While there's a certain kind of nonspecific melancholy associated with the loss (or, in this case, displacement) of any good bookstore, it looks like the only real reason for regret in this scenario is the closing of TC Cherry Creek's "Fourth Story Restaurant & Bar." Given the packed schedule of readings the Tattered Cover has hosted over the years, that particular bar has no doubt seen more boozy literary chats and rants than Dorothy Parker's Algonquin. Tattered Cover wrote, "The restaurant's dedicated staff, inspired cuisine, and wonderful ambiance will truly be missed."

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