Who Owns Tom’s Diner: Tom or Denver?
Googie survivor: Tom’s Diner, built in 1967, is a rare example of the SoCal school of design in Denver. Fans insist it’s worth saving from the wrecking ball. Shannon Schaefer Stage
From CityLab: Tom’s Diner is a classic establishment where Denver residents have been enjoying breakfast at any hour for decades. The building that houses the funky cafe dates back to 1967, and it bears a distinctive retro-futurist look that adds a dash of neon and nostalgia to one of the city’s more eclectic commercial corridors.
But when the diner’s current owner, Tom Messina, decided he’d flipped his last flapjack, he made plans to sell the building and finance his retirement with the proceeds. The diner’s location on East Colfax Avenue, the city’s colorful and fast-changing main drag, guarantees his future. Denver has been experiencing a serious population boom, and apartment buildings to house new residents are popping up across town. A Colorado developer offered Messina $4.8 million for the diner, ample reward after slinging omelettes for 20 years. In its place, an eight-story multi-use development would rise.
America Loves Roadside Attractions. So We Talked To One.
Statue of Uncle Sam, Danbury, Connecticut JESSE STEINMETZ / CONNECTICUT PUBLIC
From Connecticut Public Radio: West Virginia has the world’s largest teapot, California has the world’s largest yo-yo and Arkansas, for whatever reason, has the world’s largest Spinach can. This hour we talk to the man who brought the world’s tallest Uncle Sam to Danbury, Connecticut.
A Road Trip Down Route 66 Is Corny, But It’s Also Necessary
From Jalopnik: It’s a fading, crumbling snapshot of America as aspiring industrial superpower and as self-contained promised land. It’s part self-promotion, part nostalgia and all variety of landmarks, roadside attractions and stunning natural scenery. The sum of all its parts is a story—a story about leisure, escape, progress, decline. As it stands Route 66 is, in its way, the story of America.
The best candy store in every state
Candy Shop USA in Billings, Montana. Yelp user / Amy P.
From Insider: Even in an era where online shopping for everything from clothes to groceries has become the norm, some stores — like candy shops— are just better in brick and mortar.
Whether you’re a choco-holic or swear by sour gummy worms, there’s a type of candy that makes everyone excited. Appropriately, there are shops around the US that specialize in selling all sorts of sweet treats, such as artisan chocolates, saltwater taffies, and jelly beans.
From live animals to architect touches: 10 quirky restrooms vying for the title of America’s best
Source: LaGuardia Gateway Partners
From CNBC: If you travel for business or pleasure, you know the value of a clean public restroom.
Now 10 of those lovely loos are in the running for this year’s America’s Best Restroom contest. Finalists were chosen based on cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality and unique design elements and this year the list ranges from loos in a museum and a zoo to lavs in restaurants, cafes and airports. This year’s list also shows a clear trend toward communal sinks and buzz-worthy style elements.