About six blocks wide, downtown COS is a quaint town center full of locally-owned shops and restaurants. Old North End is - as the name suggests - just north of downtown and full of Victorian homes, many renovated and some adapted into iconic rental apartments.  

Food & Drink

503W — Asian fusion restaurant & bar with fun recipes like Firecracker Nachos using wonton strips instead of tortilla chips, and the Wasabi-Pineapple Mule. 

Four by Brother Luck — Owned by Food Network competition winner and Bravo’s Top Chef winner, Brother Luck’s higher end restaurant serves creatively paletted dishes influenced by his culinary experiences across the world. His take on southwestern food will inspire you.  

Hafa Adai Fiesta Food — DIshing up Guamanian BBQ including Chamorro-style smoked ribs and island chopsteak. Almost every plate includes crispy lumpia (imagine extra tender egg rolls). 

Loyal Coffee — Barista-owned and operated, Loyal roasts and serves amazing coffees. Their not-coffee selections are also perfectly done.  

Odyssey Gastropub — If you’re searching for brunch, look no further. Fresh takes on classics like biscuits & (chorizo) gravy, chicken & waffles (made from charred corn), and plenty of mimosas to go around. 

Skirted Heifer — Best burgers in town named for the crispy cheese lace that fringes their patties. You’ll want to try the frozen custard. 

Nights Out

Brooklyn’s on Boulder — Bartenders are spreading a love of gin in this speakeasy-style bar. They craft their own tonics for delicious drinks; you can buy their bottled tonics and mix your own at home.   

CO.A.T.I. — A food hall with ambition: a space for folks to test out their restaurant and bar ideas, a worksite for local businesses in launch mode, and an event space for experiential artists. Plenty of food & drink variety to choose from with live music and events housed in the former Colorado Automatic Trolley Interchange building. 

Cowboys — Line dancing, drinks, bar food. Need we say more?

ICONS — Owned & operated by professional musical performers, visit the beautifully designed LGBTQIA+ focused piano bar with punny cocktails and a communal singing atmosphere.  

Shuga’s — Mixing delicious cocktails in a cozy indoor space plus great garden seating to enjoy on long summer nights. Well-rounded beer & wine menu for any budget.  

SuperNova Arcade Bar — In this lively little spot, arcade games line the wall and bartenders fill glasses all night. Bring your quarters!

The Rabbit Hole — Underground digs in the heart of downtown make for an extra moody date night. Enjoy the whimsical ambience with your drinks, dinner, and dessert served late. 

Play Outside

Acacia Park — Find the usual playground, grassy lawns, and amphitheater centered in downtown. In winter a corner of the park is converted to an outdoor ice rink, and a mosaic sculpture on another corner turns into a splash pad in summer. 

City ROCK — An indoor climbing gym with sport routes and bouldering available. They have it all with day passes, classes for all ages, membership, yoga classes, trips, camps, and a restaurant pub. 

Monument Valley Park — An historic park running along Monument Creek that stretches through downtown and Old North End. Playgrounds, tracks, courts, fields, trails, and an outdoor pool cover this 150+ acre park. 

Sightsee

Art on the Streets — On display around downtown are modern and multicultural murals and sculptures from a range of artists. Take a self-guided tour of 60+ works with audio commentary from the artists (download from Otocast).

Colorado College — Covering several blocks of Old North End, CC is a private liberal arts college made up of historically significant buildings. The Fine Arts Center on campus is home to owned collections and significant international exhibitions, as well as live theater and the Bemis School of Art.  

Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum — Previously the El Paso County Courthouse, the building houses numerous exhibits about the Pikes Peak Region’s development. A seasonal farmers market takes place on the grounds, as do a variety of food trucks on “Food Truck Tuesdays.”   

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum — Given the 2020 Grand Award by the International Association for Universal Design, the impressive building was created with accessibility for all in mind; anyone can visit and experience the history, present, and future hope of U.S. Olympic sports.