Queen City Countdown to Super Bowl 50: Hometowns Vie for Dominance on & off the Field (Part 6 of 7)
DENVER & CHARLOTTE (Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016) – The big game may not be until Sunday, but Denver and Charlotte are waging a battle of friendly competition to determine how these two cities stack up on and off the field. The Denver Convention & Visitors Bureau supplied a compelling list of evidence to match up alongside arguments presented by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, Charlotte Chamber, Charlotte Center City Partners, Charlotte Regional Partnership and the City of Charlotte. Readers can judge for themselves which city is ultimately more deserving of the “Super City” title.
Denver | Charlotte |
Denver was named among the country's best cities for football fans this week by Wallethub.com. | Panther Nation’s 15-1 regular season record (17-1 overall) speaks for itself; the Panthers are the seventh team ever in the NFL to achieve this. |
With seven professional sports teams, Denver was recently ranked among the best cities in the nation for sports travel. | Charlotte is home to seven professional sports teams, which boast events more than 200 days a year. |
The Mile High City was officially named one of the world’s “50 Best Places to Travel in 2016” by Travel + Leisure. | The New York Times recently named Charlotte “an excellent place to soak up the new Old South.” |
Denver is consistently named among the fittest cities in the country due, in part, to its proximity to the recreational fun of the Rocky Mountains. | Carolina blue skies and an annual average high temperature of 70.8 degrees encourage plenty of outdoor exploration. Active.com rated the destination among “America’s Best Running Cities” and Trail Runner magazine named it one of the "8 Best Trail Cities." |
With 100 breweries, the Mile High City brews more beer than any other city in the country and has a longstanding reputation as a beer capital. CNN recently named Denver “America’s Best Beer Town.” | Charlotte’s craft breweries multiply by the day, earning it praise by Fortune as the “Newest Hub for Craft Beer” and by TheStreet.com as one of “10 Cities Where Craft Beer is Taking Off.” |
Known for being the birthplace of the cheeseburger, Denver was also recently proclaimed among the best cities in America for “foodies.” | Charlotte knows Southern fare. Renowned N.C. barbecue is a staple along with Bon Appetit’s top-rated fried chicken at Price’s Chicken Coop. |
No stranger to politics, Denver hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2008. | Charlotte hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2012. |
Denver has the second largest performing arts complex in the country with 10 theatres, and Colorado residents rank number one nationally in trips to theatres, concert halls and museums. | Charlotte is stealing Hollywood’s thunder, serving as a choice filming destination for major productions, including “The Hunger Games,” “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and “Homeland.” |
Denver’s skyline is among the most scenic of any, with stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, including three 14,000-foot peaks. | Charlotte’s skyline is ever-growing, with 29 projects underway and 25 in the pipeline, making the crane a sign of the times for progress. |
Flanked by two natural, monolithic rock structures, Denver’s infamous Red Rocks Amphitheatre consistently ranks among the top outdoor concert venues in the country. | Charlotte lays claim to the largest man-made whitewater river in the world at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, also an Olympic training facility. |
Denver offers a thriving music scene and recently ranked among the top cities by Travel & Leisure for “Best Music Scenes” and “Best Festivals.” | Musical roots run deep in Charlotte, which became the birthplace of funk when James Brown recorded his first album here. Today, emerging bluegrass, country, folk and rock acts call the region home. |
With more than 85 miles of biking trails, Denver was recently ranked among America’s most bikeable cities. | When it’s not the Queen City, it’s also known as the City of Trees. Charlotte has more canopy tree coverage than any major city in the U.S. |
Money magazine recently ranked Denver as the “Best City to Live in the West,” calling the Mile High City a “Mecca for millennials.” | The city was recently named one of the “Four Best Places to Raise a Family” by MarketWatch.com due to its “ever-changing” skyline. |
Forbes recently ranked Denver as the “Best City in America for Business and Careers.” | Money magazine ranked Charlotte the top big-city bargain based on affordability, economic strengths and livability, while Inc.com named the city a "Startup Hotbed." |
(This is a seven-part series leading up to Super Bowl 50 brought to you collaboratively by the City of Charlotte, Charlotte Center City Partners, the Charlotte Chamber, the Charlotte Regional Partnership and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. This series features facts and information about the Carolina Panthers’ hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.)
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