The Best Block in Colorado, Maybe the World

There is a block in Pueblo, Colorado, where I could live in the broom closet and be perfectly happy. I am talking about the block on North Main Street between West 3rd Street and the alley to the south. 

Here, there are three shops under one roof that satisfy all my needs — coffee, a bar, music and books. All my needs are met in one block.

We visited here on our first day in Pueblo this past September. Ryan is always on the lookout for a record store and saw Analogue Books, Records & Bar on the map, so we went. Turns out it was very close to our hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott  (3 minutes by foot).

We discovered that they don’t just have records, there are books and a bar. Yes, a bar! Ryan could browse records with a beer in his hand, and I could sit at the bar sipping wine and chatting with Olga, the bartender.

Olga is an awesome human who added sparkles to my wine. I didn’t realize it, but sparkles in wine make the act of drinking a real celebration. Olga is from Ukraine originally, and she is an excellent conversationalist, plus, sparkles, which sort of defines her personality. 

Of course, Ryan found several records to buy including a Halloween record, a Pat Benatar record and a Jackson Browne record. He always finds at least one and this time he found three.

The next morning we ended up on this block again. Analogue by Solar Roast is a coffee shop on the corner of North Main and West 3rd. It is connected to the rest of the Analogue shops.

Solar Roast Coffee is the world’s only commercial solar-powered coffee roaster. They use solar power and roast with gentle heat, resulting in a lower-temperature roast. I don’t know anything about roasting coffee beans but I know what I like and this is great coffee. Patrons can buy it by the pound.

We both got a gooey breakfast burrito and coffee. Finding a table was tricky as this is a popular place, but we found a spot and dug in. There is outdoor seating, a big folding doors, and an ordering window that opens to the sidewalk. A steady flow of people came in and out of this classic coffee shop. 

As we walked out to the truck, we were serenaded by a gathering of musicians outside the building. Is there anything better than live music? I think not.

Honestly, this would probably be our hangout if we lived in Pueblo. The only thing missing is a place to watch the Broncos, but Shamrock Brewing Company is around the corner and they have televisions. Lastly, Dee Tacko is around the other corner, so I’d have plenty of tacos. Obviously, I’d be all set!

If you haven’t been to Pueblo lately, you’re missing out.