If you’ve ever been to Colorado, you’ve probably been to Denver. But if you have been to Denver, you have likely not been to the coolest neighborhood in town—the River North Art District.

Truly embodying the definition of an up-and-coming neighborhood, River North, or “RiNo” as it’s better known (you know it’s a neighborhood on the rise when they’ve got a cute acronym for it) is a lively neighborhood with a ton of character. Tucked away between LoDo and Five Points, and situated on the South Platte River, RiNo is perfect for exploring on foot—it’s basically like strolling through a giant art exhibition. I first happened upon RiNo was because I’d heard about their First Friday Art Walk, which takes place the first Friday of each month.

Full of vibrant murals and street art on what feels like every building, just walking through the neighborhood offers plenty to excite your eyes. But if you start on Larimer Street and make your way around, you’ll also pass by cool little galleries, hip happy hour spots, delightful breweries, and abandoned buildings ready and waiting for their turn to be revived.

To me, RiNo is best explored ­without too much direction—and is best illustrated visually—so rather than give it all away and deprive you of the fun of discovering it for yourself, I’ll leave you with some of my personal favorite shots and spots, but let you find your own gems there…enjoy!