The personality of a neighborhood is born from the people and the businesses within it. This blog is not a place to tell you what is cool, or where to go or what you should like in Denver. Instead it is a place to showcase the people, THEIR favorite local places, and striking images of the neighborhoods so you can decide where to live, where to hang out and what your experience COULD be.

Our mission is to paint a flavorful picture of Denver’s different urban neighborhoods. We believe that a neighborhood’s culture and vibe is intrinsically defined by the people who reside there and the local businesses within. The individual personality of a city is a mixture of its people, food, architecture, arts and its pace. This is what we feature visually through images, video, and interview profiles.

We hope you enjoy the beauty in these images and that as a collective whole we can showcase all that Denver has to offer in a unique, organic and genuine fashion. It is our colorful personalities combined together that create a vibe….and here we like to call that the Denver Vibe.


Nicole Rufener is the founder of Denver Vibe. She has a passion for cities & the unique vibe each big city has. This started years ago on a trip to Seattle when she stepped off the plane and immediately recognized a very specific personality to the city and the locals that was much different from her hometown Denver. As she continued to travel to different cities she became more and more obsessed with finding a way to capture the essence of the unique personality of each city. This venture starts with Denver and shall continue on…

Nicole lives in the urban Denver neighborhood Whittier with her husband Paul, Daughters Poppy & Hazel, and Frenchie Winnie.

She is obsessed with city living.


Antoinette Wharton is a Co-Founder of Denver Vibe. She brings considerable creativity to her role along with her teammate, Nicole Rufener. Their joint mission is to move people in meaningful ways. Bringing people value and making them feel valued. It was while attending the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs that Antoinette first got involved with real estate working as a leasing agent her freshman year of college. Following this success, Antoinette invested her savings into an entrepreneurial endeavor and co-founded a lucrative bar in Englewood. It’s this insight and experience Antoinette imparts to her clients—education on building wealth through investments.

Antoinette has set her roots down in Denver for the last ten years. The city’s central location makes it the ideal spot for her to easily travel and visit close family. Antoinette also embraces the outdoor culture, often with her spirit animal and fur baby, P-Nut the Yorkshire terrier.

Kim Chatman is the newest member of the  Denver Vibe Team.  We are excited to announce that Kim is now at milehimodern, one of the most innovative real estate brokerages in the country. The cutting-edge brand and art-forward approach are what initially drew me to milehimodern, as well as the promise that my clients’ homes would be treated like the works of art they are. I fully align with the artistry of living philosophy and can’t wait to emphasize this in my clients’ experiences. Find me at mhm, selling the coolest homes in town alongside the state’s top-producing brokers.