Alamo Placita was first developed by Robert Speer, developer and mayor of Denver. The neighborhood filled in primarily between the 1890s and 1940s and much of this fabric has been preserved thanks to the Alamo Placita Historic District home to many fine examples of middle class housing styles (Arts & Crafts, Foursquares, and Bungalows) mixed with larger Classical Revival-Styles.
After WWII the neighborhood slightly declined but interest picked up by the 70s as young professionals appreciated the district’s comfortable family friend homes with convenient City access.
Alamo Placita has decent walkability and mixed-use fabric but not great urban business districts (limiting its retail and cultural amenities). The district also excels at safety, quality park amenities, and leafy tree lined streets. For a better urban environment Alamo Placita could use more density, and mixed-use buildings. There is also a lack of quality walkable schools, several critical retail amenities, and limited affordable housing options.
URBAN STRENGTHS:
* Pretty good density.
* Good ADA and sidewalk infrastructure overall. About 1/3 of all ADA curb cuts are outdated. Curb cuts also not the best at Alleyway crossings.
* Good public transit access.
* Good bike infrastructure with a dedicated bike lane running along the river and dockless bike share available in the neighborhood.
* For sale properties are also expensive but good variety and there are many condos in the district. Studios sell btwn 200K-400K, 1-bed condos btwn 250K-500K, Lots of 2-bed condos that range from 250-700K, 2-beds homes/townhouses are on average a bit more expensive. 3 & 4 beds homes sell btwn 400K-1.5 M. Condos are on the cheaper end.
* Cute historic homes from the 20s-40s.
* Good parks spaces with the pleasant and diverse Alamo Placido & Governors Parks. Quality recreation trail along Cherry Creek and a cemetery as well.
* Quality tree canopy.
* Overall a very safe community.
* Pretty good urban massing along the 6th & 7th biz districts.
* Decent cultural amenities including several restaurants & cafes, a brewery, some bars, an indie film house, plus lots of amenities in nearby districts.
* Good retail amenities including a Trader Joe’s, Safeway, drug store, a couple boutiques & home good stores, several dessert joints & gyms, a couple banks & churches.
URBAN WEAKNESSES:
* No schools within Alamo Placita but several on the edges of the district. Unfortunately these schools are generally rated poorly.
* Decent # of rentals but rather pricy. 1-beds lease for mid 1Ks to mid 2Ks, 2-beds 2K-3K. A handful of 3-beds available leading in the 3Ks.
* Does not appear to be much dedicated affordable hsg here.
* No art galleries, theaters, or live music venues in Alamo Placita.
* Missing a post office, public library, and many local stores. Also a very limited number of churches here.
* Limited racial and economic diversity here.
Evaluating our Urban Communities [with a focus on America] 