Washington Park West- A Comfortable early 20th Century Denver Neighborhood and Home to Washington Park

The Washington Park West neighborhood was unsurprisingly developed to the west of Washington Park. The Park itself was designed by Architect Reinhard Schuetz in 1899. The neighborhood was part of the larger South Denver suburb created in 1886, which was quickly annexed by the City of Denver thanks to the silver bust of the 1890s. The creation of Washington Park hastened development in the Washington Park West neighborhood and the area filled in between 1900 and 1940 with some late nineteenth century brick houses in the northwest corner of the neighborhood. Washington Park West was officially seperated from the Washington Park neighborhood in 1972. The district never experienced any significant decline but experienced a renaissance in the late 90s thanks to its central location, proximity to the park, and access to several commercial business enclaves.

Washington Park West also does well from an urban perspective with its great public transit and solid bike access, consistent ADA/sidewalk infrastructure, good public elementary schools, good retail options, safety, and attractive offering of 1910-1930 historic bungalow and craftsman homes. I would not include it in Denver’s elite urban districts due to a medium level of density, limited racial/economic diversity, limited housing options, ok cultural amenities, and uncompelling business districts along Broadway and Almeda. There are still many urban in-fill opportunities along these corridors.

Click here to view my Washington Park West photos on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great public transit access and solid bike access.
* Solid access to Dwtn as well.
* Excellent connectivity here.
* Very good ADA and sidewalk infrastructure.
* Decent amount of generational diversity.
* Okay # of walkable schools with 3 well rated elementary schools being the highlight.
* Great tree canopy.
* The district is located just west of Washington Park, which is a great multi-amenity park. No other parks in the district.
* Good retail amenities including 5 major supermarkets, an Office Depot, a couple drug stores, a couple boutiques/clothing stores, several home goods/furniture stores, a bookstore, a post office, plenty of churches and gyms.
* Overall a very safe neighborhood.
* Attractive historic bungalows and some Denver rowhouses mixed in mostly from the 1910s-1930s.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* So so density.
* Poor racial and esp. economic diversity.
* Decent # of apts but less than other inner city Denver districts. 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1Ks, 2-beds 2K-mid 3ks, and 3 beds in the 3 & 4 ks.
* Some moderately priced housing but most for sale product is very expensive here. 1-beds that sell btwn 275K and 650K, 2-beds sell btwn 350K-950K, 3 & 4 beds btwn 550K-2M.
* Ok cultural amenities including a decent # of food & beverage bizs concentrated along Alameda, some art galleries, and a live music venue.
* Generally autocentric infill. Some nice MF infill in the SW corner of the neighborhood.
* Urban massing is a mixed bag along Almeda but pretty autocentric along Broadway. Good streetscaping however along Broadway.

Denver’s University Neighborhood- Home to Denver University and the Original Chipotle’s

The University neighborhood grew up alongside Denver University but is also know as “DU” or the University neighborhood. The district was incorporated in 1886 as the town of South Denver as a way to restrict the creation of more saloons and roadhouses but was quickly annexed into the City of Denver in 1894. The campus is an interesting mix of modern and old architecture, with University Hall constructed in the 1890s. After World War II, enrollment spiked at DU thanks to the GI Bill. A decent amount of the neighborhood was built in the 1920s & 1930s, especially the northern half. Most of the southern half was filled out by the 1960s thanks to the spike in the campus population and general Denver growth trajectory. University’s other claim to fame is hosting the original Chipotle Mexican Grill.

From an urban perspective this is a comfortable semi-walkable district. The North half is the most walkable with its pre-WWII fabric and decent biz districts along University Blvd and Evans Ave. The southern half is newer and is often missing sidewalks. Thanks to the University there are a good # of apartments here including several large MF buildings along University Blvd. The DU also has solid public transit access, good cultural & retail amenities, a good tree canopy, and is a very safe area. For this to be a great neighborhood it needs more density and urban infill. I’d also like to see better bike infrastructure and retail amenities (esp. a public library and post office.)

Click here to view my album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Solid connectivity and good public transit access.
* While a bit far, University still boasts of good access to dwtn by driving or public transit. Still doable by bike.
* Solid economic and generational diversity.
* Ok number of walkable schools but all rated well.
* Very safe area.
* Decent # of apartments generally leasing in the low-mid 1Ks, 2-beds btwn the mid 1Ks and mid 2Ks, 3-beds mid 2Ks to 3K. This is pretty moderately priced for Denver.
* Good # of moderately condos and wide range of prices. 1-bed selling btwn 250K-600K with condos being cheaper. 2-beds btwn 300K-800K, 3 & 4 beds btwn 450K- the mid-1Ms.
* Great tree canopy.
* Solid cultural amenities including a good array of Food & Beverage businesses, an Art Gallery & Anthropology Museum, a live music venue, and the Performing Arts offered by University of Denver.
* Good retail amenities as well including a supermarket, drug store, several banks, a couple clothing/boutique stores, several dessert joints, many churches and a major hospital.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Ok density.
* So bike infrastructure.
* Racial diversity is pretty lacking but still some thanks to the University.
* So so sidewalk and ADA infrastructure. Its good until the southern 1/3 of the neighborhood were sidewalks are either missing are narrow right along the street.
* Decent pedestrian activity in and around the university but limited outside of it.
* So so park access including DeBoer Park, a recreation trail, and the quad space in University of Denver. The expansive Harvard Gulch Park is located in nearby Rosedale neighborhood.
* Historic architecture is so so.
* Modern in-fill is a mixed bag. Some good MF apartment buildings along University Blvd and good SF in-fill but also lots of suburban style ranches and auto centric commercial.
* No public library of post office in University.
* Urban form is hit or miss along University Blvd & Evans Ave.

Whittier- Denver’s First Racially Integrated Neighborhood

Whittier is named after the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, an abolitionist and founding member of the American Republican political party. Thanks to its abolitionist roots, Whittier was a rather integrated neighborhood from its beginning. This still remains to a large extent.

While the neighborhood was founded in the late 19th century development, it didn’t really start to development until the 1920s. The neighborhood was actually not fully built out until the 1970s, which is why there are many modern ranch homes here.

Whittier never experienced a significant amount of disinvestment, but it remained a bit under the radar as other adjacent inner-city districts revitalized. That dynamic has changed since the mid 2010s and now Whittier commands housing prices close to its neighbors. Whitter boast of quality park amenities great bike and public transit access, safety, quality tree canopy, and good overall urban massing. The biggest urban amenities missing are quality retail and cultural amenities, pedestrian activity, and a business district. I’d also like the urban density here double given the crazy demand for housing in Denver.

Click here to view my Whittier album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Good sidewalk infrastructure. About 65% of the curb cuts are ADA compliant.
* Great public transit and solid bike infrastructure access.
* Very convenient access to Dwtn as well.
* Great racial diversity and decent economic and generational diversity.
* Overall a pretty safe community.
* Nice array of small and medium sized parks where distributed throughout Whittier. City Park is also along its Southeastern border.
* Solid Tree Canopy.
* Solid urban massing and streetscaping throughout. Nothing spectacular as there isn’t a cohesive biz district here.
* Generally a good image and buzz as a solid place to live.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Decent # of walkable schools but mixed ratings
* Rentals are pretty moderately priced for Denver standards but rather limited. 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1Ks but are very limited, 2-beds in the 2ks.. A good # of 3-bed for rent that lease btwn 2K- the mid 3Ks.
* For sale options are pretty typical for inner city Denver standards. Good # of 1-beds selling anywhere btwn 370K-525K, 2-beds 425K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 550K- the mid 1Ms.
* Decent historic architecture but mainly 1910s-1930s. Some older stuff further west and east. Also a lot of bland ranch homes mixed in.
* Cultural amenities are a bit limited. There are a decent amount of food & beverage businesses. Convenient access to the cultural amenities of City Park.
* Retail amenities are rather limited. No supermarket or drugstores here but they are nearby. Really only a garden center, several churches, a couple salons, decent proximity to a hospital and decent proximity to other retail amenities in close neighborhoods.
* Modern in fill is very limited.
* Pedestrian activity is a bit sleepy.

Cole- Historic Hispanic Neighborhood on Denver’s Northside

Cole was first settled in the 1870s but developed rapidly in the turn of the century due to the expansion of the surrounding industry in the Platte River Valley. Development generally moved from southwest to northeast. By 1900 half of the residential blocks had been built and by 1930 the neighborhood was filled in. The majority of the early settlers were Western European immigrants generally working at the nearby rail yards, smelters, stock yards, and warehouses. After WWII, Cole become predominantly Hispanic.

Cole never experienced widespread blight and disinvestment but it experienced some rough decades likely between the 1970s-2000s. The neighborhood certainly appears to have stabilized as evidenced in its housing prices and a lack of vacancy but Cole still has lingering crime issues and limited retail amenities.

Yet Cole is a solid urban district that does a lot of urban things pretty well. Its best assets are its great public transit and bike access, great connectivity, walkable schools, park amenities, and good access to Dwtn. To become a great urban area Cole needs better density/vibrancy, more rental options, and better retail and cultural amenities.

Click here to view my Cole album Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Solid public transit and bike access. This helps create great access to Dwtn.
* Excellent connectivity.
* Great diversity overall esp. economic and racial diversity. Good # of families living here too.
* Solid walkable school assess with decent ratings and good grade diversity.
* For sale options are pretty moderately priced for Denver standards. Good # of 1-beds selling anywhere btwn 325K-500K, 2-beds 350K-750, 3 & 4 beds btwn 500K- the low 1Ms.
* Good recreational amenities including a rec center, Russel Square Park, the lengthy George Morrison Park, and the impressive 39th Aven Greenway spanning several blocks along all industrial space.
* Lots of cute historic bungalows here.
* Decent urban massing in the areas with commercial. Some autocentric spots

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Decent density.
* Good sidewalk infrastructure but only half of the curb cuts are ADA compliant.
* Rentals are pretty moderately priced for Denver standards but rather limited. 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1Ks, 2-beds btwn the mid 1Ks to 3K. A good # of 3-bed for rent that lease btwn 2K- the mid 3Ks.
* Still some crime issues but Cole is in a better place than it was a decade ago. Still some blight and grit remain too.
* So so cultural amenities including some food & beverage businesses, a handful of art galleries, and a couple of night clubs. Good access to the plentiful cultural amenities in Curtis Park & RiNo.
* Pretty underserved from a retail perspective. No supermarket or drug store. Cole does have a family dollar, several clothing/thrift stores, a couple salons/barbershops and many churches.
* Very limited modern in-fill. Some auto centric stuff but a some quality urban infill along Downing Street.
* Not great pedestrian activity.
* The neighborhood still suffers from a bit of an image issue.

River Arts North [aka the RiNo District]- Denver’s premier arts revitalization story

My evaluation uses the small geography for River North (aka RiNo) from the Platte River to Larimer St but all the way down to 20th St and up to 38th st and thus includes much of the Ballpark District.

RiNo is a newer neighborhood name that grew out of the arts revitalization of a previously industrial area. But RiNo is actually a combination of parts of several neighborhoods including the Ballpark District, 5 Points, and Globeville. The revitalization of RiNo started in the 1990s as artists were inspired by the frayed industrial environment and converted many old industrial spaces and garages into workspaces. It was a gritty and interesting place with the South Platte River running through it, full of vacant lots and vast swaths of junkyard . Now RiNo has, like many American arts revitalization efforts, become popular and its Denver’s fasting growing neighborhood with new apartment buildings sprouting up everyone.

As an urbanist I generally feel this is the natural and positive movement that reclaims underperforming and desolate industrial space back into the wholesome urban fabric of a City. But many lament that it creates gentrification and a loss of authenticity. Regardless, the scale of new bldgs and housing in RiNo is staggering and something to learn from. I particular like the mixed-use character of RiNo-‘s revitalization efforts and seamless connection to Dwtn/Union Station. RiNo also has excellent public and bike infrastructure and wonderful cultural amenities thanks to the still thriving arts scene. Amazingly there is still more room for urban infill here and urban connectivity could be improved. Schools are also utterly lacking thanks to a few children living here & tree canopy is thin thanks to the industrial legacy.

Click here to view my RiNo album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great ADA infrastructure except for some industrial areas where the sidewalk got torn up.
* Very convenience access to Dwtn. Some parts of RiNo and within 1 mile of the CBD/Union Station,
* Great public transit and bike infrastructure.
* Pretty good racial diversity here.
* Generally a very safe district. Still some gritty and desolate spots.
* Lots of apartments available and generally on the expensive. Fair amount of “Moderately priced” studios and 1-beds but they sell anywhere from 1.3K-3K. 2-beds lease btwn 1.3K- mid 3Ks. 3-beds are limited and lease in the 3 & 4 Ks.
* Great cultural amenities here including a wide range of Ford & Beverage stores, the ballpark, tons of art galleries, a handful of museums, lots of live music venues & night clubs and a couple theaters. All great access to all the Dwtn Cultural amenities.
* Good park amenities including the Platte Recreational Trail, the large Cuernavaca Park, the new Arts Park, and the Globeville Landing Park
* Great retail amenities including lots of boutique & clothing’s stores (Some brand name), a couple major supermarkets and a Co-Op, several drug stores, several home goods and gift shops, plenty of banks, a public library, a couple book stores, tons of salons, gyms, and dessert stores, and some churches. Great access to all the Dwtn retail amenities as well.
* Great urban infill throughout.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* So density thanks to all the industrial land and railways still remaining in the RiNo district.
* Connectivity is a mix bag. Its good near the stadium and the eastern half of the district but becomes rather poor closes to the river in the previously industrial areas.
*So so economic diversity and horrible generational diversity as this is a very heavy young professional district.
* No walkable schools within the RiNo district. A handful of options in the adjacent Curtis Park neighborhood.
* For sale options are expensive but good amount of 1-bed condos available. Those sell btwn 400K-850K, 2-beds btwn 500K & low 1Ms, 3 & 4 beds btwn 600K and 1.5 M.
* With its industrial legacy tree canopy isn’t great right now but will get better as there are 100s of new trees being planted with the new developments.
* Limited historic infill.

Curtis Park- Denver’s Historic African American Community

I expanded the traditional boundaries of Curtis Park to touch North Capital Hill to the south at 20th Ave and Park Ave.

Curtis Park is one of Denver’s oldest district and developed mostly in the late 19th century. The district was first developed by the rich but this did not last long as waves of immigrants settled in the neighborhood by the late 19th century leading to row housing nestling next to mansions ad the wealthy moved on to Capitol and other areas. One of Curtis Park’s first immigration waves was by Jewish immigrants in the turn of the 20th century. By the 20th century Curtis Park became know as the “Harlem of the West” due to a major influx of African Americans. From the 1920s to the 1950s the community thrived anchored along the Welton Corridor. Yet, like with most 20th century African American neighborhoods, Curtis Park fell into decline starting around 1960 with White flight. Things started to turn around in the 1990s and now Curtis Park is booming. This of course has lead to a rapid rise in housing prices and made homeownership out of reach for many of its legacy residents yet the district retains a very health economic and racial diversity.

From an urban perspective Curtis Park also excels as a highly walkable neighborhood thanks to great public transit/bike access and convenient local biz districts and Dwtn. The district also has great cultural and retail amenities, wonderful historic and modern urban architecture, and a decent # of walkable schools. While this is already a top Denver neighborhood, for it to became a premiere urban district Curtis Park needs better tree canopy, more parks and schools, better generational diversity, and improved safety.

Click here to view my Curtis Park on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Excellent public transit and bike infrastructure
* Great and convenient access to Dwtn among all modes of transport. Only a mile away from most parts of the district.
* Excellent racial and economic diversity.
* Quality sidewalk infrastructure and about 70% of all curb cuts are up to modern standards.
* Solid access to walkable schools which generally have good ratings.
* Hsg on the pricey but a ton of moderately price condos. 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 350K-600K, 2-beds 400K-low 1Ms, 3 & 4 beds btwn 600-1.5M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Lots of rentals priced in line with other inner City Denver districts.. Studios 1-beds lease anywhere from 1K-the low 2Ks, 2-beds 2K to 4K, 3-beds range anywhere from 2K-5K. Decent about of affordable hsg here as well.
* Decent but not great park amenities with 3 small-medium sized parks well distributed in Curtis Park.
* Solid Tree canopy.
* Great cultural amenities including plenty of food & beverages businesses, several art galleries, many live music venues & night clubs, a couple theaters and local museums. Also great access to all the cultural amenities of Dwtn and the RINO District.
* Solid retail amenities as well including a supermarket, a couple drug stores, lots of boutiques and creative stores, several home goods stores & banks, plenty of dessert shops & gyms, a local public library, tons of churches, and St. Joseph Hospital.
* Overall great urban architecture both historic and new.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Limited children living here but still pretty good age diversity.
* Lack of tree canopy near Dwtn.
* Generally good urban form with the exceptions of the parking lot rich areas next to Dwtn and some autocentric development along Downing and N. Broad.
* Some safety issues but not bad.

Lincoln Park- Denver’s Historic Hispanic Heart

Lincoln Park is one of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods located just south of Denver’s founding. Most of the homes were constructed in a modest working class brick style in the late 1880s. Many houses date from about 1900. The neighborhood is also referred to ass “La Alma/Lincoln Park “or the West Side.

Ethnically this was a very eastern European neighborhood until the district’s large influx of Hispanic immigrants in the mid-century. By the 60s & 70s the neighborhood became the heart of Denver’s Chicano Movement and continues to be a major Hispanic hub to this day. Lincoln Park is also home to El Museo de las Americas on Santa Fe Drive, the region’s first museum dedicated to the art and culture of Latinos.

This is a solid neighborhood from a urban perspective with good density, a great walkable biz district (Santa Fe), great public transit/bike infrastructure, excellent cultural and solid retail amenities, and racial and economic diversity. There are still some auto centric dead spaces that could use better urban in-fill, lingering crime issues, and limited tree canopy.

Click here to view my Lincoln Park Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Solid urban density with 12K people per sq mile.
* Highly convenient access to Dwtn given its proximity.
* Great public transit access and a very multiple modal neighborhood thanks to a great bike infrastructure and good access to retail amenities.
* Wonderful economic and racial diversity.
* High # of walkable schools across a diverse age range here but mixed ratings.
* Fair amount of affordable housing located in the neighborhood. This is certainly reflected by the fact that 1/4 of the population is living in poverty.
* Good but not great park amenities with La Alma Park and Sunken Gardens Park.
* Great cultural amenities including a good array of restaurants, bars, cafes & a couple breweries. Many art galleries, several community theaters, and a couple museums as well. Great access to all the museums in neighboring Triangle Square.
* Solid retail amenities including a supermarket, a couple grocerias, a drug store, good # of boutiques/consignments stores and creative stores, a couple antique stores & gyms, a public library and a couple churches.
* Lots of cute historic bungalows and generally good urban in-fill.
* Overall great urban massing along Santa Fe. Autocentric areas creep in along 6th Ave, and western/industrial edge and the northern edge.
* Great streetscaping along Santa Fe.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Generally good sidewalk infrastructure but ADA curb cuts are often generally dated, especially on residential streets.
* Good amount of auto centric crud in spots.
* Limited generational diversity. Lots of single young adults living here.
* Good # of rentals but on the pricy side. Studios & 1-beds lease btwn the mid 1Ks to 2K, 2-beds mid 1Ks -mid3K. Some 3-beds available generally leasing in the 3Ks.
* For sale properties are also expensive but decent variety and a good # of 1-beds and 2 beds in the district. 1-bed condos/homes selling in the 300KS-600Ks. 2-beds range from 450-800K, 3 & 4 beds homes sell btwn 475K-1 M.
* So tree canopy.
* Some crime and safety issues in Lincoln Park but overall the neighborhood feels safe.

Denver’s Golden Triangle- The City’s Institutional Art just South of Downtown

The name Golden Triangle originated from the Golden Triangle Neighborhood Association, a later name given to the district. Some also refer to the district as “The Civic Center” after Civic Center Park and many civic institutions developed by Denver’s Mayor Robert Speer between 1904-1919. The neighborhood’s roots, however go back to the late 19th century making this one of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods. Many single family Victorian homes and bungalows were built here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

After WWII the district seems to have fallen into a bit of disarray replacing with many buildings with parking for State office works and low intensity warehousing and industry. Starting in the 1990s, perhaps as the result of the new Central Library, the neighborhood began its transformation into a functional multi-use neighborhood. New condominium and loft developments came into the neighborhood, and many of the old supply stores and garages were transformed into restaurants, art galleries, and small offices. The neighborhood also has a vibrant arts scene playing off the energy of the Denver Art Museum and Kirkland Museum. There are also many other museums and governmental buildings here as well.

Yet, there is still much urban transformation work needed here starting with the infill development to replace the many remaining surface parking lots and revitalize many underutilized bldgs, especially the southern half of Broadway. The neighborhood also lacks a good tree canopy, walkable schools, park amenities, diverse housing options and many retail amenities. This could become a premiere urban district with wonderful access to Dwtn if developers and civic leaders put their minds to it.

Click here to view my Golden Triangle Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Generally very good sidewalk and ADA infrastructure. Around 25% of curbs don’t have modern ADA curbs.
* Excellent bike infrastructure and public transit access.
* Very convenient access to Dwtn across all modes. This is a very walkable neighborhood.
* Excellent economic diversity and decent racial diversity.
* Golden Triangle hosts the city’s best concentration of museums including the Denver Art Museum, Women’s History, Kirkland Museum, History CO Center & several smaller ones. Also solid food & beverage industry here, good # of night clubs, several art galleries, and a local theater.
* Some debate about it but Golden Triangle is actually a pretty safe place overall. Part of the perception of crime here is due to its large homeless population and a fair amount of blight along Broadway Ave.
* Some good historic architecture mixed throughout but mostly modern in-fill now of a mixed quality.
* Very good mixed use quality.
* Golden Triangle does hosts the main Denver public library and a quality post office.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* So urban density here.
* Not great tree canopy.
* Large number of surface parking lots and urban form is hit or miss.
* Few households with children but good age diversity among adults.
* Several walkable schools within the Golden Triangle or nearby but generally not rated well and smaller schools.
* For sale hsg on the pricy side and not many moderately priced condos. 1-beds sell btwn 400K-600K, 2-beds btwn 450K-900K, 3&4 beds sell btwn 700K-1.3M.
* Studios & 1-beds lease btwn 1.5K-2.5K, 2-beds btwn 2.5K-3.5, and very few 3 beds units available.
* Parks are limited to the State House/Civic Center Park and the Sunken Gardens Park.
* Ok retail amenities including a supermarket, a couple boutiques, a record shop, several gyms, a couple dessert shops, a few churches and a major hospital on the SW side of district. Good access, however, to all the retail amenities of Dwtn and the capital district.
* Decent urban orientation of bldgs that stand and decent streetscaping but lots of surface prkg lots remain here.
* Some pedestrians areas but lots of dead spots.

North Capitol Hill, Denver- Part Downtown and Part Urban Neighborhood

North Capitol Park is often referred to as Uptown. This district along with Capitol Hill was one of the first neighborhoods where the wealthy of the City settled in the 1870s and 1880s. But similar to Capitol Hill it experienced a downturn after WWII and many historic homes where either demolished or converted into rentals. The edge of the district near Dwtn also got more or less incorporated in the CBD with some office buildings but also a lot of surface parking lots and underutilized space.

Currently, North Capitol Park is undergoing significant redevelopment and gentrification, with many young residents and transplants moving here. This is largely due to its proximity to Dwtn, walkability, and significant cultural amenities and night life.

For North Capitol Park to become a great neighborhood lots of in-fill development is needed in the western half of the district. Because of all the surface parking lots here it lacks great urban cohesion. Parks of Colfax Avenue are also pretty auto centric. The district also needs more parks and trees.

Click here to view my North Capitol Hill Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great urban density.
* Walkable access to Dwtn. Also great transit service and bike infrastructure here.
* Good but not great ADA infrastructure as many curbs are missing modern ADA cuts.
* Pretty good access to walkable schools within or near North Capitol Park. Generally good ratings.
* Hsg on the pricey but a ton of moderately price condos. 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 300K-600K, 2-beds 350K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 500-1.3M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Tons of rentals and comparatively moderately priced comparted to other Denver neighborhoods. Studios 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1Ks, 2-beds 1.5K to 3K, 3-beds are limited. It seems there are a good amount of affordable hsg here.
* Great cultural amenities including many restaurants, bars, nightclubs & cafes. Also several art galleries, a couple live music venues,. Also great access to all the many cultural assets Dwtn and in the Golden Triangle.
* Good retail amenities including several gourmet super markets, a home depot a couple drug stores, some boutiques , home good and creative stores, tons of banks, a bookstore, several desserts shops & gyms, and plenty of churches. Also walkable access to the many retail options along 16th street (Dwtn) including a Target.
* Nice historic homes on the eastern half of the district. Some very spectacular bldg.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Generally a safe area. Some sketchy stretches along Colfax and some lingering crime issues.
* Park Amenities are limited to the small Benedict Fountain Park and Civic Center Plaza.
* Ok tree canopy better on the eastern half.
* Good # of surface parking lots, esp. on the western half close to dwtn. Weird mix of infill, historic bldgs and parking lots here.
* Colfax avenue is a mix of good and poor urban form.

City Park West- Located just West of Denver’s Premiere Urban Park

City Park West is name altered Denver’s City Park, which sits immediately east of the neighborhood. The Park was laid out in the late 19th century and largely followed City Beautiful Movement design values of the 1890s but also incorporated the flowing and casual design espoused in New York’s Central Park.

The City Park West neighborhood is a mix of larger turn of the century single family homes, early to mid 20th century apartment buildings, and townhouse infill projects since the 2000s. The neighborhood excels at providing a comfortable mixed-use environment with convenient public transit and bike infrastructure and is a short distance to Downtown. The neighborhood is also one of Denver’s most economically diverse districts and also boasts great racial diversity.

Colfax Avenue is the biggest area of improvement as it is kinda seedy and rather autocentric in orientation still. There is also a need for more walkable schools, affordable housing, and better retail amenities including a supermarket.

Click here to view my City Park Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Decent urban density.
* Good but not great ADA infrastructure as many curbs are missing modern ADA cuts.
* Good bike infrastructure including several bike lanes and couple dedicated bike stations.
* Solid public transit and convenient access to Dwtn among all modes.
* One of Denver’s most economically diverse district. All good racial diversity.
* Seems to be a fair amount of affordable hsg available here.
* City Park, Denver’s best urban park, sits on the eastern edge of the neighborhood. No other parks in the neighborhood although Chessman Park is only a couple blocks south.
* Great Tree Canopy.
* Solid architecture both historic and infill.
* Good cultural amenities including plenty of restaurants, bars & cafes, an indie film house, a couple live music venues, and a couple night clubs.
* Very mixed use with lots of food & beverage business spread throughout the district.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Limited generational diversity as this is mostly filled with young adults.
* Several schools within City Park West are nearby but mixed ratings.
* Housing on the pricy side. Some more modestly priced condos available. 1-beds sell btwn 325K-1M, 2-beds 350K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 425K to the mid 1 Ms.
* Decent # of rentals but also pretty pricy. Studios and 1-beds lease btwn the low 1Ks-2K, 2-beds btwn high 1Ks-3K, 3-beds 2K-4K.
* Generally a safe area. Some sketchy stretches along Colfax.
* Urban form is so along Colfax Ave. Some crummy auto centric. modern infill here.
* Decent but not great retail amenities including a drug store, a couple boutiques & unique stores, a toystore, several banks, dessert joints & gyms, and post office. Also a major hospital here and several churches.
* No supermarket within City Park West but plenty in surrounding neighborhoods.