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.

Capitol Hill, Denver’s First Bohemian Neighborhood

Capitol Hill was originally home to Denver’s elite who constructed many elaborate mansions here. When the Denver economy crashed after the Silver Crash of 1893, Capitol Hill’s housing transition to more modest homes and apartment buildings. The neighborhood remained middle-class until the 50s. At that time Capitol Hill became pretty seedily with lots of transients. Colfax Avenue also suffered in the 50s & 60s with the construction of I-70 and went into a downward spiral.

Fortunately Capitol Hill’s fabric remained intact and its affordability, urban character and eclectic architecture appealed to young bohemians, artists, musicians leading to a gradual gentrification that reached its height during the 2000s. Rents have increased significantly over the past decade but Capitol Hill still retains many of its moderately priced rentals and condos thanks to more many dated mid-century multi-family bldgs. While Colfax Ave has certainly improved, it still retains much of its historic grittiness and some blight. Many urban in-fill opportunities exist along Colfax Ave.

Capitol Hill is one of Denver’s most dense neighborhoods and is conveniently located about 1.5 miles from Downtown. This has created a very mixed-use and culturally vibrant community where one can get around easily by any mode of transit. The two main areas I’d especially like to see improve are better schools and a larger multi-generational population. Capitol Hill is very much a young professional district. There are also some surface lots on the western edge that need urban in-fill and park amenities could be better.

Click here to view my Capitol Hill neighborhood on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* One of Denver’s most dense districts.
* Overall excellent ADA infrastructure.
* Excellent public transit close to Colfax. Decent further south in the neighborhood.
* Great connectivity in the street grid.
* Good array of bike shares but only one dedicated bike lane in the neighborhood.
* Very convenient access to Dwtn across all modes of transportation.
* Great economic diversity. Decent racial diversity.
* Hsg on the pricey but a ton of moderately price condos. Studios & 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 200K-700K, 2-beds 250K-low 1Ms, 3 & 4 beds btwn 350-1.5M 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 2.5K, 3-beds are limited and lease around 3K. Good # of dedicated aff. hsg here.
* Great cultural amenities including many food & beverage businesses, several art galleries, plenty of night clubs, a couple local theaters, lot of live music venues, tons of museums and historic homes (esp. when you include the Golden Triangle).
* Good retail amenities including a couple grocery stores & drug stores, several boutiques, home good & creative stores, a bookstore, some banks, and gyms, & dessert venues. There is also a Children’s hospital and many churches here.
* Great mixed-use fabric including lots of office space near dwtn.
* Overall quality urban architecture both old and new.
* Some auto centric spots along Colfax, Lincoln, and Broadway but overall very good urban form

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Generational diversity is limited. Most residents are childless young adults.
* Good # of schools here but very mixed ratings.
* Parks are limited to a couple parkettes, the State House/Civic Center Park, and decent access to Cheesman Park.
* Generally a safe district but it does have some grit and sketchy spots on Colfax and 13th Street.
* Decent tree canopy but below average for Denver.
* Some surface parking lots on the western edge of Capitol Hill.

Cheesman Park- An solid urban district surrounding its namesake park and the Denver Botanic Garden

The Cheesman Park neighborhood is one Denver’s older districts with City plats dating as far back as 1868. By 1883 the district was annexed into Denver and the neighborhood was filled in by about 1910. The neighborhood revolves around its namesake Cheesman Park, which was completed by 1915. The park and the Denver Botanic Gardens replaced the old Prospect Hill Cemetery. Thanks to this great asset many mansions where built here for the City’s elite yet by the 1930s many apartment buildings were constructed and replaced the historic mansions. The densification of the district continued into the 1960s as more and more apartments were constructed.

Because of the construction of many apartment buildings between 1930s-1960s, Cheesman Park hosts many affordable apartments and condos buildings that mix in well with higher end single family homes. The district also has great access to Dwtn and good public transit access. Areas that could improve include better ADA and bike infrastructure, more racial and generational density, better schools access, and urban infill along Colfax Avenue, which feels rather auto centric and lacks retail amenities.

Click here to view my Cheesman Park album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Excellent urban density.
* Convenient access to Dwtn.
* Great connectivity here.
* Wonderful economic diversity here.
* Hsg on the pricey but a good amount of moderately price condos. Studios & 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 200K-700K, 2-beds 300K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 450-2M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Decent # of rentals and comparatively moderately expensive to other Denver neighborhoods. 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1ks, 2-beds 1.5K to 2.5K, 3-beds in the 4 & 5Ks but few of them.
* Wonderful access to park amenities as Cheesman park sits in the middle of the district and comprises about 1/3 of the neighborhood. The park has very diverse amenities too. City Park is also not too far away.
* Good cultural amenities including a good array of restaurants, bars, night clubs, and cafes. There is also a performing arts center, indie theater, a couple historic homes, and the Denver Botanical Garden.
* Good but not great retail amenities including a supermarket, a couple pharmacies, a bookstore, a couple antiques stores, several banks, several dessert & gyms and a local post office. A couple major hospitals are only 1/2 mile north of here.
* Very attractive historic architecture and generally good urban in-fill with the modern towers.
* Excellent tree canopy.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Good but not great ADA infrastructure as only 1/2 of the curb cuts are up to modern standards.
* Good but not great public transit access. Much better in the northern half than southern half.
* A bit of a dead spot for bike infrastructure in the Inner City. Few dedicated bike lanes. Decent access to the City’ bike share.
* Limited racial and generational diversity.
* Generally a very safe community although some crime appears to occur in the park itself.
* No schools within Cheesman Park but a couple good ones on nearby.
* Colfax Avenue is pretty autocentric along its stretch touching Cheesman Park.

Congress Park- a solid Denver Urban District located south of City Park

I included the small neighborhood between Colfax and City Park in the Congress Park neighborhood as this area is too small to evaluate on its own.

By the late 1880s, the air quality in Denver had pushed the population to the outskirts of town and cable car improvements made the eastern sections of the Capitol Hill neighborhood more accessible to the middle class. Congress Park was platted into more than ten subdivisions between 1887 and 1888 as part of this growth and incorporated into the City of Denver. While originally known as Capitol Heights, the Congress Park name has been used since the 1970s.

This is a solid district from an urban perspective with its 3 commercial districts along Colfax, Colorado Blvd. and the very mixed-use 12th Avenue. Congress Park also has solid public transit & bike access, good parks, great cultural and good retail amenities, and a good amount of affordable apartments and condos thanks to its numerous mid-century buildings.

Major deficiencies in Congress Park include a lack of racial and generational diversity, some autocentric gaps along Colfax & Colorado Blvd. and lacking a walkable public library.

Click here to view my Congress Park album on my Flickr page

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great sidewalk and good ADA infrastructure although with a fair amount of outdated curb cuts.
* Wonderfully connected street network.
* Good economic diversity.
* Over a very safe community.
* Decent # of walkable schools here or nearby and well rated.
* Decent # of rentals and comparatively moderately expensive to other Denver neighborhoods. 1-beds lease anywhere in the 1ks, 2-beds low 1Ks to 3K, 3-beds in the high 2Ks to 4K.
* Hsg on the pricey but a good amount of moderately price condos. Studios & 1 beds sell anywhere btwn 200K-1M, 2-beds 300K-1M, 3 & 4 beds btwn 500-2M with condos being on the cheaper end.
* Good park amenities with City Park on the northern border, Chessman park on the western and Congress park filled with athletic courts and a pool.
* Great tree canopy.
* Great cultural amenities including many restaurants, cafes, & bars, a couple breweries and art galleries, a major cineplex & and an indie theater, and several music venues. Also good access to several museums in City Park and the Denver Botanical Gardens to the west.
* Good retail amenities too including a Trader’s Joe and a couple grocerias, a couple drug stores, several boutiques & creative stores a bookstore, a hardware store, a post office, and several dessert and gyms stores. There is also a major hospital here.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* No public library in Congress Park.
* So racial and generational diversity.
* Generally good modern in-fill but still some autocentric development along Colorado Blvd. and Colfax.
* Good but not great public transit access. Same with bike infrastructure as there are a couple dedicated bike lanes and some bike shares available.

Cherry Creek- Denver’s High-End City Neighborhood Shopping District

The Cherry Creek area was originally called Harman, which was annexed into Denver in 1895. The low lying area around the Cherry Creek was the legacy of black homesteaders,. By the 20s Cherry Creek was considered a suburb and still largely African-American. In 1950 a couple of major improvements occurred: a dam was built, which significantly reduced regular flooding and the neighborhood dump was removed and redeveloped as the first edition of the Cherry Creek Mall. By 1990, the mall was replaced with high-end outlets and department stores that upped the area’s prestige. Cherry Creek also began to densify in the 1990s especially along the main commercial centers of First, Second, and Third Avenues becoming more mixed-use medium sized structures. Most of the older single family homes have also been rebuilt as a mix of very high end SF homes and townhomes.

From an urban perspective, I generally view Cherry Creek’s densification as a positive force but unfortunately this came with limited new affordable housing creating a pretty homogenous high-end community. But Cherry Creek does host some of the best cultural and retail amenities outside of Dwtn plus solid bike & public transit access along with quality park amenities. From an urban form perspective Cherry Creek does well but still has some pretty autocentric stretches that should be redeveloped.

Click here to view my Cherry Creek Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Good public transit access and pretty convenient access to Dwtn among all modes of transit.
* Great connectivity in the street grid.
* Quality bike infrastructure here.
* This is a very safe community.
* Solid park amenities include recreational trails along Cherry Creek, the multi-faceted Pulaski Park, and James Manley Park.
* Sidewalk infrastructure is good but about 1/3 of curb cuts are outdated.
* Great cultural amenities including tons of restaurants, night clubs, bars, cafes, plenty of art galleries, a cineplex, and some live music venues.
* Some of the best retail amenities in a Denver neighborhood including the extensive Cherry Creek Shopping Center that includes tons and shops and several dept stores, a couple supermarkets, a couple drug stores, lots of boutiques, home goods, & clothing stores, plenty of banks, gyms, & dessert joints, and a large medical center.. There is also a suburb shopping mall on the SE edge of the district with a Target & lots of other stores.
* Most of the neighborhood is built after WWII and the architecture is generally urban.
* Very mixed-use district.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Decent density.
* Diversity is pretty low across all indicators especially generational and economic.
* Hsg is certainly on the expensive end. Wide range of pricing for 1-bed condos selling anywhere from 225K-1.4M, 2-beds 375K-2 M., 3 & 4 beds 700K-5M even with some more expensive product.
* Rentals are all very expensive. Studios & 1-beds lease btwn 1.5K- mid 3Ks, 2-beds 2K-4K, 3 -beds 3K-6K.
* Better walkable schools access than most Denver neighborhoods including several well rated schools. But not great.
* Limited historic architecture.
* Generally good urban massing but a fair amount of auto centric stretches too.

Country Club- One of Denver’s Most Exclusive Historic Neighborhoods

Country Club is a mostly residential neighborhood developed between around 1900-1940s. The district hosts some of the best historic mansions in Denver and is a very high-end enclave of the City. The district also has convenient access to Dwtn and the mixed-use Cherry Creek district to its east. It excels as a very safe community, great tree canopy, solid bike infrastructure and public transit access and wonderful set of tree lined boulevards.

But Country Club does lack a lot of important urban features including a decent urban biz district, good density, plentiful walkable schools, diverse and affordable housing, and quality park amenities. I’d certainly love to see more mixed-use development and density here. Just not sure if the current zoning permits it.

Click here to view my Country Club album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Decent public transit access but still good access to Dwtn.
* solid bike infrastructure including a couple dedicated bike lanes and decent access to bike rentals.
* Great generational diversity as many families with kids live here.
* Good sidewalk and solid ADA infrastructure but about 1/2 curb cuts are not up to modern standards.
* Very safe community.
* Excellent Tree Canopy.
* Wonderful set of tree line boulevards.
* Excellent Historic homes here, many of them mansion.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Below average density for an urban area.
* Poor racial and very poor economic diversity. Generally a very white and affluent district.
* Several well rated schools in and around Country Club but too few too be considered a major walkable asset for Country Club.
* Rentals are very limited here and pricey, which helps explain the limited income diversity.
* For sale options are expensive and limited. Really no 1-bedroom options. 2-beds range btwn 500K-1M. 3 & 4 beds btwn 500K-3M +
* Okay park amenities including little Cheesman park, the expansive Cheesman Park just north, and the private Denver Country Club. Also Alamo Placita Park a couple places west.
* Okay cultural amenities including a handful of restaurants, bars & cafes, a indie theater. Country Club is adjacent to the many cultural & retail amenities of Cherry Park to its east.
* Slightly better retail amenities including 2 supermarkets, a couple drug stores, a couple boutiques & home good stores, a couple banks, and a couple churches. The cherry Creek Shopping Center and lots of other retail amenities sit just east of the district..
* Not much newer in fill but what does exist is generally decent.

Baker- A Quality Late 19th Century Denver Neighborhood

The first subdivision of the Baker neighborhood was platted along Santa Fe Dr. south of W. Sixth Ave. in 1872, and residential development took off throughout the district in the 1880s. The part of the neighborhood north of Alameda Ave. was annexed into the city of Denver in 1883. More than 80 percent of the neighborhood was developed by 1900. Much of the neighborhood’s historic housing is being preserved thanks to its historic district designation in 2000.

Baker’s historically has been a major Hispanic enclave including half of its residents. The Hispanic population is now closer to 30% but Baker remains a very diverse community as many Asians and Blacks have moved into the neighborhood.

Baker boasts quality urbanism thanks to great public transit access, a robust biz district along Broadway and other mixed-use areas, and solid bike infrastructure. To be a premier urban district Baker needs better density, more walkable schools and park amenities, and the redevelopment of the suburban power center at its southern edge.

Click here to view my Baker Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Good sidewalk infrastructure but ADA curb cuts are generally dated, especially on residential streets.
* Great public transit access thanks to decent access to the rail lines that run through the district.
* Decent bike infrastructure with a patchwork of bike lanes and lots of bike share options.
* Good diversity all around , esp. racial and economic. Large Native American and Hispanic populations living here.
* Very cute historic homes great historic commercial along Broadway.
* Solid urban infill along Broadway. Large suburban power center in the southern end of the district. Blah industrial along the western edge.
* Great cultural amenities including many restaurants, cafes, bars, & breweries, live music venues, concentrated along Broadway and Santa Fe. Also an indie movie theater and several art galleries here.
* Good retail amenities albeit often in power centers including a Safeway, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, plenty of boutiques, gift stores, & creative shops along Broadway, a couple book stores, several home goods shops esp. in the Denver Design Center, several gyms and dessert venues, a public library & post office, and several churches.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* So density.
* Some schools in and around Baker but generally not rated well.
* Good # of rentals but on the pricy side. Studios 1-beds lease btwn low 1Ks to mid 2Ks, 2-beds high 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-550Ks. 2-bed homes range from 400-900K, 2-beds homes/townhouses are on average a bit more expensive. 3 & 4 beds homes sell btwn 550K-and the low Ms.
* Park amenities are limited to a couple small parks. Some good large parks along the Platte River but hard to get to from Baker by foot.
* Urban massing is generally good but some gaps on Broadway on the northern and southern end. Santa Fe and surrounding industrial area is a mixed bag.

Alamo Placito- a quaint urban district just south of Denver’s Capitol Hill

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.

Click here to view my Alamo Placita album on Flickr

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.