Southeast Colorado Springs- The City’s Historically Working Class District

This district wraps around Dwtn on the South and Southwestern sides. I therefore used Union St as the Eastern border, Platte Blvd and Cimarron as the north borders, Wahsatch as the western border and included the area directly south of Dwtn below Cimmarron but cut out anything south of Fountain St. as its pretty industrial.

Historically the Southeast Side has always been the working class part of town. This legacy certainly continues into the current day as the Southeast Side has more modest housing and affordable housing than the rest of the City and seems to be the part of the City with them most Crime (albeit pretty average for national standards). But I consider the district to be pretty well stabilized as the real estate market is robust and vacancy and blight is now limited.

Thanks to its close proximity to Downtown I ranked the Southeast Side the second best urban district in Colorado Springs. It has decent retail & cultural amenities especially with a strong mixed-use character close to Dwtn. The neighborhood has good economic diversity, likely the best economic diversity in the City, excellent park amenities and good ADA and sidewalk infrastructure throughout. But similar to other neighborhoods in Colorado Springs, the SE side’s density is very low, public transit is so so, good walkable schools are limited, and the eastern half the district is mostly residential.

Click here to view my Southeast Colorado Springs

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Great access to Dwtn as about half the residents of the Southeast Side can walk to Dwtn.
* ADA and sidewalk infrastructure is generally good but becomes more inconsistent the further east you go.
* Decent but not great historic housing. Generally pretty modest homes esp. in the eastern reaches of the district.
* Good economic mix here but much many more lower income households than north and east of Dwtn.
* Pretty good racial diversity hosting a good # of Blacks and Hispanics.
* Great bike amenities here including an excellent set of dedicated bike paths and many dedicated bike stations.
* Excellent park amenities including South Shooks Run which runs north to south and along the southern boundary of the neighborhood, the extensive and multi-faceted Memorial Park, Dorchester Park, and the Recreation Center at Fountain Park.
* Decent amount of affordable housing.
* For Sale Housing is cheaper here than northern and eastern Colorado Springs. Studios and 1-beds can range btwn 250K-500K depending on age & condition. Condos options close to Dwtn. 2-beds range from 275K-600K with some condos near Dwtn. 3 & 4-beds 300K-800K. Only a handful of homes on the higher end.
* Overall solid cultural amenities particularly just south of Dwtn. Good # of restaurants, bars, cafes & breweries, a handful of art galleries. Half of the neighborhood is also within walking distance of Dwtn providing convenient access to many other cultural amenities.
* Good urban massing south of Dwtn esp. along Tejon pretty bad along Wahsatch and the industrial western edge of the South East side.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Low density for an urban district.
* Public transit is okay.
* Some crime issues in Southeast Colorado Springs especially proportional to the rest of the City. But compared to most American cities crime really isn’t too bad.
* Some walkable schools in the Southeast side but most are not well rated.
* Some rentals, particularly closed close to Dwtn. Studios & 1-beds and 2-beds range anywhere btwn 1K and the mid2Ks depending on location and condition. Good 3 # of 3 beds that range from the high 1Ks to the low 3Ks.
* So retail amenities including a small grocery store, a drug store, a couple banks, many churches, several salons & dessert joints, a bookstore and antique shops. 1/2 of the neighborhood has convenient access to retail amenities dwtn as well. UC Health Hospital is along on the eastern edge of the district.
* In fill is a mixed bag. Some good urban in-fill south of Dwtn. Some auto centric crud esp. along Wahsatch Ave.

The East Side of Colorado Springs- A pleasant semi-urban neighborhood

For this evaluation I used the stream/bike trail as the northern border, Wahsatch Ave as the western, Union St as the eastern, and Platte Ave as the southern border.

East Colorado Springs was born out of the second period of annexations was during 1889-1890. The neighborhood continued to fill up through WWII. Because of its development history there are many cute bungalows and other modest older homes along with consistent sidewalks and pretty good connectively. But largely due to its low population density, retail amenities are sparse, and there is not real cohesive business district other than a couple auto centric stretches along Union Street.

I consider East Side a pleasant semi-urban place, but not a 1-car neighborhood due to the lack of walkable amenities and so so public transit service. Obviously my hope is that the neighborhood can densify and eliminate its single family only zoning, which I suspect occupies the majority of the neighborhood.

Click here to view my East Side Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Two wonderful bike trans along the western and north edge of Dwtn. Decent number of bike stations.
* Good sidewalk infrastructure overall; hit or miss with ADA curb cuts.
* Great economic and generational diversity.
* Decent # of schools with pretty good ratings; semi-walkable as the district is so spread out.
* Decent # of rentals but not a ton. 1-beds lease btwn the mid 1K to mid 2Ks. More 2-beds available at a similar price. Good # of 3-bed rentals that are a bit more expensive.
* Some affordable housing in the neighborhood.
* Good array of parks including Shooks Run that runs north-south through most of the district. Recreational trail along it and several smaller parks. There is also Boulder Park (a medium sized park) and the extensive Memorial Park just south of the East Side borders.
* Attractive historic housing, but nothing spectacular.
* Excellent Tree canopy.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Density is pretty low for an urban era.
* Public transit is decent is spots but pretty mediocre/ poor in the northeast section of East Side.
* Walkability overall is ok. Very spreadout district with not a lot of amenities within walking distance.
* Racial diversity is pretty limited.
* For-sale are pretty expensive. Decent # of one-beds that sell btwn 300K-500K, 2-beds btwn 300K-700K, wide arrange of 3 & 4 beds selling anywhere btwn 400K-1M. No condos here. No sign of affordable hsg here.
* Cultural amenities in the East Side are pretty limited. Some restaurants & cafes but mostly located along Union Blvd which is very auto centric oriented. A couple nice cafes and breweries in the SW corner of the district close to Dwtn. A couple art galleries, community theaters, and live music venues. Decent access in the SW corner to Dwtn cultural amenities.
* Some retail amenities including a Safeway & Walmart, a major hospital, drug store, a couple salons, a couple dessert joints, a few gyms, several churches, and some other random retail. The issue is that most retail is auto centric and very spreadout.
* Sense of place is certainly lacking here as there are no urban business districts.
* Good amount of auto centric crap in-fill especially along Union Blvd.

Downtown Colorado Springs, CO

For this evaluation I used the stream/bike trail as the northern border, Wahsatch Ave as the eastern, Monument Creek as the western, and Dwtn (Unitah) as the southern border.

Old North End was developed for middle and upper-class people in the late-nineteenth century. Much of this architecture is preserved in a historic district characterized by Spanish Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival, and Mission architecture styles. The bulk of the neighborhood’s growth came between 1890 and 1910 largely due to the success of the gold mines in Cripple Creek and Victor and resulting industry in Colorado Springs.

From an urban perspective Old North End is a pleasant semi-walkable residential community with well shaded streets, great park and trail access, plenty of bike lanes, and convenient access to Dwtn. But due to a low-population density there is no cohesive business district and mixed-use development is largely elusive. Public transit also isn’t great here and walkable school options are limited. Along with densifying the district, I would also like to see a better infusion of diverse and affordable housing options.

Click here to view my Downtown Colorado Springs album on Flickr.

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Overall very consistent sidewalk and ADA infrastructure.
* Great gridded Dwtn.
* Great dedicated bike lane system connecting dwtn, inner city neighborhoods, and suburban areas. Also a decent dedicated bike station system covering Dwtn, areas close to Dwtn and Old Colorado City.
* Great economic diversity living dwtn and decent racial and generational diversity. High number of family households for a dwtn but so amenities for kids.
* Decent school options including a public high school and middle school. A couple small private options too.
* Good amount of affordable housing Dwtn.
* Great parks Dwtn including the expansive Monument Valley Park with lots of trails and greenspace and America the Beautiful Park. Acadia Park functions as a decent Civic Heart hosts concerts, ice skating, a splash pad and is located right off Tejon St (Dwtn’s main drag). A couple other smaller parks dwtn too.
* Overall a very safe Dwtn some dead spaces in the western edge of Dwtn.
* Pretty good university presence with about 5-6K college students Dwtn btwn Colorado College, Pike Peak and a couple others.
* Even though there are a lot of dead spots and poor bldg massing dwtn, the streetscaping is pretty good, esp. along Tejon.
* Culturally a nice array of restaurants, cafes, and bars. Also a couple community theaters, a small movie house, several live music venues, art galleries & museums, and plenty of night clubs and a major performing arts center. Also several arenas Dwtn (i.e. hocky, baseball).
* Good # of jobs dwtn at around 25-30K.
* Good retail w/ Plenty of boutiques, consignments and clothing stores, plenty of gifts stores, a toy store, several bookstores, plenty of dessert stores & gyms, lots of salons & barber shops, a public library, dwtn post office, and tons of churches.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* So density.
* Streets are generally too wide but few one way street Dwtn and lots of bike lanes.
* Public transit access is pretty limited in Colorado Springs. Decent service only exists Dwtn and to the north and east. Good transit connection at least from Dwtn to the airport.
* Rentals are pretty limited for a Dwtn area. Some 1-beds generally leasing in the low 1ks but a few luxury options too. Decent # of 2-beds leasing btwn the low 1ks-the mid 2ks. Few 3-beds leasing around 2K.
* Decent # of condos but on the pricey side. 1-beds sell btwn 300K-600K, 2-beds 400K-750K, decent # of 3-beds as some SF homes are available dwtn selling btwn 450K-800K. Even some 4 beds available.
* Rather bland and uninspiring skyline. Mostly short-medium sized square boxes from the 60s-90s.
* So architecture with some nice historic buildings along mostly Tejon street and a nice historic district on the northern edge.
* Dwtn has its share of dead spots especially the western edge, but decent vibrancy along Tejon. Lots of surface parking, auto centric uses and 1 story manufacturing bldgs along the western edge of Dwtn.
* No major convention center dwtn.
* No supermarket nor drug store. The nearest hospital is also a couple miles away.

Colorado Springs, CO- Old North End

Click here to view my Old North End Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Very convenient access to Dwtn.
* Good bike infrastructure with several dedicated lanes and a handful of bike share stations. This includes 2 recreational trails.
* Solid diversity all around- especially economic and generational.
* Good park space including the extensive Monument Valley park running along North End western edge. There is also Shooks Run trail and Bonforte Park.
* Very safe community. Limited blight as well.
* Sidewalk infrastructure is great. ADA infrastructure is generally good; often curb cuts missing at alleyway crossings.
* As there is no business district limited spots with a sense of place or landmarks in Old North End.
* Quality historic homes.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Density is pretty low but better than other parts of Colorado Springs.
* Public transit isn’t great.
* Cultural amenities within Old North End are limited to really only a couple cafes and restaurants, but good access to the performing arts at Colorado College living on its southern border and the many amenities in Dwtn located 1-2 miles away.
* Similar situation with retail amenities, only a dentist, a couple of churches, a Safeway supermarket, major hospital drug store, hardware store, a couple of salons, UPS store, and a couple of banks. But good retail amenities dwtn.
* Schools are limited to a Catholic HS and well rated public elementary schools. Schools in adjacent neighborhoods are generally to far to walk to.
* Apts are pretty limited. A handful of 1 beds leasing around 1.5K. Some 2-beds leasing in the high 1Ks, and a few 3-bed homes leasing anywhere btwn 1.8K to 3K.
* For-sale are pretty expensive. Only a handful of one-beds that start at 350K, 2-beds btwn 400K-750K, wide arrange of 3 & 4 beds selling anywhere btwn 400K-1.5M. No condos here. No sign of affordable hsg here.
* In fill is very limited and what does exist is general auto centric.
* Pedestrian activity is limited.

Old Colorado City- Colorado Springs’ original settlement

This evaluation includes both Old Colorado City and the small district between Old Colorado City and Dwtn. I used 31st as the western border, Cimmarron as the southern, Uintah St as the northern, and 142 as the eastern.

Old Colorado City, formerly Colorado City, was once an independent town, but is now a neighborhood within the City. It was founded during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1859 and was involved in the mining industry, both as a supply hub and as a gold ore processing center beginning in the 1890s. Residents of Colorado City generally worked at the 50 coal mines in the area. It was briefly the capital of the Colorado Territory. Its beginnings were certainly a rough and tumble place hosting many saloons and brothels. But in time local regulations curbed the worst of these vices.

Most of the historic structures of Old Colorado City have been preserved thanks to a Historic Preservation ordinance in 1982. Further east on Colorado Ave. the business district is more mixed-use but retains decent urban form. The residential areas are historic but mostly single family. Some new apartment buildings are being built in the near West Side district. With a density of 3,500 per sq mile, Old Colorado City could certainly use more density. It also lacks racial diversity, and quality public transit. A good number of schools exist but with mixed ratings.

Click here to view my Old Colorado Springs album and here for my West Side Album

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Convenient access to Dwtn across all modes, although public transit is a bit wanting.
* Several convenient bike lanes feed into Dwtn.
* Great economic diversity and solid generational diversity.
* Decent # of apts. Some 1-beds. Generally rent in the low 1Ks. Plenty of 2-beds, which rent btwn the low 1Ks-2K, 3-beds lease around 2K.
* Pretty good for-sale diversity but a bit on the pricy side.: 1-beds sell anywhere btwn 250k-650K, 2-beds btwn 300K-750K, 3 & 4 beds btwn 350K-850K. No condos here.
* Good # of parks and well disbursed. Also an nice recreational path along Fountain Creek.
* Great cultural amenities including many bars, restaurants, cafes, and breweries. Also several art galleries, 2 community theaters, several small museums/historic sites, and a couple live music and night club venues.
* Overall a pretty safe community.
* Solid historic architecture especially along Colorado Ave in the core of “Old Colorado City”. Some new mixed-use infill springing up that’s decent.
* Good retail amenities including a couple grocery & drug stores, lots of boutiques & gift stores, and unique stores esp. in Old Colorado City; several banks, a couple bakeries & gyms, a local book store and library, several churches. and a book store.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Density is low, more akin to a suburb.
* Bike share doesn’t extend out to the West Side
* Mediocre transit access. Pretty limited considering the close proximity to Dwtn.
* Racial diversity is pretty limited but not terrible… 15% minor population with a decent sized Hispanic population.
* Decent # of schools but mixed-ratings and all K-8.
* Good vibrancy along Colorado Ave in Old Colorado City, but the rest of the neighborhood is pretty dead.