Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado is officially the City and County of Denver. It is the capital and most populated city in Colorado. Denver sits on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains near the center of the State of Colorado. Denver is known as the Mile High City because it is exactly one mile above sea level. For the same reason it is the highest major city in the United States.

Denver is the 19th most populated city in the United States and one of the fastest growing in the nation. The greater Denver metropolitan area is the 16th most populated metro area in the United States. In the mountain west it is the second most populous behind Phoenix. Denver is a consolidated city and county within Colorado. Its cost of living is 127.50 on the 100 point scale, making it an expensive place to live.

Table of Contents

• Denver, Colorado history
• Colorado labor history
• Modern Denver, Colorado
• Fun things to do in Denver
• Neighborhoods in Denver

Denver, Colorado History

The first settlement in the Denver area by European-originating settlers was in 1858 in a settlement known as Montana City. It was the time of the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush and the settlement began as a mining town. By 1859 it was abandoned in favor of Auraria and St. Charles City. In late 1858 General William Larimer staked a claim on the site of St. Charles and named his townsite Denver City.

At the time, what would become Colorado was part of the Kansas Territory and General Larimer thought the name would encourage Governor Denver to name his town the county seat of Arapaho County. Unfortunately, Governor Denver had already resigned from his office.

Denver City began to grow and incorporated in 1861. It was the county seat of Arapaho County until consolidation in 1902. Colorado Territory was established in 1861. Denver became the territory capital in 1867. Denver City changed its name to Denver. In 1876 Colorado was admitted to the union. In 1901 Arapaho County was split into a consolidated City and County of Denver, Adams County and the remainder as South Arapahoe County.

Colorado Labor Law History

Colorado’s history as a mining territory played significantly in its role in our nation’s labor law history. Workers traveled to the territory, and later state, looking for work. Colorado mining companies set up mining towns which often resulted in employees receiving pay on script that had to be spent in the town stores owned by the mining company.

Working conditions, along with pay conditions, led to widespread unionization and strikes. Labor conditions worsened as employers chose violent responses to unionization, often with government assistance.

The most famous Colorado labor wars were during 1903 and 1904 when workers represented by the Western Federation of Miners engaged a series of strikes. The Colorado National Guard instituted martial law and stepped in to violently end the strikes.

Modern Denver, Colorado

Today Denver, Colorado is a burgeoning metropolitan area with a wide range of industry and redevelopment of its inner city core. Denver is home to a large number of tech companies, manufacturers, financial firms, bioscience, energy, food and of course tourism companies. Property values for homes have steadily increased since the recession, in part due to the desire to live in an urban area with a great range of outdoor activities.

Denver is also one of the mid-sized cities across the nation seeing explosive growth as urban living has become back into fashion but people do not want to live in or cannot afford to live in some of the most expensive major metro areas. Mid-sized urban cities like Denver, Colorado offer the opportunity to live in an urban community without the burden of larger urban cities.

Cities like Denver undergoing urban revitalization and rejecting the generic suburban lifestyle creates opportunities to build unique communities within the larger urban landscape. This is particularly desirable to younger generations seeking a different life from their parents who may have relished the quiet, uniform suburban lifestyle of chain restaurants and shopping malls.

Fun things to do in Denver, Colorado

Denver has a wide range of fun things to do including natural attractions, parks, public works, sports, craft beer, restaurants and more. Some of the top ten things to do in Denver include:

• Union Station
• Larimer Square
• 16th Street Mall
• Denver Art Museum
• Red Rocks Park and Amplitheater
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Denver Museum of Nature and Science
• Denver Zoo
• Molly Brown House Museum
• Washington Park

If you like sports then watching sporting events in Denver will be some of the best things to do in town. The Denver Broncos play in Mile High Stadium across I-25 from downtown Denver. The Colorado Rockies represent the state in MLB out of Coors Field in downtown. Denver is also home to other pro and college sports teams.

Although Denver is not historically a foodie town it is developing a restaurant scene. It might be famous among food for the Denver omelet or Rocky Mountain oysters; however, Denver also offers a range of cuisine that includes wild game, ranched meats, fresh produce and parts of southwestern cuisine like green chiles.

Neighborhoods in Denver

Denver, Colorado has 78 official neighborhoods according to the city government, plus a small number of unofficial neighborhoods. The unofficial neighborhoods often reflect a business or residential development that awarded itself a name as a neighborhood or region in Denver. Residents may acknowledge or know about these unofficial neighborhoods but they are not recognized for public planning or administrative purposes by the Denver city government.

Neighborhoods in Denver do not correspond to larger administrative or unofficial groupings. Some other major cities group neighborhoods into larger units based on geography or overlay with city council seats. Denver residents only loosely apply directional references.

Central Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods

Central neighborhoods roughly includes the downtown area east of I-25 and the residential neighborhoods in Denver east of downtown. This area represents the primary business and urban hub of Denver, Colorado. Neighborhoods in this area include the following official neighborhoods.

Baker

Baker is an old neighborhood south of downtown and east of I-25 in Denver. It was named in the 1970s by the city for a University of Colorado president. It is a diverse area in both residents and mix of residential, commercial and industrial.

Capital Hill

Capital Hill is a neighborhood southeast of downtown Denver. It is a densely populated area that is primarily residential and commercial. It was a wealthy area of Denver, Colorado historically so it has a large collection of mansions. Capital Hill is known by many as “Cap Hill” in Denver. It is home to the first Quiznos in 1981.

North Capital Hill

North Capital Hill sits immediately north of Capital Hill on the east side of downtown Denver. It is a diverse community, currently undergoing gentrification and redevelopment. It has a high poverty rate among its residents. North Capital Hill is home to a growing development trying to redeploy the name of the neighborhood as uptown Denver.

Cherry Creek

The Cherry Creek neighborhood in Denver, Colorado lies southeast of downtown along the Cherry Creek. It is a wealthy neighborhood with large shopping areas of luxury and upscale businesses.

Central Business District

The central business district includes all of downtown Denver not in the Union Station neighborhood. It is home to the majority of the most urbanized core of the city with a mixed use of business space, commercial, retail and residential property.

Cheeseman Park

Cheeseman Park is a park and neighborhood in Denver, Colorado on the east side of capital hill. It is a residential area, aside from the large park. The land was once a cemetary but now it is among the neighborhoods redeveloping into a popular attraction for Denver residents who want to live close to downtown.

City Park

City Park is home to the largest park in Denver. The park absorbs most of the neighborhood although there is some residential and light commercial property. It lies east of downtown Denver. The park is a tourist attraction and includes a number of popular institutions. Denver began building out City Park in the latter years of the nineteenth century.

City Park West

City Park West is a small neighborhood of mostly residential blocks located between the Denver neighborhoods of City Park on the east and North Capital Hill on the west. City Park West is among the neighborhoods near downtown Denver experiencing redevelopment and growth.

Civic Center

Civic Center is a wedge-shaped neighborhood on the south side of the central business district. It is primarily government buildings and parks, creating a civic zone in the middle of town that would break up the industrial and commercial hub of downtown Denver, Colorado. Many residents of Denver refer to this neighborhood as Golden Triangle.

Country Club

As the Denver neighborhood’s name suggests, Country Club is home to Denver’s prominent country club. In addition to the club there are several large homes. Country Club sits south of downtown, next door to Cherry Creek.

Congress Park

Congress Park is a neighborhood located south of City Park and east of Cheeseman Park in Denver. Congress Park the neighborhood includes a park and middle to upper middle class residential housing.

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park is a large neighborhood directly south and southwest of downtown Denver, Colorado. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. Lincoln Park is primarily a residential neighborhood but includes some commercial space. It is home to a diverse population.

Speer

The Speer neighborhood sits directly below Capital Hill in Denver. It is primarily a southern extension of the high density housing in Capital Hill. It is undergoing redevelopment, like many communities in Denver.

Union Station

The Union Station neighborhood in Denver, Colorado gains its name from union station train station and its surrounding buildings. It is part of downtown, including the parts northwest of the central business district. Much of what is called lower downtown, or LoDo, is in Union Station but LoDo includes parts of the central business district and not all of the Union Station district.

East Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods

The neighborhoods of east Denver, Colorado are primarily residential neighborhoods. They include the neighborhoods east of those in the city center to the Denver border on the east, not including the old Stapleton Airport and further east.

Belcaro

Belcaro is a wealthy neighborhood immediately south of Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado. It is home to several mansions and gated communities. Belcaro is one of, if not the wealthiest neighborhoods in Denver.

Cory-Merrill

Cory-Merrill is a neighborhood in Denver immediately south of Belcaro and east of Washington Park. It is slightly cheaper than its trendy neighbor to the west and more of a quiet residential community.

East Colfax

East Colfax is a Denver neighborhood to the south of Stapleton on the eastern frontier of the city. Stapleton sits above it with Aurora, Colorado on its east. It is a neighborhood facing challenges.

Hale

Hale is a small neighborhood east of Congress Park in Denver, Colorado. It is primarily residential with former medical school and hospital space awaiting redevelopment.

Hilltop

Hilltop is a Denver neighborhood south of Hale and Montclair. It is a wealthy neighborhood with its original homes primarily built in the 1940s and 1950s during the post-World War 2 housing boom. However, today many people moving into the neighborhood are tearing down the original homes and building larger homes.

Indian Creek

Indian Creek is a neighborhood on the eastern frontier of Denver, Colorado, abutting Aurora, Colorado. It is a small and quiet community close to the Denver Tech Center in the south.

Lowry Field

Lowry Field is a neighborhood on the east frontier of Denver, Colorado. It is south of East Colfax. Lowry Field is the location of the old Lowry Air Force Base, since mostly torn down and rebuilt as a residential neighborhood on Denver’s east side.

Windsor

Windsor is a Denver, Colorado neighborhood located south of Lowry Field on the city’s eastern border. It is a middle class, primarily residential neighborhood.

Washington Virginia Vale

Washington Virginia Vale is a neighborhood on the east, approaching southeast area of Denver, Colorado. It is primarily a residential community close to the University of Denver and the Denver Tech Center.

Virginia Village

Virginia Village is an east-southeast neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. It is primarily residential and like Washington Virginia Vale, it is close to the University of Denver and the Denver Tech Center.

Park Hill

Park Hill is a large grouping of three neighborhoods in Denver, Colorado. Park Hill lies east of City Park. It is the neighborhoods of South Park Hill, North Park Hill and Northeast Park Hill. These Denver neighborhoods are primarily residential and span a diverse population both ethnically and economically. Park Hill development began with construction of City Park with the first homes sold in South Park Hill in 1900.

Montclair

Montclair is a Denver neighborhood east of Hale, south of Park Hill and north of Hilltop. It began as an independent town for people who wanted to live near Denver but not part of Denver’s seedy urban landscape in the late nineteenth century. In the 1900s Denver moved to incorporate the town and eventually won in the state Supreme Court. Montclair is a mixture of homes built from 1885 forward, giving the neighborhood a crosscut of suburban home styles over the past 100 years.

North Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods

North Denver, Colorado neighborhoods primarily include those neighborhoods immediately north and northeast of downtown. Park Hill may be included by some in the north neighborhoods, rather than the east, because the Park Hill neighborhoods are technically east to northeast of downtown. However, they are more closely related to the neighborhoods in the east.

Clayton

Clayton is one of the smaller neighborhoods north of City Park and west of northeast Park Hill in Denver. It is often confused with Park Hill or other nearby neighborhoods but it is recognized by the City of Denver as a distinct neighborhood.

Skyland

Skyland is a small neighborhood between Clayton and City Park in Denver, Colorado. Like Clayton, it is often confused as part of City Park and Park Hill but it is a separate neighborhood.

Whittier

Whittier is a small neighborhood north of City Park West and east of Five Points in Denver. It has a diverse population but with its close proximity to downtown it is seeing an influx of young professional families.

Cole

Cole is a neighborhood east of Five Points and north of Whittier in Denver, Colorado. It is part of the neighborhoods immediately east of downtown and north of City Park that many in Denver call “the east side” although there are still many neighborhoods in Park Hill and further east.

Elyria-Swansea

Elyria-Swansea is a neighborhood on the northern border of Denver between Globeville and the northernmost parts of Park Hill. Elyria and Swansea were once separate cities, annexed by Denver. They are mixed neighborhoods with industrial, commercial and residential areas.

Globeville

Globeville is north of downtown Denver. Denver residents often  refer to it as “north Denver”. Globeville began as the area around a smelting company based north of the original Denver settlement. It was separated from the rest of Denver by the railroad lines and the South Platte River. Later I-25 and I-70 were build across Globeville. Globeville began and remains a home for immigrants. It is also a convenient location in Denver, Colorado for businesses due to its proximity to downtown and access to freeways.

Five Points

Five Points is a large neighborhood north and northeast of downtown Denver, Colorado. Five Points is where the downtown city grid and the neighborhood city grids meet and change directions. Originally Five Points was a home for prominent Denver residents. Over time in the early twentieth century it became known as the Harlem of the West with a large, developed African American community. In the 1950s it began decline seeing the beginning of redevelopment in the early 2000s. Today it is a diverse area with high residential prices but continuing development and improvement.

Northeast Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods

Northeast Denver, Colorado neighborhoods include the old and new airport areas. The original Denver airport was Stapleton on the eastern edge of the Colorado city. In the 1990s the city tore down Stapleton and built Denver International Airport. This made way for development of Stapleton. With public resources built to serve the new airport there has been other growth of residential suburban communities on the northeast side north and east of Stapleton.

Stapleton

Stapleton includes the area of the old Stapleton Airport. It is the largest neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. It includes several master planned communities and retail space. Stapleton, like other northeast Denver neighborhoods, are primarily residential spaces although portions are zoned for commercial and retail use. Part of the redevelopment area after Stapleton Airport was decommissioned is part of Aurora, Colorado.

Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport is the airport that replaced Stapleton in the 1990s. It is built at the most eastern and northern part of Denver. It is connected to Denver by Pena Boulevard and light rail. It is mostly surrounded by undeveloped land and farm land today but eventually the Denver metro area will expand to the airport, like most other cities.

Gateway/Green Valley Ranch

Green Valley Ranch or Gateway is a large neighborhood on the south side of Denver International Airport. It is distant from most of Denver and is mostly residential space. It was built out during the late 1990s and continues development today. It has little commercial development so homeowners often must drive to Aurora or other parts of Denver for basic retail needs. Home prices are low because it is a less demanded area and faced a large number of foreclosures in the 2000s. It is a good value for homeowners looking for a large home at a lower cost in the Denver, Colorado area.

Montebello

Montebello is a neighborhood between Stapleton and Green Valley Ranch in Denver, Colorado. Montebello was traditionally a neighborhood separated from the rest of Denver due to the location of Stapleton Airport; but since development of Denver International Airport it is no longer the northeastern frontier of Denver. It is south of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge which is a superfund site formerly used to manufacture chemical weapons. Like Green Valley Ranch it suffered from a high number of foreclosures in the late 2000s. It is primarily an African American and Latino community.

South Denver, CO ranges from decidedly suburban neighborhoods in the west through the popular neighborhoods around the University of Denver to the Denver Tech Center and its surrounding communities. Communities closer to the city center and the university are older neighborhoods.

Many of the more southern and remote neighborhoods developed in the mid to late twentieth century, particularly as the Denver Tech Center developed in the 1970s and 1980s. The Denver Tech Center brought a large number of technology and new economy jobs to Denver. That in turn brought jobs, workers and the desire for close housing. This time period also coincided with the urban flight of the early 1970s which brought many people out of Denver to nearby suburbs.

Southeast Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods

The southeastern neighborhoods are home to the Denver Tech Center and surrounding residential communities. The Denver Tech Center (commonly called DTC) is a second core business area in Denver. Like many urban centers, the development of the tech industry often began at an area remote from the traditional business center of the city.

This allowed businesses to develop on cheaper land where large campuses could be built and any manufacturing on site would likely be available through zoning. This allowed tech employees to buy homes in close locations that may be in the urban city or nearby suburbs. This allows the tech companies to take advantage of the urban resources but maintain a quieter suburban exclusivity.

The Denver Tech Center is a competing business core in Denver and the larger Denver Metro Area in Colorado. It lacks the urban development of downtown Denver but it is close to the university and the trendy neighborhoods of Washington Park and Platt Park.

Neighborhoods in southeast Denver include Goldsmith, Hampden, Hampden South, Kennedy and Southmoor. These neighborhoods mostly developed to support the employees in the Denver Tech Center.

South Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods

South Denver, Colorado neighborhoods include the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Denver and its supporting neighborhoods. Like many neighborhoods surrounding colleges, these Denver neighborhoods include many trendy businesses and communities among residential regions. It is a popular area to live due to the trendy zones and its proximity to the Denver Tech Center.

College View/South Platte, Overland Park, Rosedale, University Hills, Wellshire

College View/South Platte is a neighborhood on the southwest side of Denver, Colorado. It is primarily residential and represents one of the most suburban neighborhoods in south Denver. Overland Park is a long neighborhood bordered by College View on the west, Baker on the north, Platt Park and Rosedale on the west. Its southern border is the border of Denver, Colorado. It is primarily a quiet residential neighborhood.

Rosedale is a small neighborhood south of Platt Park and east of Overland Park in Denver. It is quieter than its more popular neighbor to the north. University Hills is a neighborhood on the southeast side of Denver, Colorado. It is close to the Denver Tech Center and the University of Denver. University Park is a neighborhood on the east side of University and west of University Hills in Denver. Wellshire is a neighborhood south of University Park.

University

University is a neighborhood including the University of Denver and its surrounding area. Univsersity includes residential areas in addition to retail and light commercial space that serves university students and the local community.

Platt Park (Platte Park)

Platt Park is a south Denver neighborhood. It is an emerging popular neighborhood on the south side. It is west of University and southwest of Washington Park. It is cheaper than the more popular Washington Park–for now–but growing into a similar location. It is growing into a mixed use area of home, retail and light commercial use.

Washington Park

Washington Park is one of Denver, Colorado’s hottest neighborhoods right now. It is southwest of Cherry Creek, west of Belcaro and north of University. Washington Park neighborhood is home to Washington Park. Washington Park is the most famous park in Denver although it is smaller than City Park to the north. It is a large park often compared to Central Park in New York. The residential community surrounding the park is a popular home due to its proximity to Washington Park, the upscale communities of Belcaro and Cherry Creek and equal proximity to the University of Denver, downtown Denver and the Denver Tech Center.

Washington Park West

Until the 1970s Washington Park West was considered part of Washington Park by city officials when they decided to track it as a separate statistical area. Washington Park West is a primarily residential area that takes advantage of its proximity to Washington Park in southeast Denver.

Southwest Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods

Southwest Denver, Colorado is primarily suburban residential neighborhoods. It shares more in common with nearby Colorado suburbs including Littleton and Edgewood. The southwest neighborhoods approach the Rocky Mountains, with great views of the mountains and a quieter lifestyle than the city core. These neighborhoods include Bear Valley, Fort Logan, Harvey Park, Harvey Park South and Marston.

West Denver, Colorado Neighborhoods

West Denver extends from the southern neighborhoods which, like the most southeastern neighborhoods in Denver, is primarily residential suburban communities. The more northern and eastern portions of west Denver are more urban. Many of these neighborhoods are older neighborhoods which range from middle to wealthy neighborhoods in the near northwest to lower income neighborhoods.

West to southwest Denver, Colorado mostly developed as working class communities that fell into decline in the mid to late twentieth century. Redevelopment across Denver is beginning to reach these communities.

Athmar Park

Athmar Park is a central-west neighborhood on the west side of Baker in Denver, Colorado. It is primarily residential, built in the 1940s and 1950s. It was once a separate town, annexed very early in the twentieth century. Athmar Park boomed in the post-World War 2 era with tract home construction. It is one of the few older parts of Denver which does not follow the neighborhood city grid plan.

Westwood, Mar Lee, Barnum West

Westwood, Mar Lee and Barnum West are three neighborhoods on the west side of Denver, Colorado bordering Lakewood, Colorado. They are primarily residential communities that share the suburban feel of Lakewood and other Colorado suburbs on the southwest side of Denver.

Ruby Hill

Ruby Hill is a western suburb of Denver, Colorado south of Athmar Park. It gained its name from the red stones miners found in the area during Colorado’s mining boom. (Those stones turned out to be garnet.) Ruby Hill is home to several Denver public parks and intentionally undeveloped natural areas.

Valverde

Valverde is a western neighborhood in Denver, Colorado immediately north of Athmar Park and Baker on the east. Valverde is an older community. The homes, primarily on the west side of the neighborhood, are mostly 1930s and 1940s bungalows. The east side of Valverde is industrial. With road construction it is now easy to reach downtown Denver. This, in combination with overall growth of Denver, will likely make Valverde a popular neighborhood in Denver in the coming years.

Villa Park

Villa Park is a west Denver, Colorado neighborhood north of Barnum and Barnum West. Original plans for the neighborhood intended to develop the area into a large Central Park-like park and neighborhood. Plans fell through and the land did not develop until the middle twentieth century although it is close to downtown Denver. It is primarily a working class neighborhood with a large Latino population.

West Colfax

West Colfax is the neighborhood north of Villa Park along Colfax avenue south of Sloan’s Lake. It experienced a boom of growth in the mid-twentieth century along with much of west Denver but slid in the latter part of the century. Recently it has seen redevelopment along with the northeast. Development has mostly followed light commercial/retail and housing, often with multi-family housing. It is developing closer to neighbors of Jefferson Park and Sloan’s Lake to the north.

Sun Valley

Sun Valley is a neighborhood in near west Denver, Colorado. Interstate 25 bands the east while Villa Park and West Colfax set its west border. It is north of Valverde and south of Jefferson Park. Sun Valley’s population primarily lives in public housing. Much of the neighborhood is industrial although there are a number of parks and public open spaces. Sun Valley has not seen the development of its neighbors to the west or north–yet.

Barnum

Barnum is a mid-size neighborhood in west Denver, Colorado. It is banded by Valverde on the east, Barnum West on the west, Villa Park on the north and Westwood to the south. Barnum was originally conceived as a home for Denver’s wealthy along the planned Villa Park. When these plans fell apart the land was sold cheaply to P.T. Barnum. He quickly sold most of the property away and gave the rest to his daughter. Barnum’s daughter and her husband were responsible for developing the neighborhood, first as a separate Colorado town and later as an annexed part of Denver. Barnum today is a working class neighborhood with a large Latino population. It is beginning to see redevelopment.

Auraria

Auraria is one of the oldest parts of Denver, Colorado. It sits immediately west of the central business district in downtown Denver and southwest of Union Station. The first American settlers to the Denver area reached this location three weeks before settlers intending to create Denver. They founded Auraria as a mining town with the goal of creating a state called Jefferson in what is now Colorado. The federal government rejected the request. Auraria was annexed by Denver shortly after and became known as West Denver in early city history.

Today Auraria is primarily school, sporting and public works buildings. There are some homes in the area but they rarely sell. The homes are prized for their proximity to downtown.

Chaffee Park

Chaffee Park is a neighborhood in north Denver, Colorado. It rests on the northern border of Denver with Globeville to the east, Sunnyside to the south and Regis to the west. It is bisected by I-70. Chaffee Park was platted in the 1940s during the housing boom. Today it continues as a residential neighborhood. It boasts a large Latino community. Part of the northwestern corner of Chaffee Park is within the City of Denver but not in the City and County of Denver. It is an unincorporated part of Adams County.

Regis

Regis is the far northwest corner neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. It is bordered by Berkeley to the south, Chaffee Park to the east and the rest of the neighborhood is Denver city limits. Regis is home to Regis University, a private Catholic university. Like Chaffee Park, this Denver neighborhood is bisected by I-70. It is primarily residential, aside from the university. It currently sees redevelopment like much of northwest Denver, Colorado.

Sunnyside

Sunnyside is a northern neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. It is bordered by Chaffee Park to the north, Globeville to the east, Highland to the south and Berkeley to the west. Sunnyside is primarily residential and light commercial use. Its proximity to downtown Denver plus trendy areas in Berkeley, Highland and West Highland make it an attractive place to live. It is currently undergoing redevelopment like the rest of northwest Denver, Colorado.

Jefferson Park

Jefferson Park is a neighborhood in northwest Denver, Colorado. It gains its name from Jefferson Park. Jefferson Park sits higher than downtown Denver so it overlooks the city core to the east. It is banded by I-25 on the east, Highland to the north, Sun Valley to the south and Sloan’s Lake to the west. It is home to Mile High Stadium and several other popular attractions.

Jefferson Park began as part of the City of Highlands annexed by Denver in 1896 (more below). At the time it was a prized area of town due to its proximity to downtown and near the Highlands. However, as white flight began in the 1960s the area slid into financial despair. Through the late twentieth century it became a dilapidated area with high crime and poverty. In the 1990s the area began to pick back up. Today it is seeing massive redevelopment although poverty remains a problem in older areas. Much of the neighborhood is rental.

Sloan Lake

Sloan Lake is a neighborhood in west Denver, Colorado named for the lake and park named Sloan’s Lake. Sloan Lake sits between Denver limits to the west, Jefferson Park to the east, West Colfax to the south and West Highland to the north. The creation of Sloan Lake is not well known. It is believed when the land was farming, the owner dug a well and accidentally tapped the aquifer which flooded the low area. Another nearby lake was later connected in the 1930s to form one larger lake. Today Sloan Lake park is the second largest park in Denver, Colorado.

The neighborhood at Sloan Lake is similar to its neighbors. It has seen rapid gentrification and redevelopment recently. It is primarily residential with a high degree of home occupier ownership. There are older homes mixed with newer homes and multi-unit homes. Border areas of the neighborhood share more in common with their border neighborhood than a cohesive neighborhood identity.

Berkeley

Berkeley is a western neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. It forms the west city limit between Regis and West Highland. It borders Sunnyside on the east. It is primarily a residential community with two large parks. Like its Denver neighbors, Berkeley has seen rapid redevelopment and growth in the past twenty years. Part of the development of the neighborhood comes from growth of Tennyson Street, which is a cultural center for the neighborhood. Berkeley’s redevelopment creates a mix of old and new, with many individual homes and multi-family development slot homes.

Highland

Highland is a northwest neighborhood in Denver, Colorado on the northwest side of downtown. Highland is often referred to as “Highlands” which in turn often means Highland and West Highland. Highland is sometimes called Lower Highlands or LoHi to distinguish from West Highland.

Highland began as a separate town from Denver as the Town of Highland and later City of Highlands. It was a secluded suburb of Denver seeking to take advantage of the jobs in Denver but keep a quiet, sheltered home from Denver’s more loose nineteenth century culture. Railways and the river divided Highlands from Denver. To agree to a viaduct Denver required Highlands to concede to annexation.

Highland suffered somewhat in the mid-twentieth century as its neighbors but suffered less. In the 1990s and 2000s it saw a boom of  redevelopment and drove much of the desire to redevelop other parts of west Denver. Many of the older buildings were dismantled to build condos and slot homes. Today it is a mix of residential and light commercial/retail.

West Highland

West Highland is a neighborhood in west Denver. West Highland is part of the “Highlands” with Highland and sometimes neighbors. West Highland is part of Denver’s western frontier and shares borders with Berkeley, Sloan Lake and Highland. It is more residential than Highland but includes its own small retail and light commercial centers. Like Highland, it is a wealthier community on the west side.

Alamo Placita

Alamo Placita is a part of Speer in Denver, Colorado that developed as an upscale part of town. Residents fought to preserve the character and it remains a historical district in Denver.

Curtis Park

Curtis Park is the oldest residential community in Denver, Colorado. It is part of Five Points near downtown Denver. It is among the areas enjoying redevelopment as people desire returning to urban life.

Golden Triangle

Golden Triangle is roughly the same area as Civic Center.

Uptown

Uptown is an official designation given to a recently developed area of North Capital Hill near Five Points. It is a mixed use area of all or almost all new buildings. Uptown distinguishes itself from the older and less redeveloped areas in North Capital Hill.

River North Arts District

River North Arts District, often called RiNo, is part of the west Five Points near downtown that includes light commercial use, retail and some residential homes. It is a redevelopment of older buildings converted into modern uses.

Lower Downtown

Lower downtown, known as LoDo, is a historic district in downtown but also commonly refers to larger portions of the middle and lower–by elevation–parts of the downtown region. The historic LoDo district sits directly northwest of the central business district including most, but not all, of Union Station neighborhood.