highRground

Do downtown Denver neighborhoods have multiple personalities? Maybe you could say that it has adopted the philosophy that variety is the spice of life. Or maybe you could say that Denver, an urban community consisting of eleven distinct neighborhoods, is the city that just keeps reinventing itself. There are Denver high-rises, Denver lofts, and Denver condos, where window boxes are the most you’ll have to water. And there are plenty of charming turn-of-the-century Denver houses on tree-lined streets. It’s also the place where the new-new and the Old West make friends. Generally speaking, Denver’s still affordable, with entry level homes starting in the mid $100s. While home prices in the Denver area slid by 5 percent in January, it’s the seventh best-performing city out of 20 nationwide, which is why home buyers and REALTORs alike are proclaiming that Denver is a good buy.

• Ballpark–Where you’ll find funky warehouses near a major league baseball field, the city’s best flea and farmer’s markets, and the gambit of homes. New construction and apartments are in abundance, and many more are planned here, guaranteeing continued growth and development.
• Capitol Hill–The neighborhood that offers the city’s widest range in housing types and price ranges. Commercial buildings have been transformed into mixed-use housing projects, and vacant lots have given rise to new construction housing developments.
• Curtis Park–Super accessible, it’s the oldest residential neighborhood in the city. Denver’s flat-roofed row homes stand proudly beside classic, two-story Denver Square brick houses, and Denver’s ubiquitous Queen Anne-style homes with second floor porches.
• Central Platte Valley– Made famous by Jack Kerouac when he wrote about the rail yards of Denver in “On the Road” in the 1940s, you’ll find red-bricked buildings with ground floor retail and restaurants and residential lofts above.
• Golden Triangle–A mixed-use neighborhood located in the middle of it all, between Speer Boulevard, Colfax Avenue and Lincoln Street. Find funky row homes and classic Denver bungalows, and modern high-end condominiums and lofts.
• Highland–Check out row houses, duplexes, apartments above retail shops, grand Victorian and Queen Anne mansions, and post-WW II era single family detached houses. You’ll also find some lofts, condos, studios and small offices in the form of warehouse renovations.
• Lower Downtown–Nearly lost forever when many of its historic buildings were demolished in the ’70s and ’80s, Lo Do is home to million dollar lofts and apartments built above historic buildings, with retail and entertainment below.
• Uptown–Denver Squares, Victorians, bungalows, Queen Anne-style houses with second-story porches and much more are Uptown’s staples. And it’s a little roomier, with more single family homes on tree-lined boulevards that separate sidewalks from the street.

If you’re raring to become a part of Colorado’s whirring center of culture, commerce, and community, the news is good.