It’s not the fertilizer, and it’s not a reference to annual runoff or the residential watering restrictions. Think green, as in environmental, and take another look at Denver homes, where green living is a time-honored commitment.

What’s the Green Story?

At one time Denver was infamous for its poor air quality, a condition that had to do with a combination of factors, including geography and climate, road de-icing practices, car emissions, and industrial smokestacks. “The brown cloud” had become Denver’s black eye until the 1970s, when a bipartisan effort to clean up the air snowballed into other, more whole, approaches to keeping the capital city clean and green.

Denver Green Residential Neighborhoods

Solar homes are becoming quite the rage in green Denver homes these days in all neighborhoods. More geo-specifically, however, bicycle lanes have been installed along 18th, 19th, Wynkoop, Lawrence, Arapahoe, and Glenarm Streets in downtown Denver. Also:

• The pedestrian-bicycle bridge over the Platte River at 3rd Avenue was completed, easing safe travel along the Platte River Trail.
• A ped-bike bridge over I-25 connects North Denver’s Highlands neighborhood and downtown Denver.
• Nearly 30 percent of what used to be Stapelton International Airport is now dedicated to parks and open space–over 4,700 acres. Energy Star® certified homes, access to public transportation, and other features have made the residential development a model for smart growth.

Denver Green Construction

Denver has 17 LEED-certified buildings, with 73 more in the certification process. That includes Aardex’s Signature Center in the Denver West Office Park, perhaps the greenest private office building in the country. And:

• The EPA building in LoDo has been awarded LEED Gold level certification, meaning it has been built and designed to be one of the nation’s most environmentally friendly buildings.
• The former Mile High Stadium, demolished in 2002 to make way for the construction of Invesco Field, still lives on in the form of steel reused in tracks for the metro area’s T-REX light rail expansion.

Denver Green Transportation

Denver leads the nation in terms of new rail projects in dollars per capita. Despite highly-publicized opposition, the public overwhelmingly voted for light rail long before the phrase “carbon footprint” ever made the headlines.

Now that environmental considerations are topping the list of things that make a city great, Denver continues to deliver on its reputation of going the distance. From its incorporation in 1861 to the 21st century, Denver’s come a long way, baby.

The Washington Park homes in Denver are nestled between I-25 (to the south), Cherry Creek Drive / East Alameda (to the north), University Boulevard (at the east end), and Downing Street (at the west). Known as “Wash Park“, the area has always been a beloved respite for singles, marrieds, families, retirees, dog people, runners, and just plain folks who played their real estate cards right.

And it’s one of 14 Denver neighborhoods that 5280 Magazine tapped in its May, 2008 issue as a reliable buy in what has otherwise proven an unsettling market. This desirable pocket of Denver is a great demonstration of the maxim: When considering markets, use a microscope, not a telescope. In other words, when evaluating real estate trends, drill down. A closeup view of the market is usually the more accurate one. National data is unhelpful to the individual buyer, especially in Colorado, where certain Front Range neighborhoods are famous for bucking wider US trends.

Washington Park has long been one of Denver’s best-loved and best-bet neighborhoods; the draws to it are: its long-standing reputation, charm, old Denver aura, the schools, accessibility to Downtown, and its 165-acre park of, not coincidentally, the same name.

There’s been a price hike in the Washington Park neighborhood from 2006 to 2007; about 9 percent, with houses along the park taking top dollar. Those streets are South Downing (map of Downing), Louisiana Avenue (map of Louisiana Ave.), South Franklin (map of Franklin), and East Virginia Avenue (map of Virginia Ave.). Off-Washington Park, the pricier streets are Corona (map of Corona) and Ogden (map of Ogden ).

You’ll find more detailed information of Wash Park information and listings from the Denver MLS at COhomefinder, where you’ll also always find detailed Google Maps of the Washington Park area, and all the other cities and towns COhomefinder serves.

In search of a sprawling and luxurious 5-bedroom 5-bathroom estate in Denver’s Cory Merrill neighborhood? Recently listed 1600 S Monroe Street is your answer.

This brand new construction (2008) home offers over 5,000 square feet of custom built open living space: custom cherry cabinets, custom travertine and granite inlays, and mountain views.

For more details about this custom built home, currently listed at $865,000 ($166 per square foot), contact the Colorado Home Finder team at 1-800-231-9153.