One of the best Denver neighborhoods, Cherry Creek, offers arts, shopping, restaurants and upscale housing near downtown Denver.
The best Denver neighborhoods in the city offer more variety of housing and things to do than the popular Denver Suburbs. From upscale homes to “urban pioneer” neighborhoods to manicured mansion communities, they are all within 15 minutes of downtown.
Chic Cherry Creek is its own upscale shopping, arts and restaurants district. Also, the Santa Fe Arts neighborhood has a great variety of galleries, shops and eateries.
Here are some descriptions of the most popular areas.
Best Denver Neighborhoods
Belcaro – Larger lots near Cherry Creek and Wash Park w/winding streets.
Bonnie Brae – New & Older Homes from Tudors to McMansions near Wash Park.
Cheesman Park – Victorians, condos & historic areas. Dinks, singles and Empty-Nesters near great park and action.
Cherry Creek – Like Georgetown w/ fashion, shops, galleries, eateries, and Mall. Empty-nester condos, townhomes.
City Park – Denver’s largest park has Zoo, museums, golf and affordable homes, Fixer-ups to renovations.
Congress Park – Older Area By Cherry Creek with Older Homes, Big Trees, Pool.
Crestmoor – Quiet and Upscale. 50’s to new homes. Private Swim & Tennis Club on windy streets with trees.
Curtis Park – Walk downtown from historic Victorians, some redone townhomes and some new single family.
Denver Country Club – Old Private Club – Old Trees – Old Money – Stately Mansions – Near Cherry Creek.
Downtown – LoDo – Funky to urban sophistication in lofts & condos in the heart of urban action. Sports & theater.
Five Points – “The Harlem of The West” is now an Historic District. New townhomes and vintage housing. Real neighborhood rich in culture and history.
Highlands – Trendy Urban Pioneers, Tamales, Condos, Clubs & historic homes.
Hilltop – By Cherry Creek. 60’s ranches to huge, new, custom homes.
Lo-Do – Lower Downtown has lofts, condos, clubs and restaurants from Pepsi Center to Union Station to Coor’s Field.
LoHi – Hip, trendy urban living near downtown. Mix of new and old. Top restaurants, nightlife. Mexican food too.
Lowry – Redone Air Base Center on Denver’s East Side. Newer Condos & Single Families with Town Center.
Mayfair – Affordable, smaller homes w/ trees and In-Fills near hospitals & Colfax.
Montclair – A Real Castle to 50’s ranches near Crestmoor and Lowry.
Park Hill – Tree-lined Avenues with charm – Older, Residential area NE.
Platte Park – Near Washington Park, Light Rail & Sushi, Shops. Bungalows and some in-fills, re-dos.
Polo Club – Patio homes to true Exclusive Estates w/grounds near Cherry Creek.
Ri-No – Millenials delight. River North is north of downtown with new and old homes, townhomes and condos.
Southern Hills – 50’s-70’s Ranches Near University of Denver. Popular Slavens schools K-8. Many young fams.
Southmoor Park/Park Vista – Large lots, 60’s to ’80’s homes and some redos. South near DTC, highways, light rail.
Stapleton – Redone Airport to Urban Chic. Young and Trendy with Shopping areas and new schools. Lots of kids.
University Hills – Walk to U-Hills shopping, rail & coffee. Affordable new home scrappers and starter homes.
University Park – Professors & McMansions – Walk to Denver University, restaurants and Observatory Park.
Uptown – Condos to older homes walk to Downtown and Eateries on 17th Ave.
Washington Park – Yuppies, Dinks. Antiques and eateries. Bungalows to McMansions near park w/lakes.
Wellshire – Safest. Golf. Small 50’s & 60 ranches and a few new 2 Stories.
Hip City Living
Of course, these areas are pricey. So, be prepared to pay more per square foot in the best city areas than in the suburbs.
Discover old warehouses converted into lofts in neighborhoods near downtown like Lo-Do and Lo-Hi.
In addition, The Central Business District, Golden Triangle, Uptown, Curtis Park and City Park. Lofts offer traditional condominiums, town homes and renovated “Grand Old Ladies”. Those are the Victorian homes. Also, bungalows and new in-fill homes comprise the housing stock here. These areas are popular with younger folks looking for the nightlife as well as empty-nesters enjoying the amenities of the ‘Big City’ including theater, sports, shopping and world-class dining.
For “Urban Pioneer” neighborhoods consider the Highlands just Northwest of downtown. Also, Baker is located just south of Speer Blvd and west of Broadway. Finally, consider Curtis Park neighborhood just north of Coors Field. These neighborhoods as well as City Park and the Sunnyside neighborhoods are popular with millennials looking for more affordable housing.
Chic shopping, boutiques, art studios and the “Georgetown” of the West” can be found in Cherry Creek. This area is very popular with empty nesters who enjoy the lifestyle of the affluent without children at home.
Affordable Denver Restaurants, Activities and Events
One great reason to live in one of the best Denver neighborhoods is to take advantage of all the things to do downtown. Because, there are concerts, plays, great restaurants and plenty of things to do. Here’s a list of current, Denver restaurants, activities and events that are offering discounts right now.
Older Luxury Neighborhoods
In some of the best Denver neighborhoods, you would think you were in the suburbs of an older, Eastern city. But, you are actually in historic downtown Denver neighborhoods. Families of lawyers, doctors and CEO’s live in some of Denver’s best neighborhoods within the city limits.
Denver Country Club neighborhood is located within walking distance of Cherry Creek shopping. It’s own exclusive country club right in town! This is for Denver’s elite, the rich and famous.
Also, on the other side of Cherry Creek, there’s Hilltop and Crestmoor. City parks are walkable there too. Hilltop has stately 2 story homes. Some are historic fro the 1920’s and 1930’s. Some are brand scrapes where lots with unusable homes were cleared to make room the new giants.
On the south side of Cherry Creek, you will discover Bonnie Brae, Belcaro and Polo Club. Again, there are both stately mansions from days gone by and brand new homes too. Also, Bonnie Brae has probably the most affordable homes there with some priced under $1m.
Also, University Park is further south from downtown near the University of Denver with similar homes for the well-to-do. Congress Park and Washington Park have a mixtures of more modest bungalows and spacious 2 story homes. The bungalows were built in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Many of them are “Craftsman Bungalows” built with kits shipped from Chicago by Sears and Roebuck on the rail line that literally built Denver.
Park Hill is due east from Downtown Denver. It’s also full of stately homes from the past and some brand new homes. There’s also a good representation of those “Craftsman Bungalows”. Gentrification began there as early as the 1950s’ when some of Denver’s professional class believed in racially integrated neighborhoods and moved there.
Denver New Home Neighborhoods
Two neighborhoods within the city limits have all “new” homes. In town, some new homes were built within the last 20 years. But, some building of new homes in still continues especially in Stapleton.
Stapleton is the site of the former Denver airport. When Denver International airport replaced it in 1993, Stapleton was converted into a “mixed-use” residential community. While most of the land there has residential homes or is designated for future homes, some of it is retail, restaurants and commercial offices. There’s even a section for industrial commercial isolated from the rest of uses. Many builders are still building brand new homes. Demand is high. Nearby Anshutz Medical Center is rapidly developing into one the top national medical complexes in the nation. Also, young families, reluctant to retreat to suburbia, flock here.
About 2 miles south, Lowry is the site of the former Air Force Base. It’s a smaller development and most building was completed there a few years ago. Some of the former barracks and officers quarters have been converted into condominiums and townhomes. The rest is new homes built since 1995.
Finally, several new home builders have discovered vacant lot or “tear-down homes” in some of Denver’s best neighborhoods. That means, you can find a brand new home in an older neighborhood. These homes are generally listed in the Denver Multiple Listing Service.
We can help suggest areas based on your criteria. Then, we will send you detailed “Neighborhood Reports” on those areas free by email. Check out our “Neighborhood Finder”. For the best suburban neighborhoods, see our Suburban Neighborhood Profiles.