About Denver's Berkeley

“There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration.”
― Andrew Carnegie

The William H. Smiley branch of the Denver Public Library located at the southeast corner of Berkeley Park near 46th Ave and Tennyson St. in North Denver was built in 1918 with a donation from the Industrialist tycoon Andrew Carnegie.

As a self made man, Carnegie saw the free public library as a way for the working class to improve their lot in life through education and study. Between 1886 and 1919 he donated more than $40 million to build 1,679 Public Libraries across the nation.

Named for a popular Harvard trained educator and Superintendent of Denver Public Schools William H. Smiley, this branch was one of eight Carnegie libraries built in the Denver area.

Constructed in the English-Norman Cottage architectual style, the building along with Berkeley Park Historic District is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

For the past 93 years this wonderful library has made the Berkeley neighborhood a great place to live and learn.

Rumaldo Ulibarri and the Bungalow Team at Keller Williams Preferred Realty-We know vintage homes and how to help you buy and sell them. Visit our website at www.thebungalowteam.com

To view our newest listing in the Berkeley neighborhood click this link

To view vintage photos of the William H. Smiley library click this link

To view more info about Andrew Carnegie click this link

In the years following World War 1 Americans became enchanted with the exotic Orient. In 1924 the silent film classic "The Thief of Bagdad" staring Douglas Fairbanks was instrumental in fueling this fascination. Architectural design of theaters and public buildings soon began reflecting this developing taste. This style of Architecture called "Moorish Revival" is evident in North Denver's Oriental Theater located at 4335 W. 44th Ave in the Berkeley neighborhood. Built in 1927, the theater is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and continues to be a host to a mix of campy films, Live music and Comedy shows. My grandmother lived just a few blocks north of the theater in the 1960's. I fondly remember a Saturday afternoon at the Oriental Theater watching the
zany antics of Frankie and Annette in "Beach Blanket Bingo". It was a movie that did not have the elaborate hand painted Moorish sets and backdrops which had inspired 1920's America, however watching it in such a wonderful movie theater still felt like a magic carpet ride. Do you have any memories of a neighborhood Theater? Please feel free to share them with us. Thanks, Rumaldo-

Rumaldo Ulibarri and the Bungalow Team at Keller Williams Preferred Realty. We know vintage homes and how to help you buy and sell them. We want to be your Realtors. Call Today! (303) 909-3449

Community Groups Active in Denver neighborhoods

photo by 350Aotearoa

One of the best things about being a part of a neighborhood is the chance to start, or join, a community group. Depending on the neighborhood, groups form around a number of things including children, outdoor activities, shopping, health and beauty and politics, just to name a few. The Denver neighborhoods of Berkeley, Sunnyside, Regis and Highland all have active community groups.

Berkeley Regis United Neighbors, or BRUN was formed by locals to promote the Berkeley Regis neighborhoods and make the area safe for families, single and married couples to live, work and enjoy life. The group has been active in forming the Tennyson Streetscape Plan, and participates in planning meetings to enhance the look of Tennyson Blvd. between Highland and Sunnyside neighborhoods. They also hosted a BRUN candidates forum for the November elections, which allowed neighbors to join together to decide which candidates would best represent them. The Berkeley Regis United Neighbors group also hosts a monthly neighborhood social hour at a local bar/restaurant so that people in the area can get to know each other better and have some fun! Find more information at www.berkeleyregisneighbors.org.

Highland United Neighborhood Association, or HUNI, was formed to facilitate consistent and responsible communication among Highland neighbors and the community at large, to improve the quality of life for its residents, organizations and businesses and to provide advocacy and promotion for the community. Several volunteer committees work to provide a sense of community through political action and social community events. For more information, or to join go to www.DenverHighland.org.

Federal Blvd. Partnership - www.FederalBlvd.com. The Federal Boulevard Partnership was formed in 2005 by local Federal business and community interests to fulfill the mission to improve health and safety, accessibility, sustainability and economic vitality along Federal Boulevard, while preserving its cultural diversity and historic character. The vision for the “Boulevard” is one of Denver’s main streets where people live, work, and play in a clean and safe pedestrian friendly environment that embraces cultural, social, and economic diversity. This community group is currently working on the Boulevard Wellspring Initiative and the Boulevard Streetscape Project. The Federal Boulevard Partnership is run by a community of volunteers interested in working together to improve their neighborhood.

Sunnyside United Neighbors Inc. - www.sunnysidedenver.org is a nonprofit volunteer organization composed of residents, businesses, schools, and churches that reside or are located within the boundaries of the Sunnyside neighborhood in Historic Northwest Denver. The intent is for a group of people of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to join together in harmony, mutual respect and peace with the purpose of planning and building for the future, improving the present, and preserving and restoring the past of the Sunnyside neighborhood.

Whatever neighborhood you live in, you will find people willing to volunteer their time and money to create a better place to live, shop and work. Community groups are the heartbeat of a neighborhood, and joining one is a great way to make friends!

Berkeley Neighborhood Sales information

During the busy selling season of summer, the Berkeley neighborhood sales stats show that 18 homes were sold, with an average selling price of $233,217. The pace of sales appears to be on track for September, with four sales completed in the first half of this month.

In the past four months (June through Sept) the Berkeley neighborhood sale of homes has taken an average of 96 days on the market to sell. This days on market number is slightly higher than the average Denver home sales figure of 78 days on market. However, days on market figures have been skewed due to short sales, which typically take 4-6 months to complete.

The Berkeley community has a wide variety of activities and services within a very close proximity to the neighborhood. For more information on upcoming activites, go to Denver Neighborhood Homes. You'll find information on community events, highlights of architechtural styles of homes, and neighborhood video tours.

Home Values in Berkeley - Best Denver neighborhood in 5280 Magazine

Since being named one of the best neighborhoods for home values in Denver, Berkeley has seen an explosion of home buying and selling activity.  Recent home sales (past 3 months) show that a total of 122 properties exchanged hands in Berkeley.  Home values in Berkeley averaged $234 a square foot and sales ranged in price from a low home value of $98,500 to a high home value of $635,000.

Recent home sales in Berkeley were on the market an average of 62 days, a much shorter time frame than Denver proper, with an average of 182 days on the market. Homes in the Berkeley neighborhood of Denver are selling for an average of 98% of asking price as of June 1 for the last three months. The median age of homes in the Berkeley neighborhood is 85 years as this is one of the original "suburbs" of Denver, and most homes are traditional "Denver square" in style.  However, many homes have been renovated to meet current buyer needs.  In addition, some homes have been "scraped" and replaced with new construction all together, including several very modern townhouse/condo complexes. Overall, the neighborhood has retained it's original atmosphere with large trees, fenced yards and front porches to visit the neighbors as they are out walking their dogs (and children!)

What makes the home values in Berkeley so strong?  Location is key, as Berkeley is only five miles from downtown Denver. A developing town center is also a prime reason buyers are choosing to live in Berkeley.  Tennyson Street is a vibrant area with new businesses and restaurants opening frequently.  Locally owned, quirky boutiques like Simply Divine add fun to an afternoon stroll down the street. This area also hosts a First Friday Art Walk each month, as many galleries are also located on Tennyson. Local music is heard often at Tenn St. Coffee & Books and authors make frequent appearances at The Bookery Nook.

Home values in Berkeley are particularly strong at both ends of the neighborhood, as it is bordered on the north by Berkeley Park and by Highland (another top 8 neighborhood in Denver) on the south.  Both of these areas provide outdoor recreation and entertainment within a short bicycle ride and are family friendly. Berkeley Park has a great dog park located next to the lake along with a recreation center with swimming and tennis.

For more information on the Berkeley neighborhood, go to my website or Facebook to see pictures and videos of the neighborhood. Click on the Market Snapshot widget to get your own updated home values for Berkeley!