About Denver's Washington Park West

RED News

With all the NEWS about the NEWS, I thought I'd pass on this article from The Denver Post

Keller Williams Agents Honor Fallen Soldiers at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, CO.

http://denver.yourhub.com/Denver/Stories/Business-News/Story~987781.aspx

Every year each Keller Williams office sponsors an event called RED DAY.

Our office wanted to recognize veterans at Ft Logan National Cemetery by updating the landscaping at 2 of the entrances and revitalizing many other flower beds. We spent many days clearing, mulching, and on May 12^th planted flowers and trees at the 2 entrances. As the picture in the article shows, we were a bit wet and muddy!!! As we finished the project, the Sun came out, Gotta love Colorado weather!!!

It was great to be recognized for this event!

PS This is a great example of local news, because this is where we live!

Buying or Selling a home is very personal, and so whatever the news is on the national level, it really comes down to the person and what they need, want, and can do! So as real estate agents, our job is to help you find what you are looking for in the area you want and give you the facts and relevant information to make your move!

"What's the difference between West Washington Park and East Washington Park?", this is a question that I am often asked when showing homes in the Historic Neighborhoods of Denver. The question is most often asked by people relocating to Denver. Many people are interested in Washington Park, but aren't quite sure what "West Washington Park" is all about. Let's go over a little bit of history.

Since the turn of the last century, there has been a "difference" between East and West Washington Park. Initially, the homes in West Washington Park were more eclectic than on the East side of the park. The east side of the park has always been considered more prestigious, and home values reflected that. West Washington Park was often considered more "blue collar". There has always been a mixture of architecture in West Washington Park. You can find large and small Victorian homes, duplexes and smaller more modest bungalows.

Back when agriculture and farming were often predominant career choices in Denver, families had large parcels of land. They built a large farmhouse for their family and went about the day to day business of planting and tending to their farms and livestock. As time went on, bits and sections of land were sold off from these farms. Reasons for these sales were numerous. Perhaps taxes needed to be paid and land was sold to raise the money. Maybe the family was offered a "great deal" that was so financially rewarding that they just couldn't turn it down. Realistically, families would sell off land on the outskirts of their farms. As time went on, more land was sold, and eventually only the original farmhouse remained. This is an easy explanation as to why you may have a large, gracious old Victorian home standing next to a smaller home that was obviously built 50+ years later. This was an occurrence that happened throughout all of the Historic Neighborhoods of Denver, and is not just West Washington Park phenomenon.

As I mentioned earlier, many Denver residents considered West Washington Park, more of a "blue collar" neighborhood. This was due to the availability of blue collar jobs at the Gates Rubber factory on Broadway and Mississippi, on the western edge of West Washington Park. Along with Gates Rubber, there was also another large employer, the Samsonite factory in the same general area. Montgomery Wards also had a large presence in West Washington Park with their location at Broadway and Alameda. For those that have been in Denver for a while, you may remember the demolition of the Gates Rubber plant a couple of years ago. Prior to that, the Montgomery Wards Building bordering West Washington Park was imploded on Valentine's Day in 1993. Today, an Albertson's Grocery Store and Walmart sits on the approximate site.

By no means was West Washington Park considered exclusively blue collar. William Clayton (who was the Mayor of Denver from 1868-1869) and his brother George owned a large parcel of land in West Washington Park, that they called Bryn Mawr. The eastern part of Bryn Mawr eventually was incorporated into the park that today is known as Washington Park. In 1920, Burt Rhodes, who was a member of the famous Gates Rubber family built a Mediterranean style villa at 500 So Ogden St. Today, that home is obscurred from view, protected by a huge wall and mature landscaping.


Recently, it was announced that West Washington Park has enjoyed an increase in home prices over the last year. Unfortunately, East Washington Park did not enjoy the same rate of appreciation.

In short, if you are looking for a Historic Home of Denver in Historic West Washington Park, or any other Historic Neighborhood, call me, I would love to set up an area tour for you!

(demolition of the Montgomery Wards building)

West Washington Park made 5280 Magazine's Top 10 List of "Where to Live in Denver". For those that aren't "in the know", 5280 Magazine (or just 5280 for short) is Denver's guide to what is and what isn't in Denver.

According to 5280, Washington Park West is one of Denver's Hot 'Hoods to live in. Located to the west of Downing Street, Washington Park West has a more diverse collection of architecture. You will find Bungalows, Denver Squares, Victorians, duplexes and more in this very hip, very cool section of Washington Park. Although you can find scrapes and pop-tops in Washington Park West, there are not as many here as on the east side of Washington Park. |

There are several welcome advantages to Washington Park West.

One of the first is cost. Typically you will pay less for a home in Washington Park West than you will in East Washington Park. For those people that would LOVE to live in Washington Park but thought that it was financially impossible, don't overlook Washington Park West. You pay less here with an average home price of $395,000.

The commercial access in Washington Park West is also a benefit. Old South Pearl Street with it's quaint shops and restaurants is very close, as is the re-done hip South Broadway Shopping District where there is even a Sam's Club to be found. Transportation is a breeze is Washington Park West with quick and easy access to I-25 just a few blocks away. And of course there is also Washington Park. Ah...Wash Park... the crown jewel in the Denver Park System.

So, make sure that you do not over look Washington Park West when looking for your Historic Home of Denver. Call me, I would be thrilled to help you with your home search!

West Wash Park (Washington Park) is the area just west of one of Denver's most revered landmarks....Washington Park. The area is somewhat less expensive then the eastern half of the Wash Park area...slightly grittier and somewhat more hip as well.

West Wash Park benefits from its close proximity to the Old So Pearl St retail/restaurant area. The ability to walk or take a short bike ride to the park, Old South Pearl, and So Gaylord (a beautiful retail area east of the park) make this an ideal location for those with families or empty nest buyers who want to be in the middle of everything! Short drives to Lodo, Cherry Creek, the Cherry Creek Mall, Broadway and Sante Fe make this one of the central hot spots in the Denver Metro area.

Prices in West Wash Park can start from around 300k and work their way up. The homes are mostly of the traditional Denver historic home variety with lots of bungalows and tudors along with a variety of newer homes (built from tear down or scrape lots). Residents who bought in the West Wash Park neighborhood chose their area because of the close proximity to I-25, Downtown Denver, and the Denver Tech Center....light rail options....and their ability to leave the car at home and enjoy their new neighborhood.

If you are looking for a hip, fun and family oriented area that is close to everything...you will have a hard time finding a better place to live then West Wash Park!