Gretchen Faber ~ LifeStyleDenver

If you don’t have anything to do today, and you like the idea of touring homes in one of Denver’s primo neighborhoods, then look no further than the Washington Park Home Tour.

You can drop in at any one of the featured homes, or begin at Steele Elementary. The neighborhood is eclectic - with many scrapes, “pop-tops,” Victorians and post-war bungalows. The home tour benefits Steele Elementary, the local Wash Park elementary school and runs from 10 am until 4 pm.

While you’re in the neighborhood, head over to one of the fabulous restaurants for lunch or get ice cream at Dinos’ soda bar. Finish up with a walk around the park to work off your ice cream, and enjoy the perfect Denver springtime.

The tulips are in bloom, the flowering trees are radiant in shades of pink and white. Remember your allergy meds, and have a great weekend!

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Washington Park Home Tour 2008

Denver real estate - as much a mystery as any market. Our real estate market has always seemed to be counter-cyclical to the rest of the U.S. and when we’re booming, California is busting. When we’re on a downward slide, Florida and Nevada are hotter than hot. The conventional wisdom around here used to be that we were a one-industry town, and our dependence on one industry meant that we rode it up and down regardless of where the balance of the U.S. economy was.

Oil No More

Our economy has diversified since the early 1990’s. We parrot Martha Stewart, “that’s a good thing.” But, we saw the bulk of the U.S. experiencing huge appreciation rates through 2006, while we were in the early doldrums beginning in 2002. Many sellers here were frustrated, but still some city-close neighborhoods saw significant appreciation.

Now the headlines are covering the mortgage meltdown; it’s a scientifically proven fact that bad news sells papers. With the reduction of qualified buyers able to purchase a home, the high level of inventory could take awhile for us to sell off. Certainly, true for some neighborhoods, but our market in Denver is in good shape for 2008. We were only off by 1% in 2007 from 2006. I’ve been selling homes in Denver for 12 years, and this time of year always feels optimistic. I know that the recent bump-up in showings is a great sign for our buyers and sellers.

Location, Location, Location

Real estate is local – heard that one before? Lawrence Yun, The National Association of Realtors economist visited Denver in January and said, “Denver is one of the markets to watch. Austin already has seen a boom. Denver will be among the next markets to see a boom.” Our location can’t be beat. Well… maybe by Tahiti. We don’t have the blue sparkling waters, but we do have 300 sunny days a year - a scientifically proven fact, a great outdoor lifestyle, access to a world-class international airport, and the mountains out our back door. We also have terrific schools and first-rate shopping (Nordstrom and Neimans, yea!).

Cottages to Castles

“What are your houses like?” I hear that one a lot. Hard to answer. What are you looking for? We have beautiful stately neighborhoods like Country Club and Cherry Hills Village. We have older Tudor and Bungalow styles in Washington Park and Bonnie Brae. We also have so much new construction in the suburbs that you can find any style of house you like. There are some fabulous examples of modern and contemporary construction throughout the city, in a variety of price ranges. Ever heard of Krisana Park? As beautiful an example of Usonian architecture as you’ll find anywhere.

Come visit Denver and see for yourself. We have a growing economy, an unbeatable location and any style of house your heart desires. Ignore the press, read the blogs.

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3 Things You Should Know About Denver Real Estate

Cheesman Park

Congress, which had originally designated the acreage for burials, switched it to park land at the request of Denver officials. By 1894, graves had been relocated, burials suspended, and the area fenced, but the incipient Cheesman Park remained barren and deserted until landscape architect, Reinhard Schuetze, drew up formal plans in 1898 that included a lily pond, Pavilion, and rows of Linden trees. Adjacent cemetery tracts became Morgan’s Historic District, Congress Park, Denver Botanic Gardens, and soccer fields - planted above the city reservoirs, the soccer fields are located directly north of Congress Park.

As conceived of by Schuetze, Cheesman is a serene expanse in the midst of the bustling city, a peaceful enclave for quiet contemplation, picnicking, reading, and viewing the mountains. Its seclusion is sufficient to lure the occasional bagpiper out to practice amidst the rolling fields at the park’s center.

In 1907 funds for a pavilion were donated by the widow of Walter Cheesman in exchange for naming the park in his honor. Inspired by the Acropolis in Athens and hailed as Denver’s “temple in the sun,” the Pavilion was constructed of white Colorado marble and decorated on the west by reflecting pools and fountains.

The Colorado Mountain Club contributed a guide to the Front Range peaks cast in bronze and mounted along the Pavilion’s west promenade to enrich the viewing experience. Cheesman Park Esplanade, created in 1912, linked Cheesman to Seventh Avenue Parkway and the Williams Street Parkway leading to the Country Club neighborhood.

Intended as a Japanese Tea House, the wooden edifice at the park’s north end is currently undergoing renovation after years of neglect. During the 30s and 40s, supported by Helen Bonfils, owner of the Denver Post, Cheesman Park hosted seminars and theatrical productions that drew enthusiasts by the thousands each summer.

Cheesman Park remains a significant neighborhood gathering spot, attracting legions of joggers, walkers, picnickers, and sunbathers, much as Schuetze may have originally envisioned. He might also be gratified at the sight of parents and their children flocking to the west-side playground. On breezy days, the sky above Cheesman springs to life with brightly colored kites, and following winter storms, ski tracks soon crisscross the freshly fallen snow.

Hang around long enough and you’re sure to spot some of the diverse wildlife that periodically wander into the park from Cherry Creek or the Botanic Gardens, among them, marmots, foxes, rabbits, and even deer. More common visitors include crows, pigeons, woodpeckers, squirrels, and, on occasion, herons, hawks, Canadian geese, and ducks.

Cheesman Park and environs offers an unparalleled opportunity to fully engage with Colorado’s outdoor lifestyle in an urban setting. “Central Park” in Denver is a compelling reminder to us all why: “Tis a privilege to live in Colorado."

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Cheesman Park

Nowhere else in Denver does the canopy of 100-year-old American elms spread quite so magnificently over tiled rooftops and broad parkways as it does in Country Club. One of city’s most cherished neighborhoods, Country Club - occasionally referred to as “Denver’s Spanish Suburb” - is also among the most scenic.

Stately Spanish gateways and lush gardens stand sentry-like at the entrances to the elegant community as if to protect the rural ambiance of its quiet streets. The gates, parkways, and many of the area’s homes were designed by architects William and Arthur Fisher, renowned for their refined Mediterranean designs, a sensibility that Arthur acquired during his sojourns through southern Europe.

During the late 1800s, area was given over to farms and sporting facilities. The Gentlemen’s Driving Association, whose illustrious membership included Horace Tabor and Walter Cheesman, planted hundreds of trees near 4th Avenue and Corona and built a half-mile track, two-story clubhouse, and stables for sulky racing.

Gala parties were not uncommon with races frequently enlivened by a bass band. But as interest in racing waned the Driving Association directors sold out to be succeeded by second group of sports-minded Denverites the Overland Park (Golf) Club. Seeking a new venue, the members incorporated as the Denver Country Club in 1901 and acquired a 120-acre tract straddling Cherry Creek.

The first clubhouse opened on New Years Day 1905, and the lush new fairways, designed by noted golf-course architect James Foulis, Jr. quickly acquired a sterling reputation throughout the Rocky Mountain Region.

On Country Club’s eastern edge, Park Lane Square, reminiscent of the English countryside with charming curved streets and expansive lawns uninterrupted by alleys or sidewalks, is entered through picturesque English-style gates fashioned from brick.

Originally planned as a single country estate, this elegant enclave boasts some of the grandest estate homes in the city. Grandest of all is the Tudor Revival Castle(Reed Mansion) an area icon with a steeply pitched, multi-gabled, slate roof, soaring stone chimneys, bronze window frames, and elaborate Indiana limestone trim and brickwork.

The commanding edifice enjoys 2.5 acres landscaped by Saco DeBoer (architect of many Denver parkways) as a terraced formal garden highlighted by a lily pond and fountains. Shielded from busier districts by Speer Boulevard Parkway and Cherry Creek Bike Path and the Seventh Avenue and Alamo Placitas historic districts, Country Club is nevertheless just blocks from the heart of the Cherry Creek Shopping district and only minutes from Downtown.

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Country Club

An exciting event is on tap for this Sunday, May 4th in the University Park neighborhood.

The annual University Park Home Tour will include five fabulous homes as well as tours of the historic Chamberlin Observatory in lovely Observatory Park (”O Park”). The home tour begins at 11 am and ends at 5 pm.

Tickets are available at University Park Elementary or LuLu’s Furniture and also at the door (the school ~ 2300 South Saint Paul Street.)

This is an annual fundraiser for University Park Elementary and 100% of the proceeds are donated!

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University Park Home Tour