Denver's least expensive neighborhood is situated in an area ready to boom, just west of downtown. With small, single-family homes and several parks, it's worth exploring!
The Villa Park neighborhood is a relatively small area, west of I-25 and North of 6th Avenue. It's primarily residential, with a strong Hispanic community.
The boundaries are 6th Avenue to the South, Federal Boulevard to the West, Lakewood/Dry Gulch to the North and Sheridan Boulevard to the East.
The Villa Park neighborhood got its start in 1871, when a mixture of Colorado and eastern developers bought 1000 acres in what is now the Villa Park-Barnum area. The land was sold to circus-maverick Phineas Barnum eight years later in 1879. It was still largely undeveloped.
By the 1900 Census, there were only 50 single-family homes and 16 multi-unit dwellings in the area. Development was slow-going.
From 1900 to 1939, slow but steady residential development began, with an average of 14 homes per year for a total of 577 single and multi-unit dwellings during the nearly four-decade time-span. More than 90 percent of them were single-family homes.
During the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s and 1970’s, multi-unit construction was predominant, particularly on Villa Park's western edge.
Today, it's Denver's least expensive neighborhood; Villa Park costs two times less to rent then the city's most expensive neighborhood which is Golden Triangle. The median home value is $192,000.
About 25% of the homes in Villa Park are affordable housing.
The $98 million 6th Avenue overhaul was completed in Villa Park, with six new bridges built, and six others reconstructed. Right along that reconstruction is the North Barnum Bike Park, offering a place for kids and kids at heart to practice their tricks in the dirt.
Another unique sport, frisbee golfing, has a home at nearby Paco Sanchez Park.
Much of the neighborhood is prime for redeveloping, causing some gentrification concerns as home values increase.
Local elementary school, Eagleton Elementary, has a garden in partnership with the city of Denver as a sustainable neighborhood.
Join us on a tour of Villa Park on our Instagram page! Our partners at the Denver Business Journal are now teaming up with us on many of our #9Neighborhood walks. Join us!
Have an idea where we should go next? Send us an email!
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