# 17

2024 rank: 25

Central Park—which used to house the airport and underwent a name change in 2020—has benefited from an influx of home buyers who were priced out of the urban core and are now seeking a suburban neighborhood that’s still got some perks to savor. If you find yourself fleeing to this family-friendly ’burb, you won’t be going alone. For the fourth year in a row, it recorded the most sold properties of any neighborhood.

Still, Central Park is beginning to get pricey: In 2024, the average home went for just over $760,000—a five-percent increase from the previous year. Don’t worry that you’ve missed out, though. Central Park is also the largest neighborhood in Denver by area, so there are still plenty of energy-efficient builds, A-line townhomes, and charming cottages to scoop up. Plus, all 12 schools in its borders scored high marks last year.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park—home of the Colorado Rapids—lies just beyond the northern border. Even more enticing: the mixed-use community’s myriad green spaces and trails and proximity to plentiful shops and eateries.

Population 31,596
2024 Average Sale Price $761,847

Neighborhood Rankings

Real Estate Rank 26
Schools Score 4
Safety Rank 56
X Factor Score 8

How we got these numbers: We utilized the city’s official list of 78 neighborhoods (only 73 had enough data to be included), and ranked them using four variables: home prices, crime data, school rankings, and an X factor score that accounts for things like access to open space, proximity to public transportation, and restaurant and shopping options. For more on our methodology, return to the main page.

Your Itinerary

Eat & Drink

Well-known Denver chefs have made the trek east, too. Case in point: Elise Wiggins’ Cattivella and Troy Guard’s Hashtag. Southern-fried chain Cracker Barrel opened its doors off East 40th Avenue in April, marking its first new Colorado location since 1997. If cornbread and hashbrown casserole don’t convince you to put down roots in Central Park, this oughta do the trick: Little Man Ice Cream added an outpost here beneath a massive 75-foot airplane.

Central Park is also home to Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria, breakfast and lunch spot Four Friends Kitchen, wing-slinger Waldo’s Chicken & Beer, and Ike’s Love and Sandwiches.

Head just beyond the neighborhood’s southern boundary to taste whatever Caroline Glover, a James Beard Award winner, is cooking at Annette and her new seafood-forward cocktail bar Traveling Mercies, both inside Stanley Marketplace. While you’re there, stop in for a pint at the Latin-inspired Cheluna Brewing Co.

FlyteCo Tower is a cool brewery/restaurant/entertainment venue built into the base of the former air traffic control tower. Dirty Laundry is a neighborhood bar with a, er, laundry list of cocktails.

Shop

Central Park is anchored by two open-air shopping centers: the Shops at Northfield and Eastbridge Town Center. You’ll find some reliable boutique fitness studios like the Gym Strength & Fitness and Lagree Luxe within them, too. Eastbridge is more restaurant-centric, but among the eateries you will find Datura Home and its fantastic selection of houseplants, succulents, and gifts.

The Stanley Marketplace is also home to a smart mix of boutiques. Among our go-tos: Friend Assembly for cute planters; June Ruby for women’s fashions; Zero Market for clean home supplies; and Mindcraft Makerspace for STEM-focused toys.

Play Date

Kids live the good life in Central Park. They can expend plenty of energy at the area’s seven outdoor pools, TOCA Soccer and Fitness Center, or Bounce Gymnastics at the Stanley Marketplace. Expand their brains at nearby Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Bluff Lake Nature Center, and Tattered Cover’s just-for-kids bookstore (inside the Stanley). Plus, the neighborhood hosts an outdoor movie series in the summer months that’s ideal for family outings.

Spots to Eat

Cattivella

Hashtag

Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria (Central Park)

Annette

View All Restaurants in Central Park

About This Neighborhood