
Tour: Step Inside Denver Designer Devon Tobin’s Home
The prinicpal at Duet Design Group opens the doors to her family-friendly Virginia Village home, a de facto design laboratory that abides by one cardinal rule: Make it your own.
|Rising housing prices—still averaging under $500,000—and low crime gives this suburban-esque southeast Denver neighborhood a bump. The streets are quieter here, with many of the mid-century modern, single-family homes occupied by residents who’ve lived in the area for decades. Retail is mostly nonexistent, but there is more to explore in neighboring districts. That description could soon change, though: Development of several walkable blocks—plans for which include hundreds of homes, as well as offices, restaurants, and stores—was approved by Denver City Council in December 2018.
How we got these numbers: We utilized the city’s official list of 78 neighborhoods (only 74 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.
The best way to start a day here is with a fresh-baked pastry or croissant from Detour Bakery (co-owner Florence Payne was born and raised in France). Beyond that, Virginia Village’s independent food and beverage offerings are generally limited, but Denverites are also happy to drive beyond its borders for richly flavored bites at Thai Pot Cafe, 20+ beer taps and a familiar menu of pizzas and sandwiches at Esters Neighborhood Pub, and exceptional south-of-our-border eats at Little Anita’s New Mexican Food.
Besides the easy access to the Cherry Creek Trail, Virginia Village also contains two parks. Ash Grove Park is the smaller of the two, at 7.3 acres. To the east, Judge Joseph E. Cook Park has an outdoor pool, basketball court, soccer field, and a large recreation center.
You’re going to need flowers to decorate your new home, and one of the best places in town to find a beautiful bouquet is at 78-year-old Bonnie Brae Flowers Inc. We’re also fans of the Bulgarian pastries sold at East Europe Market. Otherwise, your wallet-emptying is limited to DSW (and a Nordstrom Rack just across Colorado Boulevard, in Cory-Merrill).