2024 rank: 9
Washington Park’s slightly more accessible sibling is a regular on our top 25 list due to its ideal location and Lincoln Elementary School’s consistently high marks. Although the average price of the neighborhood’s green space-adjacent bungalows, Cape Cods, Queen Annes, and contemporary builds still hover around $1 million, home prices did dip by roughly five percent last year (meaning now could be the perfect time to claim your own corner lot).
Other reasons to fall in love with the area: three grocery stores; an ever-growing culinary scene; and easy access to the vibrant Baker ’hood, cheery Platt Park, and I-25.
Neighborhood Rankings
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
After a pick-up volleyball match at the park, replenish lost calories with a generous plate of pasta at family-owned Bruno’s Italian Bistro. Hey Bangkok!’s kaw soy curry is among the most slurpable in town (and the restaurant’s indoor Thai street scene mural serves as decent mealtime eye candy). Pho Haus is a reliable option for the Vietnamese noodle soup (get the haus pho for an even more savory broth).
On game days, everyone wins with Fire on the Mountain’s wings slathered in house-made sauces. Leven Supply, an offshoot of Leven Deli Co. that opened in January, offers the same beloved sandwiches but with an added market selling pasta, charcuterie, and other packaged gifts for your favorite home chef.
For libations, two local favorites—dive bars Candlelight Tavern and Kentucky Inn—are just five blocks apart. The 1920s-inspired Roxy on Broadway serves up shared plates and live music seven nights a week, while two-year-old BurnDown offers three stories of pub grub and cocktails crowned with a killer view of the Denver skyline from the rooftop. North just a few blocks, you’ll find a slew of SoBo favorites including Adrift Tiki Bar, the Irish Rover Pub, and Sputnik.
Wash Perk Coffee House is a gathering spot with plenty of outdoor seating, and the Molecule Effect is the perfect place to park it all day as it transitions from coffee to cocktails when the sun sets. Since life isn’t complete without a sweet treat, visit the new Legacy Pie Co. location for a caramel-drizzled bourbon apple slice.
Break a Sweat
Weather not cooperating for your afternoon rollerblading sesh? Lucky for you, there are plenty of ways to burn some steam indoors in Wash Park West. The Pilates Studio, Fierce45, Pearl Street Fitness, Yoga Center of Denver, and Orangetheory Fitness all operate studios here. After your burpees, stop by 5 Star Salt Caves Wellness Center, where you can recoup and relax in the healing Himalayan salt cave.
Spots to Eat
About This Neighborhood
- Berkeley
- Hilltop
- Country Club
- Wellshire
- Southmoor Park
- Congress Park
- University Park
- South Park Hill
- Belcaro
- West Highland
- North Park Hill
- Regis
- Cheesman Park
- Washington Park
- Capitol Hill
- Washington Park West
- Central Park
- University
- Rosedale
- Speer
- Sloan’s Lake
- Hampden South
- Platt Park
- Cory-Merrill
- Highland