What parts of downtown Denver should I avoid?? (Aurora: environment, relocate)

[the_koolkat]

Hi Guys,
I am a single female looking to relocate to Denver. I want to live near all the action downtown seems to offer. When doing a search an all the different neighborhoods (LoDo, Capitol Hill, Cherry Creek, ect..) they all sound wonderful. I know there is no completely safe place in the city or anywhere as far as that goes but I want to avoid the most dangerous areas. I want to be able to walk or take public transportation most of the time. Most cities have a "bad side of town" where crime and gang activity is high. Please help me identify those areas in Denver. I am apartment searching on line. I will not accept an apartment without first seeing it but it will be helpful to know what area to avoid even at this stage. Thanks for your time and imput ! I will heading that way in March.

Kat

[tfox]

Traditionally, the "bad part of town" was the northeast side, starting at Five Points and continuing northeast into Cole, Northeast Park Hill, etc (mostly in 80205 zip). Unfortuantely, in an earlier era, redlining and other racist practices also forced this area to be largely African American, which led to a vicious cycle of postwar white flight and deterioration. Building large-scale housing projects in the Curtis Park neighborhood also scared out many people out of that area, though the projects are long since demolished.

In addition to the northeast side, Colfax also had a bad reputation for drug dealing and other crime, though that type of crime didn't extend as much into the neighborhoods on either side.

Now, the answer is more complicated, as Five Points has really changed (some would say lost its soul), and neighborhoods like Curtis Park are hot. The Curtis Park projects are mostly turned into mixed-income lofts. These close-in neighborhoods are definitely far less crime prone than they used to be. However, going further northeast this gentrification has had less impact, so there's still some lower income neighborhoods. This is particularly true north of MLK; as you get in the shadow of some of the I-70 heavy industry.

East Colfax, for its part, has cleaned up fairly well at least in the area immediately around downtown and Capitol Hill, though heading east towards Aurora it's still the same old Colfax.

This urban gentrification has served to displace much of the poverty to the north side of I-70. Montbello, for example, has become something along the lines of a "suburban ghetto," absorbing some of the social problems closer in.

[the_koolkat]

tfox,
Thanks for a great breakdown of the neighborhoods. I am liking the looks of some of the high rise lofts in Central Downtown and Chessman Park area. I have heard that the Five Points area has allot of gang activity. I havn't looked into Curtis Park yet but I am going to. Thanks again for the great info !!
Kat

[steveindenver]

Gangs eh.

Doubtless that person lives in the county.

[love roses]

We lived in Park Hill and never had any problems and we are a white family with a kid. Of course, she was way to young to do much since she was a baby and toddler when we lived there. We loved it there because it was close to downtown and even though the area we lived was predominately AA, it really didn't seem to be a big deal. Noone ever hassled us, and we even went to black owned businesses and people were always nice. Five Points would be where I would avoid mainly, but there were even a few places right up against downtown there that looked pretty good. I also liked the little business centers there and the Park Hill Grocery Store...they have a great Italian Deli and it's family owned and small and has good service. There are some cafes around and you can also swim at the Stapleton Pool for a nonresident fee (or at least you could when we lived there).

Another good thing about that area is it is close to the zoo and museums, Cherry Creek, and Colfax. Even loved going shopping on Broadway. You are also close to the freeway so you have quicker access to the mountains too. If you ride a bike it's relatively bike friendly there as well. We rode all over, even to Cheesman Park and all through Cherry Creek and there is also a nearby trail system that connects to different areas of town. I used to hook my daughter up to my bike and we'd all go riding around town.

[the_koolkat]

Love Roses thank you so much for all the great info. I would LOVE to live near the zoo!!! I am from a very small town in Wyoming and have never lived anywhere even close to the size of Denver. I am mostly looking to put my family at ease. They don't like that I want to live downtown and worry for my safty. So I am really greatful for all your help.

[hennypennie]

I live 4 blocks northeast of Five Points. This is a largely safe neighborhood where people of all races, age groups, and economic conditions live communally. We walk ourselves, our dogs (to the local dog park across from Manual High School), and our children in and out of their strollers. I won't address the gentrification, as it was addressed earlier. There is a lot of new construction in the area - both one family and multi-family dwellings. In the summer, the neighborhood is vibrant with activity late into the evenings. Where you choose to live will depend on how you feel. Inner city neighborhoods are different from rural and suburban communities. That is not to imply that one is good and the other not - all a matter of taste. I love that I live near the light rail line and can get downtown and to many parts of the city by bus or rail, I have a car but gas is becoming prohibitive. I love the diversity of this community. I can walk downtown, to the local community center or the grocery store if I so choose. I have never been accosted. And the summer festivals!!! They're everywhere. Good luck to you and please enjoy Denver - where ever you choose to live.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by the_koolkat

Love Roses thank you so much for all the great info. I would LOVE to live near the zoo!!! I am from a very small town in Wyoming and have never lived anywhere even close to the size of Denver. I am mostly looking to put my family at ease. They don't like that I want to live downtown and worry for my safty. So I am really greatful for all your help.

I think small town/rural and even suburban people tend to think big downtowns are dangerous. Not true in Denver. It's very nice, and I've always felt safe downtown. I'm an urban-minded person and I'm always aware of my environment (noticing who's around me and what's going on) which you might not do in a small town, but it's just part of living in a city.

[katmoney]

I live downtown currently. I've never felt unsafe (even in five points) anywhere downtown. then again, I used to live in Chicago where shootings happened nearly every week. Living here is cake.

[ColoradoLion]

The only part of Denver where I've felt concerned was being in LoDo when the bars let out. It's really sketchy with drunken violent people, but only at that time. Go home at a decent hour (my days of closing bars are long gone) and you're fine.

We used to live in Hilltop, which is considered a nice neighborhood, and we got broken into. It can happen anywhere. As long as you have a little urban common sense, Denver is pretty darn safe.