What parts of downtown Denver should I avoid?? (Parker: violent crime, felony)

[the_koolkat]

Originally Posted by Dipper

I would avoid the area north of 26th, east of Downing. Bad neighborhood, very run down.

Thanks Dipper....I'm pulling up my trusty map now to pin point that location.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by Dipper

I would avoid the area north of 26th, east of Downing. Bad neighborhood, very run down.

That's Whittier and Cole. Yes, that's part of the the traditional "bad area", but even there, "the times they are a changing." I'd say the southern end of that boundary has crept north quite a bit. Still urban pioneer area, for sure, but not what it used to be.

[the_koolkat]

The feeling I am getting is even the "bad" parts of the city are not really bad. I like to walk. Even though I will be mostly out during the day I don't want to feel like I have to be in before nightfall. Ladies, are there any places downtown that you will not walk at night? Guys, any places you would not want your Ladies to walk at night? These are the places I really want to know about !!

[NickMan7]

Originally Posted by the_koolkat

The feeling I am getting is even the "bad" parts of the city are not really bad. I like to walk. Even though I will be mostly out during the day I don't want to feel like I have to be in before nightfall. Ladies, are there any places downtown that you will not walk at night? Guys, any places you would not want your Ladies to walk at night? These are the places I really want to know about !!

As is the case in almost all of Metro Denver, there are very few places (if any) that I would advise people to never venture into. I work downtown, but I am not someone who would ever live in a downtown area. I like having the conveniences of the city nearby and I love to come downtown for festivals/plays/entertainment and I absolutely LOVE working downtown. I have spent many a dark night walking in the streets of Denver and have never felt completely uncomfortable.

With that said, much of the area just north of downtown is pretty quiet after sunset and can be unnerving for people who like to have people around them. I was walking along 20th (from Market to Sherman) last summer at 2:00 in the morning and it was a little creepy, but I think it was more the desolate feeling (being that I am much more accustomed to being downtown during the busy daytime) than a feeling of being in any kind of danger.

There are pockets around Cap Hill that are a little weird after dark, but again, I wouldn't necessarily consider them dangerous - just unique. There is a lot of activity, especially when the weather is nice, so you shouldn't really have to worry about much.

I'd also like to add that many people consider Denver to have a large homeless population (which it might), but they aren't necessarily all congregated in one area (although the area around Park Ave/Broadway has the highest concentration). Other cities I've been to have a much more in-your-face homeless population - San Francisco (I couldn't believe the number of homeless - and many were not very friendly) and Portland ring my bell on that subject.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by the_koolkat

The feeling I am getting is even the "bad" parts of the city are not really bad. I like to walk. Even though I will be mostly out during the day I don't want to feel like I have to be in before nightfall. Ladies, are there any places downtown that you will not walk at night? Guys, any places you would not want your Ladies to walk at night? These are the places I really want to know about !!

Actually, I'd be extra careful anywhere in LoDo around 2:00am. Ordinarily, LoDo is quite safe, but at 2:00am, this is the time that the bars let out. We have sort of a stupid law that the bars are required to close at this time, so what they do is let all the drunk patrons out on the streets all at once, none of whom live downtown of course. Well, that leads to fights, which can escalate, and crazy drunk driving as they go off to their cars. (Sadly, pedestrians have even been killed by drunks at the 2:00am - 3:00am hour). Even though LoDo has cops blanketing the area on weekends, I'd still be extremely careful. If you live in LoDo and like to get out, I'd actually recommend trying to cut out of bars before closing time and simply getting out of the drunks way until about 3:00am when they're all gone.

[DenverAztec]

I have lived in Capitol Hill/Governor's Park for over 20 years and I see women walking alone at all hours of the day. Tons of people here have dogs and walk them at all hours. Tfox has a good point about steering clear of the bar hopping drunks in the wee hours of the morning. This would apply to any area. Colfax has the Filmore where there are live concerts and mix that with several bars, it can be a rukus at 1:00 or 2:00 there and in LoDo. South of Colfax on Lincoln and on Broadway between 8th and 14th are also many nightclubs and the same issue is found here. The city is contemplating letting the nightclubs stay open until 4:00 am so folks can sober up and leave at various times instead of all at the same time. Expect this to be a ballot issue soon. Colfax and Broadway have many small neighborhood type of bars and you will find patrons at them at all hours, begining with 7:00 am. I would highly recommend Capitol Hill to live in and there are some great places to live in, as well as some dumps. You really have to check out the place before moving in. The better places usually have a waiting list to move in. If you find a building that has many seniors or residents that have lived there for many years, it is usually a good indicator that it is a good place to live. Closer to either Colfax or Broadway will find traffic from the nightclubs and bars so I would suggest south of 13th and east of Logan. I have found homeless/drunk guys in the lobby and garage of the buildings I live in when it is cold out. If possible find a place that has parking, either off street or in a garage. Not only to protect you from the weather but as security for your car and a reserved space as parking can be a hassel. My niece is 22 years of age and lives off of 14th and Garfield and loves it. She can hop on a bus to go to school at the Auraria campus and also to work on south Colorado blvd. Her area is basically the far east end of the hill and more of what is called the Mayfair area. No matter where you end up living, you will be in a city and male or female, you always need to use caution. Crime can happen anywhere at any time.

[the_koolkat]

Great information and very helpful ! Glad you mentioned the waiting lists for some appartment. That never accured to me !! I am cautious and always aware of what is going on around. Your right crime can happen anywhere even in small towns. I'm heading down there next weekend just to look around and continue to gather information! I can't wait !!

[DenverAztec]

Another visitor asked what should he see while in Denver and this is what I suggested to him, hope it helps:

If you have not been to Denver before, you will enjoy it! It is easy to get around downtown and a significant number of places that are all within walking distance. Denver was just voted 4th most walkable city in the country. It will more then likely be cold but there is much to do downtown and some great photo opportunities.

Must See in Downtown:

• Brown Palace
• Union Station
• State Capitol (enter on the north side of the building on the ground entry door - airport security screening)
• Denver Art Museum, the new and old section, new is Daniel Libeskind's first American structure. He is currently the architect on the WTC rebuild.
• Cathedral Basillica
• Saint John's cathedral
• Denver Mint
• 16th Street Mall
• Equittable Building on 17th, the tiffany glass windows inside are worth more then the entire building. 6 million hand placed tiles in the flying buttress ceiling. Built after the one in NYC.
• Civic Center Park, during the day as undesirables there at night
• LoDo for the night clubs, but also for the historical value and city views for photo shoots
• Museum of Contemporary Art, just opened in October
• Larimer Square
• Pavillions has a Gap, Hard Rock Cafe, United Artist Theater, Banana Republic, Nike Town, etc, if you forget something or just want to hang out and rest while people watching.
• Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the Paramount have concerts and shows continuously. Ticket sales are second only to NYC.
• Pepsi Center/Invesco Field and Coors fields are all easily reachable by foot/mall shuttle or light rail.
• use the free mall shuttle for downtown
• take the light rail to see the outer sections of Denver. Advise to take it from downtown to at least the Park Meadows Mall as you can see the Denver Technological Center area. It is another downtown in itself, if you like modern buildings, but not very walkable.

Capitol Hill:

• Mansions on 11th and 12th and Pennsylvannia
• Molly Brown's House
• Governor's mansion at 8th and Logan
• Denver Botanical Garden's (atarium is neat, but best for summer)
• Historic homes in Capitol Hill along 7th and 6th Avenue Parkway, Monaco Parkway, 17th Ave Parkway, Montview between Colorado and Monaco

Outside of Denver:

• Red Rocks Ampitheater
• Flat Irons in Boulder and the Pearl Street mall - outdoor pedestrian mall
• Lookout Mountain
• Central City and Blackhawk - old mining town turned into small stakes gambling.
• Roxburough Park
• Aspen 4 hour drive if weather decent, Glenwood canyon is fantasic, but expect delays on the weekends
• Vail 1.5 hours, weekends expect traffic
• Colorado Springs 2.5 hours, expect traffic heavy in the Denver Tech area and slow in Castle Rock, in the Springs, check out the Air Force Academy and the Garden of the Gods, not much to their downtown for having 600K in a population.

Cheap Eats:

• Tons on the 16th Steet mall downtown for fast food (from Wendy's to Chipotle)
• Personal favorite is Snooze for breakfast, on 17th Ave, not 17th street, but walking distance from downtown
• Dixon's and Racine's have many plates for under $10.00 and both are very tasty.
• Spicy Pickle
• Noodles
• Kokoro Bowl
• Benny's Mexican
• High End eating and shopping is in the Cherry Creek area

Best Photo Op locations of the skyline:

• City Park golf course
• The rear entrance to the Museum of Natural History in City Park
• Barnum Park, top of the hill at the circle drive
• Highlands - new pedestrian bridge over the highway, shoot from Lola's
• Speer bridge as it enters the Highland area, just south are some places to park. Some great eats in the 32nd and Lowell area but in the mid range for plates.
• Rotunda of the State Capitol, if it is open
• View from the art museum extension
• The view from the bar at the top of the Hyatt is great for seeing west Denver and the mountains, plus Invesco field and north of the city.

Check out 9NEWS - Home Page for local news and weather, plus Denver - News for entertainment.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Yes, I do know what you mean. I am that way, too, as is my older daughter who lives in Denver. (I live in the 'burbs). Yes, I believe the system is safe. DD uses it at night. The issue with night service is, of course, how far do you have to walk on a dark, deserted street to get from the transit stop to your home?

After a hiatus from this addicted web behavior--I decided to look it. So, you are a chameleon--changed your name---thought we would not notice.

Oh, Yea--a response in walking at night from a bus stop. Most people are not aware that RTD has a established written policy called NIGHT STOP SERVICE:

"RTD's Night Stop bus service provides added safety for bus passengers traveling at night between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Night stop allows passengers to get off the bus at any safe location along a regular route, even if it is not a designated RTD bus stop.

How to Use Night Stop Service

At least one block before you want to get off, move to the front of the bus and tell the driver you want a special stop.
The driver will determine a safe stopping point for you and the bus. Drivers will not allow passengers to exit in unsafe areas such as unlit or unpopulated locations, or in ditches or snowdrifts.
Exit through the front door of the bus.
The driver will ask other passengers to wait for the next stop. This ensures that you will be the only passenger to depart at your requested stop Night Stop Service Area.

Night Stop service is not available in the downtown Denver area bordered by 11th Ave., Grant St., 23rd St., Speer Blvd., and I-25 because of the frequency of stops already made in this area by RTD bus drivers as well as the amount of police patrols."

This may help in many situations. I have used it, many times. The bus drivers are very cooperative.

Livecontent

[DenverAztec]

Yippee! Livecontent is back!