Denver is Happening in the Highlands

I have loved living in the Highland neighborhood for the last four years. When I first moved to Denver I knew nothing about Highlands. I hadn’t even heard of it. I stumbled upon the area and was able to afford a townhome in 2001. I bought the townhome and was excited that I was amongst such a lovely and quiet pocket of charm. The Highland neighborhood many years ago was broken down and dilapidated. There was no safe place to walk at night and there were no storefronts, sidewalk cafes or street fairs.

In the 90’s Highland began to change. The neighborhood is 1.5 miles from downtown Denver. People began to move in droves and fix up the fixer-uppers. Houses got painted, sidewalks were fixed and people began to take pride in ownership. The homes in Highland are largely Victorian, big and beautiful.

Now, over a decade later, it is as if it never saw cracks in the sidewalks or dim, broken down homes. It has become the hippest place in Denver. And all the people that discovered it 10 years ago are sitting on their own goldmines. Property values are in the $400K and up. There are she-she boutiques, the best restaurants in Denver and plenty of socializing. People know one another. It is as if it stands alone. The businesses are all small and that adds so much charm. People enjoy shopping with the Ma’s & Pa’s of the world. It is one place you won’t see a Starbucks or a Wal-Mart.

I have loved watching this neighborhood grow. It has blossomed into a beautiful urban experience and the people are still “small town nice.” When I think of what Denver used to be like before the 90’s, before Colorado became overpopulated, I think about the Highlands. It is what Denver as a whole, used to be.

Now that the Highland area has come up and draws people from all over the city of Denver, the areas around Highland are taking flight as well. Artists and galleries are popping up, Yoga studios and healthy living grocery stores are the Highland neighbors. You can’t go wrong here. If you are just visiting for the day or are looking to invest, this is the place. It is northwest of downtown Denver between 26th & Speer to 45th & Tennyson Street.

It is fun to watch my neighborhood grow. It has come ALIVE over the last four years… I feel as if I have nurtured it in my own way by getting to know the business owners, the food, the shops and by bringing my business to Highland rather than to the corporate mongers.