A brief history of the University Neighborhood, Denver, CO
A Brief History of the University Neighborhood. In 1859 gold was discovered in Colorado and brought a mass influx of people to the state. By 1862 there were roughly 100 saloons along with numerous gambling halls and brothels on Market street alone(History Colorado). To make matters worse these establishments owned by William Bush expanded into the South Platte river bottom which became known as “Bush’s dark bagnio”.
The saloon was also used as a meeting place for many companies and was a hotbed for corruption in the area (Booz Allen). Anyhow, this led to crime rates skyrocketing all across Denver. Residents began pushing for reform in their city government and they got it when Denver switched from being an open town to a closed town. Every bar and brothel were forced to close down except for Bush’s saloon which was also the exception during prohibition as well(Booz Allen).
This lasted until 1967 when US highway 40 came through and took out half of the neighborhood, forcing many residents to move elsewhere. The once small residential area had turned into a business district with 3 bars and no residents(history Colorado). Once Denver started redeveloping its city in the early 1970s this led to the University Neighborhood being established in 1971 by Robert Howald who had bought several buildings and land plots in the area (University Park Community website).
Today it is one of Denver’s most pedestrian-friendly areas with a focus on biking to bike lanes along every major road. The neighborhood has a small-town feel to it with Market street acting as its center. Around the corner from University Park is the Regis Campus, which provides several used bookstores and coffee shops for students to study in. Also within walking distance are numerous bars and restaurants catering to many different age groups.
University Neighborhood hosts a few festivals annually including:
- Night market (Sept) – this event brings together fine art, crafts, live music, food trucks, beer gardens, and more!
- Taste of CU (April) – this is an event hosted by the university where students get to enjoy foods from all over campus while listening to student bands play live music at the Levitt Pavilion.
- 4/20 Block Party (April) – this is an event like no other where local businesses come together to host live music, beer gardens, and more for everyone to enjoy.
- Current trends in the University Neighborhood, Denver CO
Density and housing- The University neighborhood has seen continuous growth in population over the last few decades. This is due to the many new and redeveloped business buildings being constructed as well as Amazon moving into a town increasing employment rates(Cortright).
We see a lot of people moving towards living not just downtown, but along major corridors like Brighton Blvd which leads right into downtown making it easier for those who work there every day or are visiting attractions that are located within walking distance from the core of our neighborhood.
The University neighborhood now has a lot of options for residents to choose from when it comes to housing. There are multiple apartment buildings as well as townhomes and single-family homes with prices ranging from the $200s up to over 1 million dollars(Neighborhood Scout).
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