City Park West, Denver

This area is in the thick of city activity, but has a different vibe than Cheesman Park and Capitol Hill to the north. The stretch of Colfax and particularly of 17th Ave running through this neighborhood has great restaurants and bars, and of course the proximity to City Park is a huge plus. This area lies right around Presbyterian St. Luke's hospital, where my niece and nephew were born, and St. Joseph's medical center. These are major area hospitals, and there is a lot of activity here because of that.
Investments have been made in the apartment housing in this neighborhood. There are some great apartments here at reasonable rents. I believe that a lot of work has been done here. This is both the result of the general revitalization efforts in Denver over recent decades, and the relocation of Childrens' Hospital. Childrens' used to be near St. Luke's, but moved east to the new Aurora medical campus. This move relieved some of the congestion and provided some new development opportunities.
The northern end of this neighborhood used to be a very dangerous place. It has improved, but there are still some spots to look out for. Parking is tough and crowded. Overall, though, this area is a great place to live, work, dine out, and party.

Although technically a separate neighborhood, City Park West is often, along with North Capitol Hill, lumped together under the blanket designation “Uptown.” Perhaps this is because of the restaurants along 17th Avenue, which connects the two neighborhoods in a blaze of delicious glory. Foodies know City Park West well and find a variety of decadent-yet-affordable dining options there. Bars such as Vine Street Pub and The Thin Man, as well as the quirky, always-hopping St. Mark’s Coffee, give this area a cozy, neighborly feel. Housing options are varied (some lovely old single-family homes as well as relatively affordable apartment buildings), as are the residents.

Colfax Avenue bounds the neighborhood’s southern stretch, and houses more dining, drinking, and shopping options, mostly of the type that cater to either the young and hip, or to blue-collar workers, or both. Once called “the longest, wickedest street in America” by Playboy magazine, Colfax has a reputation as the favored hangout of prostitutes, drug dealers, and people who are generally up to no good. Decades ago, this reputation was earned, and to some extent it still is, but revitalization of Colfax is underway. If you spend time on the stretch of Colfax along the southern edge of City Park West, you will be rubbing shoulders with much of Denver’s homeless or transient population that uses Colfax as a main route and hangout, but the area is good for some cheap fun and is safe if you practice urban common sense.

For commuters, it’s easy to get to and from downtown via a 10-15 minute drive, a couple of buses that run frequently during business hours, or the bike lanes on 16th Avenue. Those attempting to go carless, however, should be forewarned: although there are some convenience stores, there is no proper grocery store in the neighborhood.