4.9 out of 10

Lincoln Park

Ranked 33rd best neighborhood in Denver
39.7324430858602 -105.00693579239
Great for
  • Cost of Living
  • Nightlife
  • Parking
  •  
  •  
Not great for
  • Clean & Green
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Neighborly Spirit
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Shopping Options
Who lives here?
  • Singles
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists

Reviews

3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
2yrs+

"Great location, tough neighborhood"

Lincoln Park, the location, has everything going for it. It's adjacent to Auraria Campus, which lies to its north. It's adjacent to Civic Center and Capitol Hill on its east. Downtown is just a short distance to the northeast. And aside from the art museum east of Lincoln Park, the Santa Fe Arts District in the neighborhood itself has a thriving gallery row. First Fridays here are the largest in the city. Famed Colorado photographer John Fielder's gallery is here, among others.

So, why is it such a tough neighborhood? It's hard to say. Many areas around downtown have been depressed urban areas, and remained so throughout the 90s. But most of them are seeing better days. There is a large arc from the northwest through the southeast that has gained ground and become prosperous. Lincoln Park seems to lag behind. It's hard to understand why. All of the ingredients for success are here. It's just struggling, despite its popularity with visitors.

High crime rates make this a risky area. And it's not the cheapest part of town to live in either, making it risky. On the other hand, the potential is obvious, and there are bargains to be found, so it is an attractive option if you find a block where you feel safe.
Pros
  • close to downtown
  • Arts district
  • enormous potential
Cons
  • run-down looking
  • poverty, crime affects many residents
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
3/5 rating details
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
2yrs+

"From Gold Rush to Art Stampede"

This is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Denver, settled when prospectors struck gold. Every first Friday night of the month, there’s a rush of a different sort nowadays: Lincoln Park receives a whopping influx of locals from all over the city who come in to check out the Art Walk on Santa Fe Drive. In high summer, the sidewalks are shoulder-to-shoulder packed, weaving in and out of the galleries carrying plastic cups of cheap or donation-based wine the galleries offer to lubricate all the art talk. This event provides some great people-watching: observe the tilt of the head, the knowing squint, and eavesdrop on a hipster couple on a date trying to impress each other with their vast art knowledge and aesthetic insight. There is, of course, the art itself, so much of it and in so many different styles that all but the pickiest connoisseur will be able to find SOMEthing they deem at least halfway pleasing to look at.

When the crowds leave, however, the residents are left to go about life as usual. Artists and some young urbanites love the area, and with good reason, but unfortunately, high crime and poverty rates make that life less than ideal for many residents and make a painful contrast with the thousand-dollar abstract paintings hanging in the galleries. Some of the homes are cute, historic, and well-maintained, even if that’s done with more love than money. Others look careworn, and the kids play listlessly in trampled yards. As with many sections of Denver, it’s block-by-block if you are looking for a place to buy or rent. The public housing projects tucked back into the neighborhood look somewhat sad and in need of attention. With grassroots investment and neighborhood effort, this area might soon take on a similar vibe to Baker: culturally and artistically vibrant, safe, and diverse.

In addition to the Art District on Santa Fe, in-town and out-of-town visitors are drawn to the Buckhorn Exchange on Osage, which bills itself as Denver’s oldest restaurants. Stuffed heads of wild beasts stare at diners from the walls. On offer: rattlesnake, quail, elk, bison, and Rocky Mountain Oysters, which aren’t oysters at all.
Pros
  • enormous potential
  • Arts district
Cons
  • poverty, crime affects many residents
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Tourists
  • Hipsters
  • Students

Travelling to Lincoln Park?

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Unranked Streets in Lincoln Park

Bannock St

3.5/5
"Eastern Side of Denver"
39.7272711508304 -104.990274283742

Santa Fe Dr

2.5/5
"major thorougfare for a person with an appetite for thrifty shopping"
39.7340499247792 -104.998661675377
"Commercial & Industrial area"
39.7352899005707 -105.005272102283

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