Washington Park, Denver

Washington Park, while close to Cherry Creek and downtown, feels much farther away than it actually is. This is a quiet residential neighborhood with very high-end homes. The only crowds here are not the noisy, partying crowds of neighborhoods to the north, but the swarms of people who spend time in Washington Park green spaces. This park is beautiful and wildly popular. The people who spend time here come not only from the immediately surrounding neighborhoods, but from other parts of Denver as well.

The park is laid out to mimic the gardens of George Washington's stately home. The large planted areas are in bloom every summer, amid lakes, large swaths of green, and the paths that wind through it. It's a popular spot for picnics, jogging, you name it. Annual events like Furry Scurry (a sort of doggie marathon held each May) further boost the foot traffic here.

Leaving the park does not take you away from the green spaces entirely. The residential streets surrounding it have grassy lawns and huge old trees. These homes exemplify the elegant brick architecture of southeast Denver, and they cost plenty. Those who can afford this area have a beautiful space to call home.

Visitors passing by might be excused for thinking there’s a race going on in Washington Park. Runners, joggers, and walkers throng the gravel trail along its perimeter, weaving around each other, overspilling the path onto the grass, talking in pairs, walking dogs, and listening to iPods. This is no special event, however - just an ordinary fair-weather evening in Wash Park. By U.S. standards, Denver’s an abnormally fit city, and nowhere is that clearer than here.

Washington Park itself is a gem: two small lakes, open grassy spaces, a kids’ fishing pond, rental paddleboats, exotic flowerbeds, and a historic boathouse. It makes sense, then, that the neighborhood surrounding the park is a little on the upscale side. It draws many of the people who use its paths to keep toned and fit after they get done at the office, and during the day welcomes moms in yoga pants pushing high-tech strollers. Wash Park residents are well-heeled. The average home price is well over half a million and, fittingly, these classic homes are easy on the eyes. If you’re looking to rent, you’ll have better luck in Washington Park west. A one-block stretch of Old South Gaylord serves as the hub for nightlife, dining, and shopping, and is home to some respectable and well-known restaurants.