About Highlands
Sitting up
on a hill to the west of downtown Denver, the Highland neighborhood
offers an eclectic mix of homes and lofts along with neighborhood
restaurants and coffee-shops, family owned cafes, and corner grocery
stores. The Highland area gives residents the unique feeling of
neighborhood living while being a brisk walk or quick bike/scooter ride
away from the center of downtown.
Highland
offers a wide array of homes new loft and townhome projects, row
houses, condos above retail shops, duplexes as well as grand Victorian
and Queen Anne mansions, and post World War II era houses.
“Highland”
was one of three original towns to be established in the area along
with Denver City and Auraria. The three combined in 1861, and Highland
became North Denver. A reverend named Walter Potter came to town in
1863, and laid claim to 320 acres. In 1875, “Highlands” was
incorporated into its own city, but the area was oft referred to as
Potter-Highlands. Eventually, after transportation issues crossing the
Platte River to and from Denver City, residents voted to join Denver in
1896. In 1979, Potter-Highlands was designated a historic district.
In
1987, Highlands boundaries were expanded to encompass from W.32nd
Avenue north to W.38th Avenue, and Zuni street west to Federal.
However, the Highland area is commonly considered from I-25 west to
Federal, and from Speer Blvd (or even W.23rd Avenue by many). north to
W.38th Avenue. The area known as “West Highland” is considered to be
from W.29th Ave. north to W.38th Ave., and from Federal Blvd. west to
Sheridan Blvd.
With the popularity growing in the Highland
neighborhood, common boundaries tend be ever growing by those wishing
to be a part of the action. Many neighboring areas are often loosely
referred to as Highland or Highlands, including Jefferson Park to the
south, Sloan Lake to the southwest, Berkeley to the northwest, and
Sunnyside to the north. The area closest to I-25 over looking Denver
has been coined LoHi or Lower Highland, and has seen a great deal or
the more recent redevelopment.
