Capitol Hill

I lived in the heart of Capitol Hill for six years (near 11th and Penn). Like many locals, I love this neighborhood dearly. It is a truly quintessential Denver city neighborhood. It has seen boom-and-bust times. Decades ago, most of it was a pretty dangerous neighborhood, with lots of drugs and crime. Some of that still exists, but that's just one of many facets of Capitol Hill, and I was never afraid while living there. This neighborhood is for anyone who likes a mixed urban vibe.
It's adjacent to downtown and has access to everything. When I lived there I was reluctant to leave it. This is partly because everything I needed was already within walking distance, and partly because I wouldn't give up my parking spot without a very compelling reason. I had a car available to me, but either walked or took the bus to school at Auraria or work downtown because it wasn't worth the hassle to pay for downtown parking and then try to find a spot when I got home at night!
All of the buildings are brick or stone, and the streets are lined with huge old trees. Open spaces are minimal/nonexistent, but it's a great place to walk. It's been popular with students and young carreer singles for a long time because of the affordable rents and easy access to downtown. Rents are rising, and it's now not the clearest choice for cheap rents in a decently safe neighborhood, but it's still very affordable and most buildings have a lot of character. The many rentals are mixed in with very high-priced old homes and condos. The whole neighborhood is very pet-friendly, which is another bonus.
There are so many little neighborhood restaurants, bars, stores, and historic buildings (the Molly Brown House among others) that there is always something to do. Many shops and bars (Wax Trax, FashionNation, Buffalo Exchange, The Snake Pit, Pandora's, and on and on) are small places that have been beloved by locals for years. All of it is cheap, too!
If you want a quiet neighborhood with big lawns for the kids to run, then this place won't suit you. But if you love the city, you'll love it here.Everyone is accepted here. It's a neighborhood for students, gays, punks, young, old (although mostly young), hipsters, crazies, freaks, and the straight-laced. Nobody's surprised by anyone else in Capitol Hill. It's all just part of the scene.

Historically one of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods, Capitol Hill is demographically one of its youngest. Originally settled in the late 1800s, Capitol Hill underwent a period of decline in the 1960s and ‘70s. As the neighborhood became decrepit, violent, and impoverished, residents fled the city for the suburbs.

Today, their grandchildren drive in, every Friday and Saturday night, to frequent Capitol Hill’s bars, restaurants, and concert venues. Far from its former reputation for drugs, madness, and violent crime, Capitol Hill is generally a very safe neighborhood. Its density, walkability, and the amount of people taking advantage of its density and walkability all mean that you’ll rarely find yourself alone on a dark street. Those practicing city common sense will probably avoid being victims of crime. Unfortunately, residents don't have nearly as much control in defending themselves from bedbugs, which in this neighborhood, with a high proportion of renters and a lot of apartment turnover, is not an "if" but a "when" if you live in an apartment or condo.

A mere mile or less southeast of the Central Business District, Capitol Hill is an easy walk, bike, or bus commute for those working or studying downtown. Like some other central Denver neighborhoods such as Uptown and Highlands, Capitol Hill’s selection of delicious, eclectic, and relatively inexpensive places to eat and drink seem to present a paradox when viewed side-by-side with the fit and athletic residents – until, that is, you see the amount of runners pounding the pavement every morning and evening. Housing ranges from historic mansions to relatively inexpensive studio apartments, although the area’s traditionally low rents have been rising. Although there’s a good amount of urban grit – spray-painted walls, discarded pizza plates on the sidewalks, and a few too many people who don’t clean up after their dogs – there’s also enough old trees, beautiful historic architecture, and front-yard gardens to take the edge off.

The area’s very youthful demographics could mean that thirty- or forty-somethings looking for a quiet Friday night at home might sigh wearily as they drive their car around and around the block in the futile search for a parking spot, or wake up at 2 a.m. to packs of twenty-one-year-olds shouting drunkenly as they reel down the sidewalk. The area is still diverse enough, however, to avoid feeling like a college flashback. Although Capitol Hill has drawn in the young for well over a decade now, if you take an evening walk you might see, in addition to all the hipsters, a retired couple walking their dachshunds, an orange-robed female monk gardening in front of the Buddhist meditation center, and the guy who drives the #40 bus, all of whom have lived in and loved the neighborhood for years.