Central City

Central City is in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties about an hour or so from Denver and Boulder area. Central City/Blackhawk are two sister cities that started off as mining towns and now are full fledged gambling towns, decked out with saloon style casinos and full hotel, modern casinos (buffets and all)

The population of Central City is only about 500 but it is visited by thousands and thousands of tourists every year. This is not really a place to raise a family. Back during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush in the 1860s Central City was known as the “richest square mile on Earth”

In the early days of the town there were many Chinese workers. The gold rush of course died off and the hunt for gold and the city’s population eventually dropped way down to about where it is today in the 1950s. Ironically, the median household income today is only about $30,000 well well below Colorado average.

The Gilpin county school district is pretty good actually and there are some surrounding properties and homes up in the hills surrounding the town worth checking out. It is an interesting place to visit. There is also an historic opera house that is amazing anytime of year.

Central City came into existence during the Gold Rush. In recent years it has been a great little tourist town with fun shops, little cafes, an opera house, and a great location. While it is still all that, there is now certainly more to do here. With several casinos moving in, Central City is now synonymous with gambling. The town has a large parking garage to accommodate the many visitors it gets to the casinos and bars. While the casinos do take away from the original charm of the town, they in no way destroy it. It is still a nice little area for shopping and exploring, with off road trails for four wheeling and hiking nearby.

Central City is home to the Central City Opera, which is housed in a building built in 1878. It is the fifth oldest opera in the country and the oldest opera house in the U.S. to survive. It seats 550 people, but when you watch an opera here, the seating doesn't seem to hold that many people, and it seems much more intimate. The acoustics are good and the performances are quite special, especially considering the location which is far from any metropolis.

The majority of the casinos are located in new buildings which also serve as hotels with restaurants and bars inside. There are a few casinos located in the town which have occupied the older buildings, adding a distinct flair to the casino itself.

The town is located in the mountains and has very pretty views. During the winter when there is a light snow falling it truly looks beautiful and is nice to walk around and enjoy the outdoors and roaming from shop to shop.

Years ago the roads to Central City used to be treacherous in winter. Due to the new casinos and the dramatic increase in revenue, the roads to get to Central City are much better maintained now than ever before. That isn't to say that winter driving conditions can all be taken away (because they can't), but you're much more likely to see snow plows at the first sign of flakes falling, and the continual lights of them going on throughout the night.

Although there are no hospitals in Central City, the town right next to it has a Family Health Center. The closest hospital is in Lakewood, about a 45 minute drive away in good driving conditions with no traffic.

A median price home in Central City goes for about $200,000 although that number jumps up due to the luxury homes built around the outskirts of town. The median income is $28,500, much lower than the rest of Colorado. The casinos and little shops are the biggest employers, although the casinos do bus employees in. The town occupants are overwhelmingly White at about 75%, followed by Hispanic at roughly 25%.

The schools are located within the Gilpin County School District and tend to score in the average range on state standardized tests.