College View South Platte

If you are one of those Americans who dislike being told what you can and can’t keep in your yard, you might like College View South Platte. Yard art is not only permitted, but some of it is personally created by the owners. Many of the yards are pretty standard, with neat play areas, but others feature overgrown evergreens, sailboats, vintage campers, an auto repair shop, a maze of cluttered sheds, and a horse carved out of logs with a chainsaw. Keeping with the area’s farming roots, you’ll also spot real horses, and probably some chickens. Homes date from several decades, making an eclectic mix exemplified by the Vietnamese Buddhist temple with its white wrought-iron fence and arched entryway… which is right across the street from Gethsemane Baptist Church.

The rural feel, however, that you might get from exploring the neighborhoods quickly evaporates as you approach the periphery. The western border is a busy strip of Federal, and the northern edge at Evans features a couple of shopping plazas. There’s a King Soopers grocery store and a giant white K-mart, but some boarded-up stores, law offices, and bail bonds offices hint at some of the area’s problems. Crime rates are relatively high here, as are teen pregnancy rates and poverty. This is no new story for a neighborhood along South Federal, but if you are considering College View as a place to set up your yard art, do your homework and pick your block carefully.

Home prices are very low here, and many amenities could make this a very attractive neighborhood to some people. I would not want to live here, but that's just a personal preference. I'm so heavily biased toward the east central neighborhood where I've lived most of my life that this area doesn't suit my tastes. But for people who want affordable residential neighborhoods set a bit apart from the crowded city blocks, this could be a good option.
It's much closer to Denver than the outlying suburban areas, so it is a good option for commuters. This strip is actually good for those who work either downtown or in the DTC area, because it is convenient to either. There is a nice golf course very close by, and many spots here have great mountain views.
The reason I noted that this is a mixed area is because it lies along the old industrial areas of south Santa Fe Drive. There are many areas of industrial development with warehouses, train cars, trucks, etc. However, off the main strip lie quiet residential areas with single-family homes, apartments, and condos. Home prices are low, but some of these spots are much nicer than the generally poor reputation of West Denver would suggest. There are quiet homes with lawns and the aforementioned beautiful views. If your heart is in the suburbs but you don't want to deal with the long commutes, this is a good spot to consider.