Hampden South

It's a little weird to me that I lived here during my first several years. I feel no connection to this neighborhood at all. When my parents owned their house here, these were truly the 'burbs of Denver. We lived on the very edge of residential development, with a park right across the street--and no building visible south or east of the neighborhood. I remember tumbleweeds blowing down the cul-de-sac in fall. Now, there is development around here to the south stretching practically to Castle Rock.
The development of the Tech Center has made this a sort of middle ground between the city and outlying areas, but it still has a very suburban feel, despite the crowding and traffic. There are a lot of neighborhoods here that were built in the 70s, and the architectural styles reflect this.

There are plenty of retial and shopping options, assuming you're ok with chain stores and strip malls. This area is also a short commute to the offices of the Tech Center. This is a safe neighborhood with the usual suburban amenities, and many people consider this a good place to raise a family and to live throughout retirement.

The most remarkable feature of this area is the access to Cherry Creek State Park. There is a reservoir here large enough for small boats and windsurfing (although it's crowded), and there are miles of green space and trails for biking and running. Other than that, it's a pretty average suburban area.

Hampden South is a newer extension of the Hampden neighborhood to the north. In the late 1800s, the area was a lucrative farm owned by Rufus Clark, better known as “Potato Clark,” who made his fortune and his name there. The area really began to grow in the 1970s, when the Denver Technological Center was established here. Designed as an alternative to downtown for corporations and businesses large and small, the Tech Center continues to grow. The glass and concrete towers, office buildings and plazas, large parking lots, and retail strips that comprise the DTC are a heavy presence in the neighborhood, especially to the west and south.

Like Hampden, the neighborhood offers a variety of housing options, from apartments and condos to single-family homes with yards. Residential development generally seems denser, newer, and pricier here. Heavy retail development can be found along Hampden Avenue to the north (see my review of Hampden for more information). And like Hampden proper, this neighborhood’s convenience and level of development can be a double-edged sword. Many people are finding it a great place to work, live, and raise families. Yet since it was built around the Tech Center, with residential and commercial areas close together yet segregated, Hampden South can feel somewhat inorganic and prepackaged.