Regis

The Regis area is anchored by Regis University which has been located in this neighborhood since 1887, although it was originally named Sacred Heart College. In 1927 it was renamed Regis after a missionary from the 17th century. The campus takes up 90 acres and has a very old, majestic feel to it. The buildings have been continually refurbished over the years, but you can still get a sense of years gone by when you're walking in the corridors and up the stairs in many of the buildings. Although the university has a variety of fields of study, it is well known in the academic and health worlds as having one of the best nursing programs in the state and region. Many hospitals help to place Regis nursing students in different areas for their clinicals, and word has it some are going exclusively with Regis students, which is high praise for the training these people are receiving.

As for the neighborhood surrounding the campus, it has a varied feel to it depending on where you're at. The homes here tend to be less expensive than neighboring areas such as Berkeley, but are just as old and charming. On the east side of Regis is Federal Blvd., which for me, has an unpleasantness to it. There are fast food restaurants, medical marijuana shops, and overall, just a run down feel to it. Although neighborhoods in the area are seeing a new pulse this area is still lacking a bit. The streets are quiet at times (with the exception of Federal and Sheridan) and there isn't too much hustle and bustle.

Outside of a couple fast food chains, restaurants, and a few businesses, there isn't a whole lot this area offers. It does lie right next to I-70 and has rather quick access to the mountains. There are also several lakes just south of the neighborhood that have paths going around them for jogging or walking the dog. Berkeley Lake also has a nice dog park where you can let your dog off the leash and let him or her run around.

This would be a good neighborhood for an older couple that doesn't like too much noise but wants to be close to most things. There are also some nice starter homes for new families. Some areas do have students living in the homes, but it isn't what you'd expect with parties on the weekends like in some college towns. Overall, it's a very quiet area with a more laid back feel to it.

Regis is a short, wide neighborhood, anchored at its northeast corner by Federal Boulevard and the campus of Regis University, a small Jesuit college. It was the college, in fact, that began development in the area in the late 19th century. For a while, the area featured wide open spaces and truck farms that fed the nearby city. Today, the brick homes are old enough to be mellow, though many of the apartment buildings in the area are unappealing brick boxes. The neighborhood is a mix of families, younger singles and couples, and, predictably, college students. Home prices are about average and may rise as the whole northwest Denver area – particularly the Berkeley area to the south of Regis – becomes more desirable.

One drawback to the area is that, for a neighborhood surrounding a college campus, it has surprisingly few amenities. Federal, amidst all its muck (tire shops, cheap motels, fast-food joints) does have a couple of gems (El Taco Veloz and McCoy’s, which is a divey diner also serving stiff drinks). Lowell, kitty corner from the campus, has a lot of potential to be a lively retail area – the infrastructure is there. Yet, the restaurant is shuttered, there’s a sketchy-looking pizza place, a couple buildings that are who-knows-what, a pot pharmacy… and, worst of all, the one and only coffee shop keeps sporadic and short hours. Dubbel Dutch is worth a look, if only to puzzle over the imported German cookies, but for the most part, those seeking to enjoy being out and about in Regis end up driving down to Berkeley – which is a shame.