Lowry Field

I need to start by saying that I have a huge bias agains the new-construction, build-a-beige-community-overnight kind of development. Anything, evenly the outstandingly ugly, is better than the acreages of mediocrity encapsulated in this kind of architecture. And Lowry has a lot of it. It's almost as ugly as any other "community" suburb development built in the last 30 years.

That said, I can understand the attraction of Lowry. (By the way, no one calls this Lowry "Field". It's just known as Lowry to locals.) For a new community, it's pretty well done. They did keep some of the old structure, including two huge hangars and some older brick office buildings, that help this place retain a bit of character. Lowry used to be Lowry Air Force Base, so the airfield/aviation pieces that have been preserved are military, not commercial, unlike the Stapleton development.

Lowry has lots of apartments and condos as well as single-family homes. It has been populated as soon as the housing has been built. It's a popular neighborhood with families. Lowry Town Center is the little business and retail district that serves the neighborhood. It's very friendly, with restaurant patios, boutique stores, and fountains where children play in summer. Various associations hold many neighborhood events, from movies-in-the-park to fairs and concerts. There is a community feel that makes this new neighborhood feel a little older than it is--a little more established than other places. Lowry is a close-knit community with new amenities, and housing at all price ranges.

Lowry Field has a similar story to Stapleton, and a similar feel: both have their roots in aviation, lived past their useful lives in their previous incarnations, and were redeveloped into residential communities. While Stapleton was Denver’s international airport, Lowry was an Air Force base. Initially the birthplace of the Air Force Academy, it was subsequently used for training activities until it was closed in 1994.

More remains of Lowry’s past than of Stapleton’s. The gigantic B-52 bomber parked outside the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (a destination in its own right for locals) is perhaps the most conspicuous reminder of the area’s past. The former base’s administrative buildings, barracks, and smaller hangars still remain, converted into luxury condos and lofts. And luxury is a watchword here: deluxe 3-bedroom, 2-bath condos start in the mid-300s.

Lowry, at least at present, has a denser, more urban, and more compact feel than Stapleton. Commercial development is heavier and simultaneously more pedestrian-friendly: grocery stores, cafes, bars, and coffeeshops are tucked into plazas along Lowry Boulevard and Quebec Street, and other plazas house large modern office buildings. Developers and residents alike seem proud of the area and its historic character. Aficionados of military history and well-planned urban communities will find a lot to see and explore in Lowry.