North Capitol Hill

I used to work in North Capital Hill and always found it to be a lively, fun place to be. This area is predominantly frequented by the young professionals who work in downtown Denver. There are numerous restaurants and bars here and plenty of housing. While single family homes aren't predominant, those that are here have a certain charm about them. Also within the borders of this neighborhood are two rather large churches, one Lutheran and one Catholic. The Catholic church here is tall and majestic looking and sits right off of Colfax Avenue.

The southwest corner of Colfax and Lincoln Street are right across from the sate capitol building. Just west of the neighborhood is downtown Denver and the streets here are all busy at any given time of day. For those traveling in the neighborhood traffic isn't bad with the exception of Colfax Avenue, Broadway, and Lincoln Street. Park Avenue can get busy, but not as much as the other streets.

I would recommend this part of town for a professional who wants to be close to work and be close to good restaurants and bars. Although traffic can get heavy, there is a lot within walking distance and the bus system is very good, so a car isn't mandatory for someone living here who works downtown. I wouldn't recommend this area for families with children as there are no parks and not much for kids to do here.

North Capitol Hill is more commonly known as Uptown, perhaps in an effort to distinguish itself from its cheaper, louder, dirtier neighbor to the south, Capitol Hill proper. Directly east of downtown (making “Up” a confusing designation, especially since there’s no Midtown neighborhood), the area is an easy commute, meaning that many residents are younger professionals. Housing tends towards apartments or condos, though there are some single-family homes and old mansions thrown into the mix, and the area is noted for its interesting variety of architecture. Many buildings are newer, upscale constructions, including whole blocks of loft-style housing, the ground level filled with florists, wine shops, yoga studios, and the like, along 19th Avenue.

Since it takes more money to live in Uptown – North Capitol Hill – than it does to live in Capitol Hill to the south, the population tends to be a little older, a little more white-collar, and a touch more sedate, although 17th Avenue is a bright-lit strip of bars and restaurants that gets very lively on the weekends. In fact, 17th Ave is sometimes referred to as Denver’s “Restaurant Row,” and the stretch that passes through Uptown offers nouveau-American, upscale Mediterranean, casual Mexican, and hearty vegetarian restaurants within a stone’s throw of each other, as well as a drag-queen hamburger joint and a gourmet market.