Virginia Village

Residents of Virginia Village seem to love their neighborhood. Many don't ever leave. It's not in a trendy area, and has therefore been immune to the up and down swings in value and neighborhood amenities that has changed much of Denver. This is a boom-and-bust town, but Virginia Village is a steady spot.

South Colorado Boulevard is a major north-south artery, and a rather bland retail strip. But if you venture off the main drag, you can find surprisingly attractive neighborhoods like this one. Cherry Creek Drive is a very busy street, but it follows a waterway (as you might guess from the name). This means that there are many green spaces along its meandering path that won't be developed. This is also one of the longest of Denver's hundreds of miles of bike and walking paths.

This helps ensure the stability of Virginia Village. The neighborhood has nice but inexpensive apartments. It also has many single-family homes of the brick bungalow variety. I used to live here with a roommate, and the neighborhood is quiet, safe, and pretty. There are also some neighborhood restaurants off of the main strip that are true gems. The Bull and Bush is a Denver local favorite. Virginia Village is a solid neighborhood.

For more shopping and dining options, this is a very short drive to Cherry Creek. To branch out even more, this is about 15 minutes from downtown. Cherry Creek Drive offers a quick beeline to these areas.

Locals don’t hear a lot about Virginia Village. There are no big developments or redevelopments going on here. It’s not particularly close to downtown, nor particularly far away. There isn’t any real reason to visit, unless you know someone who lives here, nor is there a reason to stay away. Housing isn’t especially expensive, or especially cheap. A glance at the statistics says that Virginia Village is average.

All this average-ness, however, is not a bad thing. Virginia Village is an established, ethnically diverse middle class neighborhood with a mellow suburban feel. A quick glance at the homes, many adorned with vibrant flowerbeds and shaded by mature trees, reveals pride of ownership. Residents jog and bike along the quiet streets, or take the kids to play at Cook Park. This is a family-oriented area with low crime rates. The area was developed from the ‘50s to the ‘70s and some areas, such as Krisana Park and Lynwood, are noted for their exemplary mid-century modern architecture.

Much like Hampden, the area has heavier commercial and residential development along its borders. Colorado Boulevard is loaded (possibly overloaded) with shopping plazas where residents shop, dine, and play. Office buildings and apartment complexes also line the edges of this large neighborhood. At the southwestern corner, a light rail stop offers a shortcut to downtown or the Tech Center during rush hour. All told, there is nothing remarkable about Virginia Village – but it has a cozy and livable feel to it that draws many people move here and stick around for years.