Washington Virginia Vale

If you mention "Washington Virginia Vale" to a local, don't count on most people knowing what you're talking about. Glendale and "east of Glendale" will be a better description. I moved into the southwest corner of this neighborhood when I got my first apartment. Although I moved away from the neighborhood long ago, this is still an area I visit for shopping. Actually, most city dwellers head here when they need to go to Super Target. This spot has some major chain stores along Colorado. Busy Leetsdale Drive has a mix of grocery stores, convenience stores, offices, and smaller shops and restaurants.

The Glendale section of the neighborhood has, in addition to all of the retail, some of the cheapest rental units in the city. While it's not exactly low-income housing, it is such a warren of large complexes that this spot has a particular feel all its own. I couldn't handle living here again, because it lacks the character of my favorite parts of town. The apartment complex area reminds me of what might happen if you took a bunch of trailer parks and stacked the trailers on top of each other instead of giving each its own plot. I dislike this sort of complex--it reminds me of rat cages stacked in a lab.

East of Glendale, there are nicer single-family homes. Cherry Creek Drive offers green spaces, paths, and a quick route to Cherry Creek, and downtown beyond. There isn't really anything remarkable to recommend this neighborhood, except possibly Four Mile house and its park. But it is safe and affordable, and many people make their homes here.

The first building to be constructed in Washington-Virginia Vale was a stagecoach stop. Built in 1858, this stoic little house is now Denver’s oldest remaining building: called the Four Mile House, it’s the centerpiece of a park and museum. It was frequently a traveler’s last stop along the Cherokee Trail, a place to wash off the dust, have a meal and possibly a good night’s sleep before heading into Denver proper.

In keeping with its roots, the neighborhood still welcomes new arrivals, but in a much different way. Leetsdale Drive, the heart of the neighborhood, is a central commercial thoroughfare for many of Denver’s immigrant communities (Eastern European and Mexican being the most visible). This is the place to go if you want to get some fresh, authentic Russian bread, Polish sausage, or a cheap and delicious enchilada dinner. Leetsdale is also where residents go to stock up on the basics (grocery stores, gas stations) and some of the not-so-basics (bars, medical marijuana dispensaries, and bowling at Monaco Lanes).

Some of the recesses of the neighborhood boast appealing single-family homes from the ‘50s or ‘60s, on streets that are old enough to be shady. Around Edwina Fallis Elementary, which bills itself as a “green school,” neighbors grow sunflower, pumpkins, and even corn in front-yard gardens. The area also has numerous apartment and condo complexes, primarily around Leetsdale. While many are well-maintained, some have a shabby, depressed feel to them, which makes them unappealing despite the low rent.