Cherry Creek North is just three miles from Downtown Denver and is a wonderful residential neighborhood wrapped around some of the most unique and robust boutique and high end shops and restaurants in the city ? with over 300 boutiques and 50+ restaurants there is enough variety for everyone! Adjacent to some of Metro Denver?s most popular neighborhoods including Country Club, Congress Park, Hilltop, Cheesman Park, Washington Park, Belcaro, Bonnie Brae and Polo Club, the neighborhood boundaries are York/Josephine on the West to Colorado Boulevard on the East, 1st Avenue (swooping down to Alameda between Steele & Colorado) and up to 6th Avenue.
Overall Cherry Creek North is one of the highest rated neighborhoods for walk-ability due to the shopping, business district, dining scene and residential area. Cherry Creek hosts many community events throughout the year one of the most notable being the Cherry Creek Art’s Festival on the July 4 weekend. It consistently draws over 350,000 people to the neighborhood every summer. A great bike and exercise path is accessible just south of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center that will take you to almost every part of the Metro Area, numerous parks, the South Platte River, the High Line Canal, even all the way out to the Cherry Creek Reservoir. Another nice feature of the neighborhood is that the schools, public and private, are rated as some of the best in Colorado. The Cherry Creek Chamber of Commerce is very active and the Cherry Creek Homeowners Organization encourages everyone to participate in social and business events.
Across 1st Avenue to the south is the Cherry Creek Shopping Center which was a dream of Temple Buell, a Denver architect, who purchased the mall site in 1925. He had many obstacles to overcome, including the Downtown merchants who did not want the competition, the Colorado Highway Department that wanted the Valley Highway (I-25) follow the actual Cherry Creek, and the site itself had been used for years by the city as a dump (his children called it ?Daddy’s Dump?). At one time he proposed a 52 Story building, which is one of the reasons Denver has a view ordinance limiting building height. Finally in 1955 the original Cherry Creek Shopping Center was completed with the anchor store being the fondly remembered Denver Dry.
Cherry Creek North was still looked upon by the surrounding neighborhoods as an area of modest homes and small businesses – until the new mall was opened in 1990. It is now the number one tourist attraction in Colorado. Temple would be so proud!
Cherry Creek North was originally the town of Harman from 1871 until it was annexed to Denver in 1895. Harman was settled by dairy and produce farmers who provided their produce to Denver grocers and families. ?The Grove? at Steele and 2nd was used as a picnic area, site for religious revivals and gypsy settlements. Through the forties and early fifties Cherry Creek North businesses included Gunther & Sons Tannery at 256 Cook St., Bitler Riding Academy at 143 Steele St., and The Pioneer Tavern on 2nd Avenue.
The Cherry Creek Neighborhood still has some original neighborhood homes that were built in the late 1890’s that are now situated next to brand new homes, creating an eclectic neighborhood feel. The first home sold by Distinctive Properties, when we were founded in 1977, was priced at $9,000! The homes and townhomes in Cherry Creek North now range in price from the high 100’s to over $5,000,000. It is a unique Denver neighborhood, and offers the rare opportunity to live within a beautiful, mature community, close to a major downtown, and enjoy all of the advantages of neighborhood businesses, restaurants, art galleries and thriving shopping district.