The Washington Park neighborhood is hinged around a 162-acre park that was designed between 1899 and 1908 by Reinhard Schuetze, and includes an exact replica of Martha Washington’s garden at Mount Vernon. The area has been developed for much longer, however. A century before Wash Park began to burgeon, it was one of Denver’s first suburbs. Also, within the park’s confines are two lakes, Smith and Grasmere, 54 flowerbeds, a recreation center, a lawn bowling/croquet field, and two playgrounds. The Washington Park neighborhood encompasses the park’s borders, and stretches from Downing St. to University Blvd. (east and west), from Cherry Creek Drive on the north to I-25 on the south.
Located in South Central Denver, Wash Park, as it is known among its residents, is an ideal location for young professionals in between owning their first place and still needing a roommate. The Park’s eastern edges, flanked by tall, 70s-style apartment complexes and condos, are a prime destination for this demographic. On the west, the park is bolstered by single family Victorian-style brick homes, as well as Tudors and bungalows, plus newer homes that have replaced smaller existing properties over the past 20 years.
Technically, the neighborhood is split into two distinct areas: Washington Park and Washington Park West. Though they are operated by separate neighborhood associations, the two work in conjunction with each other. Washington Park has a broad appeal because of its central location, and because of its proximity to hip coffee shops, neighborhood restaurants and bars, and area businesses.