Profile of Cheeseman Park: Real Estate, Home Values & Lifestyle

Among Denver’s oldest neighborhoods, Cheeseman Park is as rich with history as any other spot in the city. Originally a cemetery, the actual park located in the center of the residential zone was completed in 1910 by Reinhardt Schuetze in the English garden style and named Congress Park. Later, thanks to the bequeathment of funds from a local philanthropist, the green space was augmented further and renamed once again, this time Cheeseman Park. Nowadays the area between Josephine, Colfax, 8th and Corona is considered to be the Cheeseman Park neighborhood.

In its early 20th-century heyday, Cheeseman Park was the place to live in Denver. There were no busy streets to congest the area and that, together with the large park and the stunning mountain views, made the borders of the park the ideal building spot for fabulous mansions. As time passed and Capitol Hill developed, the mansions were torn down and replaced by apartments. Many of these high rises still stand, but the neighborhood also has a thriving commercial sector as well as an assortment of single-family homes.

Is Living in Cheeseman Park Right For You?

Much of what is available in the Cheeseman Park neighborhood are 1- and 2-bedroom condos. The sheer numbers of these available units keep the average home sale price—as of August 2012—in the $200K range. Single-family homes, however, are pricier. Expect to find prices in the ballpark of $600K in the historic Humboldt St. part of the neighborhood and elsewhere. The population density is over three times Denver’s average, with more than 12,000 people living within each square mile. The park’s openness and space helps to mitigate this density, though, providing more than enough room for all.

The large park is the heart of the neighborhood. An expansive green space filled with hidden nooks, pavilions and so much more, take in Denver’s Botanical Gardens, a 23-acre subset of the park. In the area surrounding the park, enjoy the many bars, boutiques, restaurants and cafes that provide something for everyone. Joggers, dog-owners, homeowners, renters and alternative lifestylers populate the area, giving it a very socially mixed look and feel.

While the park itself has an ambling, tucked-away quality to it, the Cheeseman Park neighborhood is in the center of everything. Located just west of Capitol Hill and downtown, when you live here you’re about as centralized as you can be in Denver. I-25 and I-70 are both close by, and you’re never more than a drive, bike ride or walk from an activity.

If you’re in the market for a home, and especially if condo life is what you’re after, you can’t get much better than Denver’s Cheeseman Park.