Capitol Hill, Denver
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Located in the City and County of Denver, Colorado, the Capitol Hill neighborhood is bounded by the major arteries of Broadway, Downing Street, Colfax Avenue, and Sixth Avenue, which carry large volumes of traffic around the neighborhood. Some consider the Cheesman Park neighborhood to be a part of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, but as defined by the city [1], Cheesman Park is a separate neighborhood. There is also a statistical neighborhood called North Capitol Hill, by the city of Denver, but identified in the mind's of most city residents as Uptown. Colfax Avenue provides the border for both of these neighborhoods.
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[edit] Geography
The neighborhood is located just southeast of Denver's Central Business District (CBD) in a well-established residential neighborhood, with commercial centers located along major traffic routes (such as Colfax Avenue and Broadway) and interior intersections (such as East 13th and 14th Avenues). The neighborhood is directly east of the Civic Center neighborhood and the Colorado State Capitol. Over 95% of this neighborhood is developed. The average year of construction for buildings is approximately 1920, with some of the oldest single-family homes in the city. The characteristics of Capitol Hill are closely related to other east Denver neighborhoods, which include the hospital district and the North Capitol Hill neighborhood. Public transportation and city support services are readily available.
Neighborhood Boundaries:
- North - Colfax Avenue
- South - Sixth Avenue
- East - Downing Street
- West - Broadway
[edit] Characteristics
Parking is at a premium in the neighborhood, and a number of multi-family properties lack off-street parking facilities. Traffic during rush hours (Sixth Avenue and Lincoln Street in the morning and Eighth Avenue and Broadway in the evening) can be quite heavy. The area is strongly influenced on the north by Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, and by numerous other health facilities, medical offices, and general small office buildings in the area. The south portion of Capitol Hill is more residential in nature; both are strongly influenced by their proximity to the Central Business District. What promises to be a large development in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood is the redevelopment of Children’s Hospital after its relocation to the site of the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Denver's eastern neighbor. The redevelopment of portions of Colfax Avenue is also in the works. This has many officials concluding that the neighborhood will be seeing drastic changes. The entire area is considered mixed-use; commercial uses are typically located on major arterials such as Colfax Avenue, East Sixth Avenue, East 14th Avenue, East 17th Avenue, East 18th Avenue, Lincoln Street, and Broadway. Residential development, including multi-family uses ranging from low to high-density apartments, condominiums and new townhouse construction, and older single-family residences are located throughout the area, both on major arterials and on side streets. A considerable number of mansion properties have been converted to office uses over the past several years. Office development along this route is typified by smaller-scale office development interspersed in residential developments. The development of newer office buildings is generally located further west in the lower downtown Denver area and along Broadway in the area known as the Golden Triangle.
[edit] Culture
The Capitol Hill neighborhood is influenced by its proximity to the Colorado State Capitol, the hospitals of North Capitol Hill/Uptown, and Downtown.
Capitol Hill is probably one of the most active neighborhoods in Denver, well-known as a haven for artists and bohemians. There are numerous restaurants, clubs, bars, stores, concert venues, and other cultural amenities in the community. Along 13th Avenue near Washington Street is the center of Denver's punk community with the punk club, Cricket on the Hill, and various stores that cater to punks. Colfax Avenue has a reputation for a wild nightlife with two concert venues (The Fillmore and the Ogden), and numerous late-night bars, coffeeshops, restaurants, stores and clubs on the street. During the day, lobbyists and politicians from the Colorado State Capitol can be seen making deals in the restaurants and bars of the neighborhood.
Capitol Hill is also known as a very gay friendly neighborhood and as a gay village with many LGBT people living and working in the neighborhood. The annual PrideFest gay pride parade goes through the neighborhood.
Capitol Hill is next to two major Denver parks, Civic Center Park and Cheesman Park. Both of these are meeting centers for the community; they host many festivals, including the Capitol Hill United Neighbors-sponsored People's Fair in early June.
[edit] Urban Renewal
Capitol Hill is one of many neighborhoods in central Denver undergoing gentrification. What was once known as an area for young bohemians, artists and musicians (Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg were former neighborhood residents) is now being redeveloped for more affluent citizens. The rents and property taxes in the neighborhood have increased significantly over the past decade, and many of the cheap apartments in the area have been remodeled into more expensive condominiums. Aurora has attracted many of the artists to new developments along its stretch of Colfax Avenue several miles east. Many portions of Colfax Avenue, including the part in the neighborhood, are undergoing redevelopment to make them denser and more pedestrian-friendly. Some neighborhood residents champion the changes, viewing them as making the neighborhood safer and more inviting. However, others appreciate the reputation of "Colfax" and worry that the redevelopment will discourage artists, musicians, and others that give the neighborhood such a unique flavor from staying.
[edit] Crime
Finally, Capitol Hill is also well-known for its crime, particularly the common use of drugs and prostitution in the neighborhood. The area around the Molly Brown House in particular is known for its open-air drug dealing, especially of crack and meth. Colfax Avenue (though not just in Capitol Hill) has a reputation as a prostitution street, with many by the hour hotels along the avenue. Recently both prostitution and drug use have decreased in the neighborhood, especially as the population has become more affluent and police efforts have begun to stem the problems.
