Five Points, Denver

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Five Points on this map of Denver's neighborhoods

Five Points is the name given to the neighborhoods surrounding the intersection of Washington Street, 27th Street, 26th Avenue and Welton Street, northeast of Downtown Denver. The collision between the downtown diagonal grid and the rectangular grid of East Denver neighborhoods causes this intersection to be five-way, hence the name. One of the city's oldest neighborhoods, the area came to prominence in the 1860s. The Curtis Park and Ballpark neighborhoods are located within the larger Five Points neighborhood, one of the largest neighborhoods in Denver.

[edit] History

Five points for some is considered the "Harlem of the West" for its long jazz history. It was the first predominantly African-American neighborhood in Denver. In the 30's 40's and 50's, it was home to over 50 bars and clubs, where some of the greatest jazz musicians ever, such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and others played.

Today, Five Points' African-American heritage is celebrated by the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center in the neighborhood, as well as the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library. A number of African-American churches and businesses are still landmarks in the community Denver's Juneteenth festival draws over 100,000 people every year. It starts at Manual High School and goes down to Welton Street in Five Points where thousands of vendors sell merchandise and street performers perform. The African-American community of Denver often considers Five Points to be its historic center and symbol. Former Denver mayor Wellington Webb, an African-American, was dubbed by the community to be the "Mayor of Five Points." Despite this recognition, Five Points statistically no longer is a predominantly African-American community, though it is often thought to be by residents of the metro area.

The construction of light rail into the neighborhood by Denver's Regional Transportation District, and the area's proximity to downtown has led to rapid gentrification of the neighborhood, with historic Victorian homes undergoing restoration and expensive loft construction. This has led many to lament the disappearance of Five Points unique culture and contribution to the city. Many of the long-term residents of the neighborhood have left due to rising rents, most re-settling in suburban areas like Aurora.

Among Denver residents, Five points has long been perceived as a haven for drug dealing, crime, poverty, prostitution, and gang violence, along with several other areas in East Denver. It is debatable whether such perceptions were ever truly based in reality or were merely stereotypes fostered by misconceptions of Five Points' predominantly minority population. With the demographics of the neighborhood now having undergone such a dramatic shift, this argument is confined to a recollection of an earlier time, for better or for worse.