West Highland

West Highland is the Northwest Denver neighborhood that runs from Federal Boulevard west to Sheridan Boulevard, and from 29th Avenue north to 38th. The Highlands sits across Federal to the east, Berkeley is to the north, and Sloan's Lake Park is close by to the south. People often stretch "the Highlands" over West Highland too, and over Jefferson Park, Sunnyside and Berkeley, so when a listing says Highlands, check which side of Federal it's on.

Where Elitch Gardens began

In 1887 John and Mary Elitch bought the 16-acre Chilcott farm at what's now 38th and Tennyson, and on May 1, 1890, they opened their Zoological Gardens there. The theatre was enclosed and rebuilt in 1891 for $100,000, a summer stock company arrived in 1893, and Sarah Bernhardt played it in 1906. The theatre company's last season was 1987, and the amusement park closed in 1994.

The old grounds sold in 1996 on the condition that the theatre and the shell of the carousel pavilion never come down. Highlands' Garden Village broke ground on the site in 1998: about 306 homes, from single-family houses and townhouses to carriage houses, apartments and live-work lofts, with a 28,000-square-foot grocery anchoring the shops. The theatre's exterior was restored in 2006 and 2007, and in summer 2023 it reopened for indoor movies and tours.

The houses, mostly prewar and modest in size

Denver Assessor open data counts 2,725 detached single-family houses in West Highland. About 78 percent were built before 1940, 15 percent between 1940 and 1959, and about 6 percent since 2000, and the median is around 1,210 square feet. Condos and rowhomes aren't in those numbers. On the street that means Craftsman bungalows and Victorians, with modern townhomes in between. Central West Highland has seen a lot of infill, so a row of old houses can have a new duplex or two dropped into it. If you need real square footage, look at older houses that have already been expanded, or at the newer townhomes, because a typical original house here runs small.

In 2008 the city rezoned roughly 29th to 32nd Avenue between Stuart and Meade Streets so a single-family house there couldn't be torn down for a multifamily building. Ask for the current zoning on any lot where you're counting on adding units.

Three historic districts

Wolff Place became a Denver landmark district in 2006, and the Allen M. Ghost district followed in 2010. Packard's Hill came in September 2017 after an 8-5 City Council vote: about 30 acres between 32nd and 35th Avenues west of Lowell Boulevard, with well over 100 homes, including a late-1800s stone house on Lowell.

Inside any of the three, exterior work that needs a permit goes through Landmark Preservation design review first. That covers replacement windows and doors, roofs, additions, garages, ADUs, fences, solar panels and basement egress windows. If you're buying with a pop-top or a new garage in mind, find out whether the address sits in a district before you write the offer.

Highlands Square and 32nd Avenue

The center of the neighborhood is 32nd and Lowell, known as Highlands Square. 32nd is the main strip for restaurants, boutiques and specialty shops, and a farmers market sets up along it on summer Sundays. El Camino Community Tavern, at 3628 W. 32nd, does Mexican-rooted food with a few twists, from tacos to weekend brunch, plus a deep tequila list. Down the street at 3475 W. 32nd, Sweet Cow scoops small-batch ice cream. Both are on 5280's West Highland neighborhood guide.

Getting around

Federal and Sheridan Boulevards frame the east and west sides, and 38th Avenue runs along the north edge. RTD's Route 32 bus runs along 32nd Avenue between Olde Town Arvada Station and Civic Center Station downtown, with West Highland stops at Julian, Meade and Osceola Streets. For bikes, there's a lane on 35th Avenue.