Curtis Park, Denver Colorado
Property Management

General Areas of Significance

The general areas of significance in the Curtis Park neighborhood of Denver include its history, the architectural styles of the region, and its general geography. Historically, this is one of the oldest and most intact of all residential neighborhoods. Its origins date back to the start of the railroad system within the year of 1870 and during what is referred to as the “building boom”. The architecture includes the following:

• The Italianate of the 19th Century
• The Queen Anne
• Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century Styles

Being that Curtis Park is one of the earliest of all residential regions within the City of Denver, it represents many social backgrounds and economic backgrounds. This makes itself known by the various types of homes that are present throughout the neighborhood and the high level of diversity in the sizes. Today, this means that real estate investors, home buyers, and tenants have a wide range of flexibility when it comes to making choices as to what type of home or homes they seek.

The Layout and Unique Composition of the Curtis Park Neighborhood

In order to truly appreciate all that the Curtis Park neighborhood in Denver has to offer, you should start by learning about the layout and composition of the area. The following outlines the specifics of the region:

1. Streetscape – The streets throughout the neighborhood are laid out in a diagonal manner that follows the beautiful South Platte River. You will find curbs composed of sandstone and streets composed of asphalt that are exceptionally wide. Most of the lawns are at direct grade with the street system.
2. Sidewalk System – The sidewalks throughout Curtis Park are wide. They are composed of sandstone. They are offset from the streets by a small lawn of trees.
3. Land Utilization – Most of the land throughout Curtis Park is residential. There are a few buildings that reflect other uses – such as religious, commercial, and institutional. The city now has its very first park, too. It is the Mestizo-Curtis Park.
4. Lots – The lots situated throughout the Curtis Park neighborhood are very similar to one another. Most are 125 feet in depth and 25 feet wide; however, there are bigger and smaller sized lots throughout the area, too.
5. Buildings – Most of the structures in the neighborhood are placed on named streets. The smaller-sized structures and the rowhouses that are still in the area are most commonly found on the numbered streets.

Structure Issues

There are a few issues that have been outlined by professionals – in terms of the buildings of the neighborhood. These include the following:

• Many homes have only very small front yards.
• The placement of multi-family units on corner lots often results in complications.
• The backyards are often larger than the front yards.
• Many homes have side yards that are very narrow.
• Many homes are placed on the corner of a lot and it makes the yard/home balance uneven.
• Then, there are homes on numbered streets that are not only small, but have small yards and no form of separation from the side where the alley is located.

Despite the structure issues outlined here, many flock to the area because of the setup as it reflects the historical period in which the neighborhood was founded. For many, the historical significance overrides the structural issues that have been outlined by evaluators.

Basic Information

Curtis Park spans over an area of 0.896 square miles. The population is about 9,907 people. That means that 11,055 people reside within each square mile. To put this in perspective, in the City of Denver, there are about 4,742 people per square mile. The median household income is about $77,374 – which outranks the median household income of Denver by nearly $3,000. The median rate of rent is about $1,500 a month. The average household size is 5.6 people. Family households account for 28.8% of the area and married couple families come in at 14.6%. Single-mother households make up 33.1% and married couples with kids make up 26.9%.

At a Glance

The Curtis Park neighborhood includes three different historic districts – the San Rafael, Clements, and the Glenarm Place. In these, there are several Brownstones, Queen Annes, Victorians, and Denver Squares. As the area continues to expand, there are many townhomes and condos popping up. It is an area that is known for a highly exciting and entertaining cultural renaissance. As a result, many young professionals and various types of artists come together in the area. This results in a high level of diversity among individuals within the neighborhood.

In the northwest area of the neighborhood, an area known as the River North Art District (RiNo) there are over twenty different galleries and a wide range of studios. What was originally an area for the mining industry and the railroad industry is now a highly creative center. Here, individuals can enjoy the Denver Coliseum, the Forney Museum, and the National Western Stock Show Complex. Coors Field is also a part of this area.

Many of the early movers of the region lived in the Curtis Park neighborhood. These include the merchant by the name of Jay Joslin, the Mayor named Wolfe Londoner, and the Governor of the State of Colorado named William Gilpin. Many of these are noted because they had an influence on the style of homes in the area. Examples include the high ceilings, the ornamental front porches, the flat roofs, and the stately architecture associated with the Victorian homes. While many modern features have been added to the home, the area consists of mostly historical homes with historical features. In fact, most of the structures in the area have been designated as “historic”, as a part of the efforts of the Curtis Park Neighborhood Association. The most widely known structures in the area are as follows:

• The Cole Lydon House at 2418 Stout Street
• 2655 Stout Street
• The Kramer House at 2445 California Street
• The German Methodist Episcopal Church at 2501 California Street
• 2619 California Five Points on California Street
• The Temple Emanuel Synagogue at 2400 Curtis Street
• The Ideal Laundry Building at 2500 Curtis Street
• The National Guard Armory at 2565 Curtis Street
• The Curtis Street Houses
• 2743 Curtis Street
• 2816 Curtis Street
• 2825 Curtis Street
• The Scobey House at 2826 Curtis Street
• 2831 Curtis Street
• The Mannat House at 2905 Curtis Street
• The Anfenger House at 2900 Champa Street
• The J. Jay Joslin House at 2915 Champa Street
• The Champa Street Houses
• The Patrick Ford House at 2627 Champa Street
• The Isaac Gotthelf Mansion at 2601 Champa Street
• And, more!