The Denverite recognizes it for fighting unwanted development. 5280 magazine calls it one of Denver’s top 25 neighborhoods. Homebuyers love it for its access to I-25, the Denver Tech Center, downtown and the Highline Canal.

Ever hear of Southmoor Park?

Southmoor Park is an odd, polygonal-shaped area bounded loosely by I-25, East Hampden Avenue, Happy Canyon Road and East Belleview Avenue that was developed initially in 1960s and ’70s. Suburban in feel with lots of sprawling ranch-style homes, the area is known for its mature landscaping, large yards and quiet, rambling streets—while also offering a Denver address.

Though residential streets are lined with sidewalks, the neighborhood tends to be car-centric with much of the shopping and amenities concentrated along busy thoroughfares. Walkers can avail themselves of the Highline Canal Trail or pop over to Cherry Creek State Park for a hike, while golfers can walk 18 holes at the Wellshire Golf Course or Kennedy Golf Course.

While Southmoor has resisted development, some of its surrounding neighbors have welcomed new in-fill projects and the revisioning of blighted shopping centers. Not far away Southmoor Parkites will find a large Target in the redeveloped Tamarac Square, a Whole Foods, Petco and Elvis Cinemas in Tiffany Plaza and the splashy new, mixed-use development Belleview Station at Belleview Avenue and Niagara Street. Featuring hundreds of luxury apartments, walkable streets lined with fancy shops and restaurants (A Line Boutique, Los Chingones, Sushi-Rama, Ambli Global, Tap and Burger, Le French, etc.), hotels and office space, the transit-oriented development (the heart of the community is the Belleview Light Rail station) brings new residential, dining and shopping options to the area.

If you’re looking for a neighborhood that offers the big lots and shady trees of the suburbs (circa 1970) combined with urban living (get your arts and culture on at DU’s Newman Center close by), you’ve found it.

Southmoor Park Highlights

Population: 4,400-plus
Location: 20 minutes southeast of downtown, no traffic.
Housing stock: Housing stock from the 1960s and ’70s. Single-family, some new-build apartments and condos.
Public schools: Denver Public Schools
Public high school: Thomas Jefferson High School
Nearest hospital(s): Swedish Medical Center, Porter Adventist Hospital, Rose Medical Center, Sky Ridge Medical Center
Nearby park(s): Southmoor Park, Wallace Park, Cherry Creek State Park