Archaeological evidence suggests that the site where the Cherry Creek Shopping Center currently stands may have been a cross-cultural trading site, indicating that people have shopped along the banks of Cherry Creek for centuries—long before white settlers colonized the region that now houses the aforementioned destination mall, the Cherry Creek North dining and shopping district, the Cherry Creek Bike Path, swanky hotels, Whole Foods and four Starbucks.

It’s hard to imagine that this high-end swath of real estate was once known as Harman, Colorado, a 19^th-century town that lacked streets, a central water supply and through which Denver’s sewage flowed freely through the local creek.

Harman sat on the Smoky Hill Trail, which ran from Atchison, Kansas through Denver along Cherry Creek, serving as a link to Colorado’s gold fields and as a stage and freight route. The town’s main industry was agriculture, and the area supported several dairy farms. In the aftermath of the 1893 Silver Panic, the town voted for Denver annexation.

The area developed with homes and commercial strips joining the farms and greenhouses. Shops cropped up along Sixth Avenue in the 1930s, on Third Avenue and along the trolley line on Detroit. Given that Cherry Creek had a tendency to flood, the area near the creek where the mall now stands became a garbage dumping ground and campground for people who were down on their luck.

To remediate this floodplain, a dam was built to contain the rambunctious creek and the city rerouted streets and filled the area with dirt. Chicago architect Temple Buell purchased this former trash heap and after years of rezoning negotiations built the outdoor Cherry Creek Shopping Center where Elway’s and other retailers now stand. It opened in the mid-1950s with a Denver Dry Goods, Bauer’s, Walgreens and other shops.

In 1990 the modern Cherry Creek mall opened with high-end anchors that included Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, and it continues to be a regional shopping destination with retailers that include Apple, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Kate Spade, RH, Tesla, Sephora and many more.

Though the area’s identity is dominated by shopping and dining, Cherry Creek is also a neighborhood. Situated between Sixth Avenue to the north, Alameda Avenue to the south, and University and Colorado Boulevards west to east, Cherry Creek houses some of the city’s priciest addresses. Housing stock is a riotous mix of old and new. Toward Sixth Avenue you’ll find more single-family historic, vintage and custom homes, further south more high-rise condos.

Cherry Creek has experienced massive development in recent years. UC Health Medical Center Cherry Creek just opened a new facility, offering imaging services, general surgery and specialized medicine. Apartment complexes such as the Gables Cherry Creek II and Gables Vista bring luxury rental units to the area while Studio 135 has introduced posh micro apartments. New hotels, office buildings and an independent living community for seniors are also on the books.

Should you have the good fortune to live in Cherry Creek, you can join the extraordinarily active Cherry Creek North Neighborhood Association, which connects neighbors to neighbors through book groups, bunco, dinners, concert attendance, lecture series and other outings. The association has fought hard to keep the neighborhood neighborhoody, and locals can thank them for the reimagining to Fillmore Street as a walkable plaza.

 “Cherry Creek North is more livable, accessible, attractive and safe for pedestrians and cyclists because of CCNNA.”

Cherry Creek Highlights (from Niche.com)
Population: almost 7,000
Location: 10 minutes southeast of downtown, no traffic.
Housing stock: Lots of high-end multi-family townhomes, duplexes and condos, contemporaries bumping against turn-of-the-century stock
Neighborhood Rankings
Best Neighborhoods to Live in Denver….. #9
Commute………………………………………………. A
Good for Families………………………………….. A-
Health and Fitness………………………………… A+
Jobs………………………………………………………. B+
Nightlife…………………………………………………. A+
Outdoor Activities………………………………….. A

Public schools: Denver Public Schools
Public high school: South High School
Nearest hospital: Rose Medical Center
Nearby park: Cherry Creek Park, Pulaski Park
Fun fact: The land on which the Cherry Creek Shopping Center now stands was once a dump.