Hilltop
“I am close to everything that is important to me and my kids have so many friends in the neighborhood that playdates are easy.”
Now one of Denver’s finest neighborhoods, Hilltop’s history is actually quite modest. Its first home was a humble log cabin built near the Cherry Creek Trail which still stands today as a living history museum. True to its name, Hilltop was developed in the 1920s high on a hill, far from the pollution of the city. Tuberculosis was a threat and people sought to live in and breathe the neighborhood’s clean and cool air. Around this time, the University of Colorado Hospital broke ground on 8th Avenue and the area was soon nicknamed “Pill Hill” for the influx of doctors who settled into Hilltop’s first homes.
Fortunately, its development prospered at the time of Denver’s “City Beautiful” planning movement. George Cramner developed his namesake park (as well as Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Winter Park) and hired noted architect Jacques Benedict to build his landmark Mediterranean home that still stands at Hilltop’s highest point on the Park. An ordinance was passed that forbid any building to block the western views – a legacy that to this day allows for magnificent views of the snow-capped Rockies. About the same time, Robinson Brick Company moved their brick building plant from Fairfax and 3rd and donated this space to the city. It was transformed into Robinson Park.
Developers have made their mark in recent years. Many of the original homes have been scraped to make way for new construction. But for the most part, the charm lives on.
Today, people are drawn to Hilltop for many of the same reasons as early residents. Sunny and open, it feels like every home is just steps from a park. The Tudor homes and cottages are exquisite. Kids have access to some of the best public schools in Denver. They safely ride their bikes along Hilltop’s tree-lined streets and play soccer and lacrosse in the parks. Graland Country Day School, one of Denver’s finest private schools is walkable. The location is quiet yet convenient – just east of all the Cherry Creek buzz.
Boundaries: Albion to Holly – Alameda to 6th Avenue
Learn more about Hilltop at www.denverhilltop.com.
Don’t Miss:
- Saturday afternoons in Robinson Park and Cranmer Park.
- Mountain views
- Basil Doc’s Pizzeria
- Park Burger
- The Cheese Shop
- High Point Creamery
- Saturday afternoons at Crestmoor Park
- Jewish Community Center for pool, tennis, preschool and summer camps
