Lincoln Park, Denver

Lincoln Park is a neighborhood and public park close to downtown Denver, Colorado and the location of the Santa Fe Arts District.

The neighborhood, which has about 7,000 residents, is one of Denver's oldest and is just to the south of the area where Denver was first settled in the 1850s, and many houses date from about 1900. Lincoln Park is predominantly Latino. [http://www.downtowndenver.com/urbanliving/la_alma.htm Web page titled "Neighborhood: La Alma/Lincoln Park"] at the Downtown Denver Partnership Inc. website, retrieved September 29, 2008] ]

Interstate 25 runs north-south through the western part of the neighborhood. The RTD's light rail line also runs north-south through the neighborhood and includes a station located at 10th Avenue and Osage Street. The neighborhood is sometimes called "La Alma/Lincoln Park" [ [http://www.denvergov.org/Planning_Services/SmallAreaPlans/LaAlmaLincolnPark/tabid/428339/Default.aspx] La Alma/Lincoln Park neighborhood assessment.] or the West Side.

The Santa Fe Arts District, on Santa Fe Drive between 4th and 12th Avenues (its primary retail and commercial corridor), includes more than 40 galleries, restaurants and shops. The "First Friday Art Walk" and the "Collectors' Night" are monthly events in the district. [ [http://www.artdistrictonsantafe.com/index.php Home page] for the Santa Fe Arts District, retrieved September 29, 2008] ]

The Denver Civic Theater on Santa Fe Drive was opened in 1921 as a cinema house, one of Denver's first silent movie theaters. [ [http://www.denvercivic.com/index2.htm Web page titled "About Us"] at the Denver Civic Theater website, retrieved September 29, 2008] ] The building was later used for various purposes (even as a meatpacking plant), before it was eventually renovated in 1993 as a neighborhood arts center containing two theaters (one with 332 seats, another with 134) and an art gallery. The venue has been used by local playwrights and a resident performance company for dramatic productions.

Institutions in the neighborhood include Museo de las Americas on Santa Fe Drive, the region's first museum dedicated to the art and culture of Latinos; Denver Health hospital complex; Denver West High School, the Asian and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce; Buckhorn Exchange, a 105-year old restaurant that holds the state's first liquor license; and Sunken Gardens Park along Speer Boulevard. A former courthouse and district attorney's office at the intersection of Speer Boulevard and Colfax Avenue was renovated into a Latino cultural and business center.

Within the neighborhood is Lincoln Park itself, located at Mariposa St. and West 11th Avenue. The park has a basketball court, football field, lighted football field, horseshoe pit, outdoor pool, recreation center, softball field, grass infield, lighted softball field, tennis court, and a sand volleyball court. [ [http://www.denvergov.org/LincolnPark/tabid/380777/Default.aspx Web page titled "Lincoln Park"] , City of Denver Website, retrieved September 29, 2008] ]

Housing in the neighborhood includes many single family detached houses, including two-story brick Victorians, row houses, duplexes, brick bungalows and one-story stucco houses. Prominent housing developments include the Parkway Center apartment and condominium complex, with 1,050 units, at 12th and Galapagos Street (also fronting on Speer Boulevard). The new South Lincoln Park public housing facility, completed in 1996, replaced a dilapidated housing complex built in the 1950s.

Geography

Lincoln Park is just southwest of downtown Denver. The boundaries of the neighborhood are:

*South - 6th Avenue
*North - West Colfax Avenue
*East - Speer Boulevard
*West - South Platte River

References

External links

* [http://www.artdistrictonsantafe.com/index.php Santa Fe Arts District]