Neighborhood: Uptown
Monthly Rental: $870–$1,750
Units: Studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments
Living Space: 380–820 square feet
Opened: January 2013

Given Denverites’ love for two-wheeling, four-legged friends, and living in close proximity to downtown, it was only a matter of time until someone put it all together—and that someone is Dan Schuetz. The elite road racer and project manager for the Nichols Partnership (of the Denver Theatre District’s Spire fame) gets Denver’s biking culture, which was the inspiration for the new ride in, ride out 61-unit Cruise apartment complex just west of City Park at 1899 Gaylord Street. A cycling motif runs through the newly opened, pet-friendly residential building (developed by the Nichols Partnership and managed by Boutique Apartments), from locally sourced bike-themed art to a bicycle repair station and extra storage space for residents.

Originally constructed as a medical office complex in 1969, Schuetz says the building was gutted down to the structure and rebuilt for its new use—a now-popular process called “adaptive reuse.” “Adaptive reuse is the most sustainable type of construction because the ‘embodied’ energy—which is the energy that is used to construct a new building, including the fabrication of the materials—used to construct the building is 15 to 30 times the annual energy use of the building,” Schuetz says. “All of the structure, foundations, roof, and walls at Cruise were reused from the existing building.”

Open floor plans and 12-feet-high ceilings make the modestly sized units feel spacious, while stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and modern designer cabinetry add a custom feel. The one- and two-bedroom apartments include washers and dryers, and there’s even an onsite dog park for Fido. Other amenities include a fitness center and a community lounge with a pool table and a wet bar.

Cruise’s location in the hip Uptown neighborhood means residents are just steps from hot spots like City Park, Vine Street Pub, St. Mark’s Coffeehouse, and Il Posto. But why walk, when you could ride your new Electra cruiser bicycle, which comes free with a one-year lease?

Interested parties can visit Cruise’s website to learn more or apply online, or call 303.726.4554 to schedule a tour.

—Images courtesy of Boutique Apartments

Follow copy chief Jessica Farmwald on Twitter at @JessicaKF.