# 5

2025 rank: 34

Encompassing more green space than urban blocks, City Park is a centrally located neighborhood that climbed 29 spots to break into the top five this year. Its meteoric rise in the rankings is largely thanks to a 23-percent jump in average home sale price—the largest increase of all 78 Denver neighborhoods.

Now, it’ll likely cost you more than $900,000 to secure one of City Park’s signature Denver Squares, but we’re not surprised. This district boasts walkability, the city’s premier regional park, and a respectable roster of retail and restaurant options. The only school is the architecturally striking East High School, which earned an A+ in school performance ratings. But City Park residents are more focused on the amenities anyway, from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) and Denver Zoo—both within the park’s boundaries—to a bevy of restaurants and nearby music venues, like the Bluebird Theater. It’s also a straight shot to downtown or Five Points (number 24 on our list), by bike or by car.

Population 3,799
2024 Average Sale Price $913,765

Neighborhood Rankings

Real Estate Rank 1
Schools Score 4
Safety Rank 54
X Factor Score 8.5

How we got these numbers: We utilized the city’s official list of 78 neighborhoods (only 73 had enough data to be included), and ranked them using four variables: home prices, crime data, school rankings, and an X factor score that accounts for things like access to open space, proximity to public transportation, and restaurant and shopping options. For more on our methodology, return to the main page.

Your Itinerary

Eat & Drink

East Colfax Avenue is a hub of activity, and you’ll find a number of storied staples along the neighborhood’s south end, including Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs and Bastien’s, a long-standing steak house. City Park is also home to two of our 25 best restaurants from 2025: Molotov Kitschen and Cocktails and Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ.

Early risers reap rewards at Good Bread, where fresh-baked loaves and pastries often sell out. (And don’t miss the Friday night pizza parties; by reservation only.) City Park’s newest addition is the All Inn Hotel, a 1959 motor hotel that was given a sleek makeover for the 21st century. Inside, FiNo serves elevated Mediterranean small plates meant to be savored (and shared).

Thirsty? Atomic Cowboy has you covered with more than two dozen mostly Colorado beers, plus cocktails. Locals in search of a lowkey watering hole should try the Lowbeam, which took over the old Middleman space in October.

The park is also the site of a busy farmers’ market on Saturdays from May to late October.

Break a Sweat

City Park is one of Denver’s most scenic—and largest—green spaces. Pregame your picnic lunch with a three-mile run around the perimeter, a quick paddle around either of the two lakes, or a friendly match on the tennis courts. Practice a different kind of swing at the public City Park Golf Course, which sits just across East 23rd Avenue in Skyland.

Let your little ones expend their energy at Nature Play, a four-acre, multisensory playground outside DMNS, or escape the sun at Carla Madison Recreation Center, where an eight-lane lap pool, weight room, cycle studio, outdoor climbing wall, and lazy river await.

Photo Op

One of the most iconic views of the Mile High City can be seen from City Park: Head behind DMNS and point your camera west to capture the skyline and the mountains in one perfect shot.

Spots to Eat

Ma’s Kitchen Dim Sum & Noodles

Mama Jo’s Biscuits & BBQ

,

Bastien’s Restaurant

Atomic Cowboy

View All Restaurants in City Park

About This Neighborhood