I love northwest Denver. I’ve lived here for nearly 20 years now, and bought my house way before the Highlands and Berkeley were cool. Matter of fact, most of my friends and family thought I was crazy. “You’re going to live where?” they asked, “Why?

I moved here because of the same reasons most of us have… great historic homes, an interesting neighborhood vibe, a compelling multi-cultural mix, etc. We’re heard the list so many times, we all have it memorized. Its great. We know. And it really hasn’t changed. Maybe some, but for the better, don’t you think?

That’s why I get bummed when I read all those cranky letters in local newspapers from a few NW Denver residents about the rapid ‘decline and fall’ of the area because of the on-going scrape and builds. Is it really all bad?  These new homes, are by-in-large, creating  stronger, more valuable, and ‘greener’ neighborhoods. Now I’ll admit that some of the new homes aren’t well designed, and don’t quite fit in. But most of these homes are being built on large, under-utilized lots that used to have a small, crappy house on them. Frankly, they’re not worth saving. Rarely is a nice, brick bungalow or tudor torn down. (I hate that too!)

Cities evolve, grow and change. They get bigger and denser. Increasing density in city-close neighborhoods, like NW Denver, is smart. Its a fact that more and more people want to live in the city. They want to commute less, and as a result, walk and bike more. That creates more livable neighborhoods, more vibrant neighborhood business areas, and increases the value of our investments. And increasing density in these urban areas decreases urban sprawl. That’s really a good thing, isn’t it?