If You Lived In Denver...Section 1 - Washington Park

There are plenty of cool places across Denver and across the world, but one of the focuses we wanted to take in this series was not to just show the places we like, but the areas they are in.  It’s one thing to have the best burger in Denver; it’s another thing to have the best burger in Denver and be in the middle of the coolest neighborhood on earth, ever; or at least to be a part of the energy of a vibrant community.  That’s what we wanted to capture.  We wanted to get the feel of the neighborhood.  Each neighborhood we go to is a place to walk, a place to eat, a place to drink, a place to be.

When deciding what neighborhood to tour first we weren’t sure what to do.  Do you save the best for last?  Do you gradually increase the quality with a crescendo to greatness?

We decided not to pull any punches.

Washington Park (‘Wash Park’ if you’re an awesome local like me) has always been a favorite of ours and a THEE favorite for Jen’s brother Jeremy.  It’s not hard to understand why.  Centered around one of Denver’s favorite parks the community has grown to be a nice mix of peaceful yet vibrant, quiet yet alive.

 

Denver was founded in November of 1858 and started growing its population in the 1860s.  By the 1880s and 1890s the city established itself as a serious town and the population exploded.  In 1888 the Denver Tramway Company was formed and cable car service was established in Denver.  12 years later all of the cable cars had been converted into electric trolleys.  These spread out over Denver bringing people downtown for work but also establishing communities and business parks along the lines.  Route 5 moved along the eastern side of Washington Park and ended in a section we now call Old South Gaylord.

  

From its inception Washington Park was zoned as a business park which created a thriving area for shopping and eating and still stands as such today.  Business parks like these are hidden across urban residential Denver today, thriving in small park-centric communities.  These sections fill as hidden gems on the map that are popular for local eateries and drinkeries, each with its own unique flavors (literally) and identities.  Wash Park is known for that.  If you tell a Denver-Metro-ite that you live in Wash Park you typically illicit a strong reaction of jealousy and appreciation.
(ZS)

We covered section 1 the day after a beautiful spring downpour, so in the sunshine of the a.m. hours, it seemed that every animal was out playing and every leaf was a little greener. 

The park itself was a frenzy of activity; there were runners, walkers, joggers, dog-walkers, and baby strollers making their way around the lake on well-worn paths, wedding parties having photos taken, old men fishing, and families working their way across the lake in paddle boats as their laughter carried across the park.

As we made our way away from the water, the noise and bustle died down, allowing us to hear the birds singing and the soft, sweet notes of a cello and violin being practiced. Cottonwood seedlings drifted from trees throughout the park to fall all around us as we made our way through the park and over to the brick house-lined streets.

A funny feeling hit me there, in the middle of all that brick and foliage – a very familiar feeling – it was as if I had been there before. Not as in I-got-lost-and-ended-up-here-once, but a pieced together feeling of a memory…a memory of all the places I’ve lived in my life. The houses resembled the little boxes of San Francisco, and the trees lining every street reminded me of my hometown in Oregon. I saw Portland in the brick of each house and in all the contented faces of the bicyclists that passed by. Nothing was exactly the memory of the place each thing reminded me of, obviously – I was left with a ghost of each memory, a ghost of each place. 

The coffee shop where we ended up is one that we happen to frequent – Wash Perk. My brother found it on his way to work one day during the 8 months he lived here.

 After a morning of walking all over Wash Park, I couldn't believe I’d never explored anything more than this little shop. The essence of it is exactly the pieced together feeling that flows through the streets that surround it. Every time I go, I see a stranger or two that I think I recognize; everyone looks like they have come from San Francisco or Portland, and they’re all there because this place gives them a little taste of something that they can’t seem to find anywhere else. I can’t tell you how appropriate it felt when, immediately upon our arrival, Billie Holiday started singing “I’ll be seeing you.”

Here are the lyrics, if they haven’t come to your mind already:

I'll be seeing you

In all the old familiar places

That this heart of mine embraces

All day through.

In that small cafe;

The park across the way;

The children's carousel;

The chestnut trees;

The wishin' well.

I'll be seeing you

In every lovely summer's day;

In everything that's light and gay.

I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you

In the morning sun

And when the night is new.

I'll be looking at the moon,

But I'll be seeing you.

I'll be seeing you

In every lovely summer's day;

In everything that's light and gay.

I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you

In the morning sun

And when the night is new.

I'll be looking at the moon,

But I'll be seeing you.

All of a sudden, I realized what it was I had been feeling all day long. Wandering through all these new yet familiar places, I was growing more and more homesick – homesick for something I couldn’t place. It was a collection of the familiar that made me long for a certain feeling I haven’t felt since I was about 16.

“Home” doesn't exist anymore; somehow along the way and through the years, that comfortable feeling (not necessarily associated with any particular “place”) disappeared, and I think I've been desperately searching for it for the better part of 10 years. Maybe that’s why I never feel settled. Maybe that’s why I always want to leave a place as soon as I arrive. Maybe I’ll be searching until I find that feeling again. Maybe it doesn't even exist. Maybe I’ll be searching forever. In any case, exploring this section of Denver was an experience I’ll always remember.

(JG)