CENTRAL DENVER · PENNSYLVANIA TO DOWNING, SOUTH TO SPEER BOULEVARD
Alamo Placita
A historic district of early 1900s houses around a sunken flower garden, between Capitol Hill and Cherry Creek.
Location: Central Denver, from Pennsylvania Street to Downing Street, between 6th and 7th avenues and Speer Boulevard | Vibe: Quiet historic blocks, close to everything | Known for: Alamo Placita Park, the historic district, the Cherry Creek Trail
Alamo Placita runs from Pennsylvania Street east to Downing Street, from about 6th and 7th avenues south to Speer Boulevard. It isn’t one of Denver’s official statistical neighborhoods. The city counts it as part of Speer, and listings may call it Speer, Capitol Hill or Alamo Placita.
The park came first. It opened in 1892 as Arlington Park, became the Chutes amusement park from 1898 to 1901, and was bought by the city in 1912. Landscape architect S.R. DeBoer redesigned it in 1927, and by 1930 it had its name, Spanish for “little place of cottonwoods.” It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1986.
What the housing looks like
Denver designated the Alamo Placita Historic District in 2000, covering homes built from 1889 to 1942. About nine in ten were built by 1930. You’ll find Victorians, Denver Squares, bungalows, Tudors and Spanish Mission houses, with small apartment buildings mixed in.
Because it’s a historic district, exterior changes visible from the street go through Denver Landmark Preservation review. That protects the look of the blocks, and it also limits what you can add or tear down. I check whether a house is inside the district before you write an offer.
Alamo Placita at a glance
Residents
About 13,900 people lived in Speer, the city statistical neighborhood that includes Alamo Placita, in the 2020 Census. The city doesn’t count Alamo Placita on its own.
Getting around
There’s no rail station nearby. Route 6 runs on 6th Avenue and Route 12 on Downing Street, and 6th Avenue and Speer Boulevard both lead to I-25.
Public schools
Listings on Pennsylvania Street and Downing Street show Dora Moore ECE-8, then Morey Middle School and East High School. Check the DPS school finder for a specific address.
Rules to know
Most homes are in the Alamo Placita Historic District, designated in 2000, so exterior alterations, additions and demolition need Landmark Preservation approval. Speer Boulevard on the south edge is a separate historic district, designated in 1988.
“Alamo Placita is where I send buyers who want an old house on a quiet street and still want to walk to Capitol Hill.”
Central Denver
Discover Alamo Placita
Local spots worth knowing
🌷
Alamo Placita Park
The south half is a sunken flower garden laid out by S.R. DeBoer in 1927. The north half has courts, a playground and open lawn.
📜
From amusement park to garden
Before it was a city park, this was Arlington Park and then the Chutes, an amusement park that ran from 1898 to 1901. The city bought it in 1912.
🏡
Historic homes
Victorians, foursquares, bungalows, Tudors and Spanish Mission houses, most built by 1930. Walk the blocks around the park and you’ll see all of them.
🚲
Cherry Creek Trail
The paved trail along Speer Boulevard runs northwest to downtown and southeast to Cherry Creek.
🦊
Fox mural
A painted fox along the Cherry Creek Trail near the neighborhood. Keep an eye out on your next ride.
Alamo Placita real estate
Denver counts Alamo Placita as part of Speer, and Speer’s typical value blends in a lot of condos, so it isn’t a good guide to what a single-family house here is worth. To price a house in Alamo Placita I pull sales from the historic district and the blocks right around it, matched on size, age and condition.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index for Speer, Denver, as of August 31, 2026. All home types, including condos and townhomes.
Want new Alamo Placita listings by email? Open the search, tap Save search, and you’ll get matches the day they hit the MLS.
Who buys in Alamo Placita
Most Alamo Placita buyers want a historic house in central Denver, close to a park and the Cherry Creek Trail.
Old-house buyers
People who want original details and are comfortable with the upkeep and the review process that come with a historic district.
Cyclists and runners
Buyers who want the Cherry Creek Trail a few blocks away.
Capitol Hill upgraders
Condo owners in Capitol Hill who want a house and a yard without moving far.
Alamo Placita questions I get asked
Is Alamo Placita an official Denver neighborhood?
Not on the city’s statistical map. Denver counts it as part of Speer. Listings may call it Speer, Capitol Hill or Alamo Placita, so I search by map instead of by name.
What does the historic district mean for me as an owner?
Exterior changes visible from the street, including additions, new windows on the front and demolition, go through Denver Landmark Preservation review. Interior work generally doesn’t. Plan for extra time on any exterior project.
Do Speer Boulevard and 6th Avenue matter when buying here?
Yes. Houses facing the busy streets get more traffic noise and usually sell for less than the same house a block in. I’d look at both and decide whether the price difference is worth it to you.
Nearby neighborhoods
Capitol Hill is just north, with more condos. Country Club is east across Downing. Baker is a few blocks west across Broadway. Washington Park is about a mile south.
Buying in Alamo Placita? My Denver home buyer’s guide walks through the whole process in 10 steps.
Thinking about Alamo Placita?
Let’s talk about whether a house is inside the historic district, what an older house here is likely to need, and what homes like it have actually sold for.
Or call or text 720.454.5432