WEST OF DOWNTOWN · COLFAX TO 6TH AVENUE, SPEER TO THE SOUTH PLATTE
Lincoln Park
One of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods, with Victorian brick houses, the Santa Fe Drive galleries and a light rail stop at 10th and Osage.
Location: Just southwest of downtown, from West Colfax Avenue south to 6th Avenue and from Speer Boulevard and Cherry Creek west to the South Platte River | Vibe: Old, walkable and close to everything downtown | Known for: Santa Fe Drive galleries, La Alma park and rec center, Chicano history
Lincoln Park, also called La Alma or La Alma-Lincoln Park, runs from West Colfax Avenue south to 6th Avenue, between Speer Boulevard and Cherry Creek on the east and the South Platte River on the west. I-25 cuts through the western part. Downtown and the Auraria campus are just across Colfax and Speer.
It is one of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods, with roots in the 1870s. In the 1960s and 1970s it was a center of the Chicano Movement, and in 1969 students from West High School walked out and gathered in the park to protest how their heritage was treated in class.
What the housing looks like
Many houses date to around 1900: two-story brick Victorians, row houses, duplexes and brick bungalows, with some one-story stucco houses mixed in. Near the light rail station, the Denver Housing Authority replaced the 1950s South Lincoln Homes with the Mariposa District, a $197 million mixed-income development of nearly 600 units finished in 2017.
Santa Fe Drive
Santa Fe Drive is the main street. On the first Friday of every month, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., the galleries between 5th and 11th avenues open for the First Friday Art Walk. The Buckhorn Exchange, open since 1893, is at 1000 Osage St.
Lincoln Park at a glance
Residents
About 6,100 people at the 2010 census, before the Mariposa District added hundreds of new homes.
Getting around
The 10th & Osage light rail station is inside the neighborhood, and downtown is a walk or short bike ride across Speer. Santa Fe Drive and Kalamath Street are the main north-south streets.
Public schools
West High School is in the neighborhood. Elementary and middle school assignments vary by address, so I check the DPS school finder for each house.
Rules to know
In August 2021 the neighborhood became Denver’s second historic cultural district. Exterior changes that need a permit now go through Landmark Preservation design review, so I confirm what that means for any house before you write an offer.
“Lincoln Park is where I send buyers who want an older brick house they can walk downtown from, in a neighborhood with real history behind it.”
West Denver
Discover Lincoln Park
Local spots worth knowing
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La Alma Recreation Center
The city rec center in the park at West 11th Avenue and Mariposa Street, with an amphitheater, basketball and tennis courts, softball fields and a playground outside.
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The La Alma mural
A large mural by Denver artist Emanuel Martinez on the outside of the rec center, painted in the 1970s to honor the Indigenous ancestry many families here share.
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La Alma Pool
Denver’s oldest outdoor pool, built in 1912. A $3 million rebuild with a new pool house reopened it for its 100th birthday in 2012.
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Skate park
Ramps and rails next to the rec center, free and open to anyone.
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Outdoor fitness equipment
Free outdoor workout stations in the park, a few steps from the courts and the pool.
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Neighborhood murals
Murals cover walls around the neighborhood, many of them tied to its Chicano history.
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Historic Cultural District
Signs like this one mark the district created in 2021 to protect buildings from the 1870s through the Chicano Movement and to recognize the places where that history happened.
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Emily Griffith Technical College
The college’s trades campus at 1205 Osage St. Emily Griffith opened the school as the Opportunity School in 1916.
Lincoln Park real estate
Lincoln Park has 1900s Victorians, small bungalows, row houses and newer townhomes and condos, and they sell in very different ranges, so a neighborhood average says little. For a specific house I compare it with recent sales of the same kind of home nearby, and for an older house I check whether it sits inside the historic cultural district.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index for Lincoln Park, Denver, as of August 31, 2026. All home types, including condos and townhomes.
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Who buys in Lincoln Park
Most Lincoln Park buyers want to be close to downtown and like an older house with some history to it.
Downtown and Auraria workers
People who work downtown or on the Auraria campus and want to walk, bike or take light rail instead of driving.
Old-house buyers
Buyers who want a brick Victorian or bungalow and are comfortable with design review for exterior work.
Arts-district regulars
People who already spend their First Fridays on Santa Fe Drive and want to live a few blocks away.
Lincoln Park questions I get asked
Is Lincoln Park the same as La Alma?
Yes. The city lists the neighborhood as Lincoln Park, and many residents call it La Alma or La Alma-Lincoln Park, after the park and rec center at its center. It is also different from Lincoln Park in Chicago, which comes up a lot in searches.
Does the historic cultural district limit what I can do to my house?
Since August 2021, exterior changes that need a permit go through Denver Landmark Preservation design review. You can still change and update your house, but plans for the outside get reviewed first. I check whether a specific house is in the district and what you’re hoping to do before you make an offer.
Can I live in Lincoln Park without a car?
Many people do. The 10th & Osage light rail station is inside the neighborhood, downtown and the Auraria campus are across Speer and Colfax, and Santa Fe Drive has restaurants, galleries and shops within walking distance of most houses.
Nearby neighborhoods
Auraria is north across Colfax, and Golden Triangle is east across Speer. Baker is south across 6th Avenue, and Sun Valley is west across the South Platte.
Buying in Lincoln Park? My Denver home buyer’s guide walks through the whole process in 10 steps.
Thinking about Lincoln Park?
Let’s talk about which Lincoln Park blocks fit how you want to live, what the historic cultural district means for the house you like, and what homes like it have actually sold for.
Or call or text 720.454.5432