HOME TO DU, AND TO THE ORIGINAL CHIPOTLE
University
Built around the University of Denver’s 125-acre campus, with brick bungalows and tree-lined streets between I-25, Downing Street and University Boulevard. Not to be confused with University Park or University Hills, two separate Denver neighborhoods with similar names.
University takes its name from the University of Denver, founded in 1864 and now spread across a 125-acre campus that anchors the neighborhood’s northern edge. It’s worth saying plainly because the name causes confusion: University is not University Park, the neighborhood just to the west, and it’s not University Hills, further southeast on Colorado Boulevard. Three different Denver neighborhoods, three names built on the same word.
A university address without a university-town feel
DU’s campus functions as an arboretum as much as a school, with University Hall dating to the 1890s alongside a new $60 million STEM building. Evans Chapel, built in 1878, is a Denver Landmark and sits on the National Register of Historic Places. Some homes in the area still carry deed restrictions against alcohol sales, a holdover from the land’s original donor.
The housing stock mixes brick bungalows and older apartment buildings with newer townhomes, which means both DU-affiliated renters and longer-term homeowners share the same blocks. Harvard Gulch Trail runs along the neighborhood’s edge for anyone who wants outdoor access without leaving.
I point buyers here when they want a walkable, tree-lined address with a real institution anchoring it, not a rowdy college strip. It’s also worth knowing for a piece of local trivia: the original Chipotle Mexican Grill opened in this neighborhood, a few blocks from campus.
University highlights
- University of Denver
A 125-acre campus founded in 1864, functioning as both a school and an arboretum - Evans Chapel
An 1878 Denver Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places - The original Chipotle
The chain’s first-ever location sits a few blocks from campus - Harvard Gulch Trail
Trail access along the neighborhood’s edge - Not University Park or University Hills
Three separate Denver neighborhoods that share part of a name
“University isn’t University Park, and it isn’t University Hills. It’s the neighborhood built around DU itself, and it’s worth knowing the difference before you start a search.”
South Denver
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Local spots worth knowing
University of Denver
A 125-acre campus with historic and modern buildings alike, open to the surrounding neighborhood.
Evans Chapel
An 1878 chapel on campus, a Denver Landmark on the National Register.
The original Chipotle
A local landmark: the chain’s very first location, a few blocks from campus.
Harvard Gulch Trail
Trail access along the neighborhood’s southern edge.
Brick bungalow streets
Tree-lined blocks mixing historic homes with newer townhomes.
Wellshire & Observatory Park nearby
Neighboring communities a short drive away for a change of pace.
Who buys in University
University draws buyers who want the walkability of a campus neighborhood without needing a campus job to justify it.
Faculty, grad students and staff who want to walk or bike to campus.
Buyers who want tree-lined streets and local dining within walking distance.
Buyers priced out of Observatory Park or Wash Park who want a similar feel for less.
New construction near University
University is built out and mostly historic, so new construction here means small-scale infill rather than new subdivisions. Buyers who specifically want new construction in this part of the metro should look toward the Denver Tech Center or Englewood just across the city line.
Interested in University?
Let’s talk about what’s available near campus right now, and make sure we’re looking at the right neighborhood: University, University Park or University Hills each have a different feel.