Cherry Creek Denver: Historic and Contemporary Affluence

Historically an upper-class neighborhood, for more than 60 years Cherry Creek Denver has been home to some of Colorado's most affluent individuals and families. During the late 1800s and the early 20th Century -- when Capitol Hill was the preferred location of Denver's affluent, Cherry Creek was home to lower and middle class families. However, that would eventually change as a result of the progressive thinking of Temple Buell. Buell bought huge tracts of land in the mid and late-1920s and sat on the property for almost two decades. Then, in the 1950s, Buell began construction on a high-end shopping center and that was the beginning of Cherry Creek's eventual tradition as a high-society haven. At first, people from Denver proper and the surrounding areas began traveling out to Cherry Creek on the weekends to do their shopping. Eventually people realized that the Cherry Creek area is a beautiful place to live and began constructing homes. Historic Cherry Creek Homes- The first homes built in Cherry Creek were unimpressive, but following Buell's development of Denver Dry Goods, its popularity among the well-to-do folks in Denver exploded. The houses built from the 1950s to the 1980s were among the largest and most notable in Colorado. Primarily built of brick or stick -- though there are several made of solid rock that resemble the turn of the 20th Century homes on Capitol Hill, -- the homes built prior to the 1980s were generally elegant two-story homes suited to comfortably fit single families.

Homes Built Between the mid-70s and 2000- The implementation of Cherry Creek's first Development Plan, gave the economy a major boost. Once again, development began to occur on a large scale. Newer homes replaced the old only the homes built in this 30 year period did not resemble the originals. The new homes were much larger, gaudy. As opposed to houses being stacked one next to the other, developers began expanding the lot sizes and making homes that covered the footprint of two or three of the homes prior.

Contemporary Cherry Creek Homes- While there are beautiful brick homes and a large number of eye-opening stick-built houses built prior to the turn of the 21st Century, the most impressive are undoubtedly the estates that have been built most recently. Without being disrespectful to the heritage of the Cherry Creek Neighborhood, the most impressive homes are the newer ones. The newer homes in Cherry Creek have all of the interior amenities an upper-class lifestyle requires including: hardwood and marble floors; patios and grand studies; indoor swimming pools and bathroom jacuzzis; more bathrooms than bedrooms; multi-landing staircases; arched doorways; vaulted, recessed and sunken ceilings; wine cellars; walk-in closets; vanity bathrooms, art niches in the walls, skylights, sun rooms; rec rooms, home gyms, man caves and just about anything else a person could hope for while living in luxury. The grounds of Cherry Creek's recently built homes include everything from circle drives; driveway fountains; multi-car offset garages; hanging patios; multi-tiered swimming pools; marble balustered courtyards; and art deco privacy fences to state of the art security; off-grid, alternative energy sources; horse stables and guest houses.

Success of Cherry Creek and Progressive Development Planning-In 1976, Cherry Creek city managers implemented the first Neighborhood plan. The idea behind the original neighborhood plan was to organize the growth of Cherry Creek in a way that increased traffic in the shopping sector while maintaining the neighborhood quality Cherry Creek had become accustomed to knowing since the 50s. The plan worked and Cherry Creek prospered for another 35 years, though two minor plans were put in the interim, one in 1986 and one in 2000. Then in 2003, Cherry Creek City Managers began a second major planning development. Like previous neighborhood plan, Cherry Creek was divided into four subareas: the shopping district; the Cherry Creek North Neighborhood; Cherry Creek East; and Cherry Creek Triangle, "The elements of this Plan [directed] the community toward a vision for a connected, distinctive, green and prosperous Cherry Creek." Since 2005, the shopping district has undergone major improvements including an investment of $170 million of private funds. A transportation plan has been implemented; sewer drain and sewage master plans were developed and the work has since been completed; a greenprint plan was put into place and parking issues were address on a large scale.

Cherry Creek's Main Attraction: Shopping - Aside from the elite homes, the shopping center and the country club are also a huge draw for residents. The shopping center -- again, redesigned in the last decade -- has a wide variety of high-end retail stores. From Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss to Tag Heuer and Rolex, Cherry Creek is the place to go to find the finest in clothing and jewelry. There are also a variety of specialty shops. Kitchenware and cutlery; fine wine outlets; exotic tobaccos and spirits; kids stores; fine instrument, tool and supply outdoor and recreation stores; Cherry Creek is the place to find that something you are unable to find anywhere else. As much as for its its retail exclusivity, Cherry Creek is known for its restaurants. With the exception of a few in LoDo, the finest dining establishments in Denver are in Cherry Creek. There are other great restaurants scattered about the greater metro area, but the locale with the most 4 and 5 star options is Cherry Creek. Cherry Creek Country Club - One of the finest in the country, Cherry Creek accepts membership applications from people with referrals from current and former members. Designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son, the Cherry Creek Country Club is one of the country's finest. It has 7,400 yards of length and a 34,000 square foot clubhouse.