Southmoor Park, Denver, CO

For the most part, the people who own homes in Southmoor Park are either young families or original owners whose children are grown and not living with them anymore. The neighborhood is not transient at all - - people who buy homes here usually stay for decades. Most of the people who live here obviously love their home and yard and can often be seen outside doing yardwork or planting flowers in the summer. During the winter, after it snows, most residents are quick to go outside and shovel their driveways and sidewalks.

Southmoor Park is not a hugely diverse neighborhood. Most of the people who live there are Caucasian. However, most of Denver’s suburbs are similar in terms of diversity. The people are very friendly and welcoming and the neighborhood’s HOA often sponsors events during the summer months and during the holiday season.

Since Southmoor Park is a residential area, the social scene is not exactly hopping. The only way to know if a party is taking place in a home is to look on the street and see a bunch of cars parked in front of a house.  Parties are rarely loud and are over at a reasonable hour.

Located at Hampden and Monaco is a large movie theatre complex that also has an IMAX screen. Next to the movie theatre are some restaurants and a large grocery store. The most popular restaurant in this shopping area is called: Piccolo’s. Piccolo’s has been around for decades and offers Mexican and Italian food.

Just down Hampden to the east are two other movie theatres – one is at Tiffany Plaza and it is a second-run theatre which offers movies for $1.25, and the other is at Tamarac Square, just across the street from Tiffany Plaza.

There are other restaurants along Hampden to the east and west of Southmoor Park including sushi, diners, pizza, and quite a few Starbucks.

Rental prices in Southmoor Park are either average or above average. Southmoor Park is definitely not the most expensive place to live in all of Denver, but it’s not the cheapest either. The most expensive apartment complex in Southmoor Park is the new “The District at Southmoor Station.” That building, however, is within walking distance to the Lightrail station, the movie theatre and King Soopers grocery store. This complex also offers an underground parking lot and lots of other desirable amenities.

Rentals in the more residential area of Southmoor Park vary in price depending on the exact location, the size of the unit, and whether or not it’s an apartment or a single family home with a yard.

For a couple or a family that has two working adults, (one who works downtown and one who works in the Denver Tech Center, for example) Southmoor Park is the perfect location. The central location adds value to the cost of living there.

Owning a car in Southmoor Park is not an issue. Most of the homes have attached garages and most of the apartments and townhomes have designated parking spaces. There is ample street parking as well. The new District at Southmoor Station also has designated parking for its residents. Visitors wanting to park in the District at Southmoor Station area will most likely, however, have problems parking during the lunch hour as there are several restaurants located on the main level of this complex and they draw a huge lunch crowd.

The Southmoor Lightrail station is extremely convenient and those who cannot walk to the station often ride their bikes. There is also a large lot for parking at the Lightrail station and parking is currently free – although there have been rumors that RTD (the Regional Transportation District) may start to charge for parking in the future.

Rentals in Southmoor Park are competitive, but it’s not as if people are fighting over leases. The central location between downtown and the DTC and the proximity to the Lightrail station make Southmoor Park much more desirable than in years past.

The neighborhood is also very close to I-25 – so make sure to open all the windows in the home or apartment prior to signing a lease because it may be possible to hear the highway very clearly from specific locations. The noise may sound like waves in the ocean to some and may be extremely annoying to others.

There is also a fire station located at the intersection of Hampden and Monaco… so make sure that frequent blaring sirens is not a major concern!

Some apartments or homes may allow pets and others may not. For those that do allow dogs, there are many large parks and some walking trails that are always packed with dog-walkers. Dogs are extremely popular in Denver and just about every-other resident owns at least one! Keep in mind that most residents in Southmoor Park are very good about cleaning up after their pet.

Southmoor Park is definitely not the place to live for anyone looking for wild nights, loud parties and bars just down the street. Since Southmoor Park is somewhat suburban and residential, residents must travel to find bars and other nightlife venues.

The best aspect of Southmoor Park is that it’s close to the Lightrail station. So, residents can easily go north and take it to Invesco Field at Mile High, the Pepsi Center, downtown Denver, or they can go south to Park Meadows mall and all the surrounding restaurants and bars.

Just a few miles from Southmoor Park is Kennedy Golf Course, which is open year-round when there’s not snow covering the course. This golf course also has a fun mini-golf course that is great for kids. There are also lots of nearby public parks that have nice open spaces with picnic tables and play structures.

There are no famous streets located in Southmoor Park - - it’s simply a nice neighborhood that is currently going through lots of renovation. The closest shopping areas are strip malls – with Tiffany Plaza and Tamarac Square being the closest.

Located to the west of Southmoor Park is the newly rejuvenated Englewood City Center. It’s located where the old Cinderella City mall used to reside. The City Center is filled with lots of multi-family housing and tons of shopping, much of which are discount stores such as Wal-Mart, Ross, Payless Shoes, etc…

Southmoor Park is located close to lots of strip malls that contain all the essentials. The closest grocery stores are King Soopers at Hampden and Monaco, Safeway at Hampden and Happy Canyon, and Whole Foods at Hampden and Tamarac. King Soopers has a First Bank inside of it, which is a huge convenience. There are also lots of banks located to the east and west of Southmoor Park on Hampden.

There is a 24-Hour Fitness located next to Whole Foods at Tiffany Plaza. It’s a really popular one, and crowded before and after normal 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. business hours. But, it’s pretty empty and reasonable during the middle of the day.  There is a pool at this particular 24-Hour Fitness.

There’s a post office located at Hampden and Yosemite, which is just east of Southmoor Park. There’s also a Wal-Mart Supercenter nearby and a local Denver Public Library branch just across the street from Wal-Mart. Gas stations are located up and down Hampden.

Anything that is needed by a Southmoor Park resident is easy to find and close!

Southmoor Park is located within the Denver Public School District. The elementary school which kids in this neighborhood attend is called “Southmoor Elementary.” It’s rated as one of the best elementary schools in Denver. People actually move to this neighborhood just to send their kids to Southmoor Elementary. The middle and high schools are good, but they do not have as excellent of a reputation as the elementary school.

Southmoor Park is a family-oriented neighborhood. Kids can often be seeing in their front yards and riding their bikes around. There are always children at the local parks and even at the elementary school’s playground on the weekends.