In 1858, after the discovery of gold in the South Platte river, General William Larimer founded Denver by putting down cottonwood logs in the center of a square mile plot that would eventually be the current LoDo neighborhood. LoDo is Denver’s oldest neighborhood, a rejuvenated historic district that is home to some of the city’s most popular shops, restaurants and bars. It spans 23 blocks, and although in 1960 – 1970 many of the historical structures in LoDo were demolished, in 1988 a historic district ordinance protected 127 buildings from being destroyed.
The 1400 block of Larimer Street was the first area to be designated a historic district in Denver. Lower Downtown is home to bustling Union Station and, of course, Coors Field. At night Larimer Square is a hot place to be with it’s strings of shining white lights draped overhead. It’s home to popular restaurants and fashionable boutiques. If you’re looking for a patio party scene, ballpark bars like The Tavern, Lodo’s and ViewHouse are some of the most popular bars in the city.
LoDo has an unfair advantage over many neighborhoods when it comes to getting around and finding a place to park. It’s home to Union Station, Denver’s ultimate transportation hub, as well as the free 16th Street Mall bus service. Lower Downtown provides plenty of parking garages and surface lots to support the many events that take place in the area.
LoDo has seen a serious boom in housing and new apartments in the area have rooftop decks, pools, recreation rooms and more. According to the city assessor, after Coors Field opened the value of all property in LoDo grew three times faster than the value of property anywhere in Denver.
Seriously, anyone can find something to do in LoDo.
