Villa Park, Denver

Description

Villa Park is a neighborhood of Denver, Colorado.GeographyThe neighborhood is located in West Denver about two to three miles west of Downtown Denver. The neighborhood is bounded on the north by Lakewood Gulch, on the east by Federal Boulevard, on the south by the 6th Avenue Freeway, and on the west by Sheridan Boulevard, except for a small notch occupying a few square blocks that protrudes to the west of Sheridan Boulevard between 10th Avenue and Lakewood Gulch. Generally, Sheridan Boulevard is the border between Jefferson County and the City and County of Denver. Feeder streets include 10th Avenue, Perry Street and Knox Court, the few streets with bridges across the major geographic barriers within the neighborhood.The neighborhood contains three small creeks: Lakewood Gulch, which provides the northern border for the neighborhood, Dry Gulch and Weir Gulch. The confluence of Lakewood and Dry gulches is located in the neighborhood near the intersection of 10th Avenue and Osceola Street. Martinez, Paco Sanchez, Lakewood/Dry Gulch, and Barnum North parks straddle the creeks as they meander through the neighborhood. Much of the areas around the creeks have a typical riparian environment and are more natural than many other areas of the city as a result. Several bike and pedestrian paths also follow the creeks and connect the neighborhood with the rest of the city. Because of the creeks and a general elevation gain towards the west, Villa Park is a very hilly neighborhood.CharacterAccording to the Piton Foundation, the 2007 population of the neighborhood was 9,887. The neighborhood is about 80 percent Latino, 15 percent white and the rest from other ethnicities. The neighborhood also has a large immigrant community with more than 35 percent of residents born in another country. The population is mostly lower middle class with an average income of about $40,500, more than $15,000 a year less than the city of Denver's average yearly income. Around 24 percent of Villa Park's population is below the poverty line. Crime rates are close to Denver averages except for somewhat higher rates of burglary.