The Berkeley Park neighborhood — located on Tennyson Street, between 38th and 44th Avenues — sneaks up on you. From 38th Avenue, one is given little hint of what lays inside the neighborhoods' confines. What you will find, however, is surprising fortitude, cutsie storefronts (though less polished than their prestine counterparts on Old South Pearl and Old South Gaylord), and, to tell you the truth, lots of squirrels. Since Elitch Gardens Amusement Park closed its gates and relocated downtown, some feared that the neighborhood would disintegrate with it, but with that came a lesson: do not underestimate Berkeley Park.
Locally owned restaurants, boutiques and spas, and more art galleries than you can count on both hands, have continued to thrive in their "off-the-beaten-path" location (though it is a mere five miles from downtown Denver). Part of the neighborhood's popularity is due to the Tennyson Street Cultural Association, which hosts a First Friday Art Walk much like the better-known Santa Fe Drive walk, and to the Oriental Theater, a music/comedy/movie venue.
For residents of the area, the revitalized storefronts and art community are not the only appeal. The majority of Berkeley Park houses are Denver Squares, which are perfunctory in nature and generally affordable. Local public schools like Centennial Elementary, and of course, the park part of Berkeley Park, are only icing on the tree-lined cake. Yummy.
