Denver Neighborhood Trends

According to The Denver Post, Skyland and Whittier are gentrifying, new construction in Five Points (i.e. the Ball Park neighborhood) is yuppifying, and Montbello's fortunes are falling in a move driven by foreclosures of starter homes that were previously rentals. Skyland and Whittier appear to be seeing spillover interest from Park Hill and Stapleton.

Whitter's City Councilwoman Carla Madison says "she worries about the impact gangs, crime, subsidized-housing policies and apathy can have on efforts to improve the neighborhood, which is slowly becoming gentrified." In the 2007 city council race, Madison was identified more than the other candidates in the district with the new urban residents of downtown and the gentrifiers of of the Uptown and South City Park neighborhoods.

Skyland, Whittier and Five Points are historically black neighborhoods. But, increasingly, the more successful members of North Denver black population are moving East to Denver neighborhoods like Green Valley Ranch and to Aurora. Five Points is seeing the historically Hispanic West Denver community creep East, and Skyland, Whittier and Five Points are all seeing gentrifying white families creep North.