Ever since ‘new urbanism’ arrived in the 1990s, Denver builders have tried creating new-urban communities–places where most daily needs are walkable. Many of those projects somehow never generate the actual cafes and grocery shopping that buyers want to have close at hand…but today you can tour one that’s everything advertised: shops, coffee, fitness, a pub or two, groceries, all within 2 blocks.

Distinctive Properties’ Cate Dobson shows off a lavishly furnished two-bedroom-plus-study plan at Luce, re-priced for a reopening behind Lowry Town Center.

Luce…pronounced ‘loo-chay’…is right behind Lowry Town Center, so close that you can actually walk into Albertson’s flagship store within three minutes of leaving your door. This is a project that was set to open a year ago but that’s been totally re-priced now, with some homes 25% lower than they were then. more »

By Mark Samuelson

After 15 years that saw Lowry morph from air base to new urban community, you can be there today when the golden spike is set in Lowry’s vast park system: the opening of the Great Lawn, to become one of the largest parks in Denver.

The track team from Bishop Machebeuf High School gets a preview workout on The Great Lawn, adjacent to their campus, prior to today’s opening.

The Great Lawn and its adjoining parkland are close to being Denver’s largest park (that honor rests with City Park, 330 acres). By 2010, the park you’ll see today will be linked to the an even larger parcel forming the northern end of the Great Lawn, with trail links into pretty neighborhoods along Sixth Avenue and Crescent Park. Meanwhile, the south end of the Great Lawn, close to its centerpiece amphitheater, is across from Lowry Sports Park with Jackie Robinson Field…and beyond that, 200-acre Common Grounds golf course. Soon, you’ll be able to walk or ride two miles from north to south, through 800 acres, without bumping into a building. more »

By Mark Samuelson

Montclair neighborhood just west of Lowry has lots going for it, including good access to Lowry’s Town Center, lower prices than much of the surrounding area, along with some of Denver’s most eclectic architecture…such as a contemporary house you can tour this afternoon that could as likely be a few blocks off Hollywood Boulevard as Denver.

Mable Sutton of Leonard-Leonard & Associates, who partners John Patterson, has the listing on 7070 Richthofen, with modern architecture in Montclair.

Realtors aren’t sure who designed 7070 Richthofen Parkway, built in 1978…but it might have been lifted from Dr. Seuss–modern, and more than a little offbeat, even some rococo twists and turns. “It’s a perfect single-family alternative for somebody who might want a loft, but doesn’t want an HOA,” says Realtor Mable Sutton of Leonard Leonard, who’s partnering on the listing with David Patterson. more »