Northwest Denver Undressed

So, THAT’s Why They Call it HIGHlands!

I’ve lived in Northwest Denver on and off (mostly on) for over 14 years. And yeah, I’ve been aware the entire time that sections of my beloved ‘hood are called “Highlands” (West Highlands, Highlands Square, East Highlands, Potter Highlands, etc.). Never gave it much thought, though. After all, the city next door to me is called “Lakewood” and I’ve never seen a lake or even a woods there.

So, I recently went on a bike ride with some friends along the Platte River. Now, by definition, a “river” tends to be a low spot, as opposed to at the top of a hill. But anyway, I told my friends I’d meet them near the river for our ride. I rode my bike to the appointed meeting spot, rode around for an hour or so, and then headed home.

OMG. Up… up… up… Do I live on a friggin’ mountain? No, I just live in HIGHlands. Now I get it…

Rumor has it that Pferdesteller Park just two blocks from me is the highest point in the City of Denver, although I couldn’t find any verification of that in my exhaustive 2.5 minute web search on the topic. But anyway, yeah, I live in HIGHlands and there’s a REASON it’s called that.

Now, I just gotta find the Lake and the Woods in Lakewood.