Athmar Park, Denver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Athmar Park
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Athmar Park on the east side of Huston Lake
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| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| City | Denver |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 8,898 |
Athmar Park is a neighborhood in southwest Denver, Colorado. It's mostly a residential area. You'll find many brick homes here. Most of these homes were built in the 1940s and 1950s. They are often ranch or bungalow style houses.
Contents
Where is Athmar Park?
Athmar Park is surrounded by several main roads. Alameda Avenue is to the north. Mississippi Avenue is to the south. Federal Boulevard is on the west side. The South Platte River forms its eastern border.
This neighborhood is home to four Denver parks. These are Aspgren, Huston Lake, Vanderbilt Park, and Habitat Park. The eastern part of Athmar Park is lower. It gradually gets higher as you move west. Unlike many older neighborhoods, some streets here have gentle curves.
One of Colorado's busiest places for driver's licenses is here. It's located on West Mississippi Avenue.
Who Lives in Athmar Park?
In 2010, about 8,898 people lived in Athmar Park. Most residents were White or Hispanic/Latino. About 73% of these identified as Hispanic. Other groups included Asian, Native American, and African American people.
Parks in Athmar Park
Athmar Park has several great parks. They offer lots of ways to have fun outdoors.
Huston Lake Park
Huston Lake Park is right in the middle of Athmar Park. It's between South Clay and South Vallejo streets. West Ohio and West Kentucky avenues also border it. This park has many cool things to do. You can find a bike and walking path here. There are also soccer and softball fields. You can play tennis and basketball too. Kids love the children's play area.
The park is named after Nathaniel K. Huston. He was an early landowner in the area. Long ago, this spot was a swampy area. People called it "Frenchie's Lake." In winter, people would go ice skating. In summer, they would swim there.
Clifford Aspgren Park
Clifford Aspgren Park is on the eastern side of Athmar Park. It was named after a local resident. This person served in the Colorado House of Representatives.
Vanderbilt Lake Park
Vanderbilt Lake Park includes Habitat Park and Boy Scout Park. It's part of the bigger South Platte River Greenway. This park has sports fields. It's also connected to a system of parks. These parks are linked by the South Platte River biking and walking trail.
A Look Back: History of Athmar Park
Athmar Park became part of Denver over time. The eastern part joined Denver in 1902. This was along with the town of Valverde. Later, in 1943, the area west of Zuni was added. This area was called Mountain View Park. It was a big addition for the city.
In 1946, Thomas and John R. McCusker bought land here. Then, in 1949 and 1950, a developer named Raymond Erb created three new areas. He called them "Athmar Park." A local story says the name "Athmar" came from his two wives, Athena and Mary. But only the "mar" part, from his wife Margaret, has been confirmed. Raymond Erb even named a street after himself: Erb Place.
Back in 1900, the northeast part of the neighborhood was countryside. It had farms growing celery and wheat. Some old brick country homes from the late 1800s still stand today.
Many charming brick bungalows are in the Mountain View Park area. These homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s. At that time, this area was not yet part of Denver.
After World War II, many new homes were built. This was a big housing boom. A lot of the neighborhood's "tract" homes come from this time.
One of Denver's first McDonald's restaurants was in Athmar Park. It was on West Alameda Avenue. The building is still there, but it's a different restaurant now.
The Great Flood of 1965
Athmar Park was hit by a huge flood in June 1965. The South Platte River overflowed its banks. Floodwaters reached high levels at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church school. Homes and businesses were covered in water. The flood was very powerful. It carried a lot of debris like trailers and lumber. Many bridges in downtown Denver were damaged or washed away.
The flood caused a lot of damage in Denver. Cleaning up took several months. It cost the city over $1 million. Because of this flood, Chatfield Reservoir was built. This dam helps control river levels.
Community Art and Learning
Athmar Park has its own branch library. It moved into a remodeled stone building in 1999. This building used to be a church. The library has a cool wind sculpture by Robert Mangold. It used to be at the Denver Art Museum.
The neighborhood also has six mosaic game tables. These were created by local residents and school children. They are public art projects. They are meant to be places where people can gather and play. Three tables are at Huston Lake Park. Three more are in Aspgren Park. The tables have boards for chess, checkers, and backgammon. They are surrounded by beautiful mosaic designs.
At Huston Lake, you can find:
- A mosaic quilt patch table. It honors the ladies of Valverde Presbyterian Church. They made quilts for people in need for over 40 years.
- A mosaic flower table. This one was made by children from Valverde Elementary school.
- A mosaic showing mountain views from Huston Lake. Neighborhood residents created this one. A local artist, Brenda Hendrix, designed the mountain view.
At Aspgren Park, you can see:
- A mosaic that remembers the 1965 flood.
- A mosaic all about "love."
- A modern design mosaic.
The Alameda Square Shopping Center was built in 1959. It was Denver's first outdoor mall. It used to have a Ben Franklin dime store and a bowling alley. A very popular pizza place called the Organ Grinder was also there. It had a famous two-story organ. The center was updated between 2009 and 2011. A sculpture called "Geese" by Fred Lunger was added as public art.
Schools in Athmar Park
Athmar Park is special because it has many schools. Six different schools serve the community:
- Goldrick Elementary (Mississippi & Zuni)
- Valverde Elementary (Alameda & Tejon)
- KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy (375 S. Tejon) - for grades 5-8
- St. Rose of Lima Parochial Catholic Academy (1345 W. Dakota)
- Math and Science Leadership Academy (451 S. Tejon)
- KIPP Denver Collegiate High School (451 S. Tejon)
