Cherry Creek is one of Denver’s most popular neighborhoods

How did it get this way?

Cherry Creek is one of my favorite spots to be. I love visiting the shops, restaurants, coffee bars, and rooftop bars that dazzle the neighborhood. Recently, I’ve been thinking about how the neighborhood has changed. I’m a Denver native, and have been reminiscing about the days when the drive through liquor store, Village inn, and Tattered Cover were there. Let’s dive into some Cherry Creek history!
Can you imagine a time when Cherry Creek was just an empty plain?! I’m trying my best, but it sure is hard to imagine it without Aviano (my favorite coffee shop). The Harmans, a family of lawyers, inhabited the area. Have you seen the gorgeous, courthouse looking building on 4th and St. Paul? That was one of the first buildings in the area (minus the Country Club neighborhood across the street). Parties, town hall meetings, and get togethers galore happened in this gorgeous home. The town was called Harman, named after the Harman family, and began to become a hot spot for locals to inhabit by the late 1800s.
Then came Bromwell in 1930. The schoolhouse brought even more locals to the neighborhood…
And once this happened, the town members ceased referring to the town as Harman. The inhabitants started referring to it as Cherry Creek because of the close proximity to the river running through and the cherry trees all around the city. The 1930s brought a plethora of shops along 6th avenue and 3rd avenue (and the trolley line on Detroit… can you imagine?!), too.

So what about Cherry Creek Mall? When did that happen? 1949. It opened as an open air mall where people could shop and dine at Nuesteter’s Department Store.
Flash forward to 1990 when the Cherry Creek Mall that we know now opened its’ doors. I remember dressing up in my finest to visit the mall on opening day. This was a BIG deal at the time because it was the first time we had high-end retailers that were only available in bigger cities and on the coast at the time.
Cherry Creek is still changing drastically. Everyday it seems there’s a new business opening their doors to the public. There’s a lot of construction and building happening, but it’s exciting to see new local spots popping up.
What’s your favorite business (bar, shop, coffee bar, restaurant, etc) in Cherry Creek? And what do you miss most from this area as it’s changed? Tag me in your posts using #goexploredenver on instagram!