What's To Love About the Bonnie Brae neighborhood | Denver, CO

Bonnie Brae is a serene residential neighborhood with winding streets, mature trees and friendly neighbors. It is one of Denver’s most treasured neighborhoods. Throughout the 1920s, George W. Olinger began to accumulate property in the area for his land development company, Associated Industries Company. Subsequently, Olinger was impressed by a subdivision he saw in Kansas City, he strove to recreate the aura of a peaceful Scottish village in Denver. As such, he named the area Bonnie Brae, which means “pleasant hill” in Gaelic.

To recreate Olinger's Scottish Village for Bonnie Brae, landscape architect Saco DeBoer drew plans for a different type of street system for the neighborhood.

DeBoer's plans deviated from the traditional Denver grid system and focused on the land’s topography and natural beauty. Showing pride in the neighborhood, Olinger erected stone pillars at the entrances on Tennessee and Kentucky streets, which remain today. Olinger sold his share of Associated Industries Company in April of 1925. Nonetheless, this sale resulted in a bankruptcy filing for the company just three years later. Due to the bankruptcy, the majority of Bonnie Brae fell into the city’s hands from tax debt. In addition to the tax debt, any development of Bonnie Brae was halted due the Great Depression. Ultimately, construction resumed at the end of the Great Depression and subsequently boomed towards the end of World War II. As a result, many of the homes east of the park showcasing post war modernism flair.

Bonnie Brae boasts its own community and neighborhood association.

The association is known for hosting a variety of events throughout the year, fostering a tight-knit community spirit. Located north of Belcaro and east of Washington Park neighborhoods, it is easily accessible to I-25 and the light rail system.

Neighborhood favorites include Bonnie Brae Ice Cream & Bonnie Brae Liquor.