Denver's Belcaro Neighborhood

Belcaro is one of Denver's most beautiful and desirable neighborhoods. It is considered both wealthy and fashionable, and is filled with some of the city's most magnificent homes, including the spectacular Phipps Mansion. The neighborhood is characterized by large homes, generously sized gardens and peaceful, tree lined streets. Ranch style properties are most common, although there has been a tendency in recent years for some of the older properties to be torn down and replaced with larger luxury homes. The most spectacular properties are to be found in the center of the neighborhood.

The Polo Grounds gated community and the historic Denver Country Club are to be found just to the north of Belcaro. The Belcaro neighborhood is also within easy reach of some of Denver's most popular shopping and entertainment areas, although it is itself a quiet, predominantly residential area. The Cherry Creek shopping center, downtown Denver, South Gaylord Street and Bonnie Brae are all nearby.

The Belcaro neighborhood is ideally situated for anyone who needs to commute into the city center, but who wishes to spend their leisure time in a more relaxing environment. It is also ideal for families since it is a quiet, safe area of Denver that is served by excellent schools.

The neighborhood of Belcaro is named after one of its historic landmarks, a mansion built in the area between 1931 and 1933 by Colorado Senator Lawrence Phipps. Phipps was inspired to build the huge mansion, which has more than fifty rooms, in order to provide work for some of the people of Denver during the Great Depression. The building was mostly constructed with locally produced materials, but was filled with antiques and artwork from around the world. Senator Phipps named his home Belcaro, meaning "beautiful beloved". He also played an important role in the development of the surrounding neighborhood. The name Belcaro is now mainly used to refer to the neighborhood, and the Senator's property is usually called the Phipps Mansion. The mansion sits within the Phipps Memorial Conference Center, which also has some beautifully landscaped grounds and gardens, and a tennis Pavilion. Margaret Phipps, the Senator's wife, gave the property to the University of Denver in the 1960s, and it has since been used as a venue for numerous events including the 1997 Summit of Eight, when it hosted some of the world's most important political figures. In 2010, the mansion was sold to a private owner, but it is still one of the most magnificent landmarks in the Belcaro neighborhood and is considered to be one of the most beautiful estates in the region.

The Belcaro neighborhood is one of the greenest in Denver, thanks to the combination of large gardens and mature trees lining the streets. A small park, the City of Brest Park lies on the eastern edge of Belcaro. This park is dedicated to Denver's first sister city, Brest in France. The relationship between the two cities developed after a high school teacher from Denver, Mrs. Knecht, returned from a trip to Brest just after the Second World War and described the devastation she had seen there to her students. Brest had been bombed by the US over a period of six weeks. This inspired the children to collect 32,000 dollars over the next year, which was used to rebuild the Children's Hospital in Brest. The City of Brest Park is a beautiful reminder of this bond between the two cities. It is a peaceful and welcoming space, set alongside Cherry Creek. Facilities include picnic areas and a multi use sports field.