City: Denver, CO

Category: Parks & Recreation

Description: Commons Park is Denver’s most unusual urban park. It opened in 2001, reclaiming land that held Denver’s earliest settlers from years of neglect. It was envisioned as the crown jewel in a string of riverfront parks that bisect the city. Forward-­thinking city fathers (and mothers) spent more than 2 decades amassing the land, scraping away the rail yards and hobo shanties, and planning for redevelopment. First came the city park, a grassy knoll that offers people a place to stare at the eastern skyline and the mountains to the west or listen to a concert staged in the outdoor arena. Along one side, visitors can dabble their feet in the waters of the South Platte River. The pricey high-­rises came next, attracting families and retirees, empty nesters, and urban professionals with their close proximity to Elitch Gardens amusement park, Coors Field, the Pepsi Center, and a free city-­owned 50,000-square-­foot skateboard park that attracts 200 to 300 skaters a day. Reach this rich cultural stew by riding the 16th Street shuttle west to its end point, then walking across the Millennium Bridge. By car, follow I-25 to Speer Boulevard, then exit south. Turn right at Elitch Circle, and keep turning right until you’re on Little Raven Street. The park runs alongside Little Raven Street between 15th and 19th Streets.