Stapleton residents can sometimes get creative in their driving routes when heading back to Stapleton from their shopping or dining ventures outside of the neighborhood. Many times, these uncharted paths will take them through neighboring Park Hill. “I was coming back from Cherry Creek,” explained Stapleton resident Tessie Ross, “when I realized I was on 26th St. heading up through Park Hill. I had never really looked around before, but it was a pretty crazy scene. Most of the houses there appear to have been built before 1990. It was pretty surreal.”
Residents daring enough to venture farther north, may even see chain link fences with fenced in dogs, uncut and unkempt lawns, ranch style houses, and even paint peeling on homes. “It is pretty nuts that this is right next to us,” said Stapleton resident Brian Swartz. “There are all these full grown trees, cars from the 90’s, people using public transit. Just insane.”
Although most Stapleton residents do their best to avoid going through Park Hill, especially with kids, some use it as an educational tool. “We want the kids to get an understanding of what life is like in other countries,” says Mike Hoffman. “We can’t afford to take the kids to third world countries to show them how tough life is elsewhere, but we can drive them through Park Hill. Obviously, just seeing these old homes they live in is great for the kids, and sometimes, if we’re lucky, we will catch people doing their own chores or yard work. Just not something you see that often in the US.”
Stapleton residents are encouraged to find distractions when driving through Park Hill. Make sure you are listening to music, talking on your phone, or just daydreaming which will help you ignore all the shoddiness that comes with a neighborhood built in the 20th century.
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