What's in a Name? Gentrification Sparks Denver's Northside vs. Highlands Debate

David Conde discusses the new reality taking hold in traditionally Latino neighborhoods on the Northside of Denver, especially the reactions to the name for the area adopted by newcomers: the Highlands.

1 minute read

August 28, 2014, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Conde discusses the impact of Denver's urbanization on the Northside neighborhoods like Globeville and Columbus Park where he grew up.

White flight built important suburban communities at the expense of Denver and its decaying infrastructure. The renaissance of the city began with Mayor Federico Pena who imagined a great city and built the institutions that led to the Denver comeback.

His vision lingers and has captured the imagination of those who have renewed the faith in the world class facilities and living opportunities that make the downtown and its immediate surrounding neighborhoods desirable. So what can be called an invasion of the Northside is on and is not going to let up any time soon.

The key issue is an ongoing controversy over what to call the collection of neighborhoods in the area. In Conde's view, the name Northside is an important part of the fabric of Latino identity. On the other side of the argument are voices like the Highland Denver blog, which points to the history of the name Highlands, which dates back to 1885.

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