The Neighborhood Edit
Vol. 01
Why the Old North End Tops My List
If I were moving to Colorado Springs, this is where I’d look first: century-old homes, a canopy of mature trees, and a little Colorado Springs magic.
Every so often, someone asks me the question I love answering most: “If you were moving to Colorado Springs, where would YOU live?”
My answer is the Old North End.
The mature trees. The historic architecture. The front porches. The easy reach of downtown. And most of all, the fact that these homes have stories. The right neighborhood looks different for everyone, but if I were choosing purely on what makes my heart happy, this one would be at the top of my list.
Oh, If These Streets Could Talk
There isn’t a street in Colorado Springs quite as magical to me as Wood Avenue. Walk beneath its canopy of trees, past grand porches, intricate woodwork, and windows that have looked out on the same street for generations, and it’s impossible not to wonder what these houses have witnessed.
Who sat on those porches a hundred years ago?
What celebrations took place inside those dining rooms?
How many families have called these houses home?
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Cripple Creek gold boom brought enormous wealth to the region. Mine owners, bankers, investors, physicians, and business leaders built impressive homes here, and the grandest stretch of Wood Avenue earned the nickname “Millionaires’ Row.” One of those residents, James Ferguson Burns, made his fortune in the Portland Mine. His mansion at 1315 Wood Avenue still stands today.
A Neighborhood That Helped Shape the City
The Old North End grew up just north of Colorado College as the young city found its footing. Gold wasn’t its only draw. Colorado Springs also became nationally known as a place to seek treatment for tuberculosis, and physicians tied to Glockner Sanitarium, which later became part of Penrose Hospital, made their homes here too. More than a century later, so much of that original character remains.
- 1871General William Jackson Palmer founds Colorado Springs.
- 1874Colorado College is established.
- Turn of the centuryThe Cripple Creek gold boom builds “Millionaires’ Row” along Wood Avenue.
- 1982The North End Historic District joins the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2015The district’s boundaries are expanded.
No Two Homes Alike
You could spend an entire afternoon here just looking at architecture: Victorian and Queen Anne homes with wraparound porches and bay windows, Craftsman bungalows with beautiful woodwork, Tudor Revivals with steep rooflines, and Mediterranean-inspired homes that look nothing like the house next door. Step inside and the details continue.
- Original hardwood floors
- Grand staircases
- Built-in cabinetry
- Fireplaces
- Detailed millwork
- Quirky little rooms
Some homes have been meticulously restored, others thoughtfully modernized, and every so often one is waiting for someone with a vision. Give me good bones, a front porch, and a little personality, and I’m interested.
Life Close to Downtown
The neighborhood sits just north of downtown, with Colorado College nearby and Monument Valley Park along its western edge for trails, green space, and room to walk, run, or bike. Downtown’s restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and events are minutes away, and Colorado College adds its campus, athletics, and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. Local gathering spots like Good Neighbors Meeting House and STIR Coffee & Cocktails are close by, too.
History, trees, parks, and city life, all in one place. That combination is what I find so appealing.
Buying or Selling a Piece of History
The Old North End isn’t a subdivision where you can compare one home to five nearly identical ones down the street. Two houses a block apart can differ in age, architecture, lot size, condition, parking, and systems, which is why I’d never judge a home here on an automated value or price per square foot alone. And sometimes what makes a buyer fall in love (the staircase, the porch, the way the light comes through an old window) can’t be put into a spreadsheet.
Older homes also deserve a little extra homework. When I tour a historic property with a buyer, here’s what I’m looking at beyond the hardwood floors:
The foundation and the sewer line.
Electrical, plumbing, roof, insulation, windows, and heating and cooling.
What renovations have already been completed.
Whether the home falls within the Historic Preservation Overlay zone, where certain exterior alterations, additions, or demolition may require additional review.
None of that means you can’t update a historic home. It means knowing what’s possible before you start dreaming. For sellers, the same care applies in reverse: a historic home deserves marketing that tells its story, not just a list of bedrooms and square footage, so the right buyer understands exactly what makes it special.
So, Would I Really Move Here?
Yes.
I love the history, the architecture, the trees, and the idea that a home can have a story that began long before you became part of it. Finding the right neighborhood is personal, but this one feels like me.
So whether you’re relocating or simply haven’t explored the Old North End lately, don’t just drive through. Park the car and walk down Wood Avenue. Look up at the trees, the porches, and the old streetlights, and think about everyone who walked these streets before us.
Oh, if those streets could talk...