LoDo

What is living in LoDo like?

LoDo is more of a going-out area, with restaurants, bars and nightclubs. There are condos and apartments, you're close to Coors Field, and older industrial buildings have been turned into lofts and apartments.

Start with the names, because three things get blurred here. LoDo is the everyday name. Union Station is the statistical neighborhood the city uses for data and records, and it's also a train station. The Lower Downtown Historic District is a city designation with its own design review. If you're still choosing a part of the metro, start with the Denver relocation guide.

What draws people here

• Denver Union Station. Light rail, commuter rail, Amtrak and regional buses meet at one hub inside the neighborhood.
• Warehouse buildings. Red-brick warehouses from Denver's railroad years were reused as lofts and apartments, and many of the district's old buildings have shops on the ground floor.
• Restaurants and bars. LoDo and 16th Street together hold hundreds of bars, restaurants and cafes.
• Coors Field. The Rockies have played here since 1995, at the edge of the historic district.
• The river. Commons Park covers about 20 acres along the South Platte River, and the South Platte River Trail runs past it.

What gives people pause

• Dues. Condos and lofts come with association dues, so compare the full monthly cost, not just the mortgage.
• Parking. A space may not come with the unit, so it can be a separate cost.
• Busy hours. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs sit close to homes, and game days bring baseball crowds to the edge of the district. Visit the block on a game day and late on a weekend night before you decide.
• Building rules. Exterior work in the historic district goes through design review, and lenders review the condo project as well as the buyer.
• Flood maps. The South Platte River and Cherry Creek both run along this area, so check FEMA's map.

Where is LoDo, and how do you get around?

LoDo sits at the northwest end of downtown. Highland lies to the west across the river and I-25, Five Points lies to the north, and the Central Business District lies to the southeast. As of fall 2026, RTD's downtown rail project has changed some light rail service, so confirm your trip with RTD before you count on it.

• Into downtown: You're already there. Downtown is made up mostly of the Union Station and Central Business District neighborhoods. RTD's 16th Street FreeRide runs along 16th Street, and the MetroRide connects Union Station and Civic Center at weekday peak times.
• Into the Tech Center: I-25 is the drive, with exits at 20th Street and Park Avenue near Coors Field. By rail, light rail runs from Union Station to Belleview Station, a transfer point during the rail project.
• Transit: Denver Union Station is the region's hub. It ties together RTD light rail and commuter rail, Amtrak, regional buses, taxis and shuttles, with a 22-bay underground bus facility. Bustang and Greyhound also use that facility.
• The airport: Commuter rail runs from Union Station to Denver International Airport. By car, take I-25 north to I-70, then I-70 east to Peña Boulevard.
• The mountains: Take I-25 north to the Mousetrap interchange, then I-70 west through the Rockies. Amtrak's Winter Park Express uses Union Station in winter, so check its current schedule.

Where does LoDo start and stop?

The official lines come from Denver's statistical neighborhoods. Denver has 78 official neighborhoods, which grew out of the census-tract groups city planners drew in 1970, and the city uses the map for data, research and records. There's no formal process for naming a neighborhood, so "LoDo" isn't on that map.

Union Station, the statistical neighborhood

This is the official boundary for this guide. Its northwest line is the South Platte River, and its northeast line is 20th Street. Published descriptions differ on the other two sides: Lawrence or Larimer Street on the southeast, and 14th Street or Cherry Creek on the southwest, so check an address on Denver's map. It takes in much of the historic district, plus the former rail yard behind the station.

The Lower Downtown Historic District

This is a separate, smaller area. Denver City Council created it by zoning ordinance in March 1988 to protect 127 contributing historic structures. Its rough borders are Cherry Creek and Speer Boulevard, Wewatta Street, 20th Street, and the alley between Market and Larimer streets. Much of the district sits inside Union Station, but the lines differ.

Union Station, the building

Denver Union Station stands at 1701 Wynkoop St. It gives the neighborhood its name, but the historic district's line skips it. The station has its own National Register listing, dating to 1974.

Central Platte Valley and Riverfront Park

Behind the station, the Central Platte Valley was once a railyard and industrial zone. The former rail yard there is part of the Union Station neighborhood. The Central Platte Valley and the Riverfront Park area sit outside the historic district, though many people count them as part of LoDo.

How the name gets used

The LoDo District, a nonprofit and Registered Neighborhood Organization, treats the historic district as its core. It draws its neighborhood from Larimer Street on the east to I-25 on the west, with 20th Street on the north and the Auraria and River Mile areas on the south. So "LoDo" can mean more than the historic district.

Nearby areas often confused with it

Larimer Square is the 1400 block of Larimer Street, on the far side of the alley that marks the historic district's southeast line, and it has its own historic district, the city's first. Coors Field stands at the edge of the Lower Downtown district. The Ballpark area, which includes the stadium and several blocks east, is part of the Five Points statistical neighborhood. If the name matters to you, go by the address on Denver's map, not the name on a sign.

What does it cost to own a home in LoDo?

Prices and tax amounts change, so this guide points you to where to check them. With a condo or loft, much of the cost runs through the building, not just the unit.

• HOA dues: Find out what the dues cover and what they've been in recent years.
• Reserves: Reserves are an association's savings for large repairs. Ask for the budget, financial statements and latest reserve study. If the savings fall short, owners can be asked to pay more.
• Condo project approval: A lender reviews the project as well as you, looking at things such as its financial stability, litigation and insurance. The steps depend on the project and the loan, so have your lender look at the building early.
• Parking: A space may be included, sold separately or rented, so price it as its own line. Confirm what the contract gives you and what the association's rules say.
• Lower Downtown design review: In the historic district, the Lower Downtown Design Review Commission reviews new construction, alterations, signs and demolition. Approved projects get a Certificate of Appropriateness, which goes in with any later building or zoning permit application. Talk to your association first if you're planning exterior work.
• Property tax: Denver's property search shows assessment and tax data by address, parcel ID or schedule number. Some charges, such as maintenance district and business improvement fees, may not show up there at certain times of year, so ask about them.
• Sidewalk fee: Denver's fee appears on the municipal stormwater bill, split into two payments a year. When an HOA handles that bill, the HOA handles the fee, so ask whether your dues cover it.
• Flood insurance: FEMA's Flood Map Service Center lets you search the official flood map by address. Run any home near the river or the creek, and ask your insurance agent what the result means.

What kinds of homes are in LoDo?

Expect lofts, condos and apartments. Inside the historic district, zoning limits building height, encourages mixed use and sets design guidelines.

The buildings explain the housing. Denver was founded at the confluence in November 1858, and an 1863 fire pushed the district from wood to brick and stone. The railroad arrived in 1870, and large wholesale warehouses grew up around the rail yards from the mid-1870s. Warehouse Row along Wynkoop Street is the example to walk. After World War II the area went into a slow decline, and urban renewal took down part of it in the 1960s and 1970s. The Edbrooke Lofts conversion came at the start of LoDo's revival in 1990, two years after the historic district was created.

The Central Platte Valley has a different story. It was railyard and industrial land, so check each building's age there rather than assuming.

How do schools work in LoDo?

Schools here fall under Denver Public Schools. The district assigns by single-school boundary in some areas and by enrollment zone in others. A zone guarantees a seat at one of several schools rather than one named school. Because this depends on the address, enter each home you're considering into DPS's School Finder. The SchoolChoice hotline can explain the schools in a zone, and DPS posts zone guides for elementary, middle and high school.

What is there to do in LoDo?

Parks, trails and open space

Commons Park covers about 20 acres just north of the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River, with a promenade along Little Raven Street, lawns, recreational fields and riverbank wetlands. The land was a gathering place for Native American tribes. It later became railroad property, and the city acquired part of it for the park.

Events

The Rockies have played at Coors Field, 2001 Blake St., since 1995, and home games shape the calendar here. Ball Arena is also downtown. Larimer Square is known for its seasonal lighting displays. The LoDo District holds networking and social events and helps run Cherry Creek Sweeps, a seasonal cleanup. Check each group's calendar for dates.

Food and shops

Union Station's ground level has independent shops and restaurants. Larimer Square is a mixed-use block of restaurants, shops, offices and entertainment venues. Wynkoop Brewing Company, a brewpub founded in 1988, and the Oxford Hotel, built in 1891 and home of the art deco Cruise Room bar, are two older names in the district.

Three places to start

• Denver Union Station — The central part of the building dates to 1914. The Great Hall at 1701 Wynkoop St. doubles as the Crawford Hotel's lobby and the train waiting room.
• Commons Park — About 20 acres along the South Platte River. Look for the 40-foot black marble compass.
• Larimer Square — The 1400 block of Larimer Street, where late-19th-century buildings of mostly two to four stories still form one streetscape. Dana Hudkins Crawford began acquiring and rehabilitating them in the 1960s.

Who are the big employers in and near LoDo?

LoDo sits inside downtown Denver. Downtown is the city's main financial, commercial, business and entertainment district, and most of it falls in the Union Station and Central Business District neighborhoods. The Federal District, around Champa, Stout, 19th and 20th streets, holds a federal courthouse, an appeals court and a customs house. The Auraria Campus lies to the south, and Coors Field and Ball Arena both sit downtown. Employer rosters change, so treat these as the places to look rather than a ranked list.

How does LoDo compare with nearby areas?

• LoDo vs. the Central Business District — The Union Station and Central Business District neighborhoods make up most of downtown. Lower Downtown's height limits and design review apply inside the historic district.
• LoDo vs. Ballpark and Five Points — 20th Street is the line. The Ballpark area, including Coors Field, is part of the Five Points statistical neighborhood.
• LoDo vs. LoHi — LoHi is the eastern part of Highland, across the South Platte River and I-25. A pedestrian route runs from the end of 16th Street over the Denver Millennium Bridge, the Platte River Bridge and the Highland Bridge.
• LoDo vs. Auraria — Cherry Creek and Speer Boulevard mark the historic district's southwest side. Auraria, which merged with Denver City in 1860, lies beyond them, and the name now also means the Auraria Campus.

Buying in LoDo: what to do first

1. Get pre-approved before you tour. Once you have a building in mind, your lender will need to look at the project as well as your finances.
2. Confirm which LoDo you mean. Check the address against Denver's map, and find out whether it's in the historic district or only near it.
3. Get the association documents. Ask for the budget, financial statements, reserve study and rules, and read them before you're committed.
4. Pin down parking. Find out whether a space comes with the unit, how it's held and what it costs.
5. Check the address. Use Denver's property search, FEMA's flood map and DPS's School Finder, and ask about design review if you plan any exterior work.
6. Veterans: If you're using a VA loan, check the condo project first. VA keeps a list of approved condos. If the condo isn't on the list, the project must be submitted to VA for review, so ask about this early. If you'd like a read on current pricing for the blocks you're considering, reach out and I'll walk you through it.