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Parks and Gardens
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Highlands' Garden Village's (HGV) pedestrian-friendly design provides safe and convenient walking paths. A network of gardens, plazas, and public open spaces create a vibrant, friendly neighborhood with ample public meeting space. The parks were designed to wander throughout the development connecting the various green spaces moving from intimate residential pocket parks to the public realm parks that are closer to the retail portion of the project. The Denver Botanic Gardens designed many of the public gardens and green space such as the historic entrance park at the corner of 38th Avenue and Tennyson Avenue. Tree lawns were designed with water-wise planting rather than the typical blue grass seen around most Denver neighborhoods. By interspersing ground cover and drought tolerant flowers with bushes and trees, a pleasant transition from street to sidewalk has been created.
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The historic Diagonal Park contains many of the previous amusement park trees, the restored 1926 Carousel Pavilion complemented by a walking labyrinth for quiet contemplation created on the floor, and the nostalgic entrance walkway planters with the traditional formal gardens. In the summertime you will find the Highlands' Garden Village Farmers Market gathered under the pavilion as well as many community functions.
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In the middle of the Trocadero Apartments parking lot is the wonderfully designed Sunken Garden. Indigenous and water-wise flowers and plants create a mountain valley, wild flower- feel, and is a great masquerade for the actual use of the garden as a storm water run-off detention pond. The flowers and brush stabilize the slopes of the detention pond while the basin is planted with water reeds and cottontails to withstand sitting water after rain and snow melt.
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| The Theater Plaza, the entryway for the historical Elitch Theater, is intended for outdoor performances, is the venue for Movies Under the Stars and acts as the commons park surrounded by loft, and live/work homes. In the spirit of water conservation and in observance of Denver's water restrictions, The Theater Plaza is planted with Buffalo Grass, which uses approximately one-quarter less water than traditional blue grass.
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The Mary Elitch Memorial Park, maintained and owned by the HGV Home Owners Association, was designed to mimic the flow of the Rocky Mountain Ditch, once an open-water ditch but now runs directly under the sidewalk winding the length of the park. The former amusement park's bandstand gazebo was restored and moved and now acts as the welcoming feature in this park. At the opposite end of the park the community garden plots are tended and harvested each fall by the residents of HGV.
The heart of HGV can be found in wandering the gardens and parks of the neighborhood. From the resident volunteer gardening group tending to the flowerbeds, families picnicking and playing, weddings and community events, here is where community relationships are found, built and nurtured.
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