The Baker Historic District

A few weeks ago I went for a walk along South Broadway here in Denver, and after surviving that experience (not to put too fine a point on it, but that street is WEIRD), decided to head just west into the Baker Historic District, a neighborhood made up of hundreds of 19th century homes, many from the 1880s.  I myself am not crazy about the idea of living in Victorian era houses. Years ago, my then wife Lisa house-sat for her fellow Opera Colorado member Mary Ellen, who had recently bought an old Victorian just north of Washington Park here in Denver.  I joined her there, and got a first-hand view of what living in a home like that is like.  First and foremost, it was cold as hell.  And the next morning, when I went to take a shower, found that the bathtub was sitting on Victorian style claws in the middle of the bathroom, and the shower curtain was 360 degrees, surrounding you as you grabbed a hose and guided it over yourself, holding it in one hand while trying to wash yourself with the other.  Who could possibly complain about that?

Regardless, the Baker District is really nice, and I think a lot of transplants from across the country have bought many of these houses and fixed them up (let's hope they they didn't skimp on insulation).  You really can't fault people, especially from crowded and super expensive California, from wanting to move here and buy one of these beautiful old homes just minutes from downtown Denver, a city that has a really wonderful climate and is just a short drive from some of America's most beautiful scenery.  Although, since something like half the population of California has now moved here, the freeways are at a total standstill during rush hour, and bumper to bumper the rest of the time.  Thanks to my apartment building (located just across the street from the University of Denver) going condo almost 20 years ago and forcing me to buy a unit, I have been able to afford to stay where I am and avoid that commuter nightmare.  Thank God for that.