Denver’s premier shopping enclave for several decades, Cherry Creek is the place to live, work, shop, and play. This tony neighborhood, once known as Harmon, for George Harmon who owned the 320-acre farm that originally occupied the site, offers the ultimate urban lifestyle in a lovely central location where quiet, tree-shaded streets, pocket parks, and trails beckon you to walk, jog, or bike, and nearby thoroughfares whisk you to all points of the metro area in mere minutes.

Among the neighborhood’s nearly unlimited diversions are the renown Cherry Creek Mall, one of Denver’s leading tourist attractions; a host of exclusive bistros, gourmet restaurants, coffee houses, boutiques, spas and salons, bookstores, galleries; and, a short hop away by car or bus, the vibrant nightlife and pulse-pounding sports scene (professional football, ice hockey, basketball, and baseball) in historic LoDo.

Elegant restaurants include Bob’s Steak and Chop House, Kona Grill, Elway’s, North, Fourth Story, Little Ollie’s, and Chinook Tavern. Classy fashion boutiques such as Max, Homer Reed, Eccentricity, Lawrence Covell, White House & Black Market, Andrisen Morton, Garbarini, and Mario DiLeone are rapidly transforming the area into the Rodeo Drive of the Rockies.

Come spring, the Cherry Creek Sneak, one of the most popular races of the year, draws runners from around the region and across the nation to help kick off the summer running season. A favorite of joggers, walkers, bicyclists, and in-line skaters, the 22-mile Cherry Creek bike path, links to a metro-wide network of trails including one’s that traverse the scenic necklace of parks lining the banks of the South Platte River.

Fillmore Plaza, the local “town square” hosts ice skating in winter and Films on Fillmore, a free summer movie series. The plaza is also home to a seemingly nonstop parade of culinary and musical happenings. At the “Gourmet Series-Grand Tasting,” gastronomes and wine aficionados attend demonstrations and tastings hosted by celebrity chefs.

In early July, things really start to sizzle as some of the nation’s foremost artists show their work at the internationally acclaimed Cherry Creek Arts Festival, one of the world’s largest outdoor galleries. For three action-packed days, visitors are treated to craft demonstrations, live music, performance art, and fine foods at booths hosted by popular neighborhood restaurants.

Housing in Cherry Creek has experienced an unprecedented revival during the last decade, with many modest-size, pre-World-War-II homes supplanted by luxury condominiums, townhomes, and single-family homes in an amazing array of architectural styles, from stunningly Contemporary to more traditional Tuscan and French County. Almost magically, the diverse newcomers conspire to complement one another while enhancing the community’s serene ambiance.

Already an inviting, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, Cherry Creek keeps getting better as new families, businesses, and upscale shops move in, drawn by the area’s irresistible charms. Sidewalk cafés, quiet plazas graced by trees and fountains, and streetscapes featuring colorful plantings and comfortable seating make this a great place to hang out, visit with neighbors, discover new friends, and revel in Denver’s annual allotment of 300 sun-shiny days.