A distinctly urban neighborhood emerging from a colorful and gritty past, the Bluebird District is an eclectic business and entertainment district at the center of historic Colfax Avenue where edgy meets entrepreneurial and independent meets community.

Distinctly urban neighborhood: The neighborhoods on and along Colfax Avenue have seen struggles, and success, because of the dense urban mix inherent in their design. A diverse offering of housing uses and types, a mix of commercial offerings and operations and Colfax’s use as a primary transportation thoroughfare make it distinctly urban, and the Bluebird District is a microcosm of this.

Colorful and gritty past: Colfax Avenue is well-recognized historically as one of Denver’s toughest streets.  Challenges with crime, prostitution, drugs and homelessness have created image problems that at one time made the avenue a place many people were not comfortable visiting. The Bluebird District has succeeded in overcoming many of these challenges, creating an environment that welcomes populations of families and neighbors during the day and draws visitors to the entertainment destinations during the evening.

The Bluebird District: The name “Bluebird District” has gained tremendous recognition since its inception a few years ago, after the historic Bluebird Theatre that anchors the district. Survey results confirm that the Bluebird District name has established itself as one of the most recognizable on Colfax, with nearly 70% of respondents noting it as the most familiar among a list of other Colfax neighborhood names.

Eclectic business and entertainment district: It’s the independent and unique concepts that have found a home on the Bluebird District and together they’ve created an eclectic mix that attracts individuals interested in a variety of goods to the Bluebird blocks. Hooked on Colfax, Atomic Cowboy, Babooshka salon and GroundSwell Gallery are the most recent additions to long-time indies Goosetown Tavern, Collins' Bicycles, and Colfax Guitar Shop. Together, they offer a mix of services and goods that keep the Bluebird District buzzing day and night.

Edgy meets entrepreneurial: The business concepts that “work” in the Bluebird District aren’t the cookie-cutter concepts you’ll find in some business districts. These are sometimes edgy, sometimes artsy, usually funky concepts that all have a common thread – they’re succeeding because of an incredibly strong entrepreneurial support network that exists.

Independent meets community: There is a lot of individualism in the businesses and ideas that have brought the Bluebird District to life, but the true lifeblood behind the District’s success is the tremendous community network of business owners, property owners and neighborhoods that surround the commercial core of the district.  Check out the 5th Annual Boo & Brew >

In May 2008 the Bluebird District, located on East Colfax Avenue between Columbine Street and Colorado Boulevard, was selected by the City of Denver’s Office of Economic Development to be a pilot district under Denver’s Neighborhood Marketplace Initiative (DNMI) – a new initiative aimed at strengthening business districts and their surrounding neighborhoods citywide.

The goals in choosing the Bluebird District for DNMI were to assist them in:
• Fostering the district in building capacity to become self sufficient
• Developing a stronger public/private working relationship between the City of Denver and Bluebird District stakeholders
• Building stronger relationships between Bluebird District property and business owners and the surrounding neighborhoods of Congress Park and South City Park
• Stimulating private sector investment in the District

As a pilot, the Bluebird District worked with the Office of Economic Development and the consulting firm of Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.) to develop the following district development plan which outlines the district’s goals, work plan and benchmarks to gauge their progress towards becoming a district selfsupported by strong private sector leadership.
The Bluebird District was selected as a pilot because of existing evidence of leadership, community investment and neighborhood engagement in the district. It has experienced tremendous grass-roots driven growth over the past five years and today is at a tipping point. Moving the district forward will require a focused vision, incremental improvements, and a well-defined organizational and financing structure.

Download the P.U.M.A - Bluebird District Development Plan >

The BlueBird District is home to the Boo & Brew Halloween Block Party, a neighborhood celebration for kids and their parents during the day (the Boo) and for the big kids at night (the Brew).  The district hosts the  Second Saturday Art Walk which has been continuously expanding over the last 16 months. 

Click Here to see the events >
Look for businesses on the Beat >

See you on Colfax!


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