Bonnie Brae is located just east of Washington Park and south of Cherry Creek. Loose boundaries of this neighborhood are Exposition Boulevard (North), Mississippi Avenue (South), University Boulevard (West) and Steele Street (East). It is dissected by the lovely Bonnie Brae Boulevard, which runs diagonally through the middle of it all.
George W. Olinger, one of the city’s most active businessmen in the 1920’s, began accumulating property in the area for his land development company, the Associated Industries Company. Olinger had been impressed by a subdivision he saw in Kansas City that was named Bonnie Brae, meaning “pleasant hill” in Gaelic. Borrowing the name, he strived to recreate the aura of a peaceful Scottish village in Denver. In 1923, the company hired the noted landscape architect Saco DeBoer to design the street system for the new neighborhood in a fashion similar to the Kansas City subdivision. DeBoer departed from the grid system that characterized most of Denver’s streets and focused on the land’s topography and natural beauty. The first homes were constructed in 1923 and 1924.
Traditional notions exemplified by Victorian and Neoclassic homes were rejected in favor of Art Moderne, International Style and Tudor residences. When World War II ended, housing construction boomed and most of the homes east of the park were built. To this day, Bonnie Brae is one of the most sought after neighborhoods in Denver.
Bonnie Brae offers something for everyone to enjoy! The eclectic mix of neighbors enjoy great dining, some of the best pizza and burgers in town, and fine floral, wine and ice cream selections. For the many long standing businesses and loyal patrons that enjoy them, residents fortunate enough to enjoy this neighborhood as their home, and commuters who can’t help but stop and indulge in this truly charming neighborhood, Bonnie Brae has stood the test of time.