Welcome to Alta Vista

The Atomic Age to Arrive in Arvada

Arvada is a quaint suburban area nestled in between the City of Denver and the mountains on the Northwest side of town. It provides easy access to the I-70 freeway, and has a newly opened light rail line that connects Olde Town Arvada with Union Station downtown. Olde Town is a quaint neighborhood gathering area full of vibrant restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and boutique retail stores, and feels very “Main Street USA” in vibe. Arvada was recently called Apartment Therapy’s ‘Coolest Suburb in America” in 2019. Alta Vista is a 5 minute drive or 10 minute bike ride to Olde Town Arvada and is nestled up next to the beautiful and expansive Hoskinson Park, with views of the Rocky Mountains.

Like many other post-war suburban neighborhoods, before WWII, Arvada was comprised of quiet farmland along the railroad tracks known for being the “celery capital of the world”. The Alta Vista and Allendale neighborhoods were then built for workers who were moving to Arvada upon announcement that the Rocky Flats nuclear production facility up north would soon be opening. By 1953, an ambitious developer, Chester Hoskinson, was responsible for building 97% of Arvada’s housing stock. His brothers, Jay and Leonard, developed Alta Vista, which opened in 1954.

The neighborhood is comprised of 274 homes with a mix of 4 different models, which in 1955 ranged in value from $13,450 to $15,750. This is technically the largest Mid-Century Modern community in one concentrated area in the entire Denver Metro. These homes were known for being durable and well built, with open concept floor plans, large window walls, back patios, and TV antennas (a big deal for the time). Their advertising slogan was ‘Everything You Need From A to V!” The neighborhood initially didn’t have enough schools for children, so one particular home in the neighborhood was remodeled to serve as a temporary school and is still a standing home structure to this day.

The models created that are Mid-Century Modern in style, as opposed to simple brick ranch models, are the front gable ranch with the attached garage, and the Alta Vista model (shed roof with an attached garage). Some have basements, some don’t. Some have carports, some have been converted into garages.

Tucked away on the south side of Hoskinson Park are some beautiful and LARGE mid-century modern brick ranch homes on massive lots, which were initially built for the builders and their families to reside in during construction of the neighborhood. They don’t come on the market often, but if you like the area but want more square footage, this is where you can find what you’re looking for. 

For more information on this neighborhood, feel free to reference the Pattern and Design Idea Book for Post War Homes, developed by the City of Arvada and Historic Denver to educate homeowners about the history and design principles of these homes.