
Tame but still game
A leafy residential thoroughfare lined with Victorian houses, Colorado Avenue is the main drag through sprawling Colorado Springs and is also the main street of the neighborhood known as Old Colorado City. Highlighted by a compact retail strip packed with interesting galleries, shops, and restaurants, this quaint area feels like a separate community.
And that’s no coincidence. Before Colorado Springs was founded, this was Colorado City, the region’s first settlement and, in 1861, the territorial capital. In the 1890s, Colorado City became the rowdy gateway to the Cripple Creek mining district.
While this is still a fun neighborhood to visit, these days the pleasures are rated PG. All are within strolling distance along West Colorado Avenue between 23rd and 29th Streets.