What are homes like in Bonnie Brae?
Bonnie Brae is a small Denver neighborhood east of South University Boulevard whose curving streets were laid out in 1923 instead of on the city grid. Its houses range from 1920s and 1930s Tudor revival cottages to postwar brick ranches and newer custom homes. Most of it is zoned for single unit homes on lots of at least 6,000 square feet.
Bonnie Brae homes stand out in central Denver because of the street plan they sit on: curving, tree lined streets that branch off a diagonal boulevard around an oval park. This guide explains where Bonnie Brae is, how it was built, what the houses are like, the zoning that governs additions and rebuilds, and what to look for when you buy or sell. For current inventory and pricing, use the live numbers at the top of this page.
Where is Bonnie Brae?
Bonnie Brae is inside the City and County of Denver. It runs east from South University Boulevard to South Steele Street, between East Exposition Avenue on the north and East Mississippi Avenue on the south. Washington Park is across University Boulevard to the west, and Belcaro is east of Steele Street.
Bonnie Brae is not one of Denver’s official statistical neighborhoods. The city counts it as part of the statistical neighborhood called Belcaro, which runs from Cherry Creek to Mississippi Avenue between University and Colorado boulevards. Most people still treat the two as separate places, with Steele Street as the line between them.
How was Bonnie Brae built?
The land was granted to the Kansas Pacific Railroad in 1870 and later passed to farmers. In the early 1920s, George W. Olinger began buying it through his development company, Associated Industries Co., and borrowed the name Bonnie Brae from a Kansas City subdivision. The name is usually translated as “pleasant hill.”
In 1923 the company hired the landscape architect Saco R. DeBoer, working with Walter Pesman, to lay out the streets. Rather than extend Denver’s grid, DeBoer followed the slope of the land with interlaced, curving streets that branch from Bonnie Brae Boulevard, a diagonal that crosses the subdivision. Stone pillars marked the entrances at Kentucky and Tennessee avenues along University Boulevard, and they still stand. The first homes went up in 1923 and 1924, and the subdivision filings were completed in April 1925.
Associated Industries went bankrupt in 1928, and much of the land went to the city over unpaid taxes. Building slowed through the Depression and continued house by house. The oval park at the center of the plan was completed in 1936. After World War II, construction picked up again, and most of the homes east of the park date from that boom. Accounts of the neighborhood describe it as essentially built out by the mid 1950s.
What do Bonnie Brae homes look like?
The two building periods show on the street. The older blocks, mostly west of the park, have Tudor revival cottages with steep roofs, along with Spanish and other period revival houses from the 1920s and 1930s. The postwar blocks to the east have more brick ranches, Cape Cod houses and two story brick homes, with some Art Moderne and International Style designs mixed in. Since then, some original houses have been expanded with second stories and others have been replaced by larger custom homes, so contemporary houses now sit beside the originals on many blocks.
Because the streets curve and meet at odd angles, lot shapes and orientation change from block to block. Corner lots, pie shaped lots on bends and lots facing the park can differ a great deal from the rectangular lots on a standard Denver block. Lots here are generally smaller than in Belcaro east of Steele Street. The alleys behind many homes carry a neighborhood detail of their own: since 2008, residents have added mosaic tile murals to alley walls and garages.
What rules shape what you can build in Bonnie Brae?
According to the city’s official zoning map, most of Bonnie Brae is zoned E-SU-Dx: Urban Edge context, Single Unit, with a 6,000 square foot minimum zone lot and special provisions written for that district. The zoning anticipates one detached house per lot, and it controls height, setbacks and building coverage for additions and new homes. The Denver Zoning Code zone descriptions page explains how the codes are built.
Bonnie Brae is not a Denver historic district, so most remodels, pop tops and rebuilds are governed by zoning rather than design review. University Boulevard along the western edge is part of the designated University Boulevard Parkway. If you are planning an addition or a new house, have the exact parcel’s setbacks and bulk limits confirmed with Denver Community Planning and Development before you commit, because the irregular lots here can change what fits.
| At a glance | Bonnie Brae |
|---|---|
| City and county | City and County of Denver |
| Borders | South University Boulevard to South Steele Street, East Exposition Avenue to East Mississippi Avenue |
| Street plan | Curving streets by Saco R. DeBoer, 1923, around a diagonal boulevard |
| Main building years | 1923 to the mid 1950s, with newer rebuilds |
| Typical house styles | Tudor revival, Spanish revival, brick ranch, Cape Cod, newer custom |
| Main zoning | E-SU-Dx, single unit, 6,000 square foot minimum lot |
| Park | Bonnie Brae Park, completed 1936 |
Streets, parks and getting around
Bonnie Brae Park, the oval at the center of DeBoer’s plan, has an open lawn, ornamental stone steps and a ring of deciduous trees and flowering shrubs. Bonnie Brae Boulevard cuts diagonally across the neighborhood, and named streets such as South Ellipse Way and South Cove Way wind around it. University Boulevard on the west edge carries most of the traffic and holds the neighborhood’s small commercial corner, which dates back to the Bonnie Brae Tavern’s opening in 1934. Washington Park is across University Boulevard, and the Cherry Creek Trail is a short distance north.
What should you check when buying in Bonnie Brae?
Many Bonnie Brae houses are approaching or past a century old, so we suggest planning for a thorough inspection:
- A camera scope of the sewer line to the street, since clay lines and roots from mature trees are common in neighborhoods of this age.
- A check of the foundation and basement walls for cracks and water, especially in the older Tudor revival homes.
- A look at the electrical system for remaining knob and tube wiring or undersized service in houses from the 1920s and 1930s.
- A radon test, which applies to homes across Colorado.
Also compare how each house sits on its lot. An irregular lot can limit a future addition or garage, and the orientation of a lot on a bend affects sun, privacy and yard space. If you are drawn to an original house, check whether earlier additions were permitted.
What should you know when selling in Bonnie Brae?
Buyers who look at Bonnie Brae often compare original character with updated systems. They want to know what has been done to the roof, sewer, electrical and heating, and whether past additions match the original house. We usually advise sellers to gather permits, inspection reports and any sewer or radon work ahead of time.
Pricing depends on comparing the right homes. An original Tudor revival cottage west of the park, a postwar ranch east of it and a new custom house on a larger lot are different products, even on neighboring streets. Nobody can promise where prices go, so we base a price on recent sales of similar homes and lots and explain the adjustments.
How does Bonnie Brae compare with nearby neighborhoods?
Belcaro, east of Steele Street, sits on higher ground with larger lots, more brick ranches and midcentury homes, and much of it is zoned for 12,000 square foot minimum lots. Washington Park, across University Boulevard, is built around the large park of the same name. Farther south, Observatory Park has its own mix of older houses and rebuilds near the University of Denver. All of our area guides are on the neighborhoods page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the Bonnie Brae street plan?
Landscape architect Saco R. DeBoer, with Walter Pesman, designed it in 1923 for developer George W. Olinger’s company. The curving streets follow the land’s slope and branch from the diagonal Bonnie Brae Boulevard.
Is Bonnie Brae part of Belcaro?
In the city’s statistical records, yes: Denver counts Bonnie Brae within its Belcaro statistical neighborhood. On the ground most people treat them as two places, with Bonnie Brae west of South Steele Street and Belcaro to the east.
When was Bonnie Brae Park built?
The oval park at the center of the plan was completed in 1936, after construction had stalled when the original developer’s company went bankrupt in 1928.
Can you add a second story in Bonnie Brae?
Often, yes. Bonnie Brae is not a historic district, and most of it is zoned E-SU-Dx, so additions are governed by that district’s height, setback and coverage rules. Irregular lots can limit what fits, so confirm with the city first.
If you own a home in Bonnie Brae, you can request a home value estimate, or schedule a private consultation about buying or selling here.
