Belmar blends housing with shopping, dining, entertainment options

Lakewood’s Belmar neighborhood, which also serves as the city’s downtown, combines 22 square blocks of shopping, dining, and entertainment with housing.

“It’s an urban oasis that appeals to people who don’t want to fight Denver traffic,” says Drew Vance with West+Main. “Belmar provides a chance to enjoy an urban lifestyle that you wouldn’t find anywhere else in Lakewood.”

Realtor Barry Willmarth agrees. “It’s a place where you can live, work, and shop.”

Sitting at the corner of Alameda and Wadsworth, Belmar was built in 2004 to recapture the golden days of downtown Lakewood, once home to the Villa Italia Shopping Center and May Bonfils-Stanton’s Belmar Mansion.

The neighborhood’s location near 6th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard makes it easy to travel to downtown Denver, the tech center, Littleton, or north to Westminster, Arvada, or Thornton.

“It’s also a hop, skip and a jump to get to the mountains,” says Vance, who lives in the neighborhood.

The neighborhood also is home to Belmar Park, which includes 132 acres of natural grasslands, paved trails, lakes, and scenic views.

What’s available?

Surrounded by suburban neighborhoods, Belmar offers a few single-family homes but primarily features a mix of townhomes, condos, duplexes, and triplexes, Willmarth says.

Properties typically stay on the market for two weeks or less.

Prices range from $350,000 to $450,000 for a smaller 850- to 1,000-square-foot condo to more than $1 million for a three-bedroom, three-bath property.

Single-family homes are rare and typically sell for more than $1 million, Vance says. “If that’s what you want, you’ll wait a bit for something to become available. They don’t sell that often.”

Who’s moving in?

Belmar’s urban vibe appeals to singles, young couples, and empty nesters.

In addition to offering more than 80 shops and restaurants, Belmar also offers various events and seasonal activities ranging from an Italian festival in the fall to a winter ice skating rink, street food socials, and wine and beer festivals.

In October, Lakewood approved an entertainment district that spans the shopping district’s boundaries. That will allow the city to establish a common consumption area for those of legal age to consume to-go alcoholic beverages in designated zones.

“There’s rarely a weekend without something to do,” Vance says. “It’s a good spot for people who like to be active, see live music, or enjoy community events.”

The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post’s preparation.

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