Berkeley and Tennyson Street
Two lakes, a main street of shops and restaurants, and bungalows that families grow into.
Pricing trends
Berkeley prices below the Highlands and above Regis and Chaffee Park, with new duplexes near Tennyson and renovated bungalows near the lakes at the top. Original ranches and cottages still offer some of the more attainable detached homes in northwest Denver.
| Denver, August 2026 | Median price | Homes sold | Days on market | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Family | $635,000−5.6% vs August 2025 | 483 | 38average days | 1,874 |
| Townhome / condo | $360,000−10.0% vs August 2025 | 213 | 65average days | 2,002 |
Citywide figures for Denver. Source: Local Market Update, August 2026, REcolorado data compiled by the Colorado Association of REALTORS®. Neighborhood-level figures vary; ask me for comparables on any specific home. See all area tables.
About Berkeley
Berkeley is the northwest Denver neighborhood built around Berkeley Lake and Rocky Mountain Lake, with Tennyson Street as its main street. It drew young families and first-time buyers a decade ago as the Highlands got expensive, and Tennyson has since filled with restaurants, bars, an ice cream shop and a First Friday art walk. It still feels like a neighborhood more than a destination.
Location
Berkeley runs from Federal Boulevard west to Sheridan Boulevard and from 38th Avenue north to Interstate 70, with West Highland to the south, Regis and Chaffee Park to the east and Wheat Ridge across Sheridan. Downtown is about fifteen minutes by car or bus down 38th Avenue or Federal.
History and background
Where it sits. Berkeley is in northwest Denver, west of Federal Boulevard and south of Interstate 70. Sheridan Boulevard marks its western edge and 38th Avenue its southern edge.
Berkeley began as farmland, with settlers growing alfalfa. Developer John Brisben Walker bought land in the late 1800's to show the dry plains could be farmed, and he named it Berkeley Farms for his hometown of Berkeley Springs, Virginia.
In 1888 cable cars began running out to the lake, and lots were sold for as little as $175. Berkeley Lake drew steam yachts, concerts on floating pavilions, and even races of elephants and camels. The town was North Denver for a while, was renamed Berkeley in 1898, and Denver annexed it in 1902.
Streetcars ran along what became Tennyson Street, so shops sprang up near the stops, and in 1904 the city renamed the street for English poet Alfred Tennyson. Interstate 70 split Berkeley Park in half in the 1960's, and the lake was reduced.
Why people like it. People like Berkeley for the Tennyson Street Cultural District, with independent coffee shops, galleries, boutiques and restaurants, plus First Friday art walks and lakeside parks like Berkeley Lake and Rocky Mountain Lake.
Fun fact. Berkeley had its own post office from October 1890 until May 1896.
Sources and caveats for this history
Housing and architecture
The streets hold 1900s to 1920s brick bungalows and cottages, a share of 1940s and 1950s brick ranches, and the duplexes and townhomes that replaced many of the smaller houses along Tennyson and near the lakes in the 2010s. Lots are typically 37 or 50 feet wide with alleys. Basements are common, and many homes have been expanded up or back.
Parks and recreation
Berkeley Lake Park, with the Scheitler Recreation Center and its pool, and Rocky Mountain Lake Park are the two anchors, with dog parks, trails and lake loops. Willis Case Golf Course is at the neighborhood's northwest corner, and Clear Creek Trail is reachable through Wheat Ridge.
Dining, shopping and daily life
Tennyson Street between 38th and 46th is the draw: restaurants, breweries, coffee, a bookshop, boutiques and the Oriental Theater. 44th Avenue and 38th Avenue add neighborhood services and more dining, and the Natural Grocers and Safeway on 38th cover groceries. The Highlands and Tennyson's First Friday art walk keep weekends busy.
Nearby
Other nearby communities
Northwest Denver Highlands LoHi's restaurants and skyline views, West Highland's bungalows, and the bluff above the river. 
Northwest Denver Sunnyside The Highlands' quieter northern neighbor, with bungalows, a new rail station and a growing 44th Avenue. 
Northwest Denver Regis and Chaffee Park Mid-century ranches and bungalows around Regis University, the most attainable corner of northwest Denver. 
Northwest Denver Jefferson Park A small hilltop neighborhood of new townhomes and old cottages with the stadium and the skyline below. 
Northwest Denver Sloan's Lake and Villa Park Denver's second-largest park, the W Line to downtown, and the city's most active new-construction corridor. 
Northwest Denver West Colfax Sloan's Lake's southern neighbor, remade by the W Line and the St. Anthony hospital redevelopment. Let’s talk about Berkeley
Tell me what you are looking for in Berkeley
Share your timing and what matters most, and I will come back with homes, comparables and an honest read on the market.
Geoffry Kaatz
Real Estate Consultant and Licensed Realtor
303-517-9671
geoffry.kaatz@compass.com
200 Columbine St, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80206