Commons Park, part of Denver's Central Platte Valley neighborhood.

Part of an up-and-coming neighborhood on Denver's northern edge, Commons Park and the surrounding Central Platte Valley comprises 120 largely undeveloped acres that have just recently seen the addition of sleek (and gay-popular) condo and apartment projects and a handful of cool new shops and restaurants, including Richard Sandoval's outstanding Zengo. The area is connected to LoDo and Union Station by the dramatic Millennium Bridge (it's for pedestrians only). The area's main drag, Platte Street, has several restaurants and boutiques in historic buildings, among them the REI Denver flagship store.