Gateway Park - Colorado Springs, CO

In the 1890s, the discovery of gold at nearby Pikes Peak Mountain resulted in an influx of settlers to the area, trying to get rich on gold. Some of them struck it rich, earning Colorado Springs the nickname “City of Millionaires.” As the area continued to grow, the Gateway Park neighborhood did as well, with most of the growth occurring from 1950 to 2000.

To learn more about local history, head to the neighborhood’s Peterson’s Air & Space Museum. If art interests you, view the works of local artists or enjoy the theater at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts, located just east of downtown Colorado Springs. A large number of annual events occur throughout the area including the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, which includes four days of roping and riding, located nearby in southwest Colorado Springs. You can check the city’s website to see all of the annual events.

If you're hungry, you can find a number of chain and local establishments along North and South Academy Boulevards. Residents love local spots Tong Tong, La Sinaloense, and Jamaican Flavor. At Tong Tong, locals say you must try the la galbi, the best Korean bar-b-que in town. Tender and delicious, the dish consists of grilled beef ribs marinated in seasoning and served with a number of sides including kimchi, potato pancakes, and Korean spinach.

For Caribbean fare, head over to Jamaican Flavor and be sure to order locals’ favorites, the Johnny cakes and the Jamaican spicy jerk pork. Heralded by many as the best meal in Colorado Springs, the jerk pork grills with traditional Jamaican herbs and a side of either white rice or Jamaican rice and peas and a vegetable. Frequent diners here say the fried plantains or the stir fried cabbage really hit the spot. For dessert, one of the best places in town remains the Mexican restaurant La Sinaloense, which has delicious sweet breads and pastries. From the pan dulce to the puerquitos and the tres leches, this Mexican restaurant serves up authentic and delectable sweets.

For a night on the town, locals have a variety options to chose from scattered throughout the neighborhood. Legends Rock Bar and Grill proffers a full bar menu, pool tables, a big screen TV for watching the game and an outdoor deck. Local bands play at Legends on Friday nights and on Tuesday nights, locals themselves take the mike for karaoke.

Catch a concert or comedy act at Broadmoor World Arena, located on the west side of town. During the wintertime at the arena, locals can cheer on the Colorado College Tigers ice hockey team. For something a little more low key and low price, you can make your way to the Picture Show, where movie tickets stand at only $1.75 and only $1.00 Tuesdays. The Picture Show features showings of recent releases and good old movies as well as a concession stand for snacks.

Locals travel about the neighborhood by car and appreciate the free parking lots at local retailers as well as over 2,400 metered spots in downtown Colorado Springs. Walkers can enjoy walking neighborhood streets or the nearby Sand Creek Trail. Not many bike lanes exist in the area, and the ones that do are short stretches on main roads. However, the Sand Creek trail on the east side of the neighborhood remains open to bikers as well as walkers. Uber and Yellow Cab serve the area, and you need to call ahead to arrange a pick-up.

The City of Colorado Springs operates Mountain Metro, its public bus system throughout the city, and the Academy Boulevard route serves the Gateway Park neighborhood. For interstate travel, locals can be on Interstate 25, located only 4 miles away, in under eight minutes.

Over 10 parks surround the neighborhood, giving locals plenty of space to exercise or just relax in nature. The city’s premier park, Memorial Park, lies less than four miles away and includes a staggering amount of amenities for locals such as an indoor pool, a lake for swimming and fishing, fitness trails, and sports fields. Local golfers also enjoy Gateway Park with a city public golf course, Valley Hi, lying on the northwest side of the neighborhood.

Wildflower Park sits as the largest, most central park for locals. At over 21 acres, the park features a baseball field, soccer field, picnic pavilion and playground. The neighborhood also houses the Leon Young Youth Sports Complex, which provides eight lighted baseball fields and a playground. These parks, operated by the city, remain free and open year round.

For annual park events, locals head to Memorial Park less than 3 miles away for Springs Spree every June. The event features carnival rides, live entertainment and food, and arts and crafts vendors. You can bring your dog to any city parks, but be sure to keep them on a leash to comply with local laws.

The cost of living in the neighborhood runs 1 percent less than it does in the City of Colorado Springs, with a one bedroom apartment averaging $669 per month. Getting around town remains affordable with gas prices running 22 percent lower than the national average and a one-way bus ticket costing only $1.75. A domestic draft beer runs about between $4 to $5 throughout the Colorado Springs area, including in Gateway Park.

Locals who enjoy shopping find chain and local retailers scattered throughout Gateway Park and the Citadel Mall located 3 miles to the north of the neighborhood. Two local establishments that residents enjoy include Encore Consignments and Harding Nursery.

Encore Consignments stocks “like new” women’s clothing, handbags, shoes and accessories. With a clean, organized shop and high-end labels that often include Hermes and Chanel, Encore pleases the local ladies every time.

For local gardeners, Harding Nursery sells all sorts of flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees. Established in 1957, the nursery owns and operates over 110 acres of growing fields and specializes in roses and vegetables among other items. At Halloween, the nursery stocks pumpkins and at Christmas, evergreen trees for your home. Whenever the urge to garden strikes, locals head to Harding.

Head over to the Memorial Park Farmers’ Market on Thursday mornings from June through October. But for traditional grocery shopping, full-service grocers Safeway and Sam’s Club rest inside the neighborhood.