Kendrick Lake - Lakewood, CO

The history of Kendrick Lake is tied to the development of Kendrick Lake Park. In 2002, Lakewood’s horticulture manager, Greg Foreman, revamped a tiny park into Xeriscape demonstration gardens displaying 350 different plant species. The park soon became the focal point of an otherwise residential neighborhood.

Kendrick Lake does not have a museum within the neighborhood, but you can head north to Belmont Park to visit the Lakewood Heritage Center. Spend a day at the center learning about 30,000 historical artifacts and 10 historic structures.

Just outside of Kendrick Lake, the Lakewood Cultural Center hosts the Lakewood Symphony Orchestra, TM Ballroom Dance west of Kendrick Lake puts on dance lessons, and the Valkarie Gallery displays the work of various local artists. Festivals and events occur all year in the Belmar area, including theater performances and the annual Festival Italiano.

Locals cherish Kendrick Lake’s laid-back feel in everything, including its restaurants. The neighborhood features a scattering of places to eat, mostly located on West Jewell Avenue. Locals who desire a varied dive bar experience typically need to travel a bit outside the neighborhood limits for nightlife fun.

If you feel in the mood for breakfast and brunch, Sunrise Sunset is known for its quick and friendly service. The restaurant serves up an amazing sunshine skillet, with breakfast potatoes, sausage, gravy, cheese and two eggs. Also try the black bean Benedict for a fresh take on the traditional eggs Benedict recipe with black beans, green onions and green chilies.

Head over to Buck’s BBQ and Grill if you have a craving for tender, slow-cooked ribs. The restaurant presents itself as a simple place, but don’t be fooled by the interior. Order at the counter, and go for the ribs or the equally good mac and cheese. For more ethnic flair, drive to Star Thai for the best Thai in Lakewood. The authentic pad Thai features a real spicy kick to fill you up in no time, along with the BBQ-flavored prik pow noodles. Make sure you save your food; the hefty portions can keep you satisfied for a while.

Music lovers should travel north of Kendrick Lake to Belmar or central Denver for performances. Locals find the true club experience in Denver, but what the Kendrick Lake area lacks in clubs, it makes up for in dive bars. Fiddlesticks attracts locals who love the place for its inexpensive but scrumptious $5 cheeseburger and fries combo. Get a large Shock Top beer, kick back and enjoy the Sunday football game.

For a night at an alternative bar, try Exhale Hookah just outside of Kendrick Lake on West Florida Avenue. Known for its relaxed vibe, Exhale Hookah provides clean hookah to all customers and promotes weekly specials.

In Kendrick Lake, the individual neighborhoods fit closely together, so you can walk to a close friend’s house or to a nearby park. However, locals find the larger stores on the main streets of West Jewell Avenue and South Wadsworth Boulevard, which can be accessed easier by car or bicycle.

RTD Denver serves Kendrick Lake along its main streets and can take you up to the center of the city. But make sure to call ahead or use Uber if you need a cab to go to the airport.

Due to its status as a residential neighborhood, parking comes easy in Kendrick Lake. The neighborhood abuts Wadsworth Boulevard, also known as Highway 121, and Highway 85 sits about 15 minutes away for a quick jaunt into Denver.

The city of Lakewood has invested in biking as a great option for transportation. As a result, Kendrick Lake, like the rest of Lakewood, invites bicyclists in for exercise and fun. The larger streets provide bike lanes, and the smaller streets meander through neighborhoods with bike-only paths. Organizations such as Tread Bicycle Outfitters and Green Mountain Sports sponsor the development of bicycling in Lakewood.

A botanical beauty, Kendrick Lake Park sets the Kendrick Lake neighborhood apart from the other areas of Lakewood. Come for free to walk through the botanical garden to view a vast array of plants and flowers native to Colorado. Then, take a stroll around the park to see the lake. Children adore the two playgrounds available to them. You can even walk your dog around the lake, but make sure to keep your pooch on a leash.

Stick around Kendrick Lake Park for a few days, and rent a shelter. Then, you can enjoy the park’s beauty while barbecuing at its two grills.

The smaller Sanctuary Park provides walking and bike paths for a bit more exercise. Jewell Park offers these same options but with a playground for children’s entertainment. While the parks don’t provide much in terms of events, you can go north to Belmar for celebrations all year in its shopping center and at the Lakewood Cultural Center.

Lakewood, including Kendrick Lake, has a comparable cost of living to Denver at a higher rate than the national average. An express fare to three or more zones costs a Kendrick Lake resident about $4 to get to the heart of Denver via RTD Denver. Purchase a monthly pass of about $140 to $170 to save a bit on public transportation fees.

Expect to pay about $900 to $1,000 per month to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Kendrick Lake. The average price of gas is about four percent less than the national average. Keep in mind that the average cost of beer is about $4 when you head to a local bar.

Kendrick Lake does not have its own large center of commerce, so locals head to Belmar of Lakewood. With a Whole Foods, Best Buy, Chico’s and Century 16 theaters, Belmar of Lakewood has it all. This shopping center provides high-end shopping options such as LOFT and New York & Company for women’s dresses, sweaters, and other apparel.

Belmar's boutique shops are also a destination for area residents, but if you want to stay in Kendrick Lake, head to the Book Exchange. This is one of the neighborhood's only specialty stores and has a great selection of used paperback novels.

The Rite Aid in the southeast corner of Kendrick Lake takes care of many of your minor shopping needs, but for big-budget shopping, head to King Soopers just west of the neighborhood on West Florida Avenue. If you want fresh locally produced foods, head back up to Belmar for the small Belmar Fresh Market in the shopping center.