The storybook neighborhood of Colorado Springs’ Old North End is unique for so many reasons. The Victorian-era mansions and grand homes that line Cascade and Wood Avenues, the oversized boulevard designed for a trolley that never was on Tejon, and the bike lanes that make downtown Colorado Springs just a bit more easygoing for a commute or weekend outing are just a few. Through the Old North End’s history, a variety of zoning applications over the years has resulted in some of the lots designated R-2 zoning for two-family residences within the same lot. A great example of this is presently for sale at 1331 N. Wahsatch Avenue.
This well-preserved 1910 built Craftsman-style bungalow has been lovingly remodeled for modern living while preserving hallmarks of the past. There’s the covered front porch that spans the entire front of the property, and from the north side, there’s a glimpse of Pikes Peak to the west. Inside, the original quarter-sawn white oak floors, original trim and leaded-glass are bathed in sunshine due to the 9-foot ceilings. The original fireplace and buffet are there, too.
But the modern elements also get equal billing. The kitchen has a modern dual-fuel, electric double oven and gas range, an island, granite counters mounted on enduring cherry cabinets, and the added coziness of a hutch-style eat-in nook. The primary bedroom is right on the main, with a large remodeled shower and a walk-in closet. There’s a sunroom off the primary that opens to the backyard. The front bedroom that enjoys that Pikes Peak view is lined with a wall of bookshelves and has another bath to the back of it with a generous stand-alone tub.
Upstairs, the attic has been finished, resulting in two more bedrooms and a 3/4 bath. The front bedroom has large, vaulted ceilings and its own heat-pump for four-season heating and cooling. The finished basement brings a proper modern media area serviced by a powder room bath.
The backyard has a fantastic privacy fence and sprawling stamped concrete patio, perfect for al fresco dining and a fire pit. The two-car garage has been enhanced with the added benefit of its own electronic gate.
The original years of the Old North End’s development spanned the cultures of mining engineers and presidents developing the Victor and Cripple Creek goldfields, the westward migration of tuberculosis sufferers, and an academic novelty in 150-year-old Colorado College. As the Great Depression arrived, lodging became harder to come by for everyone, resulting in the reimagining and repurposing of some of the spaciously large North End dwellings for the convenience of the citizenry. During and right after World War II, numerous homes were converted into multi-unit apartments. Because of these changes, the area has the occasional patchwork of zoning, where not every lot is traditional R-1 like much of Colorado Springs.
This vestige of history allows for a modern application of beneficial density at 1331 N. Wahsatch Avenue, where the R-2 zoning has been utilized to the highest and best use. So it is out back that things really demonstrate the possibilities and character of this founding neighborhood’s enduring charm. The current owners added a two-story, three bedroom, 2.5 bath auxiliary dwelling unit to the back of their lot in 2015. Equipped like the main house, “out back” has its own quartz kitchen, a stackable laundry in the powder room, an en-suite, main level primary bedroom, and two more upstairs bedrooms that share a full bath. Like the main house, the back house has air conditioning as well. This bonus cottage makes an ideal rental property, a guest house, or for the work-from-home professional, a completely separate office. A generous gated parking area is available alongside, directly off the alley.
What’s a single word to describe the lifestyle in the Old North End? Walkable. In arid Colorado, it takes decades for trees to reach maturity, and the only 100-year-old hardwoods are in the Old North End and Broadmoor neighborhoods. These tree-lined avenues and boulevards encourage pre-work jogs and after-dinner strolls. Steele Elementary is a mere half mile north. Good Neighbors Meeting House is practically around the corner. And along the way, dogs greet their friends, and neighbors catch up in a rhythmic pattern of familiarity and approachability. An evening at the Patty Jewett driving range can be arranged in minutes, and a Pike Ride e-bike can be picked up in front of Good Neighbors for a cruise on the Shooks Run trail or an evening downtown.
All the energy of downtown and learning of Colorado College are so close, yet the Old North End is decidedly laid-back — most likely because its walkability makes so much accessible and encourages neighborliness. While embracing its history, this home and neighborhood also embrace that scarcest of modern amenities: the quality of time well spent.
True opportunity only knocks once: The harmony of accessibility, restored convenience and income-generating practicality await at 1331 N. Wahsatch Ave. Schedule your private showing of this unique home at sothebysrealty.com.
