CHANUKAH EDITION
SECTION E PAGE 12
Denver historian Phil Goodstein found the perfect subtitle The Quest for an Idyllic Denver Neighborhood for this, the latest installment in his methodical and exhaustive piece-by-piece history of the Mile High City.
Park Hill, probably more than any neighborhood in Denvers history, was conceived as, and in many ways still considers itself to be, the best-planned, most aesthetically pleasing, best organized and most livable of Denver districts.
Those who have delved into Goodsteins earlier work, however whether it focuses on Capitol Hill, South Denver, North Denver or other areas know that the historian never lets such boastful claims or long-cherished stereotypes go unchallenged.
Although Goodstein himself grew up in Park Hill, and although his fondness and admiration for it is undisguised, he does indeed challenge many of its historical claims to superiority.
The idyllic utopia envisioned by its original planners in the late 19th century, for example, has yet to be fully realized, nor was it ever easy for Park Hill to come as far as it did.
There are stories beneath its towering trees and shady avenues, its graceful architecture and cherished reputation for diversity, and Goodstein dutifully digs many of them up.
While he pays deserving tribute to the ideals that the neighborhood has achieved, he also finds jealousy, corruption, power-grabbing even an occasional murder to add full texture to the picture.
This is not muckraking or character assassination, mind you. As he has matured as a historian and writer, Goodsteins tone has mellowed considerably, although his insistence on telling the full historical story as opposed to the rose-scented version that neighborhood advocates might prefer remains undiminished.
The rest of this review is available in the IJN’s print edition only. Contact Carol to order your copy at (303) 861-2234 or email [email protected].
