Who is Colorado’s Bonnie Brae, Anyway?

If you've ever driven down the 700 block of South University Boulevard in Denver, you may have noticed the name "Bonnie Brae" boldly posted on the front of several establishments on the street. A tavern, flower shop, liquor store, laundromat, ice cream parlor, and even a gas station in the downtown Denver neighborhood all bear this alliterative moniker - but who is this famous Bonnie Brae, anyway?

As it turns out, Bonnie Brae is not actually a person, but rather, a vision.

The Bonnie Brae neighborhood was developed during the 1920s, courtesy of Denver mortician, George W. Olinger. The land had once belonged to the Kansas Pacific Railroad Company but was slowly being purchased by one of Denver’s most prominent businessmen.

Impressed by a subdivision he had previously seen in Kansas City with the same name, Olinger strived to recreate the peaceful Scottish village in his hometown of Denver, Colorado. Olinger borrowed the Bonnie Brae name for his new neighborhood, which translates in Gaelic to "pleasant hill."

Olinger's idea for the district was to have curved streets to create a feeling of elegance and beauty. The real estate mogul decided to let the streets follow the land’s natural topography, to better mimic the layout of a serene Scottish town. Bonnie Brae Park was developed in 1936 and although he had a vision in mind for the rest of the subdivision, the area remained largely undeveloped until about 1940.

By the late 1930s/early '40s, businesses slowly started opening along the 700 block of University Boulevard. Carl and Sue Dire opened the Bonnie Brae Tavern in June 1934, seven months after the repeal of Prohibition. From there, other establishments opened up, beginning their long-standing legacies that still live on today.

In 2024, the Bonnie Brae Tavern, Bonnie Brae Conoco, Bonnie Brae Ice Cream, and Bonnie Brae Liquors, as well as other businesses form the commercial area between Exposition and Ohio streets.

Olinger's dream of creating a charming district in downtown Denver came to fruition. The area remains one of the city's most desired and picturesque neighborhoods, lined with a distinct and historic architectural character.

Take a virtual stroll through another one of downtown Denver's famous neighborhoods, the RiNo District, below.