Unique and Friendly is the Place to Be

Swansea is one of the eight neighborhoods Extreme Community Makeover serves. The Swansea neighborhood was named by early settlers after the mining seaport town of Swansea in Wales. Swansea was established around 1870, after the Kansas Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were completed. The total population of Swansea is 6,676 [2015]. Aside from the large amount of industrial and commercial development, the greatest influence on the Swansea area environment has been Interstate 70, which was built directly through both neighborhoods in the early 1960s, despite the objections of area residents and business owners. Read more information and facts on Swansea here.Like the city of Denver, the neighborhood of Swansea is growing rapidly. There are new businesses, new construction, and new residents pouring into this thriving neighborhood. It is almost hard to keep up, due to the many changes happening. Swansea is a unique and friendly community and here are some neighborhood highlights that you should definitely check out.

The GrowHaus

If you live at the 80216 zip code, The GrowHaus is the place to get fresh produce, which is available at a discount. The nonprofit is an indoor farm, marketplace and educational center. The facility teaches about healthy living. They do hydroponic methods of breeding fish and growing food, in partnership with local farmers. Learn more about GrowHause and watch their video.

El Guero Taquero

Who doesn't like taco trucks? El Guero Taquero has amazing street tacos and mouth-watering salsas. They also sell ice cold cokes and other drinks in the glass bottles. The food is great and prices are also great! El Guero Taquero takes a semi-permanent spot in the parking lot of the A-Mart Asian wholesale market. Otherwise, you'll see the truck in and around the neighborhood.

Paletero Man

Another attraction you'll see in and around the Swansea neighborhood is the Paletero Man, or the popsicle man. He comes up and down the streets of Swansea with his delicious paletas. The paletas have real chunks of fruit in them and come in a variety of favors. These treats are great to beat the heat in the summer and not break the bank!

Focus Points

Focus Points is a family resource center in the Swansea neighborhood. They host two Work Days every year with Extreme Community Makeover. The nonprofit serves low-income families in this neighborhood with school readiness, family literacy, adult self-sufficiency, healthy living, parent engagement, and community leadership programs. The organization also started a social enterprise called Comal, which is a food incubator. Comal's goal is to provide skills in culinary arts and business to a cohort of women- many originating from Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru- to maintain and celebrate their traditions through entrepreneurial ventures.

Swansea Elementary School

Swansea Elementary School is the heart of this community. The school values diversity and practices no-nonsense nurturing techniques. The elementary school is going to be impacted by the I-70 construction, which has some of the neighborhood parents worried that it'll negatively  impact their daily lives. "The Central 70 Project will reconstruct a 10-mile stretch of I-70, add one new Express Lane in each direction, remove the aging 53-year old viaduct, lower the interstate between Brighton and Colorado boulevards and place a 4-acre park over a portion of the lowered interstate by Swansea Elementary School. The park will feature play areas, space for concerts and farmers markets, and a large sports field," states the Federal Highway Administration's article on their website. Read more about the I-70 construction project here.