Twenty years before Gen. William J. Palmer founded the city of Colorado Springs in 1871, the first real neighborhood in our community was formed just south of what is now the Garden of the Gods Park. It was at the point where Camp Creek flows into Fountain Creek near what is now 31st Street.

Camp Creek is the stream that flows down the center of the north-south lanes of 31st Street.

For years, the site was a summer campsite for the Ute tribe. Later, mineral prospectors gathered and bought supplies there before heading up Ute Pass into the Rocky Mountains to search for gold. Today, it is the site of one of the most attractive neighborhoods in Colorado Springs: Pleasant Valley.

The major geographical characteristic of the Pleasant Valley neighborhood is that it lines the southeastern edge of Garden of the Gods Park. For residents of Pleasant Valley, the Garden is their backyard.

They do not have to go far to ride a bike, walk a dog, or go for a picnic. The giant red rocks of one of America’s great scenic attractions are close by. And they do not have to dodge automobiles to enter the park. A walking and biking entrance to the park exists just off Chambers Drive.

For the record, the boundaries of the Pleasant Valley neighborhood are the park’s Gateway Road to the north, the west side of 30th Street to the east, Bijou Street to the south, and a meandering border to the west that weaves through Echo Lane, Lonesome Road, West Platte Avenue, Valley Road and Chambers Drive.

One benefit of being close to the Garden of the Gods is the wildlife that is attracted to the park. Residents of Pleasant Valley routinely see coyotes, mountain lions, bears, bobcats, raccoons and an abundance of deer. Of course, a few of these can be liabilities on occasion.

Most of the modern housing in Pleasant Valley was built after World War II, from 1951 to 1969. The two major styles are ranch houses and split levels. A census of housing in Pleasant Valley tallied 464 ranch houses, 206 split levels, and small numbers of a wide variety of other housing types.

From 1951 onward, Pleasant Valley was created with design covenants to add to the attractiveness of the neighborhood. Those covenants required minimum and maximum setback lines for homes. Among other things, the covenants outlawed barns and chicken coops. Pleasant Valley is filled with mature trees, and many homes have excellent views of the Garden of the Gods and/or Pikes Peak. And there are no high-rise apartment buildings.

The well-regarded Howbert Elementary School is a central feature in the community, as is the summertime community swimming pool next door. Tennis courts are available. And this neighborhood is one of the closest in Colorado Springs to Manitou Springs, with its shops and attractions, including the famous Manitou Incline.

Like many other neighborhoods in Colorado Springs, Pleasant Valley has a wide variety of annual social activities to keep the neighbors active and in touch. Many of these social events take place in Westmoor Park, located in the neighborhood at Chambers Drive and Water Street. Some of these events are for the neighborhood only, but others welcome the attendance of the public.

To keep the neighborhood looking spiffy, in May there is the Valley Rally in Westmoor Park. A bounce house and other games are provided for the children. The adults are encouraged to clean up the neighborhood and put the collected trash and other discarded items in a neighborhood Dumpster.

Also popular is the Holiday Lighting Contest, which awards modest cash prizes to the top three homes with the best Christmas season lights and other decorations. The public is invited to participate in the Pleasant Valley Yard Sale, coming up on June 8. Serviceable but no longer needed items will be available for sale in the yards at selected homes throughout the neighborhood.

All in Colorado Springs are invited to enjoy Music in Westmoor Park. On four Thursday evenings, in June and July, local musicians provide the music and local food trucks provide the food. The food is served at 6 p.m. and the music begins at 6:30 p.m. Here is the schedule for the upcoming summer:

June 13 — Dalonius Funk; American Seoul Food Truck

June 20 — Katie Hale and the P47s; Good Grub by Taco

​June 27 — From & Fiddle; American Seoul Food Truck

July 11 — El Paso County Outlaws; Chevy’s Gumbo Truck.

Pleasant Valley has other assets. It is close to the shopping experience that is found in Old Colorado City. Closer still is the neighborhood’s own Red Rocks Shopping Center at West Colorado Avenue and 32nd Street.

Pleasant Valley is renewing itself where the population is concerned. As older residents retire and move on, younger families with children are taking their place. It continues as a highly desirable, vibrant community in Colorado Springs.