Arvada began where Ralston Creek meets the plains west of Denver, and gold seekers passing through left a street pattern that Olde Town Arvada still preserves. Brick buildings, a small town main street, and the creek trail give the older district a walkable scale, even as newer neighborhoods spread toward the foothills. The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities adds theatre, galleries, and classes to that historic core, so culture and daily errands share the same blocks.