A portmanteau of its two lakes, Bowles and Marston, Bow Mar affords relaxed, Walden-like living just a dozen miles from downtown Denver. Considered a statutory town of Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties, the once-agricultural community was suburbanized after WWII by Lloyd King, founder of Colorado’s ubiquitous King Soopers supermarket chain. The first wave of development consisted largely of midcentury Prairie School-inspired homes that complemented the surrounding landscape, embracing the Usonian sensibilities of Frank Lloyd Wright. Everyday connections with nature remain the raison d'être of one-square-mile Bow Mar, which boasts a residents-only beach that’s host to a series of programs and performances each year. Regattas on the lake are a common sight in summertime — there’s even a yacht club.