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Thinking of making a large switch in location, from East Coast to CO. Would be working in the Arvada area. I have one child in elementary school, so good schools are a must. I like smaller towns, but also like being near larger ones for the restaurants and activities. I race bicycles, so easy access to the local mountain routes are a must. Easy access means riding from the house to the good routes. The only areas that I can compare what I would look for similarly are Asheville NC, or Greenville SC. I like country, but not opposed to living in a development with similar families for the interaction and for my son. I am 32, so an area with similar age groups would be nice. I also like outdoor parks and being able to get to those easy to spend time outside with the family. I live in a 950 Sq ft house, so anything over that would be an improvement. I like the way Boulder sounds, but I think I would rather visit than live there and I really do not want to live in the city.
Thinking of making a large switch in location, from East Coast to CO. Would be working in the Arvada area. I have one child in elementary school, so good schools are a must. I like smaller towns, but also like being near larger ones for the restaurants and activities. I race bicycles, so easy access to the local mountain routes are a must. Easy access means riding from the house to the good routes. The only areas that I can compare what I would look for similarly are Asheville NC, or Greenville SC. I like country, but not opposed to living in a development with similar families for the interaction and for my son. I am 32, so an area with similar age groups would be nice. I also like outdoor parks and being able to get to those easy to spend time outside with the family. I live in a 950 Sq ft house, so anything over that would be an improvement. I like the way Boulder sounds, but I think I would rather visit than live there and I really do not want to live in the city.
Thanks
HUMP
Unfortunately, I can't answer most of your questions because I won't be a resident of Arvada until next week. However, one of the reasons that I chose Arvada was for its bike trails (and its safety). Below is a video link to biking trails in Arvada I thought would interest you-
Thanks, I will check it out when I get home. I am still doing my research, I have been in the same place for 32 years, and all my family live near. It would be a major change for sure, but I feel like I want to strike out on my own.
I did a lot of research before making my decision, also. I'm packing up my little hatchback Thursday and I'm bee-bopping to Arvada (it's a 2,000 mile road trip!).
Even though the decision is made and my plans are in place, I'm still nervous. I read a post earlier today from someone else that I found inspiring: "No risk, no reward."
Often it requires breaking away from our comfortable routines to uncover something...wonderful.
From your post, I'm unclear if you are under the impression that Arvada is a "small town" and remote from the "big city".
Arvada's development has long since the 1960's built out past being a small town. Like so many major metropolitan regions, the only way you'd know that you've left Denver on your way out of the core city is the signage identifying the next muncipality.
Arvada has the same mix of shopping and restaurants as the rest of the core metropolitan area. It's historic downtown area is a matter of only a few square blocks, and there's a few locally owned restaurants and stores there. However, the bulk of the areas shopping is all the strip malls/shopping centers along Wadsworth and Kipling Ave's. I don't find them to be any different than a comparable mall in any other major metropolitan center ... all major national storefronts, with the same merchandise and formula marketing/sales, same restaurant chains, etc. If you don't like the Home Depot there, you can drive a few miles and find another .... and so on.
There are a few pockets of less densely developed areas in Arvada, but the housing prices are rather strong there. You'll typically be finding much larger houses than your 950 sq ft ... more likely, a couple thousand sq ft and up.
My wife grew up there and can still point out the former equine property locations, arenas, barns, and stables ... and talks of being able to saddle up her horse after school and ride through the reservoir, swimming across it bareback .... Times very long gone with all the PWC, ski boats, and crowds. I know of locals who get permits each year so they can bring their 32' motor coach to the water and park it 20 blocks from home ....
You'll find very good access for bicycles in this area, with some major routes up to the foothills, with lots of other bike riders around.
From a commuting standpoint, given the metro area's increasing traffic density ... I'd think you'd be able to find something very close to your work in Arvada in almost any price range. Closer would be better unless you want to commute from living in the foothills.
Thinking of making a large switch in location, from East Coast to CO. Would be working in the Arvada area. I have one child in elementary school, so good schools are a must. I like smaller towns, but also like being near larger ones for the restaurants and activities. I race bicycles, so easy access to the local mountain routes are a must. Easy access means riding from the house to the good routes. The only areas that I can compare what I would look for similarly are Asheville NC, or Greenville SC. I like country, but not opposed to living in a development with similar families for the interaction and for my son. I am 32, so an area with similar age groups would be nice. I also like outdoor parks and being able to get to those easy to spend time outside with the family. I live in a 950 Sq ft house, so anything over that would be an improvement. I like the way Boulder sounds, but I think I would rather visit than live there and I really do not want to live in the city.
Thanks
HUMP
My husband is a cylcing addict, and one of the reasons we have looked at Arvada so many times is the cycling trails. Even where there are no trails there are often (on the west side) long stretches of open road with little traffic. You will find the serious cyclists all along those roads. As Sunspirt pointed out, it is very much part of the metro area, yet I noticed last summer as I drove around looking at houses that there is still a lot of horse property. I grew up in Lakewood, and every place I used to ride is gone now.
I dont know if you've been to CO but it is nothing like the east. There is a lot of open space, lots of places to ride. Have you checked out this site?
I agree you would like Arvada, but. . . You want access to mountain biking. You will be 20 miles or so from the mtns, even in W. Arvada. If you want to be able to ride to the mtns, you might consider Golden instead, which is farther west. Sunspirit is right; there are no "small towns" in the metro area in the sense that they are isolated from the city. It's all suburban. The newer areas of the metro will have younger families, which will provide some friends for both you and your son.
Another area you might consider is Superior/Louisville for proximity to the mtns in Boulder Co. I'm not a rider, I don't know where the trails are, but it seems as though you have researched this and have some resources. There are tons of young families in Superior.
Well, I would drive to go mountainbiking, but I race road bikes, so I would like the ability to leave from the front door, take some back roads and hit the local mountain routes. We are also thinking of a shorter move to Greenville SC. I know that area, both areas have my line of work, so the job would not be a large problem. I think I need to visit before I make a long distance descision.
Thanks for all your input.
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Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
Working in Arvada, Where to live?
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