We are looking at moving to Castle Rock - Thoughts? (Denver: foreclosure, gated)

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Anjelica

.....For myself, I grew up as a Navy brat and never had a hometown or a place I could feel was truly my home. I plan on calling Colorado my home and hope that my children enjoy it as many of the long time residents have done so also. Again - Thanks to everyone for answering my questions, etc.

You're most welcome. And most welcome to live here if you wish, as we did in 2005. You're gonna love Colorado.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by b.adams

I just think getting all huffy puffy about this issue (over and over again) ... is non-productive and resorting to scare tactics to try and keep away new residents is never going to amount to much more than name calling and sour grapes ... and false perception that Colorado people are unfriendly.

If stating pretty well-accepted facts and truths is a "scare tactic," then people really do want to keep their heads buried in the sand. I can think of no person knowledgable about the Denver Basin acquifer that doesn't think it's in trouble. You can go and stand and look at the water diversions or the dried up ag lands and wetlands sacrificed for the Front Range's water appetite. It isn't hyperbole, it isn't a scare tactic, it's FACT. People should be scared about it--the threats to the long-term viability of many Colorado areas is real. It's sort of like driving with the "low fuel" light on in your car. Right now, your car is running fine, but if you don't find a gas station soon, it won't be for long.

By the way, if you want to see Coloradans get ugly and start fighting each other, let a serious water shortage develop and watch the fun begin. I've seen a number of good friendships and "neighborliness" get ruined for good over water rights disputes. As I've posted before, water has always been a deadly serious business in Colorado, and the more people that we try to cram into Colorado, the more deadly serious it's going to get.

[GraniteStater]

There was also a dispute a few years ago regarding the Arkansas River between Colorado and Kansas. Kansas argued that Colorado took to much of its share of the water supply from the Arkansas River. In areas of western Kansas the Arkansas River is actually completely DRY during certain times of the year. These water issues will only get WORSE as climate change threatens to change long established weather patterns over particular areas. The southeast is already experiencing a looming water shortage problem as well.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by Anjelica

2 - How is the transportation - specifically the "free about town" shuttles in Castle Rock? I have read there is a bus transportation (fee-based) between Colorado Springs and Denver Tech Center (with a stop in Castle Rock) - how is this? My husband is legally blind so transportation is a huge issue for us. Are there any "light-rail" systems?

I feel a bit bad that I've contributed to a discussion that doesn't really help the OP. I'll try to do my part here.

The only part of your question that I can really answer is this one. The bus you're referring to is called FREX (Front Range Express). It's funded by the city of Colorado Springs, and runs between the Springs and Downtown Denver with stops in Castle Rock and Monument. It even has Wi-Fi! It does run only during commute times, and of course the vast majority of passengers are headed north in the morning and south in the afternoon.

Here's the website for FREX:
Frex - FrontRange Express

There's been a lot of talk about the future of FREX. It was started by a federal grant to Colorado Springs Transit, but the funding ran out so Springs transit has continued to fund it out of their own revenues. However, there's no guarantee that the Springs will continue to fund it, though it seems like a popular route (if not a money-making one).

RTD Light Rail runs to the "Lincoln" station in Lone Tree (actually about a half mile north of the Lincoln Exit, but still south of C-470.) Long term (about 10 years into the future), there is a planned extension of about 1.5 miles with two new stops: one at Sky Ridge Hospital, and the other at the future Ridgegate Parkway interchange on I-25. No further extensions are in the works past that.

If you're seriously transit dependent, you may want to consider Lone Tree or points north as that will give you more easy access to light rail -- though I think that housing prices would be considerably more there than Castle Rock. Since I live in Denver, that's a bit out of my area of knowledge.

[b.adams]

And the Ridgegate development is something you might want to look into. There isn't much there currently, but its a "transit oriented" development with and unusually slow build out schedule. The idea is that in Ridgegate, people will not need to drive cars to work in many cases. They will be near the light rail and will have very good bus service within the community. Currently, there is a nearly brand new hospital there and a fabulous rec center (lone tree rec center). As tfox said, the cost of that area might be on the high side. A neighbor of mine builds homes up there, but its only custom builds.

[perryg62]

castle rock is a great place but it is more expensive than some other areas.

castle rock still has places where you can have horse but still be in the tech center in 10 minutes or downtown in 20-25 minutes (except from 6:30 -9:00 am or 3:30 to 6:30 pm)

[ditto]

Since the OP is has children, I suppose Castle Rock would be a good place. I like the old part of town near around Wilcox, but most of the area is now cookie-cutter. Nothing special at all and definitely not a great place if you dont have children. I've seen a crazy amount of building going on near Founders Parkway recently. Quite disgusting to watch nice open land replaced with overpriced homes. Oh well.

[Investrman]

I have not lived in Colorado Springs since 2000, but my claim to fame in Castle Rock was I was an electrician that wired the US Bank there, and remember then (about 1997) we kidded that it was the only bank in town; as there was nothing in Castle Rock at the time except that set of factory outlet stores if memory serves me.

I have a son living in Woodland Park, CO still. I miss many things about Colorado and have monitored all the changes (good & bad) that have been going on there since. Woodland Park schools today also, have bad drug trafficking problems and weekly locker checks which amazes me to hear and the town not what it was even a few years ago.

I as others posted elsewhere, I would give anything to go back to the former Colorado than what it has becoome today in all honesty- It was a time of pure rawness & excitement at the same time, and people respected one another and made friends from that respect without false pretences as it is today. You could truly have an adventure in Colorado and take that memory with you the rest of your life, wherease today, with all the growth and new laws and regulations and heavy commercialism, it is hard to really be able to identify with the former Colorado- the one I mean John Denver used to sing about 35 years ago.

[erinkmorse]

My husband has his own software development company, and have heard of many jobs in Colorado. Castle Rock is a great place to live and raise a family. I relocated to Castle Rock from California. Douglas County schools are great, weather is wonderful (especially during the summer), and love the fall seasons, the leaves on the trees turn colors and also watch the elk bugeling. There are a LOT of homes available in your price range in Castle Rock....you may want to check out The Meadows and Crystal Valley subdivisions. These are brand new homes, and lots of amenities. I believe the people here are VERY friendly,...the kind that will just help you out, always wave etc. When we moved here, our whole neighborhood threw us a "welcome to the neighborhood" party....very touching!

[b.adams]

I do get a little sick hearing how every set of new homes are "cookie cutter" communities.

You know, when I go to downtown denver ... I see cookie cutter homes that are 100 years old.

When I go to almost any suburb in Denver ... it's cookie cutter homes from a certain decade.

All this land was once natural Colorado prairie ... and now its city.

But we only lament and complain of the lands currently under development, so it seems. Its understandable.

But cookie cutter neighborhoods are the rule, not the exception. And there are lots in nice parts of denver which are 5000 sq ft ... but also in HR ... but you only hear about the crummy lots in places like HR.

I think Castle Rock is an excellent place for a family with kids ... apparently Family Circle magazine did also (rated it #1 in the COUNTRY for familes in 2007).

I can understand how someone living in Castle Rock would be a little saddened by its current state ... but I also lived in HR (highlands ranch) when it had 10,000 people ... and move when it got up to ~80,000 people. Yes, it changed, but thats life ... progress, as they call it.

Castle Rock is a cool place ... and anyone who attended the recent "star lighting" festivities downtown knows thats its still a special place, with a small town feel.

You know, one cool thing about Castle Rock is that no matter where you go ... you run into friends and family you know. Its a dream for kids.

There are growing pains going on ... especially when it comes to roads and interchanges ... they are trying to keep up with all the growth.