What is Lakewood like? (Denver, Littleton: apartments, renting, condo) - Colorado (CO) - City-Data Forum

longingforthewest · 01-11-2007, 07:23 AM

We are in the process of trying to get to CO, and it is looking like Lakewood might be one of our possibilities. I don't know much about it. I was wondering if you all could fill me in.

Is it walkable? Would dh be able to commute on bike? Does it have any good restaurants? Do you consider it family friendly? We'd like to be able to walk to coffee shops, etc. How are the bike paths? Does it have a downtown area? Most importantly, how are the elementary schools?

Thanks for your help!

BabyBoomers2 · 01-11-2007, 08:24 AM

From our prospective, Lakewood is "ok", but if you can afford somewhere else like Parker, Castlerock or even Littleton, they are much better. When we were looking for a house to buy a few years ago, we found one in Lakewood, drove thru the area/looked at the houses and made fast decision to buy somewhere else. Like I said, if you can afford somewhere else, I'd check into that.

tfox · 01-11-2007, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longingforthewest

We are in the process of trying to get to CO, and it is looking like Lakewood might be one of our possibilities. I don't know much about it. I was wondering if you all could fill me in.

Is it walkable? Would dh be able to commute on bike? Does it have any good restaurants? Do you consider it family friendly? We'd like to be able to walk to coffee shops, etc. How are the bike paths? Does it have a downtown area? Most importantly, how are the elementary schools?

Thanks for your help!

Lakewood is an older, inner-ring suburb with newer development on its western edge, closer to the foothills. Some of Lakewood's closer-in neighborhoods haven't aged all that well, but some of the areas closer to the foothills are newer and more desirable. The schools will tend to follow that same pattern.

There are some bike paths going through Lakewood -- one that springs to mind is a one along the creek that is approximately around 13th Ave, but I'm sure there are others. You could certainly commute on bike.

Lakewood has traditionally had no downtown area. However, there is a redevelopment site called Belmar on Alameda and Wadsworth that is going up as sort of a manufactured downtown. It's designed to be a mixed-use, walkable city-center style neighborhood with retail, dining, office, apartments, and townhouses. It's still going up, but initial reactions have been very positive. I personally find most of the higher-density Denver neighborhoods much more authentic than Belmar, but I think Belmar appeals to a lot of people because it's so new and shiny right now. Plus, it really is genuinely walkable and you'd be able to get everything you need within walking distance.

Schools as a whole are not bad, though as some of the older neighborhoods closer to Denver have aged their schools have kind of gone downhill. The western part of the city has better schools though.

longingforthewest · 01-12-2007, 08:11 AM

Thanks for your comments. You were really helpful. Also, I had not heard of Belmer. I'll have to check that out.

About the school choice in CO... how does that work?

Thanks again!

2bindenver · 01-12-2007, 09:56 AM

you can open enroll and be accepted to any school in your disctrict (and a few outside your home district) but you must provide transportation and once you get accepted in the new scholl you forefit your place at the home school.

longingforthewest · 02-24-2007, 01:03 PM

Well, we are definitely moving to Colorado. My husband accepted a job in Lakewood, and he starts in two weeks. We will be living in Englewood temporarily, and then moving closer to his job which is at 6th and union. Just gotta wait for the house here to sell first.

Know if any specific neighborhoods or subdivisions I should be looking at? I'd like to stay between 250 and 300k if possible. We'd like to stay where it is bikeable for my husband to get to work.

Thanks for any advice.

TJ

2bindenver · 02-24-2007, 01:14 PM

Where in Englewood? Green Mountain would be better.

Katarina Witt · 02-24-2007, 06:04 PM

You will be hard put to find a home in that price range that fits your criteria. In fact, you will be hard put to find anything more than a condo in that price range, which could be OK if that's what you like.

longingforthewest · 02-24-2007, 06:04 PM

The place in Englewood is only temporarily. We have a friend there who is renting us a house month to month until we find a new house to buy. We plan on living in Lakewood if we can find a nice neighborhood.

I LOVE green mountain. Is is affordable? How is crime rate, etc?

thanks,
tj

longingforthewest · 02-24-2007, 06:06 PM

I want a house, because have 3 kids and a dog. And we plan to get my 6 year old a cat when we move.... We need a fenced backyard, etc. What price range do you expect us to have to pay for a 2200 square ft home in a nice neighborhood with good schools?

thanks,
tj