Castlerock for self-employed, 30-somethings? (Denver, Castle Rock: foreclosures, house, landscaping)

[OHtoCO]

My husband and I are self-employed, college-educated, Christian 30 somethings with 3 kids under 4. We're moving to CO to expand our business and, of course, to escape OH weather and in-laws - haha

We visited in Oct and searched all suburbs of Denver... We liked homes and schools in Castle Rock - especially some in the Meadows. Because we work from home, we don't need to be overly concerned with a rush-hour commute.

However, some concerns we have are the following?.....

1. water costs?

2. housing prices dropping / foreclosures - especially in the meadows...?

3. commute for good brew pups, ethnic food and decent entertainment?... ie will driving all the way into denver get old on our 1-2 "date" nights each week? will we feel claustrophobic in "small-town" castle rock?

And on a side note, please let us know if we even fit the castle rock culture? We are bible-believing Christians looking for a great environment to raise our kids, but we are not legalistic. We're a little weird in our likes - beer, sarcasm, intellectual conversation (when the children allow....haha). We're not into sports, scrapbooking, "showiness". We've heard different things about the "neighborliness" and "conservativeness" of Castle Rock - will we fit?

Thanks!

[formercalifornian]

Prepare for another brain dump:

You mentioned earlier that you are moving from Dublin. As someone who grew up in another affluent suburban town (near Dayton & I bet you could figure out which one if you thought about it), I found Castle Rock to be very similar, with the whole older, independent town twenty minutes south of the *city* explodes with growth and gets sucked into suburbia thing.

As far as fitting in and finding a church, I think it would depend completely on the neighborhood. My family and I are progressive Christians (Lutheran), who enjoy traditional worship/music and dislike the mega-church environment. We are definitely NOT Church of the Rock types, which put us at odds with most of our CR neighbors who thought that particular church was the best thing since pb&j, which I don't like either. Go figure! As it turns out, we never found a worship community that felt right in the southern suburbs and suspect that our search may find us in Denver before all is said and done.

Moving on, Castle Rock is a WASPY and generally well-off town. I did not find it particularly intellectually-stimulating, as I thought the requisite conversations with other CR Moms about choosing a Sunday School curriculum & potty-training tedious and boring, although I'm sure I wasn't the only one who felt that way. (If you are that person, where were you from 2006-2008?) Now, that doesn't mean CR wouldn't be a great place for your family. It just means that it wasn't a good fit for my family.

Life in CR generally revolves around families and family activities, so if that's your thing, you'll feel right at home. Play dates at the park, lunch at Chik-fil-A with fellow MOPS, Target and King Soopers, story time at the library, school plays, soccer or gymnastics, swimming at the Rec Center pool, commuting to and from work (although obviously not for you), mowing the lawn, washing the car, Friday night football games, and an occasional trip to the Outlets or Park Meadows mall for new shoes; that's the routine for many people in Castle Rock, like in most suburbs filled with young families.

With the exception of downtown, it's a very pristine, *clean* community. During my two years there, I thought it had a very Stepford Wives vibe, and I found my neighbors emotionally distant. What I didn't know at the time was that several of them were suffering extreme financial distress and would go on to lose their homes, so to answer your question about foreclosures: yes, they are a problem and housing prices are down accordingly, which may work to your advantage provided you can secure financing for a housing purchase. Unfortunately, foreclosures can also create a lot of neighborhood instability and make it difficult to form strong relationships, as was the case for my family. The Stepford Wives thing and newness of the community also made it very difficult for my distressed neighbors to share their troubles until it was too late to help them. It's the suburban way: keep up appearances even if the whole world is collapsing around you. I found the entire situation very, very sad.

I guess I have mixed feelings about the town. I answered another thread of yours with a bullet list of other thoughts. Despite my somewhat negative & sarcastic tone today (didn't sleep well last night and you did write that you enjoyed sarcasm), I sincerely wish you the best in your search for the perfect spot to land in Colorado. Good luck!

edit: Rockyard American Grill and Brewing. Not a beer drinker myself, but you might want to check this place out.

[OHtoCO]

Thank you for the detailed reply - exactly what i was wondering and looking for! (of course, anyone else with additional and/or different thoughts, please share...)...

i too am not hot on discussing sunday school curriculums and pottytraining techniques ad nauseum. The whole "keeping-up-appearances" and mega-church thing drives me loony as well..... (I also grew up Lutheran, but am open to Christian church. My husband has worked extensively with and in churches - he's quite soured on the whole mega-church thing. I won't say they are terrible and I think they are a great starting place for new Christians - but - eh - they just feel so "produced" to me... if that's the word?)

It seems so hard here (yes, we're still in Dublin, OH) to find others like us (and you We were hoping for better luck in CO....

Therefore, my biggest question of you now, would be - are you still in castle rock? i thought it seemed you moved and if so, where to? is there another community/area that you think would have been better for you in 2006-8?!

Please share!!!! Thank you!!!!!

[formercalifornian]

We moved to an area of Centennial called Willow Creek, just north of County Line Rd and between Yosemite and Quebec. It's in the Cherry Creek School District, which is well-regarded and reminds me a lot of Centerville, where I grew up (Did you guess correctly?). It's a nice neighborhood, but it has its issues, too. Cherry Creek has some VERY wealthy areas, and we definitely saw some lifestyle creep when we moved here, but we're working on it. Our primary reason for moving north was a desire to be within walking distance of my husband's workplace. We are slowly moving toward being a one-car family. Plus, we wanted to be closer to our kids' grandparents, who live in the foothills west of Denver, and the art & culture of the city.

Our house is older (70's) and small at 1700 sq. ft., but I never was the brand-new McMansion type. However, right now our heating bill has me pining for modern insulation. We have some work to do this spring. Our neighborhood has mature landscaping, which was important to me. Our Castle Rock home was on the east side of town, and while the area had a certain stark beauty and the views were extraordinary, it never felt quite right to this born and bred midwestern girl. I need me some trees!

You asked about water costs in your OP. We had the same concern and ended up choosing a house with a tiny lot (on a corner, so we wouldn't feel boxed in) right down the street from a HUGE public park and recreational area that includes woods, a stream, and a paved walking/biking path that we can take over to the shopping area around the Park Meadows Mall. I love it! We get all the benefits of a great play structure without the expense and trouble of buying one for ourselves. Plus, when the kids are no longer interested in playgrounds, we don't have to haul a monster swingset to the local dump or find someone to take it off our hands. Most importantly, and more to your question, someone else has to do the watering to keep the green area green!

Anyway, let me know via private message if you want anymore specific information about particular neighborhoods. I'm happy to help within the limits of my knowledge. ...FC