Need advice - Castle Rock or Castle Pines, Highlnd Ranch (Denver: houses, neighborhoods)

[teambft]

We're moving to Colorado in the next 45 days and need some advice between Castle Rock, Castle Pines or Highlands Ranch. Found a couple properties in each area that would suffice. Although CR home(s) offer much more for the money.

Homes/neighborhoods? - we've looked at homes in all three communities, certainly get larger lot and more for the money in CR. Price range is $625-$675K.

Schools? - looks as though most homes we've looked at face off with CR Middle and View High Schools (west of 25) and Rock Canyon/Rocky Heights...will have a child in middle and one starting high. Any major differences between these two sets of schools? From what I understand, CP and HR both feed into the Rock Canyn and Heights schools - are the student to teacher ratios higher? I've visited the Colorado schools rating sites and sometimes they're not accurate. Any major difference in programs offered, activities, sports, bands?

Lifestyle - mountain biking, dirt bike (rampart range access looks important), rec centers somewhat important, family outings, parks, town, etc. Looked as though there were MTB trails right off the main roads in CP; initial research also showed a small trail network off the Meadows in CR.

Commute - will use the airport once in a while; but also will have office in home, so commute issue isnt terribly critical

Looks obvious that HR and CP are close to the retail mecca around Park Meadows, sometimes important but not critical. Small town of CR might become a very nice option as well.

Anyhow, just looking for some general opinions on the key differences between Castle Rock, Castle Pines and Highlands Ranch. The home we've currently found in CR is likely about $50,000+ less than a comparable property in Castle Pines.

Thanks everyone!

[2bindenver]

All schools are in Douglas County. CP does go to Rock Canyon/Rocky Heights. HR has 4 high schools.

What's important in these schools? Band? Theater? Academics? Football? Golf? IB?

The rec centers in HR are the best. HR is closer to Denver & Light Rail. CR is closer to Colorado Springs.

My suggestion - go visit homes in all three locals and see what feels good to you. I wouldn't worry about the bigger home/bigger yard; unless you like a bigger water bill.

[Jerry Bckr]

There's no such thing as the perfect home, school, and neighborhood, although that doesn't stop people from trying. Since commuting isn't an issue for you, I would just go with your heart. No matter where you end up, you may like it very much but it will never be perfect.

[VALGAL222]

Check schooldigger dot com for the best school info and since commuting is not an issue, go with what feels right. We were very impressed with the amenities of HR but ended up in Highlands 460 (bigger yard, more established landscape.) Would have loved to consider CP and CR, just too far of a commute. Good luck!

[b.adams]

I lived in HR for over 10 years and have lived in CR since 2005. They are both good places in different ways.

CR has that sense of living in a smaller town and HR doesn't. HR rec centers cannot be beat.

The homes and lot sizes in CR are much better. The deals you can get right now in CR are unbelievable. CR is about 5 degrees cooler all year round, due to being a little higher ... and it means you almost never will see 100 in CR ... I haven't seen 100 yet. A/C is almost never being used. THe winter is slightly more harsh and snow stays up to 2 weeks longer (not this year, thanksfully). CR feels like a different place, HR feels like the S. suburb of denver.

Based on your stating the mtn biking desires and access to rampart ... CR or Sedalia would work well for you. HR has great trails, but they are mainly the nice paved variety.

I prefer the houses on the East side of CR over those in the meadows. The meadows is kind of a smaller HR-south ... nice, well planned, not a far developed as HR yet. You need to explore than many interesting and diverse neighborhoods in Castle Rock. You could probably see them all in 2-3 days easily. The Castle Oaks areas older, but nice and there is a great mtn biking trail out the back door. I have also heard that the meadows has a nice trail as well. The nice thing in CR is that everything is 10 min (or less) away ... and you see people you know everywhere. Its a cool little town thats grown, but still feels small.

I've heard good things about both high schools ... I know the new HS in the meadows is more progressive and is fairly high tech and innovative in many ways. I've heard DGHS is more old school and well it makes sense, cause its been the main HS in town for a long time.

[petersoj]

When you say "east side of CR", what neighborhoods would that include?

[2bindenver]

It's easier to name the ones on the west side.

Red Hawk, The Meadows, Castle Pines, Beverly Hills, Daniels Gate...

[MrBoz]

We moved to the area about a year ago. We rented in Castle Rock to get the lay of the land before buying and we settled on Castle Pines. Both are DCSD although Rock Canyon ranks higher (note that Castle View is only about 5-years old and many of its statistics does not show up in the School Digger and Great Schools rankings - our kids are staying at CV).

We like CP because it is a bit more mature (trees, parks, landscacped, etc.) I've always found that neighborhoods start to show their true character after 10-15 years.

It really boils down to personal taste - both communities are excellent. Be sure to check into property tax rates though as they are not consistent throughout the county - seems that different subdivisions can add different fees - this was new to me and once I discovered it, it rendered some neighborhoods toxic as their taxes were significantly higher. You mentioned commute was not really an issue but I noticed that ingress/egress from CP involves crossing Surrey Ridge (a geographic feature that involves a several hundred foot elevation gain). Normally this is not an issue, but can create a bottle neck on those snow days.

Good Luck.