Relocating from So Cal - Manhattan Beach (Boulder, Louisville: houses, neighborhoods)

[alange]

My husband and I are thinking of relocating to the Boulder area for a job opportunity. We have two young children (6 and 5) and currently live in the very family-friendly beach town of Manhattan Beach. We absolutely love everything about where we live except the price of housing.

Our town has access to all kinds of recreation for the kids as well as for adults. We live in a neighborhood where we all know each other - we are all highly educated, outgoing people who care deeply about our schools, environment, families.

We are looking for a community that is similar to where we live and can afford to buy a house in the $800,000-$1,000,000 range. Because we are used to small houses where we live, anything with four bedrooms, but that is fairly new or remodeled would suit us.

I'd welcome any suggestions on specific neighborhoods within Boulder or towns around Boulder.

Thanks.

[MtnSurfer]

Hi alang,

Welcome to the Colorado forum! I am grew up in Manhattan Beach and went to Mira Costa High School. The South Bay is my hometown;-P So I know exactly where you are coming from.

We moved out here about 1.5 years ago out of choice. Things are too insane in the South Bay even for an old local surfer like myself. I think Boulder would be a great place for you to land. Also check out some of the nice neighboring areas such as Superior and Louisville. You will get more for your money and will find newer homes there. They are also really close to Boulder.

Some out here seem to be a bit more into the politics/political labels. Boulder calls itself 'The Republic of Boulder' partly for its liberal bent. Honestly I really don't care even though I am conservative. California has such a mixture of people/races/religions/political bents that I am used to being around folks from all different walks of life.

I go there quite often with my family to hike. There are a lot of outdoor activites available in the Boulder open spaces near the Flatirons. Then Rocky Mountain National Park is only about an hour away. RMNP is probably our favorite place in Colorado for its natural beauty and endless opportunities for exploration. The San Juans are also awesome, but a lot further away.
Here is a recent shot from Boulder:


Here are a couple from RMNP a couple of weeks ago:




You are coming at a good time as it seems to be a buyers market.

[Micktooth]

We moved to Louisville last year from New Orleans. We absolutely love it. We have 2 kids 13 and 11 and they have made so many new friends, so have we. Louisville was recently rated as one of the best places in the entire country to raise a family. There are so many things to do here. If you really want to spend 800k+, you shouldn't have any problem finding a really nice house in Louisville.