LoDo (Denver, Windsor: middle-class, apartments, rentals)

[jplagg]

Thought i would start a new post after geting some more info. I am flying out on the 22nd to stay with a friend for a couple days and check out the denver area (been several years since ive been there). I will be checking out places to live late in the week and heading to the mountains for the weekend...we dont get much snow here in south florida lol

Quick little background: I am a year out of college, single, 24 and very active. I look forward to the outdoors as well as the fun that downtown will bring. I loved living right in the middle of the city in college being able to walk everywhere and i would like something close to that in denver.

I have looked at rent.com, apartments.com and others to get a list of places that i can afford. I was just curious if you could throw some names of places at me that may not be listed on sites like that (if you cant give out names on the board, please email me!) or any opinions on them.

Thanks for your help!
Josh

[tfox]

Sure, just check on craigslist; I just did and there are several ads for rentals in lodo for less than $1000 available today.

[midwest456]

I didn't check the other sites but on forrent.com you can specify a zip code. For LoDo I think it is 80202 and 80203 and 80204 are in that area. They had five listings for 80202 where the lowest starting rent ranged from 580 to a bit under 1000.

[daehaep]

I'm moving to Denver from Washington DC in July and would like to live in a metro area where I can walk to most things. Is Lodo the place to be?

I was in Denver a few weeks ago looking over neighborhoods and Lodo seemed to fit me best. I am relocating with my boyfriend and we are both in our upper 20's. We do not want to be in a single family home or suburb and have no need for a lawn. I've heard the highlands are nice and the City park area young but those areas both seem very suburban to me.

What are people's thought on Lodo?

Also, we are looking to buy a loft, does anyone know how resale is in that location?

[tfox]

LoDo is great if you can afford it. I don't think resale will be much of a problem; despite what you may hear, it seems like demand is outstripping supply down there, especially for buildings close to 16th Street. As an example of pent-up demand, the Glass House (a recent condo project in Riverfront Park, just west of LoDo in the Central Platte Valley), nearly sold out before they even broke ground on the project.

There's two problems with LoDo. First, it's expensive for Denver. REALLY expensive. Rent is going to be high, but resale prices there are even worse. Second, it's noisy at night. Now, one person's noisy is another person's 24-hour nightlife, so just go into it knowing that. Personally, LoDo is a bit TOO happening for my taste, especially after midnight. I like living in Denver, but I prefer to retreat somewhere a little more quiet; that may not be what you want. As for the cost, I don't know your budget, but do a quick listings search in 80202 (which includes LoDo as well as the CBD and the Central Platte Valley) and see if the prices are too eye-popping for you.

If you do that search and you figure that you might have difficulty affording a pad in LoDo, the "cheapest" (in a very relative sense) condo buildings in or near LoDo are the so-called ugly sisters on Larimer Street: Larimer Place, Barclay, and Windsor. IMO Windsor is the best of the bunch. (Brooks Tower is another one of the ugly sisters but it's actually in the CBD, not LoDo). They're called the ugly sisters because they replaced some lovely historic structures back in the madness of the urban-renewal era. They're not really THAT ugly, just typical of the time, and today are the most "affordable" options in LoDo.

The Central Business District is just east of LoDo, starting from about Larimer and heading east to Broadway and a little beyond. It's mostly office buildings, but what residential there is actually a bit cheaper than LoDo. Some people will call the CBD "LoDo", but actually LoDo is only between Larimer and Wewatta, and it's notable because it's mostly historic mixed-use, whereas the CBD is mostly high-rise office. The CBD is also flooded with people mostly between 8-6pm on weekdays, whereas LoDo comes alive mostly in the evenings and on weekends. One new building that is under construction in the CBD is called "The Spire," and it looks to be very similar to the Glass House in that it's something that a normal upper-middle-class person might be able to afford (if just barely). So, it will probably sell like gangbusters just like Glass House did. Personally, I'd prefer a historic property but that's just me; you might like it.

Beyond Broadway, to the east, is still urban, but then you're getting into Uptown and Capitol Hill. (Zip Code: 80203) This is more of a different scene (more alternative), but the prices and rents in Uptown and Cap Hill are both much, much cheaper than anything west of Broadway. It's less vertical than downtown but it's still pretty urban, and that also means some problem with the urban grit that you'd expect, more so than LoDo itself. It's not largely single-family like the Highlands; it's more of a transition zone and the crows will be a lot younger and more 24-hour than places like Congress Park or Highlands.

Hope that helps. Downtown Denver is getting better and better in my view as I've watched it evolve. The only problem is affordability, as I've mentioned.

[katmoney]

Hello,

I'm moving to LoDo at the end of next month. My boyfriend is already living out there, and found a nice place for us right by the ballpark. Actually, is this technically part of the Lodo area? We are both from Chicago, and we wanted to still have an "urban" feel within a smaller city setting.

From what I see of the place, it's a great neighborhood with tons to do. Restaurants, baseball, bars, etc. I currently live in a part of Chicago where there is not a whole lot to do besides some crappy dive restaurants so I'm pretty excited for the move. Not to mention having a pool and hot tub whenever I want!

What are your opinions of this area? A good spot for two twentysomethings with no kids? I'm visiting this weekend for the first time, so I hope all goes well.

Any input is appreciated!

[tfox]

There actually is a separate neighborhood called "Ballpark" according to the city, to describe the areas around and beyond the Ballpark. However, casually people still refer to Coors Field as being in LoDo.

As for a place to live, you'd not lack for bars and restaurants and other entertainment. My only concern with living around there would be dealing with the hassles of the big "party" crowds of revellers, particularly on the weekends. Of course, that might appeal to you.

However, since you're renting anyway, that might be a good location to check out the nearby neighborhoods and decide what you like.

[dj32]

great area for your age group.. it can get loud on weekends but depending on how far north you are it may not be bad. You'll love the area coming from Chicago.

[katmoney]

I'm literally facing the ballpark. I'm glad it will be noisy, as I'm used to that here in Chicago!

[wxjay]

LoDo is an awesome place for young couples and also singles. Very hip and trendy and lots to do. If I were to live in Denver, it would be in that neighborhood (if I could afford it).