Wash Park vs Observatory Park vs Platt Park

[KCtoDenver]

I am in University Park (UP) Love, love, love it !!! We are a 5 minute bike ride to Wash Park without the traffic and narrow streets. We are two blocks to Starbucks and 5 blocks to a wonderful bakery and coffee shop on Evans, just west of University. We can walk to University events in a few minutes. We are a 5 minute walk to the light rail. We are a short drive to the grocery stores and a quick walk to a natural food shop. We are a 15 minute walk to a great movie theatre. We have a two car detached garage with easy alley access and can park on the street and also have guest passes for friends who visit. I feel very safe both in my home and walking the streets in the evening. Couldn't be happier and we are super glad we decided to stop looking in Cherry Creek and Washington Park. To each their own of course.

[denver_hacker]

Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate

I've heard positives about Slavens School in U-Hills. I have a younger friend (40's) who lives there with her 3 kids, she is happy.

Hello - I hate to be super picky, but Slavens covers an area bounded by Yale, Hampden, Colorado, and the border of Denver proper south of Yale and west of University. In terms of Denver neighborhoods, Slavens covers Wellshire and the southernmost sliver of University (south of Yale). U-Hills is on the east side of Colorado and is covered by Bradley International:

DPS Map

Find your Neighborhood School - Denver Public Schools

Anyway, the Wellshire area is very family friendly. A big chunk of Wellshire is Southern Hills, which are nice 1960s brick ranches (a covenant prohibits second stories) on ~10K sqft lots. It's a very different feel than Wash/Platt/Observator Parks and Bonnie Brae. A lot of the people here are original owners, it's really a stable neighborhood. Slavens is really the big draw, most of the folks here moved from Wash Park, Platt Park, Bonnie Brae, etc. once they had kids and wanted more space and an excellent school...but didn't want to leave general area because it rocks. Slavens is outstanding and is packed with neighborhood kids - opting in is nearly impossible. After neighborhood kids, the teacher's kids get priority and they tend to fill up any openings.

Wash/Platt/Observatory Park/Bonnie Brae are awesome places to live. They're walkable, have great character, have tremendous amenities (nice parks, DU's cultural offerings, dining, shopping, etc), great access to downtown & cherry creek mall, etc. If that makes it a yuppie playground, then I guess I like yuppie playgrounds

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by denver_hacker

Hello - I hate to be super picky, but Slavens covers an area bounded by Yale, Hampden, Colorado, and the border of Denver proper south of Yale and west of University. In terms of Denver neighborhoods, Slavens covers Wellshire and the southernmost sliver of University (south of Yale). U-Hills is on the east side of Colorado and is covered by Bradley International:

DPS Map

Find your Neighborhood School - Denver Public Schools

Anyway, the Wellshire area is very family friendly. A big chunk of Wellshire is Southern Hills, which are nice 1960s brick ranches (a covenant prohibits second stories) on ~10K sqft lots. It's a very different feel than Wash/Platt/Observator Parks and Bonnie Brae. A lot of the people here are original owners, it's really a stable neighborhood. Slavens is really the big draw, most of the folks here moved from Wash Park, Platt Park, Bonnie Brae, etc. once they had kids and wanted more space and an excellent school...but didn't want to leave general area because it rocks. Slavens is outstanding and is packed with neighborhood kids - opting in is nearly impossible. After neighborhood kids, the teacher's kids get priority and they tend to fill up any openings.

Wash/Platt/Observatory Park/Bonnie Brae are awesome places to live. They're walkable, have great character, have tremendous amenities (nice parks, DU's cultural offerings, dining, shopping, etc), great access to downtown & cherry creek mall, etc. If that makes it a yuppie playground, then I guess I like yuppie playgrounds

You are not being picky at all, it's great that you offered that information.
It's been awhile since I had a kid in elementary school and I had no idea bout the distinction you mentioned--did not know about Bradley.

When I was a kid we lived in Southern Hills and my little brother went to Slavens, and I have a friend now in Southern Hills whose youngest goes to Slavens, but I guess we all were in that sliver that you mention.

I agree with you about yuppie playgrounds. I voluntarily bused to East High because I far preferred that school to Thomas Jefferson, though.

[danbsullivan]

Originally Posted by Isabela2010

Husband and I are looking into moving to Denver area in the fall. These are the neighborhoods we are concentrating mostly for close to work proximity. We are also looking at the Bow Mar area.

What can u tell us about these areas.

What's the vibe? not sure if we should go more of a suburban area vs closer to action.

How close/easy to walk around to shops/rest/etc? what about the people(friendly/snooty/cool/young family /mixed ages)?

And schools(no kids yet but planning on some soon)?

And traffic?

How much of a hassle is a scrape off/rebuild proposition? Anyone here with experience on that?

Can anyone comment on the following areas too? Bonnie brae, University hills, grant ranch, pinehurst?


Thanks in advance!

There is some good advice about these neighborhoods in this thread.

A scrape off / build proposition will put you in the $900k - $1.3M price range (including lot and all construction on an approx 3,000 sq/ft house with a finished basement), depending upon the price of the lot. It requires some searching and good timing to find an available double lot (6,250 square feet), but they are definitely available.

In Platt Park a double lot (6,250 square feet) will cost from $290K - $350K, while the same lot in East Wash Park will cost closer to $425k - $450k.

There are some great local builders who do incredible work, if you are looking to go in that direction.

[surftb15]

You do not save any money by going to Ballpark . Not with the increase in property values of the area.