Moving to Denver for UD Law, but also need a good elem school. (Boulder: loans, lawyers)

[RelfF2]

I was just accepted to University of Denver law school and am trying to come up with a plan or at least check the viability of attending. I feel like in trying to find a place to live my concerns are conflicting with one another.

On one hand, like any student, I would like to find a place that is close to campus and affordable. I hope to not have to work at least the first semester if not the first year. My wife will be looking for work. She makes ok enough money where we live here in Indianapolis as an executive administrative assistant, but certainly not enough to support us in our current house. I envision going to school full time, her working, and getting as much grant and loan money as I can possibly get my hands on.

On the other hand, I am not 22 anymore. I will be 30 by the time fall 2011 comes around and we have 2 kids 7 and 1. The community we live in now has an excellent public school system and my older daughters elementary school is regarded as one of the best in the system. It is also a pretty affluent suburb and we were lucky to find an affordable house in the area (i.e. the cheapest neighbor in an otherwise expensive town.) I really don't want to move her anywhere where her education might suffer.

so, with all that said. Any suggestions on neighborhoods or areas of Denver that I should be looking at?

Thanks a lot for the help.

Craig.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Just a little tip: Your school is known locally as DU, just like the University of Colorado in Boulder is known as CU.

[Katarina Witt]

I believe the residential areas around DU, such as Bonnie Brae, Wash Park, etc have good schools.

[RelfF2]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Just a little tip: Your school is known locally as DU, just like the University of Colorado in Boulder is known as CU.

Noted. lol, that is interesting though. I heard someone call it DU, but assumed they misspoke since it is the University of Denver. I did my undergrad at Indiana University and it would only be correct to call it IU, saying UI would be Illinois similar to University of Michigan being UM, Kentucky being UK, etc. I just noticed that DU is all over there website though so I stand corrected.

To the additional poster, thanks for those suggestions I will do some research in those areas.

[Dorthy]

Asbury and University Park are both good elementary schools close to DU.

[davidv]

Slavens in South Denver is close to DU, but also, DU is on the light rail line. You could move south to Greenwood Village or Centennial by the Denver Tech Center (a large center of employment where your wife could find a job), and travel to the campus via light rail. Those areas are in the highly regarded Cherry Creek School District.

[galtsgulch]

I know this is a bit off topic, but you may want to reconsider your decision. Please, please read this very recent NYT article. DU is a regional school in market that is beyond saturated with lawyers (like most markets). It is also a private and rather expensive school so taking out loans will likely be necessary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/business/09law.html

[RelfF2]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I will be doing a lot more research with these areas as starting off points.

@galtsgulch. Thanks, I have read similar things about a number of schools i've considered. I am actually doing similar research for other schools i've applied or been accepted to ranging from Indiana and Kentucky to Colorado to Oregon and California, so when all the results are in I will have many factors effecting my final decision.

[JDBattleMC]

I would also second the advice to skip law school. Unless you are at a top 10, the odds of getting a job are slim, let alone the odds of getting a job that can pay off $1500/mo in law school loans.

[geef]

Relf, I think that you'll find the neighborhoods around DU to be good neighborhoods to live in with a young family. Once you're beyond four to five blocks from campus, the student presence is minimal. As another poster noted, the schools in south Denver are quite good. Asbury Elementary and University Park Elementary are both very good schools. North of campus - across I-25 - Cory and Steele are both excellent schools, and still quite close to the campus. It's a nice area of town.