Stapleton: Cost of Good Daycare, Gym, & Trails (Denver: HOA, mortgage)

[brambletri]

My wife and I are considering a move to the Stapleton area and were wondering what the general cost of daycare is for a good facility. We are coming from a pretty expensive area where daycare typically runs $1300-$2000 per child, just outside of DC.

Also, does Stapleton have a very good trail network for running and are there some nearby quality gyms? Can the trails extend you all the way downtown? I looked at the website maps but its hard to get a perspective without visiting it (which we hope to do in the near future). These are very important factors for us in deciding where to live.

[rolo99]

I live in Stapleton and love it. Although we don't have kids, there are TONS here. A friend of mine that lives in nearby Park Hill was investigating daycare options before she had her daughter a year ago. She told me the new daycare type place here was going to cost $1400/month! To me that's nuts. I've had mortgage payments that were less! Anyway, they decided to go somewhere in Park Hill (neighborhood next door) that's $800/month. Some of her friends do a nanny share thing too.

For gyms there's a new rec center being built that should be finished by the time you get here. There's also two pools and a trail, Sand Creek that connects to other trails. I think it's mostly gravel. Plus there's a trail around Central Park, one of the largest parks in Denver, smack in the middle of Stapleton.

I'd say the only downside to Stapleton is the cost per sq. ft. It typically runs around $200/sq. ft. There's also a Stapleton HOA that's about $36/month to pay for the pools, parks, etc.

Another favorite is the farmer's market that's every Sunday 8:30-12:30 on the founder's green in "downtown" Stapleton.

Coming from another state, we weren't sure where would be a good area to settle. All we had to go on was the location of my hubby's job, I-25 & I-70 area. Stapleton is pretty central. I can get to anywhere in the metro area in 1/2 hr. or less, unless there's traffic. Traffic seems to be less going east-west-east than north-south-north. Good luck!

[alilee3333]

Hi Rolo99-

It's hard to get info on daycares in the Park Hill area because so few have websites. Do you know which daycare your friend's use in that neighborhood? thanks!

[denverian]

I live in Stapleton and have two kids in Montessori school. With before care and a twin discount, it's about $1900 per month for both of them. We checked Knowledge Beginnings in Stapleton and they were more like $2700 per month for the two of them

As for the gym, I go to 24 Hr. Fitness in Lowry, about a 10 min. drive south of Stapleton, plus use the rec center in Stapleton.