I want to live in downtown Denver with 3 kids...no suburbs please....any suggestions on neighborhood? (Arvada: renting, condo)

[woob]

Originally Posted by Christine Michelle

Wow! I'm shocked to hear that Denver isn't very friendly to a car-free lifestyle. I currently live in a midwestern university town and my neighborhood is very urban with neighborhood schools where my kids walk to school each day. I have access to a wonderful natural foods coop, fantastic farmer's market and a small organic grocery store that is all within 1 mile of my home. I have always wanted to live further west as I'm originally from Cali. I was under the impression that Denver was very "green" with friendly people who are very happy to be living in such a beautiful environment. These are the things that attracted me to Denver. There isn't much natural beauty where I currently live. ;p But, if I'm going to be moving my kids to a new area, I need to be sure that Denver is right for us.

If your job allows and you can afford it, I would highly recommend looking at boulder instead of denver. it offers everything you are looking for- walkable and bike friendly, natural beauty in the foothills, green and organic lifestyle, farmers markets, etc.

[Highpointer]

The City of Denver itself is mostly flat, as it on the Great Plains. You can get to many places within the city limits without a car, as there is extensive bus and light rail service. However, how can you get to the mountains and enjoy the true natural beauty of Colorado without a car?

[SouthXSW]

Boulder sounds like a MUCH better fit. It sounds exactly like where you're living but is literally right next to the mountains while Denver is a good drive away. I would take a trip out to Colorado and look at both though.

[davidv]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Cherry Creek around 1st Ave and University should fit your needs.

Public transit: RTD routes 1, 2, 3, 3L, 24, 46, 79L, 83L

Bike: Cherry Creak Bike Trail.

Walk: to Cherry Creak Shopping & to parks.

Organic food: Whole Foods

Farmers Market: Cherry Creak Fresh Market

Parks: Cherry Creak Park, Bike to Cheesman Park and Washington Park.

Schools: Denver Public.

You have not specified a price range, but the area above would be really expensive. Especially if you wanted a house big enough for 3 children. Prices in the area range start about $400k and go to $2.5 mil.

[mafaldam]

You're not giving us much to go on ... where will you be working? How expensive do you want to go? You can survive carless in Denver -- I have known some that do -- but it's a pain. You can certainly find a place to live in the city that is walkable to a good school, as the Denver school district boundaries are small, compared to the suburban districts. But there are very good and very bad schools in the Denver district, all depending on where you live.

I agree with an above poster, if you can look at Boulder, it sounds far more up your alley. It's expensive though, more so than Denver, even though it's smaller, but it's a great university town and it's got everything you described.

[ndk]

Originally Posted by Highpointer

However, how can you get to the mountains and enjoy the true natural beauty of Colorado without a car?

If you're interested in RMNP, the cheapest way is to take RTD to Lyons from Denver and hop the Estes Park Shuttle from there(easiest, omit RTD and catch the Shuttle from Union Station). They're quite cheap if you take them from Lyons, and the service is fantastic. They'll drop you off anywhere in the Estes Valley, and during the summer there's reasonable public transit up here that'll get you to tons of trailheads.

You can also get some incredible places using Greyhound(shudder)/Amtrak(yay) and RFTA. Just ride either to Glenwood Springs, hop Ride Glenwood to an Upvalley spot, and during the summer, it's several transfers before you find yourself at Maroon Lake, ready to go.

There's also Black Hills Stagecoach to Chaffee County(and they'll shuttle you to a trailhead so long as you're very polite and make sure locals get priority).

Regarding places to live, you might look at Uptown and Capitol Hill too. There's supposedly a Farmer's Market at that roundabout where City Park meets Colfax, but I've never been. Great food up and down Colfax, walking distance to downtown and light rail, and excellent bus service, as long as you appreciate diversity. I'd also consider downtown Littleton. No familiarity with the Lakewood spur of the light rail.

[Mid America Mom]

Moving into NW Denver this month. We had a hard time finding that neighborhood feel where we could walk and not be tied to a car.

Try West Highlands at 38th on the North, 29th on the South
Federal on the east and Sheridan on the West

Farmers Market in Highlands (not West highland but you can walk it) - Highland United Neighbors, Inc. - Highland Farmer's Market

Sunflower Market sounds like it has much in organic food. Located on 38th and wolff- Sunflower Farmers Market ~ Right Choices Right Results ~ Your Local Grocery Store

OH check out the organic delivery service - Door to Door Organics - Serving Colorado with Organic Grocery Delivery of Produce & Organic Food

Denver Public El. School is Edison. They are the site for the highly gifted and talented kids in that area too. There is also Chavez for public charter (space may be an issue since enrollment for next has occurred). These would be less than 1 mile. High school is a different matter which I really cannot speak to since mine are not that age.

Just found out that they have a car share type of thing with a location at 34th and Meade - Locations | e-Go Carshare

and for sharing Bikes go next door to the Highlands- Denver Bikes | Denver Bike Sharing Program | B-Cycle | bcycle.com

Parks not plentiful there but you can go to sloan's lake which is nice.

Food and shops at 32 and Lowell, and its boarders of 38, 29, sheridan, federal.

Houses are more reasonable here than to the east of the river (thinking Congress, Cheesman..)

Good luck!
Mid America Mom

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by davidv

You have not specified a price range, but the area above would be really expensive. Especially if you wanted a house big enough for 3 children. Prices in the area range start about $400k and go to $2.5 mil.

The OP didn't list any requirements regarding price. Thats why I didn't specify any. Anyways I believe, that are other alternatives to $400,000 houses. I think there should be a good selection of apartments and condos in Cherry Creak, which would be way below $400,000.

[bikinmikein]

I have read the responses to your inquiry and I have to say I am alarmed but not shocked at the responses. Everyone who has responded so far, as much as I can tell don't actually live in Denver.

The Denver metro area is large and as a result requires a car. Denver itself often comes off as some scary place to those who live further out with evil places and names, tell someone who lives in Saudi Aurora that you are planning a visit to Pete's Kitchen on Colfax and you can expect to be called crazy.

The thing I worry about is your lack of a listed price range and the fact that you are moving from the midwest. Things are more expensive here, much more in fact.

Denver has a good to great public transport infrastructure within the city, depending on where you live. Schools range from bad to great depending on the area and the ability to bike anywhere within the city is a given, plenty of bike lanes and paths as well as routes which will keep you out of traffic.

Yes you have to put up with everyone from the county driving into the city and not knowing how to parallel park on the weekends and yeah there are homeless people here and there, such is a city. We have three kids a garden plot and one car, the kids attend DPS just like we did and I would not have it any other way. The concept of sustainability is best exemplified through real action.

[MileHighCity303$WSC$]

Id reccomend capital hill or the uptown area or a little further south and if you want a more diverse area east colfax and a little north have more diversity. And denver is building 120 miles of light rails through out the whole city and the suburbs and will be completly finished in 2017.