Buckley AFB relocation advice (Denver, Aurora: apartments, renting, neighborhoods)

[kmichelleo]

Well, I'm moving from six long years overseas and have a million things to think about--purchasing a car, a new job, and of course the whole apartment search deal. I have never been to Denver (Salt Lake native, heard it's a similar vibe) but a friend has told me commute times can be insane so mapping apartments is deceptive. What I'm hoping for is a place close to Denver city center that is still within a reasonable reach of the base. Aurora is the adjacent suburb, but from what I've heard is a terrible place to live... I've yet to find someone to counter this or tell me if there is a decent area of the city so until I hear otherwise, I would like to avoid this area.

So yeah, any advice or local insight is much appreciated. In addition, I like a local feel to my neighborhoods. Wal-Marts and strip malls give me a rash so I am looking for an area with a strong sense of community--local business, local breweries and restaurants, art.... I know, I know--I've lived in Europe for six years; I'm allowed to have earthy yet snobbish sensibilities.

Any help is very appreciated!!! Looking forward to meeting your cool city!

[Katiana]

You do not need to avoid all of Aurora. Do a search both on this forum and the Colorado forum and you will find a weath of information about that city.

According to the Californians, commuting here is a piece of cake. I came here from Champaign, IL, have a somewhat different opinion. At any rate, people here tend to try to live relatively close to their jobs, though that does not always happen. I don't think the commute speeds are any lower than in most other areas of the country.

I'm not sure how many breweries there are around here other than Coors, and that's certainly not "local", though you could probably go there and buy some beer if you wanted to. There are a few around. There are lots of Wal-Marts, and they are going in to the oddest places; they don't just concentrate on small towns anymore. Plenty of strip malls, even in the city. Still there are some nice city neighborhoods, especially in east Denver, which would be closer to Buckley. Are you going to be renting or buying?

[vegaspilgrim]

Couple of comments:

1. Denver and Salt Lake have similar scenery, but that's where the similarities end. The "vibe" of each city is totally different.
2. Aurora is not a "terrible place to live" unless if you are living off East Colfax. It's actually one of the most ethnically diverse places in Colorado. Not any local microbreweries, but a lot of Indian food, Middle Eastern, and Korean food restaurants in certain parts of Aurora, if you are into that. Granted, Aurora is pretty physically boring-- all strip malls, 1970s era housing, etc.
3. Even a lot of the cool, trendy areas of Denver are loaded with chains. The 16th street mall is frequently paraded as THE cool thing in Denver, but if you ask me it's nothing but a bunch of chains with starbucks on every corner.
4. Commuting from central Denver to Buckley AFB shouldn't be too bad. My suggestions for you are: South Pearl St area, DU area, and Capitol Hill.

Originally Posted by kmichelleo

Well, I'm moving from six long years overseas and have a million things to think about--purchasing a car, a new job, and of course the whole apartment search deal. I have never been to Denver (Salt Lake native, heard it's a similar vibe) but a friend has told me commute times can be insane so mapping apartments is deceptive. What I'm hoping for is a place close to Denver city center that is still within a reasonable reach of the base. Aurora is the adjacent suburb, but from what I've heard is a terrible place to live... I've yet to find someone to counter this or tell me if there is a decent area of the city so until I hear otherwise, I would like to avoid this area.

So yeah, any advice or local insight is much appreciated. In addition, I like a local feel to my neighborhoods. Wal-Marts and strip malls give me a rash so I am looking for an area with a strong sense of community--local business, local breweries and restaurants, art.... I know, I know--I've lived in Europe for six years; I'm allowed to have earthy yet snobbish sensibilities.

Any help is very appreciated!!! Looking forward to meeting your cool city!

[2bindenver]

Stapleton. Mix of Big box shops and local flavor. Parks, farmers market, film in the park...

[RGG13]

There are plenty of nice neighborhoods in Aurora. Look south of Buckley AFB but east of Bucklye Rd. It's the burbs though and not much more.

[kmichelleo]

What is the area around City Park like? What would the actual commute time to Buckley end up being?

Thanks for the information so far. From what I've gathered, Aurora isn't as bad as most have said. I'm still looking but this gives me more options.

[Katiana]

For commute times, I have found Mapquest to be fairly accurate.

[dj32]

I recommend City Park and Stapleton. Stapleton is a great place to meet new people and woudl be very close to Buckley.

[ladyfish]

I would recommend Lowry. SO close to Buckley AFB and yet it's a very very nice area that many "fancy" people are moving into.

[kmichelleo]

I appreciate the advice--the places I've seen so far are pretty decent for the money. Any tips for a new renter? I've only lived overseas (before that I lived with my parents.)