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Old 01-09-2012, 12:05 PM
 
Location: Reno NV
15 posts, read 51,888 times
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Hi and TIA for your help and advice My little family and I are on the move again and will be relocating to the Denver area in a few weeks. Hubby's job is transferring him right smack in the middle of downtown and we are starting to look at rental homes in the surrounding neighborhoods. We have 2 children - my daughter just turned 2 and my son is 2 months old. We need help finding a family-friendly neighborhood where we can also have a big backyard garden!

We currently live in Lake Tahoe, so we already have the AWD w/ Blizzaks and plenty of Burt's Bees and hand lotion At our old home in PA, we had just started to get a really nice sustainable thing going with the garden, composting, chickens, etc. Now that we are in a condo in the mountains in Nevada, we haven't been able to keep that going here at all, so we are really excited about the possibility of getting back into homesteading in the Denver area.

We are looking for a 3 bedroom home with a big yard and hopefully a garage for bikes and my husband's ever-expanding snowboard collection. We would really like to find a neighborhood with older homes (I can't stand new developments, no offense to anyone!). I grew up in rural farmland and had always lived in older homes, so that's just what I'm comfortable with. Looking through craigslist, I've seen a lot of newer homes and ranch-style houses.....are there any neighborhoods with older, turn-of-the-century homes in Denver?

Walkable/bikeable and close proximity to parks and open space for my kids would be awesome as well! Am I dreaming or does this exist there?

Thanks so much for your help!!
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Old 01-09-2012, 12:13 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,669 posts, read 29,545,432 times
Reputation: 33160
What is your budget?
fyi - Denver home vacancy rates rise slightly | Inside Real Estate News
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Old 01-09-2012, 12:33 PM
 
143 posts, read 274,430 times
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You can now raise chickens in Denver without expensive permit. There is a substantial urban homesteading community here. You might want to consider Wheat Ridge for large yards + close to downtown; don't know about ordinances there. Not terribly cheap, but some affordable houses there. My neighborhood is in Denver and has suburban-size large lots, 1/2 hour from downtown. That's Rangeview, just east of Windsor Gardens. Houses built late '60s.
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Old 01-09-2012, 12:42 PM
 
Location: Reno NV
15 posts, read 51,888 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes View Post
Oops, sorry! Would like to keep it around $1500/month.
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Old 01-09-2012, 12:57 PM
 
5,089 posts, read 15,343,335 times
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When I read your post, I had to think and realize suddenly that the terms, you used and most of have used, growing up in the 20th Century, does not mean the same today in the 21 Century.
"older, turn-of-the-century homes in Denver"

I assume you meant the turn of the 19th to the 20th Century which would mean homes between about 1890 and 1910. These are "turn-of-century" interesting old homes that we would have meant, in this area. Now turn of the century could mean homes from about 1990-2010 which we consider more modern. It is interesting to point out that the people born in the 21st Century will view 1990-2010 as the old turn-of-the century homes that are older.

Now to the answer, after my babble...

Denver is not that old and the homes you will find in that period that still survive would be nearer downtown. Many of them have been converted to multiple apartments and some of the very large, that maintain the same characteristics, are surely very expensive. The large yards would have been reduced by selling the more profitable land.

If you really wanted those period of homes with a big yard, then I would suggest some of the older surrounding suburban cities with still established functioning and established older towns. These would have been settled close to that time and have many homes still existing.

One of the best area would be Olde Town in Arvada, at West 58th and Olde Wadsworth. You will see the homes age going out from that core from about 1890 to 1930s to 1940s to 1950s. These homes are well maintained and valued. Some of the homes still sit on old farmsteads because Arvada was started as an agricultural community.

You will also find these homes in and about olde town Littleton, centered at Santa Fe and West Littleton Blvd but in more dense areas. There are other areas but that have become very dense and would not have the same characteristics such as near the old area of Englewood.

Boulder would have those homes but they would be in the dense very expensive core area of the City.

Louisville, Lafayette, Brighton and the like of small towns that existed farther back, on the plains would have older homes. Another city that I think is a good source of these homes is Longmont in older neighborhoods that are reasonably priced. It has a nice old main street. It is within commuting distance to Downtown Denver.

Old areas of Golden certainly have many of these homes but in the dense older center of the city.

Wheat Ridge would also have a number of these homes, scattered about the city. It is also has roots of an older agricultural community.

I would also look at the old part of Westminster, In and about Lowell, north of West 72nd. There are many of these large older homes with large properties. Look of Bradburn Blvd. Westminster was also an old established agricultural community with many orchards. These larger properties with old homes would still exist.

Just a bunch of rambling thoughts.

Livecontent

Last edited by livecontent; 01-09-2012 at 01:09 PM..
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Old 01-09-2012, 01:05 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,669 posts, read 29,545,432 times
Reputation: 33160
Default Speaking of terminology

When I read "homesteading", I think The Homestead Act of 1862
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Old 01-09-2012, 01:24 PM
 
5,089 posts, read 15,343,335 times
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Just some old homes in the older part of Arvada, zip code 80002

5355 Allison Street, Arvada, CO 80002 | Listing Information | Metrolist MLS


Look at this one, old and original in the same family for over 100 yrs. This is a real homestead
http://www.recolorado.com/homes-for-...68743266/popup

5355 Balsam Street, Arvada, CO 80002 | Listing Information | Metrolist MLS

8106 Grandview Avenue, Arvada, CO 80002 | Listing Information | Metrolist MLS
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Old 01-09-2012, 02:21 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,669 posts, read 29,545,432 times
Reputation: 33160
Default Talk about homesteading

@LiveContent,

I had no idea there was such empty space near Old Towne.

This one
5219 Allison St, Arvada, CO 80002 MLS# 1044136 - Zillow
definitely offers a "homesteading" opportunity with 2.5 acres!
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Old 01-09-2012, 04:43 PM
 
556 posts, read 1,195,134 times
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just be aware that the growing season is very short here so vegetable yields may be lower than you are used to in california. It usually frosts in september and april and snow in may is not that uncommon. Also, we are prone to devastating hail storms which shredded much of our crop last summer. Many people still do garden here, we just have some unique challenges to deal with

You seem very interested in a sustainable lifestyle, so I would suggest looking for a place close to work, accessible by bike or public transportation. There are very few old homes with large lots, so you may want to consider joining a community garden which are very active in the area- Denver Urban Gardens - Home There are also a number of CSA's that distribute fruits and vegetables from people's backyards- http://farmyardcsa.com/
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Old 01-09-2012, 05:31 PM
 
5,089 posts, read 15,343,335 times
Reputation: 7017
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes View Post
@LiveContent,

I had no idea there was such empty space near Old Towne.

This one
5219 Allison St, Arvada, CO 80002 MLS# 1044136 - Zillow
definitely offers a "homesteading" opportunity with 2.5 acres!
South of Olde Town and especially south of West 52nd to Independence there is still remnants of farming land. When I came, I would go to these old Italians and buy the celery that made Arvada at one time famous. I have been in Arvada, now about 32 years. There are many old farmsteads and greenhouses throughout the area. Some of that land has now seen building of developments, some older apartments and some newer condos.

The spot your are pointing out is just west of the developments along Wadsworth and has many senior apartment and go against the west side of the water tower development, which was done a few years ago and took out some very old decayed areas. That was fought very hard by the hard liners who wanted to keep it older and empty.

If you look at Ridge Road, past Kipling there is more open land. That land along Ridge is going to see big development as there is two station on the Gold Line being built, near Kipling and near Ward.

Arvada has open land with still some livestock raising, Equestrian Centers as you go up Independence, north of West 64th. Going West on Oberon to Kipling, more open land is viewed.

Much of the open land is result of farming and much is open along all the many irrigation ditches and there is still much land that the railroads own.

Arvada really offers a different experience than many of the suburbs of Denver because of its separate identity of town, agricultural roots and the expansive open space to the west that it has acquired.

Arvada is was very conservative and wanted to maintain its isolation. It was until a few decades ago when you were able to drive easily into the city. Kipling was extended 33 years ago to the South, connecting to Wheat Ridge and I-70. Think about it, you could not get to I-70, on, Kipling, without driving through residential areas. The access was on Wadsworth; and Wadsworth ByPass goes around Olde Wadsworth and that I think was done only about 38 years ago.

West 58th was extended east to Sheridan about 26 years ago. West 72nd. was put through about 10 years ago. Arvada has no highways running through the city--I-70 is in Wheat Ridge. It has never had a mall and fought vigorously to keep it out of the city and it went to Westminster. It has no hospital. It has refused to annex neighboring land and Westminster grabbed it to the North.

Believe it or not, it never had a hotel, motel, motor Inn etc. until very recently when it built the first and only, just at the far corner of the city, near 64th and Sheridan. It has few shopping venues, very few bars. So, the tight butt conservative folks of the past have to be cursed and thanked, for there is some good coming from slowing down and letting the rest of the world go past, just for a time.

Livecontent

Last edited by livecontent; 01-09-2012 at 05:41 PM..
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