Five Points (Denver, Highlands Ranch, Commerce City: apartments, renters, lofts)

[Houston, TX]

My wife and I are moving to Denver, we are 26 and no kids, and I don't know the area very well. We are looking for an area that we will be walking distance to restaurants and shopping. I found some affordable options in the Five Points neighborhood. Is this a safe area? Also I will be working in Commerce City and it seems like an easy commute from there.

[tfox]

You'll find a lot of people who would tremble at the very name "Five Points." Twenty years ago, that area was apparently truly frightening, but even in my own memory in the 1990s it was almost entirely minority, mostly very poor, and reportedly had a high crime rate. On the plus side, it was known for its jazz clubs, history, and churches. Even then, many people of all races would head down to Five Points to see live jazz and blues music.

The dark part of our history in Denver (as in every other northern city) is that there was once an unofficial urban neighborhood where AAs where supposed to live, if they knew what was good for them. Five Points was that area here.

Things have changed. Five Points was and is just a little bit too close to downtown to truly stay down. There are very few of the old residents left, who were largely renters in any case. There were several large blocks of "projects" nearby in the Curtis Park neighborhood. All have been torn down and largely replaced with swank lofts. Most of the original residents have been driven out by rising rents and new tenants and homeowners have moved in -- upper middle class, young, and to be blunt -- white. There still are minorities remaining who are important to the neighborhood's history and culutre, but the minority feel of the neighborhood is no longer in evidence as much. Naturally, there is some understandable bitterness on this end, as minorities have been, from their view, driven out of their cultural center.

As poverty has been exported further east by the new influx, the level of violence has gone down dramatically. However, it's not accurate to say that violence has completely left. A few months ago, a couple of out-of-town tourists from Kansas were shot randomly by a drive-by-shooter while waiting for the light rail on Welton Street. An every day occurrence? Of course not, but it was an unfriendly reminder of the "old" Five Points. It still isn't Highlands Ranch in terms of safety, that's for sure.

So where does that leave you? Even now, with the poverty successfully exported and gentrification taking hold, you'd still be something of an urban pioneer there. This isn't the suburbs. On the other hand, the change in character of Five Points is permanent. I doubt we'll see much regression there.

[Houston, TX]

Thanks for the reply TFox. We are moving in three weeks, maybe you can help me a little bit more. I will not be able to go to Denver before moving in, therefore, I will have to pick the apartment through the internet.

I liked an apartment on Colorado Blvd. and 8th st, like I said before I will be working in commerce city, do you know how is traffic on Colorado going north around 7am? Another option I am considering is placed called Aero Flats (on Montview blvd, close to Quebec street), is this a good area to live in?

Thanks again for your help.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by Houston, TX

Thanks for the reply TFox. We are moving in three weeks, maybe you can help me a little bit more. I will not be able to go to Denver before moving in, therefore, I will have to pick the apartment through the internet.

I liked an apartment on Colorado Blvd. and 8th st, like I said before I will be working in commerce city, do you know how is traffic on Colorado going north around 7am? Another option I am considering is placed called Aero Flats (on Montview blvd, close to Quebec street), is this a good area to live in?

Thanks again for your help.

Colorado Blvd is pretty backed up most of the time. However, it still won't be more than about 15-20 minutes up to Commerce City, depending on the timing of the lights.

Colorado Blvd and 8th Ave is a pretty good area. It's near the old CU Hospital, I believe that area is also called Montclair. It's surrounded by some of the very wealthy neighborhoods like Hilltop, though in the immediate vicinity it's mostly apartments.

As for Aero Flats (Montview and Quebec), that's in the Stapleton neighborhood, which is a redevelopment of the old airport. Everything in that neighborhood is brand new. Unless you want to live in a more historic, Victorian-style neighborhood, I think Stapleton is a good bet and it's an EXTREMELY popular neighborhood -- mainly because some people like the idea of having new housing but getting to live in the city. It's not my personal cup of tea, but I understand why it's so popular.

[RowJimmy]

tfox, I was at that venue that night when those kids got shot outside of Cervantes that night. They were hanging really late. Also those suspects did the same thing in Capitol Hill and along Colorado Blvd. They went up and shot people for like 10 bucks.....Did they ever catch those scum bags?

Five points is not that bad. I don't think your options there for restaurants and shopping are as good as you would have in sections of Capitol Hill, and it is just about the same walking distance to downtown from Capitol Hill. Capitol Hill is still a safter too. Most of the people would go hang out at Cervates or Quoites at night all would leave and go back to Capitol Hill. Why have you not looked in that area? There is a lot of affordable places there, and would be great for a 26 year old. I lived in Glendale till I was 25 there, then moved down to Capitol Hill at 25 for a year and a half. It was a world of difference in meeting people.

I also always found it is easier just going there and driving around and finding a place in a cool neighborhood you like. Don't do what I did and fill out your rent application on line and fax in your signiture. I got screwed in a horrible place in Glendale off of Colorado blvd. It promised the whole retail and restaurants thing. It was target, strip malls, and an Applebees. I'm not into that. The neighbors were horrible and anti social. Thats not the case in Capitol Hill.