Golden Colorado Q&A (Denver, Aurora: apartment complex, home, school)

[esya]

I'm not a realtor; that is pretty good description. Because of the local geography Golden retains a slightly small town character that is slightly separated from the urban Denver, which is nice. There is traffic to gambling areas in Gilpin County, though.

[Carrie_Blair]

Go into Google maps and type in the zip codes to get a sense of where they are. Properties in Golden can vary dramatically whether they are in the mountains or in the city. There are homes in Golden (80403) that could be right off of Hwy 119 (major artery from Boulder through Golden) or be way up in the mountains 45+ min away closer to Gilpin County. Definitely research which zips you would be interested in and then be careful within the zip (like 80403). I help a lot of people in Golden and what seems fairly close distance-wise on a map, can be extremely far away driving time b/c of the mountainous roads. Also consider how weather conditions can vary drastically throughout Golden as well. Let me know if you need any more information.

[Ralf57]

I grew up outside of golden Just on the North Side of Table Top Mountain I went to school in Golden is some weird places. when I 1st Started school in 92' the elementary school was located Right across the street of Coors Brewery, but in 94' they relocated it. But when i went to middle school there it was just a 1/2 from the Jeffco Jail & we got shut down more than once. Golden High School is located Downtown & it was asome because it was a 90+ year shcool in great shape for its age, untill reacently when they Built a new School on the other side of Campus. bsides the schools Growing up in Golden leaves ALOT... ALOT of great memories including walking around town when we got the chance & even tho I moved away 3 years ago i still know all the backstreets & Shortcuts like the back of my hand. Great summer weather & if you love snow being right off the foothills of the rockies u get DUMPED on regualry its Fun

[CareFreeAZ]

Thank You Everyone for your Responses - Greatly appreciated

[breer23]

Hi all,

My wife and I are looking to re-locate to the Golden area so that I can begin a graduate program at Co. School of Mines in the next year or so.

I was hoping to get some info about Golden itself, not necessarily about Denver or Colorado in general; I have family there to tell me about the overall feel of CO, and have visited suburban Denver and Ft. Collins, but have never ventured into Golden itself.

Since I'll be returning to school, I'll be making peanuts for wages, but my wife is a nurse so between the two of us, we'll have a modest income. What kind of housing is available for say $700/mo. that is not on (or necessarily near to) campus.

Also, what's the local scene like - restaurants, bars, theatre. I guess I'll have to convert to Coors (I prefer Guinness)?

Thanks!

[chilaili]

From what I remember of Golden (and this is going back a few years), it's somewhat lacking in apartment complexes. But that doesn't mean rentals aren't available. There are some listed on allapartments.com, forrent.com and craigslist.com.

The town itself seems to be expanding quite a bit with a lot of development down by the river with a couple of new restaurants and new housing north of downtown towards Boulder and Hwy 93.

[jazzlover]

There are really two "Goldens," the original town of Golden and the parts of Golden east and south of the core town that sort of merge into Lakewood (you can't separate "original" and "new" Golden by the zip code, either). Mines is in the original part of town. There are a few apartments in Golden, but whether you could rent one for $700/mo., I don't know. I haven't lived there for years. North and South Table Mountains separate the original part of Golden from the newer "suburban" part. That gives the original town a nice small town feel, even though it is quite close to the rest of the Denver metroplex. The suburban part of Golden to the east just merges into the suburban blob that is west metro Denver--I don't like that part.

There are a few bars and restaurants in and around Golden, but I wouldn't describe it as a hopping social scene. In that regard, the difference between CU in the People's Republic of Boulder and Mines in Golden is pretty stark.

[FoRuMRideR420]

i like golden ...havent seen much nightlife there i just deliver packages around the area.....its "downtown" which isnt really a downtown has a old western city feel to it......and you should be able to find apartments for 700/month range

[breer23]

Thanks for all of the info so far, folks.

My wife & I both lived in Flagstaff, AZ, and while the cost was somewhat prohibitive, we enjoyed the climate and the smaller, mountain/rail-town kind of feel to it. Small shops and restaurants in a late-1800's downtown area. We also liked the fact that, for the most part, there was a local scene that was unique to the town, and not dependent on Starbucks or TGIFriday's. Any idea whether Golden is similar in that respect?

I understand that parts of Colorado will be a bit more expensive, especially as a student, but I can't imagine it being more expensive than Flagstaff was/is.

What types of outdoor activities are there near the Golden area? Are there any that aren't pure tourist traps?

Any more info would be helpful - thanks!

[dj32]

I agree with Jazzlover- there is the "historic" Golden ( A VERY small part of it now) which I think you'll like, and the Colorado Mills/Lakewood/Golden- they all merge together. It is chain city that way... every chain you can imagine and lots of STarbucks. Would it be too far for you to consider Morrison? It may be a bit further but you will get a little more authentic town? May be worth checking out but regardless, I think you can find what you are looking for IN Golden.