Where can you live (and walk) to everything? (Denver, Arvada: sales, apartments)

[JBPisgah]

You may have to dial down your expectations for both shopping and greenery, but there are plenty of areas that are green (for Denver) and have basic shopping (within a 10-15 minute walk) between Broadway and Colorado south of downtown.

[Dorthy]

Old Englewood, Baker, Capitol Hill....

[zenkonami]

Originally Posted by USSValor

I am thinking of moving to Denver.

I'm visiting a friend at his "luxury" apartment building (One Lincoln Park) and despite being downtown, it's really not in walking distance to much. In order to get to anything decent (restaurants, shopping, etc.) I have to walk past vacant lots and dodge all of the homeless people. Also, where are the trees? I don't know why but I thought Denver was supposed to have trees.

Where can I go where it's pretty (trees, greenery, etc.) and I can walk to everything and not worry about being the only one on the block with a homeless person?

I have read good things about Cherry Creek. Which other places should I look at?

Pretty much the expensive parts of Denver.

Cherry Creek, Washington Park, South Pearl Street, Gaylord, Uptown (17th Ave)

As far as trees go, most of Denver's tree lined streets are courtesy of a little urban engineering...to which I mean, we are a city on the high plains, where trees (and water to sustain them) are technically scarce. That said, we *do* have them, as 6th Ave is evidence of...but I would beware the myth that Denver...or Colorado in general, is some place of great greenery.

[DenverBrian]

Lowry. Trees, grocery, restaurants, bars, parks, nice museum.

[livecontent]

Finding a place in an urban area to walk to everywhere is possible. You must extend your view that you can virtually walk to everywhere when you live near good public transit. For public transit will extend your walkable world into a virtual walkable world as you can go anywhere and everyplace that public transit can take you.

If you live on a major bus route, all the venues on that route become your virtual neighborhood. For example, if you live within a short walk to Broadway, in the Baker neighborhood, then you have access to the very frequent and extended service of the Broadway Bus, Route 0. The same approach can viewed if you live a rail station; for then every amenity near every other station because your virtual neighborhood. Your virtual neighborhood is extended if you view the connecting buses as a further expansion of your virtual walkable neighborhood.

I lived in NYC and Europe. It was no problem to walk to a transit point and expand my daily walks to distance far from my local neighborhood. The same approach can be used in Denver if you choose wisely. I would suggest a neighborhood with the basics of grocery shopping and other stores needed stores nearby and walkable to a major bus route or a rail station. You can easily find a nice park nearby because parks, trails and open space is all over the area. There are many such neighborhoods all over the area from the City of Denver to the suburbs, covering many counties and they all have good areas of public transit.

As Denver area expands the rail network we will have more virtual walkable areas. We are building many Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) that will provide local stores and close access to transit.

There is much green in the area that is accessible if that is what you want and desire and much is on Public transit routes. I give you an example of the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt along Clear Creek. Clear Creek Trail, Wheat Ridge, Colorado designated National Recreation Trails. This lush treed area is in the urban area and is reached by Route 44 or 38. I go there often and it has parks along 44th, bike trails, equestrian trails. This Greenbelt also connects to the Platte Trails and the Trails along Ralston Creek. This all leads to another expansion of your virtual walkable neighborhood when you use a bicycle. This area is well known with the extensive biking trails. It is especially great is that you can take your bike on the bus or the train. If you follow the southwest rail line to the end to Mineral, you will be right adjacent to the the open space, a nature center and water resources along the the Platte http://www.littletongov.org/parks/SP...plan-FINAL.pdf

However, you must learn to accept the semi-arid land of this area. Just because it does not have trees does not mean it does not have amenities and appeal of wildlife and nature. We have much open space grasslands and it should remain in its natural state. I get annoyed when I hear newcomers say "Why do not they plant trees?" Why? because The Great Plains is not here to cater to your whims and change to your expectations. To become a citizen of the Great West, you must be open to the invitation of what is offered; if you are, the West will welcome you.

Livecontent

[blackmet]

OP -- what is your budget? And define "walk to everything."

I mean, I used to live near I-70 and Kipling in Wheat Ridge. I could walk to get groceries/clothes/household goods, eat at a restaurant, go bowling, or go to a couple of bars. It was cheap, and generally safe (though it did get a bit of a Limp Bizkit music video feeling on warm summer weekend nights). But the shopping was SuperTarget, K-Mart, or Family Dollar, the restaurants were Denny's and Panda Express, and bars were more than just a touch on the divey side.

I also used to live in Baker, which was very walkable, to both necessary (groceries/clothes/restaurants) and much more fun things (cultural events). But, yes, there were homeless people in the alleys and in front of the storefronts, and some of your neighbors aren't the most pleasant people in the world. It's not unsafe by any means, but it's not completely sanitized either.

Pretty much, if you want to be in a really walkable neighborhood in Denver, expect to pay a fairly high price for it. The more you pay, the less vacant lots and homeless people you're going to see. But even in Cherry Creek or Uptown, you're going to deal with it.

[sunsprit]

The choices in the Denver area will be dictated by your budget, of course.

Littleton, close to the downtown area, would be high on my list of walkable and accessible.

[CosmicWizard]

USSValor wrote: Where can you live (and walk) to everything?

That depends on how far you are willing to walk. A willingness to walk farther than the average Joe will open up more options for you.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

USSValor wrote: Where can you live (and walk) to everything?

That depends on how far you are willing to walk. A willingness to walk farther than the average Joe will open up more options for you.

So true; it also depends on what you want to walk to - though it might be hard to believe, "everything" means different things to each individual.

To riff on what Cosmic just said, you can walk to the ocean from any neighborhood here, if you're willing to walk 1,300 miles or so.

[davebarnes]

When you find an address that is in consideration, surf to the Zillow and check the WalkScore.
Zillow is not perfect, but I find the WalkScore numbers to be fairly accurate.