Washington Park (Denver, Castle Rock, Golden: real estate market, rent, crime)

[SouthXSW]

My wife and I currently rent in the Golden Triangle but have been looking at possibly buying a house in central Denver with a child on the way. Wash Park is at the top of our list, but also at the top of our price range ($500K) for a 2 or 3 bedroom. My question for those that live there is do you enjoy it and was it worth the high price? We are also looking in Platte Park, University and Rosedale. I work downtown and would likely use the light rail at Louisiana, and my wife works by DU.

Does anyone know more about:
- Gyms or workout groups/boot camps in the area
- Crime in the neighborhood
- Good coffee shops (similar to our neighborhood place Rooster & Moon)
- Street parking (lots of people seem to park on the street visiting Gaylord and the park, do residents get a permit or is it first come first serve?)
- Daycare for infants in the area

[2bindenver]

Washington Park is the premier neighborhood in Denver. There is all that you are looking for an more there. If you want to stretch your housing dollars then look at the other neighborhoods. There is also Cap Hill, Bonnie Brae, Hilltop....

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by SouthXSW

Does anyone know more about:
- Crime in the neighborhood
- Good coffee shops (similar to our neighborhood place Rooster & Moon)
- Street parking (lots of people seem to park on the street visiting Gaylord and the park, do residents get a permit or is it first come first serve?)

I lived in Bonnie Brae for 24 years (1987-2011).

Crime - Crime Statistics and Maps | Denver Police Department by neighborhood and police districts (Wash Park is District 3)

Coffee - Wash Perk Wash Perk Coffee | Washington Park, CO

The blocks near the South Gaylord shopping area are restricted. Nothing else in Wash Park to my knowledge.

[SkyDog77]

I am biased, but it is totally worth it.

My wife and I originally bought a 2 bedroom here in 2004, but our family has since grown and we have outgrown the house. We were determined to stay in the neighborhood and bought a lot to scrape back in 2007. We are finally getting around to our dream house build project and will be moving in this fall. Can't really see being anywhere else at this point.

Yes prices are higher here, but there is some security in that. How many other people in this country bought a house in 2004 and are either even or ahead right now? Wash Park will never experience the swings that the rest of the real estate market does because the supply is so limited.

Platte Park is also great.

Wash Perk coffee is outstanding if you are on the West Side of the park. East Side is more about South Gaylord shops.

As for gyms, there are several around. Powerhouse on Logan & Alameda is not bad. We used to belong there. I recently switched over to the Coors fitness Center at DU for the pool. There are also several CrossFit gyms nearby if that's your thing.

If you live within a block of South Gaylord you get a street permit, otherwise it's first come, first serve, which really has never been a big problem for me.

Not sure on daycare, but we have found several great option for preschool.

[mundele]

Just sent you a PM about preschools in the area as I'm starting to look.

[SkyDog77]

One other thing that kind of goes overlooked about Wash Park and particularly West Wash Park is the ease of Highway access. I am 8 blocks from an on-ramp to I-25. I can be in Golden in 15-20 minutes if there is not traffic. Castle Rock in 20-25 minutes, LODO in 10 minutes.

[SouthXSW]

Thanks for the replies. It really seems like a great neighborhood, one I really enjoy just walking around either down the tree-lined streets or to the park or to Gaylord. I like that it's close to DU for their events and I'll have to check out their workout facility. Is it open to the public or just students/faculty?

What about restaurants in the area? I've been to Devils Food (one of my favorites for breakfast), Il Vicino and Japon but haven't really tried any others as we usually stick to downtown and Highland. I love Sushi Den on Pearl, and Jerusalem by DU.

The house we like is in the SE part of the neighborhood. SW seems to be the best value with proximity to the park, light rail and also near Pearl St. but the nicest streets seem to be the ones around the park and near Old Gaylord.

[SkyDog77]

DU's gym is open to the public. It's really nice.

East side's streets are a bit nicer. That's where we are building, but I will miss the proximity to Wash Perk, Whole Foods and the highway access on the West Side when we move.

The restaurant scene is basically south Pearl, South Gaylord, Bonnie Brae (great ice cream!), Alameda, Evans by DU and then of course Cherry Creek is only a few minutes away. Plenty of places to eat.

[dude_reino]

Wash Park real estate is absurd for anyone without a trust fund.

Come on up to the Northeast side--City Park, Cole, Whittier, etc. Best real estate deals in town right now, and will be the next section of town to 'blow up' in 5-10 years.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by dude_reino

Come on up to the Northeast side--City Park, Cole, Whittier, etc. Best real estate deals in town right now, and will be the next section of town to 'blow up' in 5-10 years.

Maybe yes or maybe no.

1. The OP said "work near DU" and "family".

2. 15+ years ago I thought that Baker was the next up-and-coming neighborhood. It had a lot of the signs. Still not there yet. Trajectories are very hard to predict.