Highlands Ranch or Stapleton? (Denver, Boulder: low income, apartments, rental)

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by steveindenver

Highlands ranch is a good example of what is wrong with this country, notably our dependence on our vehicles which will contribute heavily to our downfall as energy prices continue to climb.

Being a long distance from the city center with minimal infrastructure people in Highlands Ranch are required to use their cars anytime they wish to visit a restaurant, see a movie, grab a drink, etc. The homes have just enough yard to ensure you need not ever interact with your neighbors and thus further limit the sense of community. In these areas you are in fact a slave to your vehicle living in a little island of isolation.

Perhaps it seems snobbish when folks who live in the city lift their nose at the notion of moving to Highlands Ranch, but the reality is once you live in an urban environment and come to appreciate the ability to walk or bike (Denver has a fantastic bike lane system downtown and the weather to support it for almost all of the year) for most of your needs you begin to understand the attitude.
To that end, Stapleton has done a good job of building a community in which you can walk or bike for most of your needs. As an infill project it remains close enough to the city center (with future light rail access) that accessing the services available only in the downtown area is easy and economical.
Still, either way you cut it, one or both of you are going to be screwed in terms of commute no matter where you live.

You are my type of person and I agree with a good infill development that has established a Transit Oriented Community--like Stapleton.

Just one correction the station at Stapleton will not have light rail access; it will be heavy rail and it is looking like EMUs (Electric Multiple Units) will be the choice vs. DMUs (Diesel Multiple Units). These are heavy rail cars, each car separately powered and linked in multiple units to satisfy changing time demands, not a powered engine running cars.

Just to be fair, Fastracks will extend the Southwest Light Rail Line to Lucent Blvd. in Highlands Ranch. Fastracks is not only about rail but increased bus service. Each Station will have feeder lines and call and rides to bring the neighborhoods into the stations. It will be some improvement but not as dramatic as you would see in a denser developed community, like Stapleton.

Livecontent

[ditto]

I'd pretty much pick anything over Highlands Ranch.

[oberon]

So, liberals aren't fit to raise kids? City life is too rough on kids? They need to be sheltered instead? Public schools in the city aren't good enough? Give me a break. Private schools are overrated.

[esya]

Highlands ranch is a well planned, suburban bedroom community, just like lonetree. It has golf courses, parks, pools, shopping and lots of chain restaurants. If you like that sort of thing--going to the mall, spending fourth of july in the park with everyone else on your culdesac, feeling like your kids are safe, being a part of a really big church, commuting to work, then you will like it. Lots of people who enjoy living near others who think just like them and would not want to be near the ethnic, criminal or liberal urban weirdos.

One thing,Highlands ranch is HUGE and has been building for years so don't think you won't have resale competition because you definitely will.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by esya

Highlands ranch is a well planned, suburban bedroom community, just like lonetree. It has golf courses, parks, pools, shopping and lots of chain restaurants. If you like that sort of thing--going to the mall, spending fourth of july in the park with everyone else on your culdesac, feeling like your kids are safe, being a part of a really big church, commuting to work, then you will like it. Lots of people who enjoy living near others who think just like them and would not want to be near the ethnic, criminal or liberal urban weirdos.

In those respects, it's got some things in common with Stapleton. From what has been posted, Stapleton is overwhelmingly young, full of families with little kids who all go to school together, neighbors all hang out together, etc. Most are very sold on the New Urban lifestyle. My guess it it does not have a lot of ethnic minorities or "urban wierdos" either. Probably lots of liberals who do not want to be around conservatives. Same chapter, different verse.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by b.adams

This thread might as well be named "San Francisco,CA" or "Provo, UT" ...

Those homes are Stapleton are well done ... but still cookie cutter ... complete with preset builder choices and options. No different than any other development, but maybe better designed from a design and stylistic standpoint.

That said, there are crappy developers in HR and better ones. Some are total cookie cutter ... and some offer customization options that are as extensive as those as Stapleton.

In the eyes of some posting here, HR has large yards (compared to Stapleton) ... but many folks in the other suburbs would say that HR has tiny yards. It just depends whether your comparing Stapleton with HR or Littleton / Lakewood / Arvada / etc. with HR. I dont' even live in HR, but get sick of them getting slandered for everything that is bad. Its a really nice place in totally different ways than Stapleton.

The general slant on the board is so liberal, that its hard to get a balanced comparison here. And the comparison is kind of absurd anyways. I think its great to live closer to the city center if you can ... and limit driving if you can ... and if you feel you gain more than you loose, go for it.

But I don't think these more urban developments are the necessarily best places for kids, just because its handy for Mom and Dad. I'd like to know how many people in Stapleton have 3 or more kids ... I'm sure there are some ... and then, are your kids attending the local public schools or private schools?

Regarding schools at Stapleton, there is a DPS grade school, middle school and then the two "magnet high schools", Arts and Music and Science/Technology. The high schools are high performing and difficult to get into, but open to all DPS students, if they can get in. Stapleton has approved the design for a new regular high school too. We're currently in the G.W. high school district, which I don't believe is a bad school.

I'll eventually have twins in school at Stapleton and from what everyone says, the grade school is great, although part of the middle school is being used for grade school classes because there are so many kids in the K-4th grade age right now.

Most people here are starting families and have one or two kids. I know of a couple families with 3, but haven't met anyone with more than 3. That could change since so many people are still "working" on their families, but overall, people are like me and think two is plenty.

[Bradburn1]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

In those respects, it's got some things in common with Stapleton. Probably lots of liberals who do not want to be around conservatives. Same chapter, different verse.

What is your definition of "liberal" exactly? And why would you assume a huge neighborhood like Stapleton would be full of one niche of people? You could very well be right (until I see a detailed demographic study of Stapleton residents I personally would be very cautious with my own assumptions). I'm just curious why you would think that.

Also curious as to your definition of the "New Urban lifestyle"? Do you mean living at higher densities, relying less on the car, and being friendly with your neighbors?

[denverian]

I found demographic info for HR, and it's 95% white, 4% Asian, and the other 1% is a mixture. No information seems to be available for Stapleton yet. Based on 70 people (adults and children) who live on my entire block, it's 80% white, 20% minority/mixed race. Probably a decent representation of Stapleton as a whole.

Originally Posted by esya

Highlands ranch is a well planned, suburban bedroom community, just like lonetree. It has golf courses, parks, pools, shopping and lots of chain restaurants. If you like that sort of thing--going to the mall, spending fourth of july in the park with everyone else on your culdesac, feeling like your kids are safe, being a part of a really big church, commuting to work, then you will like it. Lots of people who enjoy living near others who think just like them and would not want to be near the ethnic, criminal or liberal urban weirdos.

One thing,Highlands ranch is HUGE and has been building for years so don't think you won't have resale competition because you definitely will.

I like the urban "weirdos" and don't want my children to be raised in a bubble. I want them to understand that they're fortunate to live in a nice house, but that not everyone is that fortunate. Plus my children are bi-racial, and there are many other bi-racial/non-white children in our neighborhood. I don't really know what the racial makeup of HR is, so I can't compare on that level.

I think it goes a bit far to suggest that everyone in HR or Stapleton is alike. Overall, one is conservative and one liberal, but I do know of a couple Republican households in our neighborhood, and they seem happy. They're probably still a bit on the socially liberal side though.

[LAAFTERHOURS]

I want to ask - Is there a good daycare in Stapleton? If so can you share the name(s). I know there are quite a few in HR.

I am looking at both of these neighborhoods as possible destinations for my family next year. Our commute times will be a big consideration in where we settle. As for the liberal vs conservative, I am financially conservative but liberal in all other facets of the world.

I assume both of these places are probably liberal for the most part in social terms, but conservative in respects to the economy. I have lived in socal for half my life and the burbs of Philly for the other half. The burbs of philly is old money, status etc. I hate it there and left as soon as I could. Socal is more to my family's speed. My reefs are the shoe of choice 365 days a year and I dont tuck in the shirt and pimp the slacks unless its for the office.

We will be out in feb to check out both neighborhoods.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by LAAFTERHOURS

I want to ask - Is there a good daycare in Stapleton? If so can you share the name(s). I know there are quite a few in HR.

I am looking at both of these neighborhoods as possible destinations for my family next year. Our commute times will be a big consideration in where we settle. As for the liberal vs conservative, I am financially conservative but liberal in all other facets of the world.

I assume both of these places are probably liberal for the most part in social terms, but conservative in respects to the economy. I have lived in socal for half my life and the burbs of Philly for the other half. The burbs of philly is old money, status etc. I hate it there and left as soon as I could. Socal is more to my family's speed. My reefs are the shoe of choice 365 days a year and I dont tuck in the shirt and pimp the slacks unless its for the office.

We will be out in feb to check out both neighborhoods.

At Stapleton, there is Primrose daycare and I've heard it's great, but a bit expensive. I believe they're supposed to be building another daycare center at the Eastbridge town center, but ground hasn't broken yet. Many people do nanny shares or have nannies come to their home during the day.

Socially speaking, I haven't heard that HR is in any way liberal. It's known as being the most conservative part of the metro area. As a gay parent, I would never consider living there (I would expect the cold shoulder or worse from neighbors) but maybe I'm wrong. Someone who lives there could provide better information. Stapleton is probably around 20% gay households and other gay parents here as well, so I have no problems at all.