Highlands Ranch Bashing (Denver: middle-class, safe area, good schools)

[hockeymom08]

Here is one of my posts on another thread responding to some of the bashing of HR and soccermoms.

What about hockeymoms? I have a 14 yr old who plays hockey (has since he was 5), a 7 yr old that plays everything (hockey, soccer, baseball, football, basketball). I think his sport of choice will end up being baseball. Am I a soccermom because my son plays soccer or is there something else that defines the "bad" soccermom? I am confused.

It seems to me that those on here bashing Highlands Ranch (and soccermoms) are the ones judging people. Have any of you had a bad experience with someone living in HR (being rude to you, saying to you they are "better than you", etc.). Or is this just your own perception of the people who live there?

We are relocating to Denver in December and are seriously looking at Highlands Ranch because of the amenities and the schools. We are from Texas but have lived in Iowa for the last 2 1/2 years. We are nice southern people. My husband says m'am and sir to everyone. I happen to drive a mercedes but I am the furthest thing from stuck up. Material things have never been important to me. Providing for our kids, living in a nice safe area with good schools and convenient activities IS important to us. I do not want to be thought of as a stuck up soccermom (or whatever) if we choose HR. Then again, I will not let other people's judgement (perhaps narrowmindedness) determine where we feel is the best place for our family.
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I have read alot of negative posts bashing the "stuck up" people in Highlands Ranch. What is up with this? Is this at all justified or simply outsiders being judgemental and having a skewed perception of how the people in HR really are?

[MaddieClaire]

Why on earth would you even worry about what other people think or say?
Why would you let a few posts on a message board upset you?
You only have yourself and your family to please - and if nobody likes you, or where you live, or what you drive, then tell them to "stick it where the sun don't shine!"
P.S. What part of Texas are you from?

[hockeymom08]

Oh don't misunderstand me...I DON"T care what other people think of me or where I live. Like I said in my post, I will not let other peoples perceptions determine where we feel is the best place for our family. It's just that I have heard (not only from this forum) that some people feel that HR is not very friendly and full of people trying to "one up eachother." We are friendly southern people and want to live in an area that is friendly. If it is really full of unfriendly snobbish people (which I really doubt) then we would not be happy there. Oh, and the the comment about what I drive was in response to a very ugly comment by another poster about "soccermoms driving their $80,000 SUV's" (my mercedes didn't cost anywhere close to that! lol)

I was born and raised in Lubbock (West Texas) and my husband is from the Tyler area (East Texas). We both graduated from Texas Tech in Lubbock. Go Raiders!!!!!

[Stagger Lee]

In my opinion Highlands ranch is where all these characterless and boring types live. I would rather have a conversation with a bum in an alley way off of Colfax ave then some regular, suburbinite, Highlands ranch yuppie. That is just me though. Hell the bum on Colfax ave probably seen a rough life and has some good stories and wisdom to tell. Highlands ranch suburbinites just talk about their suvs they drive, work, and soccer practice. Well atleast the ones I all knew.

[tfox]

hockeymom,

Don't take it personally. Highlands Ranch is put down not so much for anything specific to Highlands Ranch itself, but more for what Highlands Ranch represents: that is, mid-1990s American middle-class suburbia. Which is exactly what Highlands Ranch is.

It's kind the 1990s equivalent of the "Levittowns" back east. Levittown is also used as a archtype of the type of 1950s suburbia that it represented. Courtesy of a somewhat unflattering portrayal in National Geographic, Highlands Ranch became the Levittown of its era, at least in the media.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by tfox

...a mid-1990s American middle-class suburbia...which is exactly what Highlands Ranch is.....

Agreed, and it does suburbia very well. I don't have any strong feelings about Highlands Ranch. I find the architecture boring, but I think the walking/biking trails and community rec centers are a wonderful asset to the area, and the schools are very good. If it suits you, go for it, and don't worry about what other people think.

[steveco.]

Originally Posted by hockeymom08

Oh, and the the comment about what I drive was in response to a very ugly comment by another poster about "soccermoms driving their $80,000 SUV's" (my mercedes didn't cost anywhere close to that! lol)

I was born and raised in Lubbock (West Texas) and my husband is from the Tyler area (East Texas). We both graduated from Texas Tech in Lubbock. Go Raiders!!!!!

Lol is almost proof of that comment. Anyway no harm intended im sure there are many fine soccer moms out there...

[Katiana]

Well, someone on another thread on this forum did say that everyone else was jealous of the people in HR. That is not the case for those of us who have chosen to live up north.

[MaddieClaire]

Originally Posted by hockeymom08

Oh don't misunderstand me...I DON"T care what other people think of me or where I live. Like I said in my post, I will not let other peoples perceptions determine where we feel is the best place for our family. It's just that I have heard (not only from this forum) that some people feel that HR is not very friendly and full of people trying to "one up eachother." We are friendly southern people and want to live in an area that is friendly. If it is really full of unfriendly snobbish people (which I really doubt) then we would not be happy there. Oh, and the the comment about what I drive was in response to a very ugly comment by another poster about "soccermoms driving their $80,000 SUV's" (my mercedes didn't cost anywhere close to that! lol)

I was born and raised in Lubbock (West Texas) and my husband is from the Tyler area (East Texas). We both graduated from Texas Tech in Lubbock. Go Raiders!!!!!

I've only lived in Denver for a year (also a southern girl), and I can honestly say that I have never encounted any snobby people anywhere in the area.
I find it to be quite the opposite!
Anyway, Highland Ranch is a beautiful area (so is Lonetree) ... You and your family will be very happy there.
Did you relocate here for work reasons?

[hockeymom08]

Originally Posted by MaddieClaire

Did you relocate here for work reasons?

Yes. My husband will be taking over the Denver Region for his company and the Corporate offices are there as well. We will be there for the long haul... until retirement.

What part of the south are you from? What brought you to Denver?