how best to explore neighborhoods when we are there?!?

[davebarnes]

COhomefinder | 3950 Fenton Ct Wheat Ridge, CO 80212 - MLS #1247544 - Home for sale at COhomefinder

[scrapper105]

We house hunted with kids and used libraries, community center playgrounds, and elementary schools as our destination. The drive to/from provided enough information for character and general feel, and the stops at the destination gave us a chance to chat with strangers.

We also used the "search nearby" function on google maps to find places where the kids liked to eat.

We usually had one meal each day at a grocery store - the King Soopers in Broomfield for example has enough hot bars and salad bars for our family to eat several meals there!

When work location wasn't an issue, I found it really hard to narrow down the locations to look. We ultimately settled on the northern/northern western suburbs but still inside the toll road (Broomfield, Westminster, Superior) and then let the CRAZY LIMITED AVAILABILITY of houses be our guide. There are SO MANY really good elementary schools, that I don't think that factor can be used to narrow your search.

We have two elementary school aged kids and also have flexible work spaces but wanted to be accessible to downtown. (You can see my many previous posts to see how I conducted our search). We live in a new section of Broomfield, walking distance to chain shops.

We love where we live, but I think there are sections of Arvada that would fit your criteria and stay within your price range. I would suggest looking at the high schools that Arvada feeds into, choosing the two "best" high schools, and then using Redfin to look in those boundaries.

I also think the older sections of Broomfield would meet your criteria - Broomfield is small enough you can just search for houses in Broomfield and you don't need to drill down further.

Best wishes!

[leavintheheat]

Thank you all for the great ideas