Thoughts on Aurora (Denver, Boulder: new home, neighborhoods, movie theater)

[titoav15]

I am interested to see what you guys think. I might be getting a job offer in Aurora, to work on the medical campus to be exact. Just wondering if it is a safe place? I read a lot of negative comments about the area, just wondering if it is still true (say that because posts seem to be a couple of years old). I really like Boulder (this would be my top choice to live and work at) and Denver. I am just up in the air on Aurora cause I can't seem to find any recent detailed info (however I read the news about the movie theater incident as well as the recent homicide that happened on the medical campus about a month ago).

To describe my wife and I.... We are married with no kids we are both in our mid 20s... I have an accounting degree and my wife has environmental engineering degree... my wife wants to potentially do her masters at UC Boulder... we love the outdoors (road/mountain biking, skiing, swimming, hiking, things like that). Really friendly and extraverted.

Thank you for all the help in advance!

[Count David]

Boulder is a haul from there. Most people wouldn't want to do it every day, via any means.

The area around the hospital is still in transition. Only live there if you are the pioneering type.

The rest of Aurora (which is huge, there cannot be one singular opinion on "Aurora"), ranges from lower middle class to rich, with all kinds of housing types represented.

[Claire S.]

I live in Stapleton, which is in Denver, immediately north of Aurora and about 1.5 miles from the Anschutz Medical Campus. The campus is quite nice and the influx of jobs is definitely leading to positive changes in North Aurora. Furthermore, there are fantastic neighborhoods in East Denver, like Park Hill, Congress Park, City Park, and Uptown, that are really close to the campus (about 10 minutes driving). I think you'll meet plenty of people in Denver that enjoy outdoorsy type activities.

[Florida2014]

Look to Stapleton, good "in-between" neighborhood that isn't too far from Aurora and has good I-70 access. Commuting anywhere in and around Denver is a nightmare so best to at least be close to a major thoroughfare.

[suz0523]

I live in Aurora now, the southeast is a good area, Another area nearby is Green Valley Ranch, we just put a contract on a home out there, and its close to I-70, east of DIA...there are new homes being built out that way and some homes that are only 13 years old.. you may want to check it out there as well,

[delta07]

Personally, no, I wouldn't live there. But I grew up in Aurora. I really loathe it, even the "nice" parts of Aurora, so take my opinion from that perspective. Given your ages and likes, I think you would find the new development at Stapleton to be a little to family oriented and gentrified (and boring). If you are considering working at the medical center in Aurora, I would love at some of the great neighborhoods in Denver as Claire S. suggested. My personal favorites are Highland & Wash Park, although I don't know what the exact commute times would be. I do think public transportation, via Lightrail may be an option for you though. I know they are working on expanding many of the lines.

A commute from Boulder would not be ideal at all. I would seriously consider living close to Boulder if you wife does attend grad school there, unless she doesn't need to go to campus every day. You might want to peruse some of the threads in the Boulder sub-forum, as there are many that discuss commuting between Denver and Boulder.

[livecontent]

Aurora has some very nice areas to live so to attack this city because of a few areas that are not so appealing is wrong. Since it covers such a big area from old areas to many new developments, then of course it will have many issues of good and bad. Aurora is the largest suburbs of Denver but because of its size, it really is one of the largest cities in Colorado. It certainly cannot be only considered a bedroom community as it has extensive industry and businesses of its own.

One of the area that is not mentioned as an option to live if one is working at Anshutz is the redevelopment of the Lowry Airforce Base. It is has nice newer homes and some good development of shopping. It is very close to the Medical Campus, even closer than Stapleton. It is also in the City of Denver. The commute would be minutes through the the side streets.
Lowry

Livecontent

[philberf]

Originally Posted by livecontent

One of the area that is not mentioned as an option to live if one is working at Anshutz is the redevelopment of the Lowry Airforce Base. It is has nice newer homes and some good development of shopping. It is very close to the Medical Campus, even closer than Stapleton. It is also in the City of Denver. The commute would be minutes through the the side streets.
Lowry

I don't know that it's closer, but maybe faster? I guess it depends on where in each neighborhood you live. If you live on the east side of stapleton, you are definitely closer to anschutz than if you live in Lowry. Lowry is due south of Stapleton with Quebec as the western edge of both, basically, and Lowry doesn't extend as far east as Stapleton.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by philberf

I don't know that it's closer, but maybe faster? I guess it depends on where in each neighborhood you live. If you live on the east side of stapleton, you are definitely closer to anschutz than if you live in Lowry. Lowry is due south of Stapleton with Quebec as the western edge of both, basically, and Lowry doesn't extend as far east as Stapleton.

Yes, it does depend of where in each you live. I think the commute from Lowry is easier and much more direct but the point I am making is why is Lowry not mentioned as a good place to live? It does border some great neighborhoods of Denver. Yes, there is some problematic neighborhood of Aurora, as it sits on that border but I think the area around Stapelton has also some very problem area to the west.

Lowry is a great development but everyone seems to focus of Stapleton, Why?

Livecontent

[philberf]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Yes, it does depend of where in each you live. I think the commute from Lowry is easier and much more direct but the point I am making is why is Lowry not mentioned as a good place to live? It does border some great neighborhoods of Denver. Yes, there is some problematic neighborhood of Aurora, as it sits on that border but I think the area around Stapelton has also some very problem area to the west.

Lowry is a great development but everyone seems to focus of Stapleton, Why?

Livecontent

Bigger, still expanding, can still find a new build?

Lowry is done building residential stuff, I thought. I think they're still developing the property on the west side of quebec, though.

But you're right, if you're talking about working at anschutz, lowry is a great choice for many, especially those with kids and who are interested in schools like DMIS or Stanley British Primary School.