Heritage Estates, Lone Tree (Denver, Boulder: cul-de-sac, for sale, house)

[gpraceman]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Of course the gated communities does serve another purpose then pretending to keep people out. It keeps the people in one area so when the proletarian uprising occurs, they will be easy to locate.

Thanks! I needed a good laugh.

[2bindenver]

Home to Lone Tree Elementary...a magnet school
Lone Tree Elementary - Home

I know several people who live there. I would not classify anyone there as being unfriendly...or anywhere in the metro area...there is no such place...where the criteria for living there includes "not being nice."

[rebagirl]

Originally Posted by lovetntx

Thanks for the replies. Does this pretty much apply to all the different areas within Heritage Hills (Hillside, Summit, etc.) or is just in the more expensive Summit area? I had thought that since there are probably a lot of SAHM living in the neighborhood, that there might be more kids out playing and more neighborly socializing.

SAHM, meaning Stay At Home Mom? At first, I thought about those personal ads, in which it would mean Single Asian/Hispanic Male. And while I'm thinking about it, what does DH mean? Deadbeat Hubby?

[gpraceman]

Originally Posted by rebagirl

And while I'm thinking about it, what does DH mean? Deadbeat Hubby?

Took me awhile too. DH = Dear Husband

[rebagirl]

Originally Posted by gpraceman

Took me awhile too. DH = Dear Husband

Thanks. I have a great hubby, so my guess was pure sarcasm.

[Tasker]

"Areas that appeal to me include more open space, trails and parks that meander between homes and are maintained by the municipalities and not supported by homeowners fees, but by general tax revenue."

Can anyone tell me where these areas (the ones described by livecontent above) are? We are moving to Denver in about 3 weeks and had sort of resigned ourselves to living on a tenth of an acre due to lack of other options. The areas you describe above would hold much more appeal for us!!! I just don't seem to be able to find them on Realtor.com. We do not care for neighborhoods with houses right on top of each other, but it seems that to live near other families you almost have to buy in a planned community. In addition, I find the uniformity requirements in these types of neighborhoods a little restrictive; I would really like to be able to keep my compost pile!!!!

Thanks so much for any information you can provide!

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by Tasker

"Areas that appeal to me include more open space, trails and parks that meander between homes and are maintained by the municipalities and not supported by homeowners fees, but by general tax revenue."

Can anyone tell me where these areas (the ones described by livecontent above) are? We are moving to Denver in about 3 weeks and had sort of resigned ourselves to living on a tenth of an acre due to lack of other options. The areas you describe above would hold much more appeal for us!!! I just don't seem to be able to find them on Realtor.com. We do not care for neighborhoods with houses right on top of each other, but it seems that to live near other families you almost have to buy in a planned community. In addition, I find the uniformity requirements in these types of neighborhoods a little restrictive; I would really like to be able to keep my compost pile!!!!

Thanks so much for any information you can provide!

"..I would really like to be able to keep my compost pile"---my father would love you---he is 86 and talks constantly about his compost pile. When, I am at my parents house and I throw a banana peel in the garbage--my father, has a fit.

My parents house borders on a open space in Jefferson County, western part of Arvada. You can walk miles from the foothills, to further east into Arvada. My parents enjoy watching the horse riders, bicyclist and walkers passing their house and they have horse stables in the distance. Wildlife is a seen in the area. Of course my father has a big garden with many compost piles, in many stages of decay, on the edge of the open space. They live in a covenant controlled community and their yearly cost is about $40.00 to maintain a small manicured entrance and planting along the main road. Their house was build in the 1980s, homes in the neigborhood of $350,000--500,000. Adjacent to the development, along the open space, is another neigborhood, homes about $250,000-400,000, built during the 1970s. Further west is along the meandering green belt is the newer area of Arvada, past Indiana, and homes can be from $300,000 to a few million.

Unfortunately it would be not be wise, to tell you where exactly it is but if you look at a map of Arvada and look at all the greenbelts and open spaces, you will find numerous newer and many older developments from the 1950s along, open spaces and parks.

Arvada is really one of the undiscovered jewels in the Metro Area. It has many older nice neighborhoods in the east, with a "real old town" to homes in a valley,Ralston valley to the west. This area never had the large highways and consequently large shopping developments. It has intermingled farms and horse stable throughout. If you want to see, a nice view of the valley, drive west on 80th avenue past Simms and you will have a extended view of the area.

Another good road to go through would be west 58th, Also called Ralston Road, It goes west from Wadsworth past old town on the south. As you drive west the City Hall is on the north, bordering the large open space parks to the north. Drive west on Ralston. The road continues west on west 64th, at the Safeway, but go right and continue on Ralston Road and you will go through the main road of West Arvada.

There are newer neighborhoods, 1970s-1990s north of 80th, west of Wadsworth, that are built along parks and green belts. Another great area, where I used to live, is the Lake Arbor Area of Arvada. It is east of Wadsworth just north of 80th. Look on the map for the big Lake Arbor. The neighborhood was built in the 1970s and includes many green belts between homes.

There is also an area of Arvada, not known to many outsiders but if you drive from Carr north from West 58th, The road will rise up to the Arvada Heights, from about West 66th, to about West 72nd, Drive a little east off of Carr into the neighborhoods and you will see that you are overlooking the metro area to the east, and west you can look down at the valley.

The best way to see Arvada is to go for a long drive, and be sure to get off the main roads. There are many hidden areas in wooden areas that are easy to miss. This last summer, a neighbor of mine, who grew up here, took me on a tour of all small roads, dirt roads, hidden roads, in areas along Oberon, West 72nd, Oak St. I was amazed. I lived here for almost 30 years and I never new about these hidden areas, in woods, near parks, farms, ponds, and water.

Areas of Wheat Ridge have a wonderful older neighborhoods along the wheat ridge green belt, south of West 44th. When, I was able, I biked through there, and it can connects to the platt river, to Golden. The homes along the greenbelt have huge garden and many compost piles and the greenbelt has many open parks along 44th, west past Kipling.

There are many older and many newer neighborhoods in the Western Suburbs that have these types of developments. There are beautiful areas in Lakewood--but I am running out of steam---perhaps other members of the forum will chip in.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by Tasker

I would really like to be able to keep my compost pile!!!!

I was absolutely thrilled with my trip to Golden this past weekend when I spotted a clothesline! What I wouldn't give to live in a place where a freaking clothesline doesn't induce panic over falling home values. We must conform, you know; otherwise, we might as well jump in the handbasket to "@$#%." No drying clothes allowed. It might offend someone. Ditto for anything that smacks of originality. Egads, I hate the vast vanilla 'burbs.

Lest you think it's only Colorado, let me assure you that the rest of the country has its share of these communities, too. Granted, I don't particularly want my neighbors painting their houses purple with lime green trim, but if they leave my clothesline alone, I'll keep my mouth shut. Ditto for the open garage door and the tomatoes interspersed with the flowers in the front planting beds.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by livecontent

I agree, you hit right on the head; it is so true. My Brother lives there and I been there many times. It literally makes me sick because even though all the homes are individually designed--they look all the same, in the blandness and colors. Trees are all mostly small pines, very few leafy trees in well manicured lawns---I never see birds or squirrels, do not hear crickets---My brother even got very upset because he found a little rabbit droppings on the lawn "they are eating and destroying the grass, I'm going to trap it." It seems that people there like to spotlight their houses at night to give it that show effect. With all the fertilizer, insect spray, and night lights, no wonders nature finds it repugnant--that one lone rabbit must have gotten lost looking for the "LoneTree".

One Fathers Day, I picked up my parents, in the northern suburbs and drove through the metro area to his house. In the less affluent neighborhoods people were barbecuing, relatives and neighbors were mingling, children were playing outside. I got to Heritage Hills and there was nobody outside and I mean nobody, no smell of barbecues, no children playing.

OK, I now I am going to get attacked by all the yuppie green lawn fanatics. So I should say something nice: it is a good location to shopping and the light rail stations and...gee, I cannot think of anything else.

I took another trip to Heritage Hills this weekend. This time I drove around the area and drove south of Lincoln. I have to admit the area looked very nice and if I was a young, agressive, and up and coming--it may be an ideal place. There was good shopping, nice medical access, light rail access and more on the way in the new fasttrack. However, the scale for me was too big. There were too many tall business buildings, and shopping was too far apart to walk to. The streets were heavy with traffic as it attracts many shoppers and the business parks attract many employees. The area is certainly not designed for easy pedestrian use. I am sure that the people who live in this area have multiple cars and do not walk to shopping--it would be too dangerous to cross the roads.

Again, I notice not too many people walking, bicycling, or playing out of doors, considering it was a holiday. Other neighborhood that I passed to get here, for example along Dry Creek, from Broadway to Yosemite, had children playing in the parks and people bicycling.

So, my feeling is yes it is a great area and it is nice that we have choices of different ways to live.

[dj32]

another place to look might be Willow Springs area, lots of trails, good schools around there.

I am a proponent of Denver city "suburb-lite" neighborhoods- the homes in Southern Hills, Wellshire, Southmoor have great access to highland canal w/out the price tag of Cherry Hills Village. Southmoor and Slavens are good elem schools too. Larger lots and ranches there.