Dilemma: Golden vs Boulder (Denver, Lakewood: rent, houses, neighborhoods)

[JeffD in CO]

Hi- This is my first post on this forum. I am finally returning to Colorado after 25 years! I spent 5 years in Boulder as graduate student, followed by Honolulu, Paris, and 20 years outside Washington DC. I am very glad to be returning. My main recreational activities are hiking and skiing, and living here in Flatland has been very frustrating.

Here's the dilemma: my job will be at the Denver Federal Center rather than in Boulder, and I am trying to decide where to live. Boulder still feels like home, I have friends there, I return occasionally for short business trips, I like the level of activity in the town and the opportunities for outdoor recreation. If I lived there I'd probably be in South Boulder and send my son to Fairview HS. However, I fear the commute to Denver will be horrendous.

Golden is tempting because the commute will be much better, housing prices are more reasonable, it seems to be a reasonably sized town with a decent or perhaps good high school, and it is closer to Summit County ski areas. However, I am only familiar with the town as the place you pass by before heading up Clear Creek Canyon to hit the slopes. I don't know anybody there yet except a colleague I met once at a conference.

My first question is about the Boulder-to-Denver commute. Google Maps estimates 30-50 minutes on a typical weekday morning, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. I'm currently <15 minutes from work so spending an hour or more each way in traffic would be difficult, if that's the reality.

I would also greatly appreciate hearing about Golden regarding:

* Social life and building a new social network. I will be there on my own for the first 5 months. Is it easy to meet people there, or is it rather closed? Are the neighbors friendly? Are there hiking clubs or skiing clubs to join? Are there in-town social gatherings where you can go solo and enjoy yourself and meet people?

* Golden HS: My son would be starting there. I see some mixed reviews online suggesting it is pretty good but not great, and troubling remarks about the new county school board. I believe I can help him succeed academically, but I also wonder about the social aspect for him -- cliques, bullying, hazing the new guy, etc.

* The possible major road construction project along the 6 & 93 corridor: Is this happening, is it done? I'd hate to buy a house and find they're about to build a freeway next to it.

* The brewery smell: Is it constant and pervasive, or intermittent and localized? I would probably try to live west of Hwy 6 against the mountains -- is that generally upwind?

That's probably more than enough to ask for now. I could rent a place there for a while to decide, but would prefer to buy before arriving definitively in January. I might go farther west to Evergreen, but I think I would find it too small. I do not want to go farther south, in part because I would like to more easily visit friends in Boulder if I don't live there.

Thanks for any information!

-Jeff D

P.S. My son's view on the matter is "Golden: Bigger house for less money." None of the other considerations matter to him.

[davebarnes]

Golden.
Do you understand the differences between postal and municipal addresses in Colorado?
Why does your son want a bigger house?

[cowboyxjon]

I live outside of Golden in unincorporated Jefferson County (but I have a Golden mailing address) and I would choose Golden, especially if you are concerned about the commute.
It has a great downtown, there are plenty of things to do, and the high school, from what I understand, is decent.

[JeffD in CO]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

Golden.
Do you understand the differences between postal and municipal addresses in Colorado?

Are you asking whether I understand that Golden covers a large area? Yes, of course. As I said in my post, I am most tempted by the areas immediately west of Hwy 6, such as Lakota Hills or Canyon Point (according to Google Map labels).

Why does your son want a bigger house?

Because he's only 13 and doesn't really understand the concept of "Location, Location, Location," knowing only that he likes the photos of Golden houses better than Boulder houses for the same price. He'd want to move to rural Pennsylvania if he saw the size of the mansion I could buy there. I put his comment, which he was fervently expressing as I typed my message, in a postscript precisely because it's not particularly germane to the questions I'm interested in.

[KaaBoom]

Highway 93 is often closed in the winter. Which means that there would be days when you can’t get to work, or worse yet get back home again from work. Better to live in Golden, and drive to Boulder for recreation and to visit your friends when conditions allow.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Highway 93 is often closed in the winter. Which means that there would be days when you can’t get to work, or worse yet get back home again from work. Better to live in Golden, and drive to Boulder for recreation and to visit your friends when conditions allow.

Define often, guy who doesn't live here and hates snow.

[2bindenver]

What's the budget?

Applewood is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Jeffco.

[cowboyxjon]

There isn't always a lot on the market at any given time, but I like West Pleasant View, just south of South Table Mountain open space. It's a mixture of older and newer homes.

[brown_dog_us]

Tough choice.

I live near Fairview, so I can see the allure of living here. The open space is right there, great schools, just far enough from downtown Boulder, etc. A lot of my neighbors work South of Boulder, and the drive is against the flow. I think your commute will be closer to 45 mins depending on if you drive at the peak or not. From Boulder to Golden will be easy, but from Golden to Lakewood will be tough. There is a bus (the GS) that I believe goes from right by Fairview all the way to the Federal Center, but it takes a bit over an hour.

Golden seems like a great place too.

Any chance you can work from home some?

[Claire S.]

Easy choice - Golden. The winter commute from Boulder (or Evergreen as well) would be hell. In Golden, the drive will be quick and you'd even have the option to go light rail. In other words, Golden has great options, it's a nice community, and you probably be very happy living in that community.

The Jefferson Parkway project is an ongoing and contentious proposal---I have no clue if it will ever gain traction and it seems like Golden is doing what they can to stop it. The proposal doesn't actually send the freeway through Golden, it stops just north of the city at Highway 93 & 64th.