Hampden South, Boring? (crime, neighborhood, live)

[JayhawkCO]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

Non-negotiable item first mentioned in 7th post.

Laundry is overrated.

The original premise of the thread was a specific question about a specific neighborhood. If I were asking about the quality of the laundry facilities in South Hampden, perhaps I would have brought it up sooner. I'm sure you make a wonderful real estate agent if you show as much empathy to your clients.

Thanks everybody else for the constructive replies. They are appreciated.

Chris

[TigerLily24]

Originally Posted by JayhawkCO

Hey CDers,
I'm accepting a position in Denver in the next couple of days and my wife and I will be moving to Denver around June 1st. I graduated from high school out there (Highlands Ranch), but went out of state for college and have been away since 2000 (with a few visits here and there to visit my sister). My wife and I are planning to rent for a little while to save up a little more cash for a down payment on a house. I've been looking at apartments and found some decent units down around where I-25 and I-225 meet, right off of Quincy. Obviously it's not the "happening" neighborhood like Highlands, RiNo, etc., but is it a ghost town of things to do down there? Any half-way decent bars, restaurants, etc. that aren't going to be a 20 minute drive away? Thanks in advance.

Chris

There are quite a few restaurants, etc. hidden in the shopping areas along Parker, both north and south of Hampden.
Also some along Smoky Hill at Chambers, Buckley, etc. and also at the intersection of Quincy and Buckley though those are mostly chains.

A bit north and there are lots of choices along Iliff at Buckley and at Chambers as well as along Havana.

The Aurora Movie Tavern is a few blocks east of Buckley at Hampden and Tower.

[2bindenver]

Originally Posted by JayhawkCO

... if you show as much empathy to your clients...Chris

Like you show in your posts?

If you came to the party with that information, and said you have been looking in all areas that have in unit laundry facilities, you would have received better answers.

I apologize. It's my fault I cannot read your mind. Nearly 27 years of helping nice folks buy and sell real estate in Denver isn't enough. They do not teach empathy in pre-license school. Like ethics, you either have it or you don't.

I am a firm believer in quality of life. You work to live, not live to work. Best of luck to you and your SO in finding that here.

[jamesdenver]

I apologize. It's my fault I cannot read your mind.

That's not really an apology if it contains that modifier. I would write it as such:

"I apologize we misinterpreted and reacted to each others' posts in the manner which occurred. I wish you the best in your search."

[Count David]

Originally Posted by JayhawkCO

Hey CDers,
I'm accepting a position in Denver in the next couple of days and my wife and I will be moving to Denver around June 1st. I graduated from high school out there (Highlands Ranch), but went out of state for college and have been away since 2000 (with a few visits here and there to visit my sister). My wife and I are planning to rent for a little while to save up a little more cash for a down payment on a house. I've been looking at apartments and found some decent units down around where I-25 and I-225 meet, right off of Quincy. Obviously it's not the "happening" neighborhood like Highlands, RiNo, etc., but is it a ghost town of things to do down there? Any half-way decent bars, restaurants, etc. that aren't going to be a 20 minute drive away? Thanks in advance.

Chris

I lived in that neighborhood, precisely where you are asking about from 2009 until 2014.

There is one bar in the Micro Center parking lot. It has decent food, a decent amount of business, but a TON of CCHS alumni (yes, still proud even at drinking age). There's also a below average Mexican food place, a Thai place most everyone adores, a Pudge Bros, a Dollar Tree, a Mediterranean place, a Chinese place, 7-Eleven/gas, and a Sonic. Grocery shopping at King Soopers at I-25/Hampden. More food that way. An Illegal Pete's is not far away in the DTC (tons more restaurants/etc there too). Wal-Mart at Yosemite/Hampden.

Freeway access was incredible. Access to light rail was pretty decent. It's mostly old people, and young people trying to upwardly mobilize themselves. It's pretty diverse. The schools weren't horrible. There's a small public housing project between Brandy Chase (where I lived) and the old folks tower (which is also public housing).

Now that I've been away, I don't miss much about living down there. I don't think I would choose to live there again, but it sure suited the purpose at the time (we upwardly mobilized out of there).

[rushhournewb]

Originally Posted by Willy702

Maybe the answer should be no. I lived in the area you are talking about and yeah it's quiet. Lots of nice walks, in a few minutes on your feet and you can be among million dollar homes. These people are not looking for what you seem to desire. If you live there you are looking at driving to most things, but it's not that far to anything including downtown which is where I ended up on half the weekends. Without traffic it's an easy 20 minutes.

"Without traffic it's an easy 20 minutes." Holy Disclaimer, Batman!

[JayhawkCO]

Now looking at a place near Quebec and Iliff. Looks to be a little bit more "in the action" and similar commute. Anyone have any feelings either way about that area?

Chris

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by JayhawkCO

Now looking at a place near Quebec and Iliff. Looks to be a little bit more "in the action" and similar commute. Anyone have any feelings either way about that area?

Chris

There are currently a few ethnic restaurants around that intersection: a hookah joint, a Mexican market and tacos place, and Pho. However, Iliff & Quebec is no more "in the action" than Quincy & DTC. At least from the Hampden South area you mentioned previously you were in walking distance to the light rail station; no light rail station in walking distance of Iliff & Quebec, just busses. No bars at all that I'm aware of in the area. There used to be a fun place called "Woody's Woodfired Pizza and Tavern" that had it's heyday back in the 80s and 90s, but it's closed now. It's kind of a run down area and there's nothing fun about the area at all. It's kind of a no-man's land where one side of the street is the eastern edge of Denver and the other side is "unincorporated Arapahoe County." If you're leaning towards that general part of town, maybe also consider going just a few miles east into Aurora. There's actually more going on in Aurora-- particularly along Havana (between Parker Rd and Mississippi) or around the Aurora Mall area (Alameda & I-225) than by Iliff & Quebec.

[Greentea323]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

There are currently a few ethnic restaurants around that intersection: a hookah joint, a Mexican market and tacos place, and Pho. However, Iliff & Quebec is no more "in the action" than Quincy & DTC. At least from the Hampden South area you mentioned previously you were in walking distance to the light rail station; no light rail station in walking distance of Iliff & Quebec, just busses. No bars at all that I'm aware of in the area. There used to be a fun place called "Woody's Woodfired Pizza and Tavern" that had it's heyday back in the 80s and 90s, but it's closed now. It's kind of a run down area and there's nothing fun about the area at all. It's kind of a no-man's land where one side of the street is the eastern edge of Denver and the other side is "unincorporated Arapahoe County." If you're leaning towards that general part of town, maybe also consider going just a few miles east into Aurora. There's actually more going on in Aurora-- particularly along Havana (between Parker Rd and Mississippi) or around the Aurora Mall area (Alameda & I-225) than by Iliff & Quebec.

Agreed completely.

That area along Hampden between i25 & when it curves into Havana isn't bad. There's a little dive bar that used to be called Toby Jug when I was a kid off Yosemite (parents would take me for happy hour), I'm sure that could be fun, a Whole Foods, tons of new restaurants closer to the highway, a drive thru pizza, Target, WalMart, coffee, close to Aurora bars off Havanna (Gibbys, Stampede, Hooters) or Denver things to do off Colorado Blvd , decent highway access, is safe, has a PTs strip club, miniature golf, laser tag, couple different Pho options, etc. It's definitely more, "happening," overall.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of that stretch of Iliff (besides a bank branch) is the Dirty Duck Bar that my old coworker, who was a 30+ year old recovering meth addict, would have me drop him off at every night after work. He liked the area, because he could walk home from his Dirty Duck Bar. *shudders* just thinking about it. Other than that, and the bank, and a couple restaurants, there's not much over there and it's in need of some major improvements.

[JayhawkCO]

Thanks for the further suggestions. I found some near Havana and Florida that seem nice enough based on an earlier recommendation. If you all don't mind, last area I wouldn't mind an opinion on: around Monaco and Leetsdale. Good opinions? Bad opinions?

Thanks in advance as always,
Chris