Looking for something like this (Denver, Aurora: home, rent, jobs)

[weverjames]

I am currently living in Chicago, Illinois. I am looking for options to move in next year. I will be finishing my residency and looking forward to start working as a doc. I am considering Colorado and Florida.
My question would be if there is a community/suburb in Colorado with the following features:
-Good transportation: I mean, served by buses and light train. Is there any part in Denver/Colorado that is served by both? This is important, since my wife does not drive a car.
-A downtown: I am looking for a community (or suburbs) where you can just have a walk around and have access to restaurants, boutiques, grosery stores, banks, maybe an old fashioned movie theater and a whole food market. An area that is nice and active, that brings life to the community. It does not need to be big, or top in the nation though. However I would prefer living in an area with a small downtown than in a community where you have to drive for everything or where the only thing to do is driving to the mall every weekend.
-safe, good schools.
-open mind/educated people, respectful and tolerant with hardworking people and legal immigrants that came to cover jobs where there is a shortage and try to give back something to this country.

If someone from Chicago is reading this, I have tried to describe communities as Oak Park/forest park. If you ask, why don't you just stay there? Well, there are some issues that I don't like here:
-cost of linving: I want to be able to get a good size home, maybe with a yard.
-traffic, traffic.
-I love nature and maybe there is a more scenic place in US than Chicago. For regular people that does not live in Downtown Chicago and has to work hard every day, if you are not around the lake, the rest of the city is all the same.
-weather: I could take the winter if it would be sunnier.
-safety for rising children. in the future we will want to have children and I don't think Chicao is the safest place to rise them.
Any help with my questions would be very appreciated, since i have never been in Colorado (however I read good things about it)

[2bindenver]

I think CO would fit - In Denver Metro anywhere from Boulder (bus, no rail) to Parker (bus, no rail) to Littleton (bus & rail) to Aurora (bus & some rail) to Lone Tree (bus & currently the last stop on the rail.)

The Regional Transportation District Home Page Light rail currently serves from Uptown to Littleton/mineral & Union Station to Lone Tree - alson with a side to the nin mile station in Aurora (southern Aurora.)

You need to visit.

[suzco]

A good place for you to start exploring the wealth of information that has already been posted on City-Data about Colorado is with these two threads:

Index key Colorado Threads

Index key Denver Threads and Photo Tours

[jazzlover]

Colorado cities, like most Western cities, are horribly automobile-dependent (a really bad thing, in my opinion, and I'm a Colorado native). There is light-rail in Denver--two corridors currently running from the south metro Denver suburbs and southeast Denver suburbs to downtown--and a couple of more in the planning stages from downtown stretching to the west and north. Unfortunately, most of the retail shopping in metro Denver is NOT downtown, but in the usual automobile-dependent malls and strip centers. There are few areas in Denver that are especially pedestrian-friendly. Bluntly, the way things are now, if you move to Denver, your wife had better figure on getting a driver's license.

Another issue in Denver is that many of the better large hospitals are actually moving out of the near-downtown area and into the suburbs, CU med center and Children's hospital being two lately.

At the risk of getting flamed by the Colorado folks, I would suggest that you might want to consider Salt Lake City, Utah. Salt Lake is being even more aggressive about building commuter rail than Denver is (and Salt Lake is a much smaller metro area), it still has major medical facilities right downtown, and the several big hospitals served by light rail in the vicinity of the University of Utah campus. It also is in much closer proximity to the mountains, and it is actually possible to ride city buses to a couple of the world-class ski areas that are within about 20-25 miles of downtown.

The only downers there is that Salt Lake can get smoggy in the wintertime, and some people find the influence of the Mormon church (SLC is about half LDS these days) a little uncomfortable. I don't like the smog, but I personally haven't had issues with the LDS influence, and I have spent a fair amount of time in Salt Lake (but, admittedly, haven't lived there).

My $0.02.

[vegaspilgrim]

Downtown Littleton, downtown Englewood seem to fit the bill...

[Katiana]

Downtown Louisville as well. Actually, anywhere in Louisvile is pretty pedestrian friendly, though if you live on the hill, as I do, the walk up is strenuous, to say the least. My kids biked downhill and back up home to the rec center and pool for years. It will eventually have a light rail stop in downtown.

At the risk of raising some hackles on the SLC forum, the medical/health facitlities in Denver are much better, IMO. I am a health care professional, BTW.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Downtown Louisville as well. Actually, anywhere in Louisvile is pretty pedestrian friendly, though if you live on the hill, as I do, the walk up is strenuous, to say the least. My kids biked downhill and back up home to the rec center and pool for years. It will eventually have a light rail stop in downtown.

At the risk of raising some hackles on the SLC forum, the medical/health facitlities in Denver are much better, IMO. I am a health care professional, BTW.

I'm not a health care professional and you probably are right about Denver area hospitals--but the University of Utah Medical Center, the Primary Children's Hospital, the Shriners Childrens Hospital, one of the biggest VA Hospitals in the US, and LDS Hospital are not exactly "hayseed" facilities.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

I'm not a health care professional and you probably are right about Denver area hospitals--but the University of Utah Medical Center, the Primary Children's Hospital, the Shriners Childrens Hospital, one of the biggest VA Hospitals in the US, and LDS Hospital are not exactly "hayseed" facilities.

No, they are not "hayseed". I just said that Denver's facilities are better, not that SLC's are bad.

[vegaspilgrim]

jazzlover, when you recommend people live in Salt Lake vs Denver, have you actually lived in Salt Lake City, or are you basing your statements off a handful of visits? A lot of places seem ideal on paper or on a quick trip passing through, but living there day to day, month to month, year after year can be a different story. If there's one common theme I've noticed in your posts, it's the bigger, the more diverse, the more interesting the city, the more you hate it. On one hand, being a bigger city brings more challenges and potential urban problems; but on the other hand, being bigger means more economic opportunity, more things to do, and a greater variety of people and cultures. Do you fundamentally hate cities?

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Colorado cities, like most Western cities, are horribly automobile-dependent (a really bad thing, in my opinion, and I'm a Colorado native). There is light-rail in Denver--two corridors currently running from the south metro Denver suburbs and southeast Denver suburbs to downtown--and a couple of more in the planning stages from downtown stretching to the west and north. Unfortunately, most of the retail shopping in metro Denver is NOT downtown, but in the usual automobile-dependent malls and strip centers. There are few areas in Denver that are especially pedestrian-friendly. Bluntly, the way things are now, if you move to Denver, your wife had better figure on getting a driver's license.

Another issue in Denver is that many of the better large hospitals are actually moving out of the near-downtown area and into the suburbs, CU med center and Children's hospital being two lately.

At the risk of getting flamed by the Colorado folks, I would suggest that you might want to consider Salt Lake City, Utah. Salt Lake is being even more aggressive about building commuter rail than Denver is (and Salt Lake is a much smaller metro area), it still has major medical facilities right downtown, and the several big hospitals served by light rail in the vicinity of the University of Utah campus. It also is in much closer proximity to the mountains, and it is actually possible to ride city buses to a couple of the world-class ski areas that are within about 20-25 miles of downtown.

The only downers there is that Salt Lake can get smoggy in the wintertime, and some people find the influence of the Mormon church (SLC is about half LDS these days) a little uncomfortable. I don't like the smog, but I personally haven't had issues with the LDS influence, and I have spent a fair amount of time in Salt Lake (but, admittedly, haven't lived there).

My $0.02.

I have to answer this post because I just want to push our resident curmundgeon off the soap box for a short time.

Yes, many cities of the west are auto dependent--that is the way the cities were established in the wide open spaces, just before and at the early years of the auto culture. However, that does not mean all, nor does it mean that the public transit policies and systems are not excellent.

I grew up in New York and I am continually amazed by the good transportation that Denver had when I came here, about 30 years ago and it has continually improved and got better. So Denver is an example of a western city that has good transit and even in the early days of the city, there was a significant public transit system. Salt Lake is another western city example which Jazzlover deems more progressive than Denver; I have my opinions but I do not want to discuss that here, other than to say it is just another example of a great city that is moving positively to public transit.

In regards to comments that our new system will have a couple of new lines and they are lin the all in the plainning stage--that is incorrect. It is a massive undertaking, with many more train corridors and buses in a multi-modal system--the largest single built-out of mass transit in the nation. In addition, The West Corridor in currently under construction. In addition, buses have been added; more call n' rides have been established; feeder buses have been implemented to operating stations; highway construction has been implemented to accommodate the new Bus Rapid Transit System; park and rides have been improved. The Fastrack project is not only about Rail Line--it is a multi-modal approach to transit needs.

I think it is persumptive of Jazzlover to bluntly state that this person's wife should get a driver license--how do you know that she is not disabled?? or does not want to drive??? or has a license, and has made a better choice to use public transit.

Jazzlover has said that "..few areas of Denver are especially pedestrian friendly"---nonsense. You have to live in the area to know that; you have to walk in areas to know that and you have to use public transit to really know that; you have to be dependent on walking, and public transit to know that. Jazzlover, for all his "sack-clothed" views, which I am in partial agreement --does not live in the Denver Metro Area, or depends on walking and public transit; I think in a way Jazzlove and I are "soul" brothers but he is not a "sole" brother.

I use public transit because I have problems driving because of a disability, a choice and a desire to be more environmentally friendly; I have walked around many neighborhoods in the Denver area and I know what it takes to have a pedestrian oriented area with shopping, nearby. Yes, there are many places that fit this definition.

I have written much on public transit and how to live a carefree livestyle in Denver. See my opusculum post Car Free living in Denver.

Now, as to Jazzlovers statement that most retail shopping is not downtown--I agree, but it is not all in auto dependent malls and strip centers. There is shopping in the City and the suburbs that are pedestrian friendly but you have to have to use your "sole" to be aware of where they are--you will not know if your means of transit is the seat of your pants, in a car. In addition, as I have written, it is about choices--you can decide where you live and where you will work--to have a less auto dependent livestyle.

Now about hospitals--Yes, there have been hospitals that have relocated out of Denver City Center but that does not mean that none are still there and not available by public transit.

Presbyterian and St. Joseph next door are still operating and St. Joseph is planning an expansion on the Children's Hospital site. Children's Hospital and Unversity Hospital are moving to the Anschutz Campus but that is right on the edge of Denver, in the older area of Aurora. and will have two commuter rail stations on the east corridor; today it is accessible by bus. In addition, Children's maintains a clinic near Presbyterian. The VA Hospital is moving to Anschutz, in a few years.

There are other hospitals in Denver--Denver Medical Center, Rose and the large Swedish Medical Center is located right on Denver Edge in the older suburbs of Englewood.

St. Anthony is moving to Lakewood, in a few years, but that will be right next to the Cold Springs Commuter Rail Station on the West Line, which is under construction.

All other Hospitals are accessible by public transit and some like Skyline in Lonetree will have a commuter rail station in the future.

I can talk about neighborhoods and areas to live, per the OP requirements, but this post is getting too long and I am sure that my fellow virtual citizens will have good suggestions.

Livecontent