Favorite Denver Mall (Aurora, Lakewood, Littleton: estate, work, house)

[Katiana]

I honestly don't see much difference in a "lifestyle center" and most of today's malls. FlatIron Crossing, for example, has theaters and restaurants. It also has stores. Lots of them, and large ones. When I go shopping, I really want stores. I want to find that pair of shoes, dress, clothes for my kids, maybe a CD. I don't necessarily want to go out to dinner at a mall, shopping center, or "lifestyle center". I generally don't go shopping and to a movie in the same trip, either.

Any such center that is depending on pedestrian-only access has to be in a very dense population location, or very small, to stay in business. Most people do not care to take transit to shopping, either. You have to carry all that stuff to/from the bus stop.

[steveco.]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I honestly don't see much difference in a "lifestyle center" and most of today's malls. FlatIron Crossing, for example, has theaters and restaurants. It also has stores. Lots of them, and large ones. When I go shopping, I really want stores. I want to find that pair of shoes, dress, clothes for my kids, maybe a CD. I don't necessarily want to go out to dinner at a mall, shopping center, or "lifestyle center". I generally don't go shopping and to a movie in the same trip, either.

Any such center that is depending on pedestrian-only access has to be in a very dense population location, or very small, to stay in business. Most people do not care to take transit to shopping, either. You have to carry all that stuff to/from the bus stop.

Most people won't but the option is there. Lots of people want the convienence of walkable areas where they don't have to drive. What I am referring to is a Belmar type development. Where some one could work or live in an area that you don't have to drive your car if you don't want to. A shopping mall has shops and maybe some fast food jointed food court, thats it. Beyond that purpose there is no other reason to go there. Most malls no longer even have a movie theatre in them any more either, making it a very auto-dependent temporary type of place. When you have multiple things (exapmple: offices, apartments, retail etc.) attracting people to the area it creates a "sustainable" place.

[Katiana]

I understand your point. However, the number of people who could actually walk to BelMar is probably not large enough to susutain it in its present form. When I've been there, there have been lots of cars. IMO, it's just something new to attract people to shop there.

[steveco.]

The key about it though is that it incorporates several components such as Offices, Homes and Shopping. There isn't just a draw for people to shop there. Its also a place to work and live as well. People living directly in the area are able to walk to the shops and restaurants. People living outside it can park in a central area and walk to all of the shops, theatres and restaurants without having to drive.

[Katiana]

People living outside it can park in a central area and walk to all of the shops, theatres and restaurants without having to drive.

Which is the same thing people can do at FlatIrons.

[steveco.]

Ok then question for you then. If a mall was already there and it didn't work because of various reasons, Why do they tear it down and essentially build the same thing there? If it didn't work the first time why try again?

[Katiana]

I was going to stop, no matter what you said, but I'll answer the question. I don't know. I think it's the latest thing. It's what people want, to a certain extent. At BelMar 'they' tore down the old Villa Italia Mall. I don't remember it much, didn't go there a lot when we lived in that area. So I don't know why it failed. I think part of its failure was the building of SW Plaza which isn't *that* much farther to go from that general area, and offers a lot more. There is certainly a need for shopping facilities in that part of Lakewood. There are a lot of people there. Looking at the list of stores on its website, there are a lot of the same stores you can find at any mall. Plus it has that Whole Foods, a grocery store, which a lot of the old malls had. What it is lacking, IMO, is a good general dept store, like Macy's or Dillard's. I think it's Lakewood's attempt to define some sort of a downtown. There is nothing particularly unique about the place, IMO.

[livecontent]

I think that the old Villa Italia Mall was far superior to Belmar. It had a variety of reasonable stores from Montgomery Wards, Walgreens, Banks to Pennys. I shopped there often and I liked the area. It was nice because there was a King Soopers, South, Back of Mall. Because it had all the necessities and a reasonably priced food store--it actually was a good place to live nearby. There was a branch of the Jefferson County Library on the east side. There were shops and restaurants across the street, on Alameda. That is why, many apartments and condos developed south of the mall--you could live there and had a nice walkable community.

Katiana is right--it suffered after they built the Southwest Mall in more affluent area. Some other reasons, that it was attracting rough groups of youth from east on Alameda. In addition, as it was said, Lakewood wanted to develop a City Center.

Now, Belmar, to me, has too many overpriced fancy shops and condos but no reasonable priced general purpose stores. At least, Kings Soopers moved across the street on in front of the Lakewood City Center and a big new Library was built there. However, Belmar does stimulate nice growth in the area and you can still live south in the condos and apartments and have the amenities, if you like of Belmar, without the cost. There is also more reasonable priced shops across the street on Alameda and my favorite store Walmart--two of them just north on Wadsworth and there is an easy bus service to the South on Wadsworth to my favorite Mall, Southwest, and additional full service reasonable priced shopping.

I thinnk the big impetus that will grow this area further will be the completion of the rail station near the Federal Center and the relocation of St. Anthony Hospital to that site. The area west on Alameda, toward Grandview is a nice area and has many convenience. I would live near Belmar and the city Center because they have built a nice park and it has attracted more bus service which will be further enhanced by the completion of rail, not only at the Federal Center, but the Wadsworth Station, on 13th, on the same line.

Livecontent

[RATT]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Southwest Mall in Southwest Jefferson County, on West Bowles and Wadsworth Southwest Plaza. this mall is the center of a good, clean, safe and upscale suburban neighborhood that has everthing close.-
Yet, this area is rarely mentioned--only by me on this forum. If you are new and moving into the area consider this area of Jefferson County.

Well my dear livecontent,could you give me the streets witch borders specifically this area of jefferson County that you are talking about,so i can trace it on a map.It sounds pretty good!
Is it in the area called Lakewood?

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by RATT

Well my dear livecontent,could you give me the streets witch borders specifically this area of jefferson County that you are talking about,so i can trace it on a map.It sounds pretty good!
Is it in the area called Lakewood?

Just go to the map and center yourself at West Bowles and South Wadsworth--You will see the map on the Northwest Corner.

Go, east of Bowles and you will be going into nice neighborhoods, Bowles Crossing Shipping and yes, Columbine Valley and South Platt Canyon Road--Big estates, Polo fields.

Go South and You will see Coal Mine Avenue, go east on Coal Mine, nice homes and connects with South Platt Canyon. Go further Sourth and you will hit Ken Caryl Avenue--go east and it goes past south Platt and into Mineral.

Anywhere east from here going to the Platte and Litteton has big estates, nice neighborhoods parks.

Go South on Wadsworth and you will get to Chatfield Reservoir.

Go West from the Mall, on Bowles, great neighborhoods right around the mall.
West on Ken Caryl is the Ken Caryl Valley. Anywhere west toward the mountains is great.

The area around the mall is unicorporated Jefferson County with Pockets of Lakewood just a little north. East of the Mall is unicorporated Arapahoe County and the City of Littleton.

So, as I was saying this mall and the shopping around serves many upscale neighborhoods.

I prefer the area east on Ken Caryl or Coal Mine--beautiful area and near old town Littleton and the parks, trails along the Platte and on Mineral. Good Bus service to the Southwest Mall and to the rail station in Littleton and the Mineral Station.

Livecontent