What is your favorite Denver surburb?? (Thornton, Highlands Ranch: condos, houses, elementary school)

[wanttomoveeast]

I live up in Thornton. While I love my house, I vastly dislike the area. There are not many mom and pop stores or restaurants or shops. Mostly chains, TGIFridays, Olive Garden, Target. I really dislike that I can't even walk to the bus stop, the closest one is over a mile away.

I also do not enjoy having to drive everywhere, even just to go by 7/11 for a slushee. No theaters. There is one over on 92nd I believe, but it is old and awful. If we want movies, we drive to the other side, which I like more, in Westminster. There is the Promenade Mall, which I really like.

Further up I-25, there is new development, a new mall called Orchards. This looks like many other new malls, Stapleton and Belmar, and I just love it. But it's at least a 20 minute drive.

Lastly, the commute to work and home has me really bummed. The one bus I can catch, well, it runs once an hour. There is one other I can take, but that would mean catching yet another at a midway point, and those buses are always standing room only.

So I suppose my likes of Thornton are just about nil. Just my 2 cents.

Originally Posted by Mikieo415

Can anyone elaborate on the northern suburbs like Thornton and Northglen? Those areas don't seem to be topics of much discussion. Does anyone live up there? How do you like it?

[wanttomoveeast]

OMG this had me in stitches. Gangs??? That's freaking funny. Denver as a whole has these tiny pockets of gangs, some quite ruthless, factions of L.A. and such, but in Thornton??? hahahaha

Oh yes, I don't think I've seen one trailer park in Thornton. We own a townhome and it's actually very nice.

Originally Posted by Daniel_T

I was told Thornton is full of trailer parks and has a gang problem or a growing gang problem.

[steveco.]

No trailer parks but yes there has been some gang activity one of the more notorious ones has been active up in thornton.

[dj32]

By far, Cherry Hills Village and the western part of Greenwood Village... totally country in the city ,very unique. That is why it is so expensive!

[wanttomoveeast]

Steve: That's crazy!!! Do you know anything about it, i.e. names or affiliation? I'd love to read up about it.

Originally Posted by steveco.

No trailer parks but yes there has been some gang activity one of the more notorious ones has been active up in thornton.

[tfox]

I like Old Englewood (I just mean the city of Englewood, not the Arapahoe county subdivisions with Englewood addresses). It really looks and feels like a south Denver neighborhood, much like Platt Park, University, etc. It also has its own 19th century heritage that's separate from that of Denver. It's true that these days it's a bit grittier than a now-gentrified south Denver, but some might see it as a good thing -- plus the housing prices are noticeably lower than those just across the Denver city limits. Englewood is also a pioneer in transit oriented development, making the most of its proximity to the southwest light rail line. There's many ways, I think, that Englewood can stand as a leader for other suburbs to follow.

[DannyBanany]

Highlands Ranch
Broomfield

I'm not sure if Broomfield really counts as a Denver suburb though, it's a ways out.

[Daniel_T]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

Above all I'd love to live in one of the established neighborhoods in Denver, but since I'm in Aurora (about 1 mi E of the Denver city limits), I have to say Aurora, but preferably west of I-225/south of 6th. There are some places I like east of I-225, but the further N, S, and E you go the less desirable it gets for me. I get depressed anytime I'm in a newer neighborhood.

My rankings:
Aurora excluding SE (diverse, middle class, unpretentious for the most part)
Lakewood (trees, lakes, mtn views)
Arvada/Westminster (established)
Englewood (old, cute)
Littleton/old Centennial (established, middle class)
Wheat Ridge (established, middle class)
Northglenn (a bygone era)
Thornton (big sprawling suburb)
Broomfield (it's own entity)
Greenwood Village (upper class small suburb)
Brighton (far flung lower class suburb)
Commerce City (the last one left with mostly older homes)
Castle Rock (small town that became commuter suburb)
SE Aurora/Centennial (commuter tract home suburbia, yuck)
Lone Tree (status)
Parker (commuter tract home suburbia, status)
Highlands Ranch (only family-oriented, commuter tract home suburbia, status)

Great post and informative 2!!! Thanks,

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

OMG this had me in stitches. Gangs??? That's freaking funny. Denver as a whole has these tiny pockets of gangs, some quite ruthless, factions of L.A. and such, but in Thornton??? hahahaha

Oh yes, I don't think I've seen one trailer park in Thornton. We own a townhome and it's actually very nice.

When we were driving through part of Thornton (can't tell you where because i have no clue) we passed by several trailer parks. One was decent in size.

[yodi]

I like Old Englewood, Old Town Arvada, Old Littleton, Wheatridge and Golden.

Arvada feels like a small town. I like that it is hilly and close to the mountains. The downtown has cute shops and is very walkable. It also has nice parks and a bike path along the creek.

I like Old Englewood as it feels like an extension of S Denver but way cheaper. I like the downtown, there are some good mom and pop type of shops and restaurants. I like that it's on the lightrail line, has a nice library, rec center, parks and is very walkable. It also has a lot of live music venues and a cool bowling alley downtown. I like the old craftsman style homes. It is grittier then Denver but it doesn't feel dangerous, just more blue collar and less yuppy. People are generally friendly.

Old Littleton reminds me of a much more polished Old Englewood. More expensive and more yuppy. Very nice.

Wheatridge has a country feel yet it's only minutes to some of Denver's most popular neighborhoods, Highlands, Sloan's. I also like that it's so close to the mountains.

Golden is well removed from Denver and is just a nice little town.

I don't like a lot of the newer suburbs with tract housing. I like walkable older neighborhoods with trees and lots of character. I also like small towns.

[steveindenver]

Arvada, or at least the parts that remain walkable and rideable near the old downtown section which has managed to maintain a lot of charm even with the invasion of big box retail in the same proximity.

Quite a few bike lanes, a path that runs east to Golden or west to Downtown (get off at Lowell and hump the hill through the highlands for the quickest access).