What is your favorite Denver surburb?? (Aurora, Lakewood: apartment, condo, house)

[Daniel_T]

I was in Denver about 3 weeks ago and fell in LOVE with Denver. Such a beautiful place. I toured the city and the suburbs and went out by Red Rocks and such. I was just curious to know:

if you could choose any suburb to live in Denver, where would you live and why? I really liked Westminster, Arvada, and Golden from what I saw. All answers appreciated!!!


Daniel

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by Daniel_T

I was in Denver about 3 weeks ago and fell in LOVE with Denver. Such a beautiful place. I toured the city and the suburbs and went out by Red Rocks and such. I was just curious to know:

if you could choose any suburb to live in Denver, where would you live and why? I really liked Westminster, Arvada, and Golden from what I saw. All answers appreciated!!!

I have two different answers to this question-- my favorite upscale suburb and my favorite "down home" suburb:

#1-- I am starting to really like the Denver Tech Center area, which includes part of the city of Denver, Greenwood Village, and Centennial (even though it has an "Englewood" mailing address). It's a very upscale, beautiful area, with great parks, great schools, pretty centrally located, light rail goes along I-25. DTC happens to have the largest concentration of office space in the state (and likely the entire mountain west region). As time goes on, DTC is actually starting to look less suburban and more urban, with high rise condo/ apartment buildings in the area, fancy restaurants, and other amenities. Fiddler's Green is one of my favorite concert venues, and it's right in GV in the heart of the DTC. First and foremost though, it's an area that's down to business. If I had the money, I would live around the DTC. But if I couldn't afford it, then I would live in:

#2-- Aurora-- my hometown. A very different place than DTC/ Greenwood Village, but many people who live in Aurora commute to the Tech Center. Aurora has a lot of problems, but it also has a lot of good things going for it too. "North Aurora"/East Colfax I'm not a fan of. Central Aurora is one of the most ethnically diverse parts of the metro area. It's a true middle class community. The far southeast part of Aurora is actually one of the nicest suburban areas in the metro area for people looking for ultra-clean, ultra-new, good schools, family friendly, scenic (great mountain views and you're at the beginning of the Black Forest) environment. You can read the recent thread titled, Lifestyle differences in the suburbs to read my opinions about Aurora.

[Daniel_T]

Thanks Vegaspilgrim. that's interesting you mentioned the DTC area. I would've never even thought of it!!! Same with Aurora. I've heard too much bad to even consider it. Maybe I'll have to do more thorough research..

Daniel

[Katarina Witt]

Those who know me on this forum will not be surprised to see this: I like Louisville, where I have lived for 25 yrs. I've posted a lot on Louisville before. It has a small-town feel, with a lot of community festivals, a walkable downtown, lots of community spirit. You can do a search and find some of my old posts.

Another community I like is Broomfield. Lots of community spirit there, too, and a little closer to Denver.

[livecontent]

I live in Arvada and I have written much of this suburbs. I think the Western Suburbs of Denver are the nicest areas in Denver Metro. That would include, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood because:

Tremedous amounts of open space, more lakes and reservoirs, variety of topography, closer to open space and little know parks and canyons along the foothills. Easier access to mountain communities.

Long term established neighborhoods of long term residences of the area.

Very Close to Denver with easy drive through side roads or highways. Good bus service and eventual rail. Close to the uniqueness of Boulder.

Not in the Center of Commerce and shopping like Centennial and Lone Tree where many people visit, work and shop and are a traffic cross between one area and another--western suburbs, quieter and more removed from the action.

What is the best?? I like Arvada because it is boring and removed and quiet and ignored by most new rich transients. The western part of Arvada, Ralston Valley, is serene and with no big shopping and highways. The eastern part has the mixture of old and new with a nice old town area.

I have also coming to like the Columbine Valley of Jefferson County ; near Platte Canyon Road; east of Wadsworth; west of Littleton; along Coal Mine, Bowles, Ken Caryl, Mineral. Because of: huge Open Space and Waterways along Platte and Chatfield; close to the older area of Littleton to the east; close to shopping along Wadsworth to the west; good rail and bus transportation; nice access to Canyons and foothills to the west.

Arvada is nice because I am happy here but if I ever make a move, in the suburbs, I would look near the Columbine Valley. However, I think the city of Denver is calling me--a great urban neighborhood.

But you know there are so many areas that I would like to try to live. I love the Denver Metro area, the city, suburbs, towns--the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know that anyplace that I live, I can
Livecontent

[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?

[Daniel_T]

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?

Thanks all. I was told Thornton is full of trailer parks and has a gang problem or a growing gang problem. I was driven through it and wasn't impressed myself. I always thought of Thornton being REAL nice but I was told and shown differently. Not sure about Northglenn.

[livecontent]

Many Years ago I liked Northglenn; it had a nice little mall that was walkable from the neighborhoods with grocery shopping in the area. Then, it died, and it turned into a big box shopping area that makes walking difficult. Thornton is an example of a runaway suburbs that goes on and on and this makes it less appealing. With Federal Heights, which has the most trailer parks, it lacks a total good feeling.

These areas have some nice homes and business and shopping. However, they are need something more to tie them together and bring it from a total car centered culture and give these areas some livable little walkable community development.

However, there is some changes happening in this area because of the proposed Commuter Rail Line on the North Corridor of Fastracks. Perhaps if these cities could see the advantages and encourage construction of nice transit oriented developments around the stations--it could tie the area into the Denver to the south and some good development of Westminster to the north. With good feeder routes into the stations, it will make these areas more cohesive.

Livecontent

[formercalifornian]

My favorites are Ken Caryl Valley (Littleton) & Golden. I'd buy a house in either tomorrow, but it would make the spouse's commute to CoS a nightmare.

[Count David]

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)