Old Englewood (Denver, Center: house, rental, income)

[Denver_HawkI]

Hi, I'm a 26 year old guy looking to buy my first house and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me more information about the older parts of Englewood (generally north of Hampden). I've lived in Denver for about a year and I'd love to be in the Highlands or Cap Hill... but my income has me pretty much limited to 150k house. I would like a yard (for a hyperactive young dog) and I have zero interest in the newer suburbs. I guess what I'm wondering, is old Englewood fairly safe? Tagging isn't that big of a deal to me, but violent crime etc is. From the looks of it even old town Englewood might be out of my range, but I've seen some fixer uppers... Also, I work down in Centennial, so the northern areas are kind of far for me.

[yodi]

I would do a search of Old Englewood in this forum as there is already lots of info.

I live in the area of Old Englewood that you are talking about. I don't feel that it is a dangerous area. My dogs are my security system and we've never had any issues. I've seen graffiti at the park and the city takes care of it quickly. It is a blue collar suburb and there are a lot of renters. It's grittier then South Denver but has a lot going for it. You can walk or bike to lightrail, shops on Broadway or the new development by the library, parks, etc. It's close to Harvard Gulch, Platt Park and DU.

You can get a fixer upper in your price range. I've seen them and some need a ton of work but are on nice blocks. Some of the ones above your price range have been on the market a long time so I'd look above and offer what you can afford and see what happens. I really like Old Englewood. It is a community with tons of potential and the city seems focused on improvement. People are friendly for the most part. I'm amazed at how inexpensive homes are in comparison to just a few blocks north in S Denver.

[Denver_HawkI]

Thanks for the info Yodi,

I have searched on Englewood, but more often than not it comes up as questions regarding places with an Englewood address (ie: Tech Center) or just a passing mention of the old town.

I'm pretty familiar with the DU/Wash Park area in South Denver, and pretty much anything has to be grittier... which is probably a good thing. A tough fixer-upper by DU will go for at least 200k!

Is there much of a difference between the areas east and west of Broadway? The prices seem generally lower on the west side.

[yodi]

In my opinion the areas East of Broadway are much nicer but there are some nice blocks on the west side of Broadway too. You can get a serious fixer for 130K on a nice block on the east side of Broadway.

[2bindenver]

good fixers (cosmetic, not structural) in englewood and littleton for $150 or less.

[kevin_in_Denver]

The old and abandoned industrial sites seem to be the main thing holding down prices west of Broadway. Broadway itself is getting better and better by the month. Jon Cook's banners are everywhere, and he's now dedicated to improvement after years of acquisition.

West of Broadway is more convenient to light rail... to me that makes it a bargain. But keep that yappy dog quiet, please.

[yodi]

Originally Posted by kevin_in_Denver

Broadway itself is getting better and better by the month.

Very true, it's improving fast.

[Denver_HawkI]

Originally Posted by kevin_in_Denver

But keep that yappy dog quiet, please.

He's not a yapper...just young and ready to play all day long.

Regardless, the pup and I are probably sticking to the rental for now. I like what I saw of Englewood... but most of what I saw is out of my range. There are a couple worth thinking about, but they need some serious work (and the cash to fund it).