Looking at Denver real estate - a little torn between the city and the burbs (Aurora: real estate market, renting)

[ORLguy]

Sorry for the long post, ill try and provide a little about me and what Im looking for.

I am looking to buy a townhouse or house in Denver. Why?

I work in Tech and the market in Denver is 100x better than Miami, plus my job has an office in Denver.
Currently in Miami (Brickell) - love this area, but real estate market is god awful here and I am sick of the FL weather all year - high humidity and bugs everywhere. Plus I have been renting my whole life, and I want to own something. Budget is $550k, I plan to get pre-qualified this week before I go up there for a week and look at places.

Im big time into the outdoors - hiking, tennis, cycling, skiing - love them all and do them all (substitute laying on the beach for hiking right now). I workout on my deck just to be outside even now when the humidity is insufferable. I play tennis a lot, and the idea that I could hop on my road bike and maybe do long rides without the fear of imminent death by vehicle like here is incredibly appealing. I love to road ride, and I'm sure I'd buy a mountain bike again too.

I'd be bringing my GF so Im not huge on partying all the time, but I do like the city vibe. I like walking around cool areas with bars and restaurants and checking out different spots on the weekends.I also want to be cognizant that she may find a job easier in the city so I'd like to be close to it.

A lot of people just say to check out the Highland park and Berkely area, which does look cool. But I am open to other things.

For example, I like quiet. It doesnt need to be dead quiet, because I live in a city now, but my side of the city is really not that bad. It is more than fine for me. I just dont want to be on a major road and hear traffic all day, which some of the new townhouses in Highland park look like they have the potential for, unfortunately. I may be wrong there.

I'd also like to have a view of the mountains. Or a nice view in general if possible. By that I just mean an area with some trees and some green spots like parks, etc. I have been to Denver a few times and I know it's basically the desert, so it's pretty brown. But I bet there are some nice areas in the city that may have the vibe I am looking for.

I have some friends that live in Highlands Ranch, but they have always lived in the suburbs and just seem to like that. I find that I am the type who likes the edge of the city a little more. That said, I know places like Littleton have the rail that can get me into the city with no problem. So I am curious if its really just for families and kind of Home Depot/target suburbia, or does it have more character to it?

Anyway, I know you can't have it all in one spot.So with everything I said are there any areas that stick out that you think I would like?

[MissTerri]

Originally Posted by ORLguy

Sorry for the long post, ill try and provide a little about me and what Im looking for.

I am looking to buy a townhouse or house in Denver. Why?

I work in Tech and the market in Denver is 100x better than Miami, plus my job has an office in Denver.
Currently in Miami (Brickell) - love this area, but real estate market is god awful here and I am sick of the FL weather all year - high humidity and bugs everywhere. Plus I have been renting my whole life, and I want to own something. Budget is $550k, I plan to get pre-qualified this week before I go up there for a week and look at places.

Im big time into the outdoors - hiking, tennis, cycling, skiing - love them all and do them all (substitute laying on the beach for hiking right now). I workout on my deck just to be outside even now when the humidity is insufferable. I play tennis a lot, and the idea that I could hop on my road bike and maybe do long rides without the fear of imminent death by vehicle like here is incredibly appealing. I love to road ride, and I'm sure I'd buy a mountain bike again too.

I'd be bringing my GF so Im not huge on partying all the time, but I do like the city vibe. I like walking around cool areas with bars and restaurants and checking out different spots on the weekends.I also want to be cognizant that she may find a job easier in the city so I'd like to be close to it.

A lot of people just say to check out the Highland park and Berkely area, which does look cool. But I am open to other things.

For example, I like quiet. It doesnt need to be dead quiet, because I live in a city now, but my side of the city is really not that bad. It is more than fine for me. I just dont want to be on a major road and hear traffic all day, which some of the new townhouses in Highland park look like they have the potential for, unfortunately. I may be wrong there.

I'd also like to have a view of the mountains. Or a nice view in general if possible. By that I just mean an area with some trees and some green spots like parks, etc. I have been to Denver a few times and I know it's basically the desert, so it's pretty brown. But I bet there are some nice areas in the city that may have the vibe I am looking for.

I have some friends that live in Highlands Ranch, but they have always lived in the suburbs and just seem to like that. I find that I am the type who likes the edge of the city a little more. That said, I know places like Littleton have the rail that can get me into the city with no problem. So I am curious if its really just for families and kind of Home Depot/target suburbia, or does it have more character to it?

Anyway, I know you can't have it all in one spot.So with everything I said are there any areas that stick out that you think I would like?

The old part of Littleton that is accessible and walkable to Littleton station is more like a small, town then suburbia. It’s a mix of ages, not just for families and has good access to the outdoors as well as to the city since it’s on the light rail line. It seems like a good fit based on your post. Here’s some info about the area. https://www.downtownlittleton.com/

[Mike from back east]

I'm sure there are any number of areas in Denver that will work for you. We have many threads, dense with info, easy to find with our search tool.

Where in Denver is the job site, cross streets are close enough, no need to give a company name. Or can you work from home now that COVID-19 has shown firms that it's a viable work model.

If you can talk to your fellow employees in Denver, ask them the same questions.

Thanks for the long post, the more info the better in these cases, it saves a lot of back and forth to find out what someone wants.

[Therblig]

What you're "a little torn" between is likely $3-500,000 difference.

[ORLguy]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

I'm sure there are any number of areas in Denver that will work for you. We have many threads, dense with info, easy to find with our search tool.

Where in Denver is the job site, cross streets are close enough, no need to give a company name. Or can you work from home now that COVID-19 has shown firms that it's a viable work model.

If you can talk to your fellow employees in Denver, ask them the same questions.

Thanks for the long post, the more info the better in these cases, it saves a lot of back and forth to find out what someone wants.

Thanks, yes I can work from home and I have been searching this forum a good amount. Feel like im kind of a hybrid between the city life and burbs so thats why I made the post. I saw a lot of people who were either in family mode or single mode and thats not completely me. Probably missed some threads though, ill keep digging.

The office is between the river and pepsi center. I havent made this move public yet to my company just because I am in exploration still so I havent asked anybody I work with yet.

[Mike from back east]

You are near the LoDo area, which is sort of a party-central kind of place and I think our regulars on here would tell you to avoid that area.

Dave Barnes on here will swear by Berkeley as just the ticket and he may be right; it's close to the work site and has a lot of walkability. Should be bus service to the job.

Further out it's wise to check the rail transit map ICW home locations.

We often suggest renting a year to suss out the nuances of each area.

[ORLguy]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

You are near the LoDo area, which is sort of a party-central kind of place and I think our regulars on here would tell you to avoid that area.

Dave Barnes on here will swear by Berkeley as just the ticket and he may be right; it's close to the work site and has a lot of walkability. Should be bus service to the job.

Further out it's wise to check the rail transit map ICW home locations.

We often suggest renting a year to suss out the nuances of each area.

Ok cool, thank you. Berkely is definitely on my short list!

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by ORLguy

Ok cool, thank you. Berkely is definitely on my short list!

One feature of the search tool is the ability to search the name of a member, search on davebarnes as the User Name and Berkeley as the Keyword and you will get 295 hits. There are other areas and other posters with a lot of good info already on file here.

[bluescreen73]

Littleton is a solid choice for burb living if you're close to downtown. They've got a cute, walkable downtown area and a rail line that will drop you off right at the Pepsi Center.

This is not a recommendation, but more of an observation.
The most sweeping views of the high peaks of the Front Range are generally on the east side of the metro area. I live out in Southeast Aurora. Our house is 800-900 feet above downtown, and on a clear day I can see from Pikes Peak north to Hagues Peak and Mummy Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The downfall is that this area is suburbia x 1000. There's an outdoor shopping center nearby (Southlands), but, other than that it's houses and strip malls. Most of the neighborhoods were built on what used to be shortgrass prairie so there aren't a lot of trees. The Tallyn's Reach neighborhood and areas further south and slightly west tend to have more trees (mostly pines). Access to downtown is also bad. The closest rail station is a good 7 or 8 miles from where we live.

[Therblig]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

The most sweeping views of the high peaks of the Front Range are generally on the east side of the metro area.

Concurring. If you're lucky enough to find a house with a western view on one of the many low ridges, you'll have a postcard view almost none of the towns immediately south of Denver do.

I missed that house (high ridge, west face, greenbelt below... sigh). And from my ridge-top position, I have an almost unlimited view of... Nebraska.

The downfall is that this area is suburbia x 1000.

And also concurred. It's what suburbia wants to be when it grows up to be real suburbia.

And it's a long way up/over to the groovier spots.