Which neighborhood worst for scoring crack? (Denver, Arvada: for sale, real estate, foreclosure)

[tfox]

The link to the RMN Article in question is the following:

http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/...t_analysis.pdf

I appreciate your desire for objective information, ocean2026, but stats need to be read with understanding, as raw numbers may be deceiving. Some neighborhoods with high crime rates are "dangerous," but others are not.

Notice that the CBD (or for that matter, the Civic Center aka Golden Triangle) is never mentioned as a "neighborhood" in terms of crime statistics. That's because between about 1960-1990, it basically had a population of zero or very close to it. During that era, cities were in old-school land use policies that included separation of use, so the CBD was considered entirely office with some retail. The CBD even today will have approximately 200k people (not residents) walking around at any time during the week, and not just office workers, and even now with redevelopment there's STILL only about 1000 people living in the CBD. Crime statistics for the CBD, if they were published, would show a eye-popping numberical crime rate there, but most of us who live in Denver know that the CBD, while not crime-free, is not a very high crime area. This is an example of statistics not telling the whole story.

North Capitol Hill does contain some population clusters, but it shares many characteristics of the CBD as well. West of about Pennsylvania, it's basically just an extension of the CBD, in fact, several of the tallest buildings in Denver are actually in North Capitol Hill. Also, North Capitol Hill until recently contained most of Denver's largest hospitals (Children's has since moved away). It also fronts Denver's busiest intersection and two busiest streets: Colfax and Broadway. It contains the hub of RTD's city transit operations: Civic Center Station.

Don't get me wrong, North Capitol Hill does have its share of crime, but despite the statistics it's nowhere near the "second most dangerous" neighborhood in Denver. That's nonsense. The numbers are high simply because it's mostly an extension of the CBD with the large non-resident population and employment centers.

Globeville, on the other hand, is an example of an impoverished, low income, gang-infested neighborhood. It's "only" number nine of the list, but it does NOT have a high cluster of employment centers, and its crimes are largely resident on resident. This truly is a blighted neighborhood.

Note that Sun Valley is #1 on the list year after year, but it's really an oddity. It's largely an heavy industrial area in which the city at one point foolishly decided to build a large "housing project" right next to the factories, far away from any other housing. So, the ONLY housing in Sun Valley is DHD "project" housing. No wonder the it's #1. (Cynics might say that the DHD was trying to "quarantine" the poor) Anyway, Lincoln Park, #6 on the list, is similar, containing big DHD project surrounded by industry -- though unlike Sun Valley Lincoln Park actually does contain a real neighborhood as well around its namesake park.

So, all this is to say that you have to look beyond the numbers to see what's going on in the neighborhoods. There are some areas that are high crime by any standard (Elyria-Swansea, Montbello, etc) that didn't even make the top ten list.

[ocean2026]

That is a truly good example of going past the numbers.

I understand statistics, their uses and misuses but lack knowledge of the Denver area (aside from a view visits).

By the same token Loving County in Texas for the past few years, can claim the lowest teen pregnancy rate in all of North America. Conservative Texas Morals? Bible Belt? Nah ...Loving County only has 67 residents and this 16 yr old girl has no males within 2 years of her age. If on the other hand, she took her summer vacation to Brooks County, Texas where teens emulate the local rabbit population, she might give Loving the dubious distinction of going from the lowest rate to the highest in just 9 months.

Ok Demographics tales aside - what neighborhood near downtown is

A reasonably safe
B nice architecture
C less traffic
D easy to find a small bargain summer home

[steveindenver]

On the other hand what you say about those neighborhoods is just plain WRONG.

Really? The ten years I spent living in the areas you mention and the fact that I still visit those areas frequently without ever having been murdered must be a miracle, because as you say there are dead bodies stacked up on the streets.

For Denver I'd like more of a summer home - a nice small well constructed house in a close-in old neighborhood.

So you want to live in an urban area but you also want no crime, cheap prices and no traffic -- in a city -- and you wish to see these areas, which by the way have been diverse for years somehow wiped clean, one would suppose of said diversity, or put more bluntly perhaps rid of everyone but white people before buying? Sounds like a plan.

[ocean2026]

Steve you're getting defensive and your frustration has caused you to make up all sorts of things. When did race come into this? Half my family is Hispanic and we are all fluent in Spanish. We aren't looking for white people lol but we'll take em if we have to! ( ie. We don't care about ethnicity)

As for well constructed -cheap houses in cities? Why not learn something Steve and take a look at realtor.com and try Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Corpus Christi, Cincinnati or El Paso. In Buffalo's downtown one can buy a 2500 sq ft house in decent condition for $25k and there are plenty to choose from. In Pittsburgh I bought a 3500 Sq Ft house for $18k (needed 10k of work) with a river view. Unfortunately another buyer challenged my purchase from the city and in a bid-off it went for 21k - victorian with brick.

Steve I can see from your posts that you make all sorts of assumptions and you do know what they say about those who ass-ume. As soon as your assumption is shown to be a poor guess - you simply make another one.

Instead of doing that - if you really know Denver, share your knowledge and maybe give us your opinion of what the neighborhoods near downtown are really like, rather than guessing what I'm like.

[Dorthy]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

As for well constructed -cheap houses in cities? Why not learn something Steve and take a look at realtor.com and try Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Corpus Christi, Cincinnati or El Paso. In Buffalo's downtown one can buy a 2500 sq ft house in decent condition for $25k and there are plenty to choose from. In Pittsburgh I bought a 3500 Sq Ft house for $18k (needed 10k of work) with a river view. Unfortunately another buyer challenged my purchase from the city and in a bid-off it went for 21k - victorian with brick.

What is your price range? You couldn't find anything even in the worst Denver neighborhoods for those prices.

[ocean2026]

That depends and Yodi you are correct. I would probably pay up to $150k for small 2b 1bath if it had a nice view and was low maint.- If it were a duplex maybe 250k it all depends. I want views of downtown and hopefully mountains, and a fence or something to keep it secure for the majority of the year when I'm not there.

Yes Buffalo is nice in the summer and the houses cheap, however the taxes are scary. A $375k building I tried to make an offer had annual taxes of $24,000 and going up.

[Dorthy]

I would look into Highlands, Berkely and Baker. If you're willing to go as high as 250K for a duplex I think you could find something in one of these areas. 150K could possibly get you a tiny 1BD house in Baker or a condo in a lot of areas.

[tfox]

Depends how far away from downtown you're willing to get. If you actually want to walk to downtown, and you're looking for a relatively "affordable" (i.e., less than 400k) small brick home, your choices are pretty much East Highland or Capitol Hill area (yes there are single family homes in Capitol Hill).

Well, that's not quite true. You could go 5 points/Curtis Park or Whittier, which is up and coming but based on your previous posts I think you'll find it too dodgy. I think it's on the up-and-up, but on the other hand it's not quite there yet.

If you're not that concerned on being right up against downtown, I'd look in Congress Park, Montclair/MayFair, Park Hill, West Washington Park, Alamo Placita, Baker, Platt Park, DU/University area, Berkeley, West Highland, Sloans Lake, etc. Those are examples that spring to mind that are both fairly nice but not crazy expensive yet.

[ocean2026]

Here's a specific question. The area that is just east of Federal Blvd and goes north and south of I-70. This area has shown according to the Castle -Denver Post map. a huge decline in house value -something like 36% over the past year. It also has lots of foreclosures.

Does this neighborhood have a name? Does it have old houses? and is it a good place to leave a house empty much of the year?

[ocean2026]

South of I-70 close to Federal is a bit more pricy. As you get to I-25 its cheap again.

I believe that as gasoline prices rise-areas close in to downtown will get more attention. This seems to be georgraphically good. Its close in, yet on the way to the mountains even Boulder.

The elevation is a bit higher than downtown so it could have nice views.