New To Denver-Please help!! (Aurora, Littleton: apartment complex, rental, work)

[enigmakairos]

Originally Posted by jjacobeclark

LoDo would be fun if you were rich and also an alcoholic.

my laughter was so hearty and great that I felt it necessary to post about it.

HA!

So there. Truer words are rarely spoken.

[cowboyxjon]

I think you might like 'the sonata at cherry creek' --- it's an apartment complex that is partially in Denver and partially in Glendale (not that this really means anything) and is close to Cherry Creek, but also near Target, Home Depot, etc. I lived there for awhile in a ground-floor 1-bedroom and while I thought the price was a bit high (I paid $860, but then moved to a different complex with a roommate and now pay way less) but it's in a decent location. It has gated parking.

Also, you might like my neighborhood -- Indian Creek. It has sort of a suburban feel to it, but it's VERY close to target (on Havana), Wal-Mart, etc., and still not far from downtown at all. I feel like you can have the best of both worlds. It's quiet, parking is never a problem, and I can get to most of the places I like to go to in 'urban' Denver in 10-20 minutes.

[kristenfromdenver]

Honey, at 30 years old you will love denver. I think living in the city in DC is DRASTICALLY different than living in the city in Denver. Literally, on a Friday or Saturday night it is possible to find parking within a block of the bar you're going to. Doing errands is NEVER a hassle. Parking is NOT an issue. Denver and DC are sooo different that it really can't safely be compared. I personally, think you would like being closer to the action! just my opinion. By the way, I live within a 20 minute walk of downtown in the Highlands area and I am very happy here, couldn't imagine living in the suburbs. I don't have any kids and am 34.... Let me know if you have more questions.

[blueorbitz]

Hi All,
I've been reading, lots. Any opinions on Castle Rock? I can't find info. in the sticky about it.
I found this website to read bios of denver neighborhoods: Castle Rock Apartments, Neighborhood Hotspots, & Maps – Hubbuzz
It sounds good, I like the description, small town atmosphere with big city comforts. And it has a main street which I find appealing. It sounds like maybe what I'm looking for, a cozyish neighborhood, still close to the city, but has it's own things going on. I think it's close to a variety of shopping options. And it's close to the DTC area correct? Any idea how far to the light rail? Can u park ur car at the light rail? Is this getting too far outside Denver, is it still considered Denver? (sorry 4 all the questions, anything u can answer helps!)

cowboy-I'm gonna look up the sonata at cherry creek and see what I find. Where is Indian Creek, I couldn't find that in the help sticky or neighborgood guide I am looking at?

Thanx!

[blueorbitz]

Kristen, Thanx, have u lived in DC? I know I'm comparing the 2 in my mind too much and after the hell of DC I really need to find a happy place, less stress. Honestly it took me so long to get myself to move away from here I would hate to move and find it a disappointment. I only lived in Dc for a year and before that northern VA for 7years which was hell too. But I liked the shopping there and how easy it is to get to whatever store u need. In the Highlands, is it easy to get to major shopping areas? Not just local stores, but big box stores and malls?

I'm considering Highlands. It seems to have a lot of cool stuff going on and conveniently close to Denver. I don't think I can take being right in the middle of heavy nightlife, but I also can't imagine being sequestered in a very suburban area.

Maybe I am worrying too much, but I don't have that much time. I even started considering getting an apt. w/o coming to look at them, but nah, that's a bad idea.

[steveindenver]

Castle Rock is nowhere near Denver. Throw in traffic and it might as well be in Kansas.

[Averie-Jay]

Originally Posted by blueorbitz

Hi All,
I've been reading, lots. Any opinions on Castle Rock? I can't find info. in the sticky about it.
I found this website to read bios of denver neighborhoods: Castle Rock Apartments, Neighborhood Hotspots, & Maps – Hubbuzz
It sounds good, I like the description, small town atmosphere with big city comforts. And it has a main street which I find appealing. It sounds like maybe what I'm looking for, a cozyish neighborhood, still close to the city, but has it's own things going on. I think it's close to a variety of shopping options. And it's close to the DTC area correct? Any idea how far to the light rail? Can u park ur car at the light rail? Is this getting too far outside Denver, is it still considered Denver? (sorry 4 all the questions, anything u can answer helps!)

cowboy-I'm gonna look up the sonata at cherry creek and see what I find. Where is Indian Creek, I couldn't find that in the help sticky or neighborgood guide I am looking at?

Thanx!

Castle Rock is about 15 minutes from the Lone Tree LightRail station and you can park there. You can reach DTC easily (about 30 mins away depending on traffic), but the vibe in Castle Rock isn't at all the same as Denver and it's not considered Denver. It's a very nice area, but I don't think it would be what you're looking for from your original post. It's more family-oriented and isn't full of the ecclectic types that you're interested in. Also, there aren't many apartment complexes to choose from there, either. (Just went through the process of looking at them myself.)

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Castle Rock - it's great. But I don't think it's going to meet your criterion.

[blueorbitz]

That's good to know. This is exactly the stuff I want to know so I can eliminate places or look more closely at places!!
This is why reading generic neighborhood summaries isn't always a big help.

Do you think there are any DTC neighborhoods or SothernMetroDenver areas that fit what I've described? vs. Highlands?

All opinions, good, bad, etc.

[jjacobeclark]

The boundaries for the DTC is pretty much Tamarac St/DTC Blvd on the west, Hampden to the north, Yosemite to the east, and Arapahoe Rd to the south. Most listings will say DTC, SE Denver, or South Metro. Centennial, Lone Tree, Inverness (Englewood), Greenwood Village, Parker, and Central Aurora are all very close by. I would highly recommend the Savoy located at the Dayton station on the H-Line. I walk passed it every day when I go to school and they look very nice. I looked them up online and the rent for a 1 bd started at $640, very nice and right next to a Walmart and centrally located at the crossroads of Havana and Hampden which between the 2 of them have essentially every store you can possibly think of. It is also 4 exits, I believe, from Park Meadows Mall on I-25. I live in Hampden Heights which is near Kennedy Golf Course and Cherry Creek Lake State Park. I live near Dayton & Girard and my neighborhood is very quiet, but 2 blocks away I turn onto Hampden and feel like I'm back in the city again.

As far as big box stores in Highlands like Bed Bath & Beyond there are none, however Bel Mar in Lakewood and Wadsworth & Colfax also in Lakewood both have lots of that stuff fairly close by. The 16 bus line will take to Auraria campus and Downtown. I think the 38 takes you Downtown from that area as well.

As for Castle Rock it is the midpoint between The Springs and Denver. There is a giant outlet mall there and it is closest to the Lincoln Ave light rail station. You may want to look at the Lincoln Pointe Lofts located near that same station they are pretty affordable for what you get. The same type of building Downtown would rent for 50% more.

[enigmakairos]

Chiming in to echo some other sentiments already posted -

Living in or near downtown Denver doesn't compare to living in DC proper. It'll probably seem completely laid-back to you in comparison. (Imagine you have a magic clock and when you turn it, all movement in DC slows to 1/4 time. That's about the speed of downtown Denver. )

Castle Rock is not as far as some people make it seem, IMHO. Everyone's sense of distance is skewed depending upon experience. I live in the DC Metro (MD side) now and we're leaving for Castle Rock in less than a month. Right now anywhere worth going is a 1 hour drive (due to traffic and other factors). So the fact that I can drive from Castle Rock and drive clear across the city in about an hour and a half makes the commute from Castle Rock laughable for me. On the other hand, I think it's way too much of a suburban enclave to fit your criteria, like Averie-Jay said.

Good luck!