Central Location to Live in Denver (Englewood, Greenwood Village: rentals, how much, townhome)

[NKP]

Hello,

My husband and I are moving out from California next month for his new job. He will be working in the DTC and I will need to find a job out there (haven't found one yet). We want to live in a central location so that if I find a job the commute for either of us is bearable. Coming from the Bay Area we are used to commuting but would like to spend less than 30 minutes each way.

We have visited Denver several times and have narrowed in on Englewood, Greenwood Village, and Centennial. We would like to rent for the first year before purchasing a home. We haven't found many rentals in this area and if we have, they are quite expensive. Are there other areas we should be looking? We are in our mid-thirties and don't have children yet, but we do have a small dog so a small yard is ideal.

Things that are important to us in our community is having a safe neighborhood, centrally located to grocery stores, freeways, and either a rec center or gym.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Moonwalkr]

Those places you listed are close to DTC but it will depend on how much you want to spend a month. If you don't have a job yet I would suggest broadening your rental search beyond those areas right next to DTC, save the money for downpayment while you find your ideal job and home. Once you have a job and money saved up you will know the area well and be ready to purchase.

[tfox]

You might also look in southeast Denver, near Hampden and I-25. It is just north of the DTC, as well as closer to the rest of the metro area in case you end up commuting north.

[dj32]

Budget?

[NKP]

Our budget max is $2,000/month. But we would like to have a townhome or home roughly 2000sf with a two car garage. Does that sound reasonable? Everything I am finding on Craiglist or Rentals.com seems to be very old and outdated. I think the area between Hampden and I-25 may be the Holly Heights/Rosamond Park/Southmoor area, which we have looked at but haven't found many available rentals.

[robertzimmerman]

I live around there, and you're right that there isn't much to rent. You should be aware that parts of Holly Hills are not in Denver proper (there's a weird historical anomaly), but are in unincorporated Arapahoe County. This means two things that I can think of as a renter: water is more expensive, and you'll have to pay for trash pick up.

I rented a house in the neighborhood when I moved to Denver, and the only way I found it was by driving around. Good luck. It's a good place to live--good transit, close to most things, big yards with trees.