Suburb lover

[Kibbiekat]

I can never tell if this is working, but this should be 3 photos. 2 were taken from Summit View Pkwy in HR with the actual ranch in the foreground, and Denver and the Rockies in the background. The other was taken from the Indigo Hill neighborhood near Broadway and Wildcat Reserve Pkwy.

[cabolissa]

Originally Posted by rkb0305

I can never tell if this is working, but this should be 3 photos. 2 were taken from Summit View Pkwy in HR with the actual ranch in the foreground, and Denver and the Rockies in the background. The other was taken from the Indigo Hill neighborhood near Broadway and Wildcat Reserve Pkwy.

Great pics thanks!!! Is that the city in the view? I don't know why you all are saying it's so far when it's only 12 miles from Denver. Here in CA we're used to commuting I guess. I live 15 niles from my job now in Orange County and drive 30-45 minutes each way. I don't mind that commute.

Also, I drive it because I LOVE living in an area where nobody goes unless they live there. Boring for some, but peaceful to others. Everyone has different tastes, but that's OK.

[bhcompy]

HR sounds like a good place to start.

As far as Parker, there are a lot of developments. One bonus with Parker is they have a community pool/mini-waterpark type deal in downtown.

The development we researched in Parker the most was Pinery Glen. They have a community pool, rec room, and a few parks. Also borders Cherry Creek, which provides some nice walking trails.

[Kibbiekat]

Originally Posted by cabolissa

Great pics thanks!!! Is that the city in the view? I don't know why you all are saying it's so far when it's only 12 miles from Denver. Here in CA we're used to commuting I guess. I live 15 niles from my job now in Orange County and drive 30-45 minutes each way. I don't mind that commute.

Also, I drive it because I LOVE living in an area where nobody goes unless they live there. Boring for some, but peaceful to others. Everyone has different tastes, but that's OK.

Yes, that's the Denver skyline in one of the pictures. Personally, I don't like commuting. Fortunately, my husband works 3 miles away in Littleton. Since neither of us works downtown, I don't know how long it takes to drive during rush hour. Light rail is an option too, depending on where you work.

[Frazzledmomofboys]

We were just in your boat, and picked Centennial, Heritage Greens subdivision. We too like suburbs, and looked all through Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree. They are awesome, and price wasn't an issue. But, in the end, we went with Heritage Greens because we really wanted a neighborhood. I talked with people in Highlands Ranch who got lucky and had a great little pocket (its very separate into lots of little neighborhoods), but I talked with many more people who said that their area didn't have a neighborhood feel. Also, the schools are tricky. I know everyone loves Douglas County, but when you make a chart of all the test scores, Arapahoe High School is way above any Douglas County High School at this time. Also, if you want excellent ranked schools all the way along (elementary, middle, and high) that is VERY hard to find in Douglas County, and with HG, all the way down the line they are rated E. 25 min commute to downtown, located on a public golf course, soccer fields and a great park right in the neighborhood, community pool, 600+ homes, 80 mile bike/hike trail, and the directory is filled with kids, kids, kids. It is the type of neighborhood where people buy one house, then just keep moving to a bigger house in the neighborhood over the years. Let me know if I can be of more help.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by Frazzledmomofboys

Also, if you want excellent ranked schools all the way along (elementary, middle, and high) that is VERY hard to find in Douglas County, and with HG, all the way down the line they are rated E.

While the Colorado State Performance rankings do have some value, they are based only one criteria: the annual CSAP exams. I think it'd be a mistake to choose schools simply based on "E" ratings and nothing else, since that should be only one of many factors that go into measuring whether a school would be good for a particular child or not.

I do agree with the FMOB, however, in that it's wise not to simply assume the schools in the popular districts like Cherry Creek or Douglas County are automatically the right choice for your kids. While those two districts are undeniably some of the best-regarded in our area, schools should be evaluated on an individual basis.

[cabolissa]

Originally Posted by Frazzledmomofboys

We were just in your boat, and picked Centennial, Heritage Greens subdivision. We too like suburbs, and looked all through Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree. They are awesome, and price wasn't an issue. But, in the end, we went with Heritage Greens because we really wanted a neighborhood. I talked with people in Highlands Ranch who got lucky and had a great little pocket (its very separate into lots of little neighborhoods), but I talked with many more people who said that their area didn't have a neighborhood feel. Also, the schools are tricky. I know everyone loves Douglas County, but when you make a chart of all the test scores, Arapahoe High School is way above any Douglas County High School at this time. Also, if you want excellent ranked schools all the way along (elementary, middle, and high) that is VERY hard to find in Douglas County, and with HG, all the way down the line they are rated E. 25 min commute to downtown, located on a public golf course, soccer fields and a great park right in the neighborhood, community pool, 600+ homes, 80 mile bike/hike trail, and the directory is filled with kids, kids, kids. It is the type of neighborhood where people buy one house, then just keep moving to a bigger house in the neighborhood over the years. Let me know if I can be of more help.

Looks great, just WAY out of our price range... The cheapest listing there right now is over $400K. We're looking for under $200K. I have found some great homes in Centennial, however. We also like the area of Parker.