moving to Denver Metro Apr 1st

[scanner]

yeah, we're definetely going to look around and see whats what. cheesman park seems like a nice area. affordable compared to tampa.

what places would you consider war zones to stay completely away from? i here aurora is on the way down.

[tfox]

Parts of Aurora are certainly dodgy, but south Aurora is just another sleepy suburb and is worlds apart from all that. I'm sure you'll hear other people talking about East Colfax -- parts of it are scary late at night though the crime doesn't penetrate far into the surrounding neighborhoods nearly so much. Northeast Denver certainly has some rough spots, but not uniformly so -- the areas north and northeast of city park are what I'm thinking of. Anything northeast of I-70 including Commerce City, Montbello, is a bit scary in spots, at least until out where you're well into the 'burbs. Southwest Denver also has some dodgy spots too, once you get south of West Colfax down to about Alameda you have some rough neighborhoods, some of which spill over into Lakewood as well.

These are the typical "bad" spots, but even the "bad spots" really aren't that bad everywhere. A lot of the closer in neighborhoods like sunnyside, curtis park, 5 points, Whittier, and thereabouts used to be on everyone's scary list but really aren't anymore. Some places have probably gotten worse rather than better. Things change.

Hope that helps.

[scanner]

yeah, that helps alot. we hear of the "rough spots" but never any specifics.

thanks again.

[BigSprinter]

I think your best bet is to use your time in Highlands Ranch to investigate the many urban Denver neighborhoods to see whether you feel comfortable in them.

There is so much diversity out there, and everyone is different as to what makes them feel "safe" or where they feel "comfortable".

We for example bought an old home in the redeveloping Cole neighborhood (near Curtis Park and downtown). Some of our friends think we're geniuses, even pioneers, others think we're crazy for living in what is still a sketchy (we prefer to call it vibrant) neighborhood for the time being.

And for example, you couldn't pay me to live in Cap Hill, as for me, it is just too dense, parking is too problematic, and even though that neighborhood is farther along the "gentrification" process than ours, it seems like there is just as much or more drugs, car vandalism, and car theft. Not that it's a bad place, it's just the city, and not my style.

So anyway, you need to find what urban neighborhood best fits your preferences, budget, etc. But there are plenty of neighborhoods like ours with plenty of homes that need responsible owners like yourself to buy, fix up, and take a vested interest in the neighborhood.

If you find yourself considering the Cole/Five Points/Curtis Park/Whittier neighborhoods and would like some additional info from a current resident, shoot me an email or check out my neighborhood blog:

http://coleneighborhood.net

Cheers,

BS

[scanner]

interesting. moving two time zones away and not knowing a soul in CO is pioneer enough at the moment. i'll check your blog out in the meantime. thanks again.

[BigSprinter]

In my opinion I wouldn't rule out Aurora necessarily; like the rest of Denver it is hit and miss, block by block. Parts of Aurora are rough and seem to be in decline, but Stapleton (Aurora) is nice for the suburban life, if that's what you're looking for (and if you can afford it, they're pretty proud of their new homes out there). The only area I personally would definitely avoid is Five Points, as it is the most dangerous neighborhood in Denver statistically and seems to be the source of a lot of the crime that spills into surrounding neighborhoods (but that is one guy's opinion, I don't have any data to support it) That having been said my house is only about five blocks from the edge of Five Points, and is reasonably quiet--Again pointing to how hit-and-miss the neighborhoods and blocks can be in Denver.

Cheesman is far along in the gentrification process, and the home prices reflect it. However, I've learned it's all relative, and it sounds like even Cheesman prices compare favorably to what you're used to.

I wonder though--What specifically are you looking for in a neighborhood? Being close to coffee shops/restaurants/shopping? Urban diversity and color? Do you mind parking your car on the street 24/7? Or do you prefer the quieter suburban life?