Young Married Couple (Mid 20's) Moving to Denver (Evans, Sheridan: for rent, lofts) - Colorado (CO) - City-Data Forum

dustydoo · 02-04-2009, 08:46 PM

I am sure there have been countless threads regarding this topic but I wanted to throw our situation out there and get everyone's opinion. My wife and I are in our mid 20's and are moving to Denver this June. We are looking to rent a townhome or singe family home and would like to know what is a good neighborhood that won't have a hellish commute into Denver. We have lived in Houston, TX for over 10 years so we know how bad traffic can get in a metro area. We would like to find a 3 bedroom / 2 bathroom and our ceiling is about $1,700 per month. I appreciate everyone's thoughts! Thanks.

EastSideMKE · 02-04-2009, 08:59 PM

Check out Tamarac Square, Hampden, or Southmoor Park. The area is close to the light rail, so you don't have to worry about driving downtown but it is still close to shopping, parks, restaurants, etc. I rented a 4 bedroom/2.5 bathroom home on S. Dayton St. for $1695 a month. It had a huge backyard and a finished basement with a wet bar.

steveindenver · 02-04-2009, 10:45 PM

If you are working downtown and have that budget, stay in the city and county of Denver proper. There are plenty of options that will be close enough and offer public transportation or the ability to bike / walk.

Denver on the whole lacks bad neighborhoods as they are considered in most other cities.

Welcome to Denver.

WilliamPacker · 02-05-2009, 12:48 AM

That budget would most likely get you a home in my neighborhood, Berkeley. It's on the NW side of Denver and very east to get to downtown. Good, safe, neighborhood that has more of a family feel than a lot of the trendy neighborhoods. Good restaurants and shopping in the immediate area. I love it here. It's worth checking out for someone in your situation. If you don't like commuting, stay somewhere in town.

katysalsa · 02-05-2009, 09:07 AM

I agree with staying in Denver. There are lots of great neighborhoods. Washington Park, Highlands, Park Hill, Bonny Brae, Capitol Hill, Cheeseman. All within 5-ish minutes of downtown

EastSideMKE · 02-05-2009, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katysalsa

I agree with staying in Denver. There are lots of great neighborhoods. Washington Park, Highlands, Park Hill, Bonny Brae, Capitol Hill, Cheeseman. All within 5-ish minutes of downtown

Those places are more like 10-15 minutes from downtown. And that's only if you plan on driving, then you have the whole parking issue to deal with.

The places I previously suggested ARE in the city-county of Denver, but they offer light rail access which none of the neighborhoods suggested by others do. DU (University & Evans) area is another area to consider. It's located on the light rail and is a little closer to downtown, but it's a bit pricier.

eco-modpod · 02-05-2009, 10:35 AM

University of Denver (DU) area is great but a little far from downtown Denver. A friend of mine just sold her home there to move to NW Denver (where the action is). The DU area is cute but a little sleepy.

Capitol Hill and Cheeseman are actually GREAT neighborhoods for young professionals... walk to restaurants, bars (Govnr's Park is always happening), parks, and public transportation. More saturated with older condos, business zoned mansions, and carriage houses in this area but still some cute vintage homes for rent.

Another excellent neighborhood for young professionals is Potter Highlands. It is across the 20th street bridge, walking distance to downtown Denver, trail along the river, REI, boutiques, trendy restaurants & bars (Lola's!). There are cool new urban lofts and row houses along with vintage bungalows. Sunnyside is just north of Potter Highlands, a little rough yet but a little less expensive.

A little less urban with people in their late 20s- retirement age with a great community feel, 3 lakes, dog park, 2 quaint shopping districts (Tennyson & Highland's Square) are the communities of Berkeley, West Highlands, and Sloan's Lake (between Sheridan and Federal, I-70 to the north and 17th to the south).

I live in Sloan's Lake and love it! I rode my bike to Sunflower Market just the other day for groceries. The lake (2.6 miles around with views of downtown and the mountains) is just two blocks away, restaurants just an 7-12 block walk. Tons of remodeling and new duplexes have been built in this corridor and can several can be rented.

If it works out, my best advice is to drive around these neighborhoods on a Friday night to check out the scene and look for "for rent" signs.

For an interactive Google map of the area go to:

Google Maps

The weather is great here, as I am sure you know, look for a place with a great deck/patio for relaxing outside.

Best of luck in your move!

Jen
eco-modpod.com

dustydoo · 02-05-2009, 08:51 PM

I really appreciate everyone's help, we are coming up there in a month to scope out things but without a little guidance I think we would be driving everywhere and wasting time. What do you all think of Stapleton, I have seen several houses for rent in that area that are within our budget. Also, are there any other things we need to be considering in our relocation process. This will be the first inter-state move for me, so I am kind new to this. Thanks again!!

katysalsa · 02-06-2009, 02:33 PM

Stapleton can be a good middle ground between a complete suburb feel and a "neer the city" feel. Personally it's a bit to suburban for me, but the houses are new, you have a large shopping area near there and you're still only about 15 min from downtown. It's worth checking out. The houses are all new bungalow style and very close together, but the people who live there seem to love it. If you like Stapleton, check out Lowry too. Much of the same thing, but I personally like Lowry a little better.

steveindenver · 02-06-2009, 06:28 PM

Stapleton is where you go in your 30's and have kids, want to live close to the urban core and want a new energy effecient home with tons of parks, walkability to shops and close by shopping. The important part of that sentence is kids. Seriously, the place is lousy with them. (no negative insinuations there, just an observation -- I have kids too after all ...)

Lowry is Stapleton for older people so far as I can tell. More spread out, less children, less everything really.

Stapleton is "close-ish" enough to the city -- about 20-25 minute bike or bus ride. If you are coming from Houston you will think that Stapleton is in the city because in comparison to the sprawl in Houston, it is -- but you are missing the opportunity to have so much more a bit closer to the city proper if you don't have to worry about things like schools and playmates.

We moved to to Denver in our early 20's. First to Capitol Hill, later Uptown. Both were and remain fantastic areas for that age bracket (and beyond). You might also want to add the Cheeseman Park area to that list and City Park West, the Broadway areas like Baker too. You really can't go wrong in these areas. TONS of stuff to walk and bike to, concerts (multiple venues) bars, resteraunts, interesting stores and you are a quick bus, 5 dollar cab ride or bike ride to the downtown area proper.

Beyond these areas things get a little quieter and settle down. The areas to the left of downtown, The Highlands etc are all great too -- but they tend to be where people go in their upper 20's to lower 30's when they have dogs but not yet kids.

Here is a map of Denver neighborhoods:

Denver Neighborhood Map

Hit me up with a PM and I can share my phone -- if I happen to be in town the week you all are visiting I'd be glad to take you on a tour myself -- if you can stomach one of my kids tagging along.