What is Golden Like (Denver, Lakewood: condos, homes, employment)

[dreamboatannie953]

We are thinking of coming to see the Denver area this August and of making a move. We think we will atay in Golden and wondered what is Golden like?

[nele]

I live in Golden and think it has a lot to offer. It's close to the mountains, and you have the two Table mountains sort of looming over everything, as well as Lookout Mtn to the west. Makes for interesting views if you are in the center of Golden proper. Minutes to good local hiking, and close to I-70 if you want to get to the ski places or more dramatic/advanced hiking. Close to the center of historic "old town" Golden you've got the Coors factory - do the tour for the history of the area. Clear Creek runs through Golden with walking paths along much of it, giving a nice small town feel. I think Golden's less "sprawly" than nearby Lakewood and Arvada. (Although, the actual Golden address is huge, it extends way north towards Boulder.) If you like antique places they're around, particularly in next-door Wheat Ridge.

A downside is that for cultural events and nicer restaurants you've got to head downtown. But that's only a few minutes away. It's easy to get around if you've got a car; I think public transport in Golden is only average.

[steveindenver]

A downside is that for cultural events and nicer restaurants you've got to head downtown. But that's only a few minutes away.

Err more than a few.

[Jerry Bckr]

Golden is a cute little town. It's basically land locked because of topography, although as mentioned, there is a larger surrounding area that shares the Golden address. It's also a college town with the small School of Mines. The down town area while small, is always fun to walk through, and 6th Avenue gives a direct shot to downtown Denver. If you don't have friends you'll be staying with, check out the Table Mesa Inn right down town. The down side of Golden is housing is expensive in the city proper, with much of it being older. Of course that begs the question "what's expensive". Let's just say it's more expensive than what you would pay for other comparable homes in the metro area. Some of the older homes on the hill, near the college, sell outside of the open market, so the public rarely get a chance to make offers. There are some newer homes on the northwest side and on the south, if that would be your preference. There's also some newer condos on the edge of downtown by the river.

[nele]

Originally Posted by steveindenver

Err more than a few.

Forgive my exaggeration. I would say from downtown Golden, a 20 minute drive.

[renlouis]

What are the schools like in Golden? The ratings, for example, on Greatschools.com are all over the board, from pretty good to terrible. Any opinions, especially for the middle and high schools?

[Jerry Bckr]

Do a search for Jefferson County Schools. I'm not sure if it will give you more info than the other site you accessed.

[steveindenver]

Forgive my exaggeration. I would say from downtown Golden, a 20 minute drive.

On a sunny day with no accidents and not during rush hour if you speed down 6th ave --- maybe.

[tfox]

Great town -- one of the very few suburbs of metro Denver that could reasonably be called an independent town in its own right. It has a choice location against the foothills and close to I-70 which makes it one of the more expensive places in the metro area.

One downside is that it's not very convenient to the major employment centers of the metro area. There are, of course, some jobs in Golden itself, but outside of that one could only reasonably expect to commute to Downtown Denver. The north/northwest metro areas difficult to get to with the existing roads, and the DTC is quite a long haul. So, best to keep that in mind.

[vegaspilgrim]

Best thing about Golden are all the bars on its main drag with $1.50 Killian's drafts at happy hour.

A problem with Golden is the winds can be *extreme* right next to the foothills-- strong enough to blow out the windows in your car. Also being right next to the foothills the town can be in the shadows in the late afternoon, making it feel kind of gloomy. You can frequently smell the brewery in the air from anywhere in town-- and no, it doesn't smell like beer. Some people might not mind it, some people might get sick of it.