Urban living in Denver

[steveindenver]

It's not negative, just reality.

It is a total PITA to get to or from that area. Property values reflect that -- and explain the run up from around 01 to 06 or so.

Not a bad area overall, just far away from the rest of Denver which has built up east and south of the downtown corridor. It is also the worst area ever to try and visit from the rest of Denver on a bike -- which is of course my bias.

The Oriental is over that way, as are a few places worth eating at -- but that is it. For the rest of Denver -- the other 95 percent you are looking east of I-25 and south of I-70. Again, this is not negative this is simply fact.

[livecontent]

Yea, I will give you the bike argument. You certainly know more about it. Though, if you live only on the west side, bike paths are good and some of the best that run up and down the Platte--which is the west side. Also, bear creek and clear creek all have bike paths that go into the Platte---well, you know all that.

Since I can no longer ride a bike or even walk without difficulty, my main way of getting around is by car--which I hate, and the public transit. So, be patient with me, if I talk much about public transit.

I think we are both on the same side is that we advocate denser neighborhoods vs. far flung sprawl. I do admire, as I have said, your advocacy for the older areas along Colfax. However, you need to appreciate some of the older denser inner suburbs of Denver on the West Side--which are similar to the older areas of Aurora. These Denver areas, along West Colfax in Lakewood, West 38th in Wheat Ridge, West 20th in Edgewater, West Alameda in Lakewood, for example are good options to live if you prefer denser areas with good walkable neighborhoods and good transit.

I think for someone who is a transplant to the area--I know it well. But most importantly, I appreciate the Denver Metro area. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to spend my life in this wonderful place. Everyday, I get up and just marvel at the good changes that are happening, the improvements, the redevelopment of all the neighborhoods. It is great to see Denver grow in upon itself, and attract more people, and not left to decay and be abandoned to the suburbs, as you see in many eastern cities. Yes it is a good place to
Livecontent

[karievag]

Steveindenver,
What would be your "ideal" neighborhoods then? Instead of bagging on Livecontent's thoughts, it would be good to have some constructive feedback from you as well...

[HighlandsGal]

Originally Posted by steveindenver

It's not negative, just reality.

It is a total PITA to get to or from that area. Property values reflect that -- and explain the run up from around 01 to 06 or so.

Not a bad area overall, just far away from the rest of Denver which has built up east and south of the downtown corridor. It is also the worst area ever to try and visit from the rest of Denver on a bike -- which is of course my bias.

The Oriental is over that way, as are a few places worth eating at -- but that is it. For the rest of Denver -- the other 95 percent you are looking east of I-25 and south of I-70. Again, this is not negative this is simply fact.

I don't know where you come up with this information but you are wrong.

I live less than a mile from both I-25 and I-70 and you call that a PITA to get around??? I can ride my bike down Zuni to Speer or across the pedestrian bridge or 20th Street to get to anywhere I want in the city. There are bus runs everywhere. I can walk to bars, grocery store, liquor store, restaurants, yoga studio, parks, etc.

Why do you think it is a pain??? I think trying to find parking in Capitol Hill is a pain and the streets are too narrow, but I guess it is all relative -- and that is just my opinion and preference, not a FACT.

[Katiana]

I agree with Highlands Gal. We used to live in the Sloan's Lake area, before the pedestrian bridge was built. We actually had a garage where we could park our car, and people often "sold" parking spaces in their driveways or in front of their houses during Broncos games. We could, and did, walk to Mile High Stadium, where the old AAA Denver Bears used to play. I biked to the old Health Science Center campus at 9th and Colorado many times, and I frequently biked arouond Sloan's Lake just for fun. There are grocery stores in that neighborhood; in fact when we lived there, there was still a little "Superette" type place, bigger than a convenience store but smaller than a big supermarket, which I walked to many, many times. We had several favorite restuarants, and our fave store, Aloha Liquor was just a block from our house. DH could bike or take the bus to his job at Denver West, in Golden. I, of course, had to have the car for my visiting nurse job.

[steveindenver]

I live less than a mile from both I-25 and I-70 and you call that a PITA to get around??? I can ride my bike down Zuni to Speer or across the pedestrian bridge or 20th Street to get to anywhere I want in the city. There are bus runs everywhere. I can walk to bars, grocery store, liquor store, restaurants, yoga studio, parks, etc.

If you want to visit any of the more favorable areas for entertainment in the city, it is a total PITA as you have to go through the city proper. There are limited safe routes on a bike to get across 25. 38th to Park? Sucks. North of there? Forget about it you also have the highway AND the railroad tracks and many streets that simply end. 20th? A decent option that I generally take but the path there is often littered with people and glass in the summer (ballgames). 15th Street? A decent option but not the safest road in the world. Speer? Eh, the west side intersections suck. Colfax? A bit out of the way, never had the chance to ride that route.

I guess you have the Oriental on that side of town. Some bars, some good places to eat (not, and I repeat this for anyone thinking about it so as to save them the time, not root down. Horrid).

That pedestrian bridge requires you traverse a park which closes at 10PM. They hand out tickets now and then, for what reason I have no idea.

It's a great area, looking back I wish we had lived there for a while and I guess I am snarky because I have been riding over there quite a bit recently to visit and help renovate a property a friend is working on. The guy with lumber strapped to his bike huffing and puffing up 23rd (best route IMO), that's me. Please don't run me over.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by steveindenver

. . . The guy with lumber strapped to his bike huffing and puffing up 23rd (best route IMO), that's me. Please don't run me over.

Perhaps we could suggest something tasteful in a robe and crown of thorns to complete your lumbering ensemble....

[HighlandsGal]

Different strokes for different folks. I have had great food and drinks at rootdown and many other places in the area (discussed already in several threads).

As for the bike paths, there is also the Platte (I think that is it?) Trail that runs along the river and along cherry creek/speer. That is how we bike to our friends in Cap. Hill. Easy peasy. I never met anyone that's gotten a ticket at confluence/commons park after 10pm either.

[steveindenver]

Tickets on ped bridge:

Denver News - A Bridge Too Far - page 1

To get to the Platte you have to cross I-25. See above issues regarding how ****ty that crossing is.

Different strokes for different folks. I have had great food and drinks at rootdown and many other places in the area (discussed already in several threads).

Relative. Root Down is terrible. There are tons of great places in Denver, very few of them happen to be west of I-25 and they stay in business because of the local captive audience created by the fact that it is a total PITA to get across I-25 and into the real food and night-life districts which are along Colfax, Broadway and in Lodo.

[Haley Wood]

I've lived in Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, and Denver. Never in the burbs, always downtown or close to. Seattle: terribly expensive, hate the weather, hate the traffic, and not an altogether friendly city. Minneapolis: meteorological hell.

MHO: Portland's urban coolness and convenience top the others, without question. I'd be back there in a heartbeat but I so hate the weather. But otherwise, it's perfect. Walkable, great downtown neighborhoods, incredible food, ethnic and otherwise. Dog-friendly, lots to do.

Next best choice: Denver. Of the four cities, certainly the least sophisticated. I haven't found a 'great' restaurant yet, and even LoDo is lacking in urbanity, but the weather is dry and sunny usually (this summer is the exception--it's Portlandesque), the people are MUCH friendlier than the other three cities, I find, and a great place if you like the outdoors and dogs. I've had to tone down my west coast expectations, but since doing that, I'm really liking it.

I have to add that I lived at 44th & Tennyson NW Denver right after moving here. Nice enough loft, but that area isn't what you'd call 'walkable' except for the few blocks around Berkeley area or the few blocks at 32nd. The thing about Denver is that the districts are just a few shopping blocks. In Portland, the districts are much larger, so I was a bit disappointed in that. Bigger issue though, in that area of NW Denver, is crime. In the past couple of months I've had a friend whose house was burglarized and another whose car was stolen. And these are nice people in nice houses. Tootsies on Tennyson was robbed several times in a few week period. If you check out the crime map, you'll see. Still, a very cool area and I love my friends up there. It's a close community in lots of ways.

I now live in Wash Park, and while it's walkable as far as the park goes, and to a Starbucks, it's nothing like the bigger cities where there are blocks of shopping and restaurants and theaters. That just doesn't happen in Denver. LoDO & Cherry Creek have the most of it. And if I stay in Denver, I'll be living in one of those two areas for a number of reasons.

But just remember that Denver isn't cosmopolitan in the way that Chicago or NY or SF or even Seattle or Portland are, but in some ways, that's what makes it more comfortable and more friendly. I NEVER feel like I have to dress to go to Whole Foods in Denver, and I enjoy that. In the Pearl in Portland, I dreaded rolling out looking like I just rolled out. Most of the dogs in the Pearl were better dressed most days :-)