Urban living in Denver (Aurora, Parker: best cities, rentals, neighborhoods)

[JProg305]

Hi all, my interest in the greater Denver region has grown steadily in the past couple of months. I still have some reservations though. I'd like to know if Denver is a vibrant, urban city. Are there alot of neighborhoods that are walkable near, or in, downtown? I've heard of some of the neighborhoods in that area (Highlands, LoDo, Capitol Hill, etc.), but without having ever visited Denver it's hard to get an idea of how dense, walkable/bikeable they are. I've been looking at pictures of the Denver region for days and there are some neighborhoods and areas of the city that look simply amazing to me (Confluence Park, Platte River and Cherry Creek bike trails, the Highlands area). I'd ideally like to live in an area with access to light rail, good ethnic/vegetarian restaurants, shopping, pubs/bars, art galleries, parks, and possibly a good martial arts school. Any ideas? All feedback is appreciated.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by JProg305

Hi all, my interest in the greater Denver region has grown steadily in the past couple of months. I still have some reservations though. I'd like to know if Denver is a vibrant, urban city. Are there alot of neighborhoods that are walkable near, or in, downtown? I've heard of some of the neighborhoods in that area (Highlands, LoDo, Capitol Hill, etc.), but without having ever visited Denver it's hard to get an idea of how dense, walkable/bikeable they are. I've been looking at pictures of the Denver region for days and there are some neighborhoods and areas of the city that look simply amazing to me (Confluence Park, Platte River and Cherry Creek bike trails, the Highlands area). I'd ideally like to live in an area with access to light rail, good ethnic/vegetarian restaurants, shopping, pubs/bars, art galleries, parks, and possibly a good martial arts school. Any ideas? All feedback is appreciated.

Dude, EVERYTHING you want is HERE in Denver. Check the index of threads for topics on RTD, Neighborhoods, Car-Free Living, Biking, Singles, Rentals, etc. Also the search tool can work wonders with key words.

[JProg305]

Thanks for the quick feedback. I guess I haven't mastered the art of searching the thread index. I'm never sure what key words to search for. The reason that I posted this thread is to clear up some of the contradictory info that I've heard from people. Some people say that Denver has expanded so much that it is in danger of losing its identity. Others say that Denver is one of the best cities of its size in the U.S. So, I'm never sure who to believe.

[vegaspilgrim]

It all depends on what your perspective is. On this forum (and on some of the other city forums such as the LA or Phoenix forums whenever Denver is mentioned) you'll find plenty of haters who downplay Denver like it's nothing but an all suburban cow town, who say that downtown isn't anything to brag about, who think that the place is too boring or not diverse enough or not ____(fill in the blank) enough. On the other hand, you'll find plenty of people here who think that Denver is an exciting, urban, dense city. It all depends what you're comparing it to, what your expectations are, and what your attitude is.

Here's what I'd suggest: I wouldn't suggest moving to Denver FOR its real or perceived urban attributes. I would move to Denver if you think the regional setting, climate, economy/industries served, cultural configuration, and general layout agrees with you. Then if you're set on the Denver area and you are a self-styled "urban" person, move to the urban areas of Denver where you'll feel more at home. But if the main thing you want is "urban," I'd be looking to one of the 3 big cities of the USA-- LA, NYC, and Chicago. On one of your criteria-- ethnic restaurants, Denver has a lot of that stuff, but there's not too many authentic ethnic restaurants in walking distance to downtown. Most of that stuff is in strip malls in the "inner ring" suburbs, which tourists never visit and thus why a lot of people think Denver is all bland with no diversity.

[smguy101]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Dude, EVERYTHING you want is HERE in Denver.

Except for Warm Weather in April

[JProg305]

Thanks for the feedback vegaspilgrim. The greater Miami area (with the exception of south beach) is similar to Denver in that you have to hunt out some of the good eats in strip malls in neighborhoods and suburbs surrounding the downtown area. I guess that I've been trying to transition to a car free or less car dependent lifestyle and was wondering if that was a feasible option in Denver. I'd like to learn as much as possible. I want to try to visit Denver for the upcoming Great American Beer Festival.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by JProg305

Thanks for the feedback vegaspilgrim. The greater Miami area (with the exception of south beach) is similar to Denver in that you have to hunt out some of the good eats in strip malls in neighborhoods and suburbs surrounding the downtown area. I guess that I've been trying to transition to a car free or less car dependent lifestyle and was wondering if that was a feasible option in Denver. I'd like to learn as much as possible. I want to try to visit Denver for the upcoming Great American Beer Festival.

It is possible, many people do it, but it depends on a whole lot of factors, and you will definitely be limited in the kinds of activities you'll be able to do (won't be able to plan on getting to the mountains much, for example). You would have to be successful in finding the right job in a location that happens to allow for easy bus/rail/bike/walk commute AND carefully plan on where you live being near major bus/light rail lines with conveniences like a grocery store in walking distance. Then when it snows... all hell can break loose when it comes to public transit. Look up posts from "livecontent"-- he has written volumes on the subject of public transportation and walkability in Denver.

[steveindenver]

Denver has a lot of that stuff, but there's not too many authentic ethnic restaurants in walking distance to downtown.

That statement could not be more wrong. There are tons of ethnic resteraunts and grocers within the city itself. I'd argue the reason people call the city bland is because they visit folks who don't live in the city. Of course the suburbs with strip mall after strip mall are bland.

I live car free in Denver. I have for years. The key is to have *access* to a car when you really need one.

Denver has a number of neighborhoods that are walkable and bikeable. Where you end up will be the result of a number of factors. The only warning I would have is that you mentioned the Highlands a couple of times. Beware, this area is the biggest PITA to get to and from Denver proper in all of Denver. Most of the entertainment in Denver is just east and south of the city.

[jjacobeclark]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Denver has a lot of that stuff, but there's not too many authentic ethnic restaurants in walking distance to downtown.

Originally Posted by steveindenver

That statement could not be more wrong. There are tons of ethnic resteraunts and grocers within the city itself. I'd argue the reason people call the city bland is because they visit folks who don't live in the city. Of course the suburbs with strip mall after strip mall are bland.

You seem to have missed the most important part of vegas' quote, where he said within "walking distance to downtown" and I happen to totally agree with him. The vast majority of authentic ethnic restaurants in Metro Denver are going to be found in strip malls on S. Federal Blvd and Parker Rd. Central Denver can seem very white bread when compared to DTC and Aurora.

Originally Posted by steveindenver

I live car free in Denver. I have for years. The key is to have *access* to a car when you really need one.

How do you go about doing that??? Do you rent a car every time you want to go to the mountains???

Originally Posted by steveindenver

Denver has a number of neighborhoods that are walkable and bikeable. Where you end up will be the result of a number of factors. The only warning I would have is that you mentioned the Highlands a couple of times. Beware, this area is the biggest PITA to get to and from Denver proper in all of Denver. Most of the entertainment in Denver is just east and south of the city.

I don't think you quite understand what "proper" means. Denver-proper refers to the entire city-county limits of Denver. Therefore, the Highlands area is a part of Denver-proper. Also, its easy to get to Downtown from the Highlands via the 15th Street pedestrian bridge, Speer Blvd, and Water Street.

List of United States urban areas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
To JProg305, I wouldn't recommend moving to Denver if all you're looking for is a car-free urban existence. After all, you live in Miami, the 5th largest urbanized area in the US, I doubt Denver will seem nearly as dense or vibrant. I also can't help notice that you haven't made any mention of the Rocky Mountains in any of your posts, which is the single biggest reason most people want to live in Denver in the first place.

[JProg305]

Hi jjacobeclark, I am interested in "slowly" transitioning to a car free lifestyle in order to save money, get in shape, and live my values. Of course, that is not the only reason I'd move to Denver. I actually currently live in Tallahassee, not Miami. I was born and raised in Miami and the only real walkable/bikeable neighborhood in Miami is Miami Beach. I have never lived near mountains as large as the Rockies but the wealth of outdoor opportunities and the dry climate are two of the major reasons why I'd like to live in the Denver region. In addition to Denver, I'm also considering relocating to Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Albuquerque, Minneapolis, or the Bay Area. I like that Denver is racially/ethnically diverse, fairly progressive, has an expanding light rail system, has a relatively mild climate (I've also lived in Kansas City, D.C., and Kentucky so I've experienced some harsh winters), has alot of outdoor opportunities and parks, and is sunny (this is particularly important to my girlfriend who can't stand the idea of the Pacific Northwest on account of the weather patterns). Although Miami is very urbanized, I would hardly call Miami walkable, bikeable, dense, etc. In fact, Miami was recently named one of the worst cities in the U.S. for walking and biking.