aurora's crime rate, lol (Denver, Lakewood: for sale, city hall, rental)

[livecontent]

It really does not matter to many people if the house is big, their addresses are more important, for prestige. Yes, the local know that Southeast Aurora does not have much crime but the name Aurora is negative in the minds of people who move here, especially those who can afford a very, expensive house. Those are the people for which prestige is important. These people want to say they live in Lone Tree, Cherry Hills Village, Greenwood Village.

It is interesting that having an expensive house in Denver is still prestigious and is not diminished by the some of the worse areas of Denver. That is because Denver is a major city and people realize that Denver has affluent and less affluent areas, as any major city would have over time.

Aurora is a extremely large suburbs, and certainly not a small town; but can be considered a medium to large city. However, it cannot claim in people minds the differentiation of quality in neighborhoods, as much as Denver has been able to achieve. Perhaps it has to do with rapidly built and new developments. Far flung and not contiguous developments are difficult to define in people minds as neighborhoods. We have no trouble in defining Hill Top, Cherry Creek, University Park as better neighborhoods. Even Park Hill in Denver is defined as such, and is much closer to troubled neighborhoods than areas of Southeast Aurora to worse areas.

It is even surprising to me how fast a less affluent neighborhood in Denver because prestigious because of gentrification. It is amazing and stunning to see this happening in all areas of Denver. Would that same effect hold true in the fast, developing area of the once deteriorating East Colfax in Aurora, across from The Fitzimmons Medical Campus??? I have my doubts.

Then what perhaps what Aurora needs is strict delimitation and naming of each area that over time, it will be associated with the particulars of that neighborhood. So, people can claim and be known for the prestige that they desire.

It is also interesting to note that Lakewood, Westminster Wheat Ridge and Arvada do not have the same perceptions in peoples minds. They accept that these areas have very prestigious housing, near and among less affluent areas.

Livecontent

[LisaCACO]

I embrace the label of aurora. don't have a problem. I think people need to accept that parts are just fine. we are tagged aurora because of our mailing address. that's why some have a big problem living here.

we are unincorporated now, but may end up centennial or aurora. I doubt we'll remain unincorporated forever. I don't mind either scenario. I don't mind paying taxes for services. but then again, I'm a liberal .

we avoided those prestige areas. we moved from CA to downsize. for us that meant a bigger house but "less prestigious" address. who needs that crap? I only pointed out the size of the house to address the amount of insurance i paid and thus the $32 I saved.

[steveindenver]

Perhaps you don't get a discount with an alarm system because they are really not that effective.

[LisaCACO]

well, there is that, lol. esp here in CO where folks only seem to wire their downstairs .

no one gets a huge discount, but it's relative to where you live. compared to other places, this is at the low end of the discounts.

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by LisaCACO

I embrace the label of aurora. don't have a problem. I think people need to accept that parts are just fine. we are tagged aurora because of our mailing address. that's why some have a big problem living here.

we are unincorporated now, but may end up centennial or aurora. I doubt we'll remain unincorporated forever. I don't mind either scenario. I don't mind paying taxes for services. but then again, I'm a liberal .

we avoided those prestige areas. we moved from CA to downsize. for us that meant a bigger house but "less prestigious" address. who needs that crap? I only pointed out the size of the house to address the amount of insurance i paid and thus the $32 I saved.

Honestly with the way Aurora grabbed land years ago I'm surprised you aren't already in Aurora! Anyways, I don't hear much about Centennial annexing. They incorporated with such a irregular border I don't know. It starts on the west side taking up pretty much all land south of Greenwood Village (with a few gaps - Arapahoe High School is surrounded by but not in Centennial) and then it goes pretty sparse right around Centennial Airport, then it starts to take most land again south of Aurora with some neighborhoods excluded. Not sure why they did it like that. If you're surrounded by Centennial on 4 sides I don't think you can be annexed by Aurora. If you're not, I would imagine your whole neighborhood would have to petition one of the 2 cities to be included. I think (and I may be wrong) that there has to be a vote of the affected area and the majority has to approve being included. The thing with Centennial is your services wouldn't change too much since they still contract with Arapahoe County for many services. You'd still pay your water district, Arapahoe Library District, Cherry Creek school district, Cunningham Fire District etc. Arapahoe County sheriff would still respond. Going to Aurora would change all that. A lot of the taxes would get rolled into 'City of Aurora' for library, fire, water, etc.

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by steveindenver

Perhaps you don't get a discount with an alarm system because they are really not that effective.

No they're not. The salesperson will tell you how the police/sheriff will rush to your house if there's an alarm, but they don't really rush. Listen to the radio for a local police department for a while and you'll find that out quick. An officer will come in service and they'll say 'we have a pending alarm in district 2 or whatever and also a follow-up phone call'.
Whichever they take the point if it's not high priority for them as most are false.

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Then what perhaps what Aurora needs is strict delimitation and naming of each area that over time, it will be associated with the particulars of that neighborhood. So, people can claim and be known for the prestige that they desire.

It is also interesting to note that Lakewood, Westminster Wheat Ridge and Arvada do not have the same perceptions in peoples minds. They accept that these areas have very prestigious housing, near and among less affluent areas.

Livecontent

I agree that a lot of the problem is that suburbs tend to not take pride in having 'neighborhoods'. I think a lot of this is because the neighborhoods in Denver were named in an older time when that was more important.

For SE Aurora 'Saddle Rock' neighborhood or something like it sounds a lot better than 'SE Aurora'. But you don't often here parts of suburbs referred to by neighborhood names.

In my experience there are some perception problems with those cities but not nearly as bad as Aurora. From my experience Arvada is pretty well regarded overall. When you mention Wheat Ridge a lot of people talk about shady hotels along I-70 and Wadsworth through Wheat Ridge being pretty blighted. However they will also talk about it having nice older neighborhoods with actual yards. In my experience Lakewood is regarded as nice on the south/west but somewhat blighted on the Colfax corridor. And unfortunately I hear many people refer to Westminster only by the southern less affluent, more run-down area, not realizing all of the more upscale neighborhoods further north. But again, for some reason Aurora is regarded more poorly than these.

Cynically I think part of the bad reputation is that Aurora will one day likely have more people than Denver (they have tons of room to grow) but Denver will always be the head city, so Aurora in their quest may have spent less time taking care of older neighborhoods.

[LisaCACO]

Originally Posted by chilicheesefries

Honestly with the way Aurora grabbed land years ago I'm surprised you aren't already in Aurora! Anyways, I don't hear much about Centennial annexing. They incorporated with such a irregular border I don't know. It starts on the west side taking up pretty much all land south of Greenwood Village (with a few gaps - Arapahoe High School is surrounded by but not in Centennial) and then it goes pretty sparse right around Centennial Airport, then it starts to take most land again south of Aurora with some neighborhoods excluded. Not sure why they did it like that. If you're surrounded by Centennial on 4 sides I don't think you can be annexed by Aurora. If you're not, I would imagine your whole neighborhood would have to petition one of the 2 cities to be included. I think (and I may be wrong) that there has to be a vote of the affected area and the majority has to approve being included. The thing with Centennial is your services wouldn't change too much since they still contract with Arapahoe County for many services. You'd still pay your water district, Arapahoe Library District, Cherry Creek school district, Cunningham Fire District etc. Arapahoe County sheriff would still respond. Going to Aurora would change all that. A lot of the taxes would get rolled into 'City of Aurora' for library, fire, water, etc.

I suspect it would be an issue of the folks in the neighborhood petitioning to join a city. we're surrounded by foxfield, centennial on one side and aurora on the other. when we first moved in there were rumors of centennial, but I don't hear much about that any longer. not sure why.

I love the city of centennial. seems to have absolutely no personality, just a weirdly drawn outline of a city. I love that i can drive in and out of it several times along one road .

[livecontent]

There is no doubt that Aurora is the powerhouse suburbs of Denver and getting so big that is is co-titled with Denver in the Denver/Aurora Metropolitan Area.

Aurora is a power because it has extensive variety of industries in this area from heavy and light industry, to large warehousing, to offices, shopping and large residential. The only other suburbs that has extensive heavy industry is Commerce City. It is not surprising that both these cities have the worse residential reputation--certainly not deserved in all parts.

No other suburbs can compete with Aurora, economically. Not only does it have a variety of industry, it has uniqueness of the Fitzimmons Medical School Complex and it is the closest to the Airport and consequently will reap the benefits of that economic engine. Many of the other suburbs are just bedroom communities that lack a balance in industry. Sure there is some heavy and light here and there, but none have the huge commercial economic infrastructure of Aurora.

Aurora has the potential for tremendous growth east into the Great Plains. I think it could equal Denver in Population. Aurora is a suburb that can easily exist as a sole entity without Denver. I do not think that any other suburban city can do the same. In the same token, we in the Denver area can live without Centennial, Arvada or Lone Tree, as an example, but we cannot live without Aurora.

Livecontent

[chilicheesefries]

Originally Posted by LisaCACO

I love the city of centennial. seems to have absolutely no personality, just a weirdly drawn outline of a city. I love that i can drive in and out of it several times along one road .

Can't tell if that is a sarcastic quote?

Either way, you're right Centennial has no personality. Hopefully that changes with their new 'downtown area' Streets at Southglenn. Walked through the construction zone this weekend. It looks like it will be nice. As I've said before it appears to be greatly fragmented. There is a well-established west part that is mostly filled in and an eastern part that varies block-by-block on city boundaries. That's the problem with incorporating pre-existing neighborhoods.