Most friendly close in areas for southern mom

[Katiana]

There is also Lowry to consider.

[Sean_in_Parker]

Hi,
You mentioned that your husband is going to work at the Children's Hospital east of Denver. Is it the Children's Hospital located in Parker?
We moved here two years ago and absolutely love it. The neighborhoods have easy access to bike trails and many parks. There are plenty of children in the neighborhood. Parker has a has a small town feel with easy access to shopping, highways, etc...
One thing about Denver that you need to keep in mind is that subdivisions abound throughout the area. I grew up in Pennsylvania and understand how the cookie cutter subdivisions look to you. While you may find some unique neighborhoods that have different style housing, they tend to come at premium prices. Looking in subdivisions you will likely get more bang for your buck in terms of square footage. If you are looking for good schools, be sure to look at Douglas County Schools, they are noted for having very high ratings.
When considering the pros and cons of the Denver area, I can see how the look of the suburban subdivisions may be a turn-off. I think Denver makes up for it with the 300 days of sunshine, dry climate, healthy culture and access to some of the most stunning scenery in the country. The people in Denver are top notch as well. People tend to be friendly and accepting. Living in Parker provides us with a small-town community feel while being minutes away from metropolitan cultural experiences in Denver.
Good luck in your search. It's a safe bet that the Denver area will grow on you and you will find a lot to like. In the end the look of a subdivision will be a minor concession in comparison to everything else.
Sean

[southernmom72]

Thanks for responses. We will be visiting soon to look for homes and I will put all this info to good use. It sounds like if I just get out there and make an effort and live in a place with some other new people I will make some friends. Reassuring!

[colorado2mama]

I agree with Littleton and Arvada but another idea is Lakewood, we love it here. There are some "cookie cutter" homes but many are older. My daughter walks home from school with her friends and some older kids in the neighborhood ride their bike to school and friends homes, etc. The schools here are good, crime rates are pretty low. Our zip code is 80232 so you can check out stats and such online. Belmar (at Alameda and Wadsworth) is a lovely little outdoor shopping area and it is a beautiful place to just walk around and window shop, plus they have skating and movies, farmers markets in the warmer weather, misc festivals, etc. The big drawback may be the communte for your husband. Old towne Littleton is fabulous but the drive would be even worse. Old Towne Arvada is where I am moving to and although I have no firsthand knowledge from what I have heard it also seems to fit your ideals. Good luck, it may be quite an adjustment for you as it was when my family moved from the east coast to Colorado we were all seriously against it but it grew on us and now we couldnt imagine moving elsewhere.