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Old 01-19-2010, 03:04 PM
 
Location: Denver, Colorado U.S.A.
14,164 posts, read 27,119,475 times
Reputation: 10428

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Quote:
Originally Posted by eastcoastbias View Post
Did you know the travel distances going in and ignored them because of the property? You obviously had some Pros and Cons with area- if you move again is their a similar tradeoff- do you think its CO or the particular town. Do some research around the City would be my suggestion. I think everyone needs time to adapt. I've made two big moves and each involved a lengthy transition period. This last one has been 5 years and I have never really adjusted that well.

Denverian- I'm from SanDiego looking to relocate to Stapleton. How has the experience in this town been for you? Is it a decent commute to Broomfield? It seems like a place for Californians- my wife is dead set on it- I'd rather actually live elsewhere south of Denver or in the mountains.
We've really enjoyed living her, and especially Stapleton. And we have plenty of other California transplants nearby, not that that matters. From Stapleton to Broomfield would be maybe a 20-30 min. commute, depending on traffic, so not too bad. I don't know if you've visited Stapleton, but its a new urbanism community with small lots, garages in back, traditional architecture, lots of parks and trails. The thing we love about it is the people. It's very social, we love our neighbors, and since we have toddlers, we have many people in the same boat, so we help one another out and take turns hosting happy hours on front porches in summer. The schools are DPS (Denver Public) and very good here at Stapleton, but we have an overcrowding issue. They're soon building another grade school to deal with that problem. Other advantages are that we're only about 6 miles from our house to downtown, so we're near everything the city has to offer. Construction is set to begin next August on a light rail line to the airport that will have a stop at Stapleton. There's still a lot of construction going on, but it doesn't affect us as our neighborhood is built out. You might also consider Bradburn Village - I believe it's in Broomfield and a similar setup as Stapleton, just much smaller and surrounded by suburbs. It has a similar atmosphere in that it's very social, lots of kids, small lots, and a town center. It's cheaper than Stapleton too. Just google Bradburn Village.
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Old 01-19-2010, 03:08 PM
 
Location: Denver, Colorado U.S.A.
14,164 posts, read 27,119,475 times
Reputation: 10428
Quote:
Originally Posted by newtostate View Post
Thanks for all the replies and virtual support to my original question.

To clarify, only the bus ride is 50 min one way. At the most my kids take the bus one time per day but I still feel badly. Grocery stores are 10-15 min and there are restaurants in the vicinity as well. Mainly, things like soccer (which they are both involved in) are farther, friends can be 20-25 minutes away and we recently found out my husband's hq's are moving to Lodo from Lakewood which means his commute will be closer to an hour. More than anything is the unexpected feeling of isolation and while plenty of people are friendly and we have gotten to know some nice families it takes a major effort to get together. Back east we would play in our driveway and see neighbors which many times led to impromptu playdates or just hanging out while kids played. That will never happen here b/c we could hang out in the street all day and see a handful of cars w/ people waving but no interest in stopping. For some reason, we thought that we didn't need that type of interaction anymore since our kids are a bit older but it seems that was incorrect. Also, perhaps some people move up here to do their own thing and not be bothered w/ much socializing b/c while my kids have made plenty of friends in school and since I volunteer I have witnessed these interactions, there is very little getting together over weekends and such. I have hosted many kids at our house and have had very little reciprocal invites. Again, hard for my kids b/c of what they were used to in our old enviroment.

I guess we'll take a couple months to figure this out b/c we will def be losing a chunk of $ if we try to sell at this point and selling could take some time anyway. I'm glad to know that it doesn't seem crazy for wanting to move closer to people and places.
I know what you mean about "effort". It's just hard when you have jobs, kids, and crazy schedules. Just walking the dog around the block leads to conversations with neighbors and plans to do things. And it's easier to walk 30 seconds than drive 20 minutes to go to someone's house.
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Old 01-19-2010, 03:13 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,300,450 times
Reputation: 35920
Quote:
Originally Posted by denverian View Post
We've really enjoyed living her, and especially Stapleton. And we have plenty of other California transplants nearby, not that that matters. From Stapleton to Broomfield would be maybe a 20-30 min. commute, depending on traffic, so not too bad. I don't know if you've visited Stapleton, but its a new urbanism community with small lots, garages in back, traditional architecture, lots of parks and trails. The thing we love about it is the people. It's very social, we love our neighbors, and since we have toddlers, we have many people in the same boat, so we help one another out and take turns hosting happy hours on front porches in summer. The schools are DPS (Denver Public) and very good here at Stapleton, but we have an overcrowding issue. They're soon building another grade school to deal with that problem. Other advantages are that we're only about 6 miles from our house to downtown, so we're near everything the city has to offer. Construction is set to begin next August on a light rail line to the airport that will have a stop at Stapleton. There's still a lot of construction going on, but it doesn't affect us as our neighborhood is built out. You might also consider Bradburn Village - I believe it's in Broomfield and a similar setup as Stapleton, just much smaller and surrounded by suburbs. It has a similar atmosphere in that it's very social, lots of kids, small lots, and a town center. It's cheaper than Stapleton too. Just google Bradburn Village.
Bradburn Village is in Westminster. Broomfield itself doesn't have any New Urbanist communities, but I like Broomfield, and I feel it has a good sense of community. Also, if you're working in Broomfield, I'd suggest looking in Louisville. It is sort of "Old Urbanism" in that there is a downtown, a great sense of community, lots of kids, good schools, larger lots than you'll get in a NU community, great public transportation, and much more.

eastcoastbias, you certainly don't want to live south of Denver if you're going to work in Broomfield. You would spend a lot of time in your car, driving through Denver. JMO.
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Old 01-19-2010, 03:25 PM
 
1,742 posts, read 3,106,920 times
Reputation: 1943
Should have rented for a year first. RP
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Old 01-19-2010, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Earth
1,651 posts, read 4,334,749 times
Reputation: 1601
Quote:
Originally Posted by proveick View Post
Should have rented for a year first. RP
Agreed.

Now the decision is whether to stick it out or take a nice loss on the house they bought, if it even sells. Or, rent it out if they can find a responsible tenant and it covers the note, which should allow for moving closer in to the amenities.

Dang kids...life is so much simpler and just as fulfilling without 'em...
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Old 01-19-2010, 05:19 PM
 
5,089 posts, read 15,356,046 times
Reputation: 7017
Quote:
Originally Posted by CAVA1990 View Post
Well you must be pretty old then but I thank you for the compliment. I'm a parent of 20-somethings and my kids sand their friends mixed equally with the opposite gender in school, sports, activities, parties, socializing, going to movies and everything else from a very young age. I attribute a lot of that to title IX which apparently wasn't around when your kids' grew up. Or perhaps you grew up in a country or culture where the genders were kept separate?
You make me laugh. I only used the corner store as one of many examples. When I grew up, boys and girls mixed in the same activities as you described. OK, I did steal my first kiss in back of the Pickle Cannery, near the brine vats--so today, when I smell pickles I have a remembrance of a time and girl, long past...

livecontent
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Old 01-19-2010, 07:18 PM
 
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
14,129 posts, read 31,146,426 times
Reputation: 6920
Quote:
Originally Posted by livecontent View Post
The main idea is that kids want to be around other kids. They do not want to be isolated in a mountain home with their parents and their siblings--it does not matter if it has the greatest scenery. Kids, teenagers, young adults want to socialize and that remains the same--it does not matter what you call it or where it happens. Perhaps you are too wet behind the ears to understand human behavior; and are not old enough to see that for all that changes, much remains the same.

Ahem, cough, cough arghmmmm...owh...why do I have to explain this simple idea to a brash "know it all" youngin....

Livecontent
Well you must be pretty old then but I thank you for the compliment. I'm a parent of 20-somethings and my kids sand their friends mixed equally with the opposite gender in school, sports, activities, parties, socializing, going to movies and everything else from a very young age. I attribute a lot of that to title IX which apparently wasn't around when your kids' grew up. Or perhaps you grew up in a country or culture where the genders were kept separate?
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Old 01-19-2010, 07:26 PM
 
Location: Denver Metro
1,549 posts, read 2,576,297 times
Reputation: 1131
I grew up in HR and its a great place for a kid to grow up!
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Old 01-20-2010, 01:23 PM
 
Location: UK
296 posts, read 801,127 times
Reputation: 326
The worst mistake I made was to move into the country with young children - it just isolated them far too much, especially for my son who was shy anyway and I think he would have had more friends had he lived in town. For his sake, I regret our decision very much.
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Old 01-20-2010, 05:38 PM
 
Location: Aurora, Colorado
2,212 posts, read 5,139,175 times
Reputation: 2371
Quote:
Originally Posted by MsRiss7383 View Post
I grew up in HR and its a great place for a kid to grow up!
There are a lot of great places to live in Denver that can get you in family-friendly neighborhoods in nearly every price range. Having lived all over the US, on both coasts and nearly all 4 corners, I can vouch that Denver is a unique city in that there are good places to live on nearly every side. Most cities have an entire specific side you don't want to be in while Denver just seems to have "pockets" of less nice areas.

That being said...to everyone else who is planning on moving...rent first. This poster is a perfect example of moving to Colorado and buying a house in the mountains to fulfill what you think living in Colorado is all about and then finding out too late that living in a mountain community is not a great idea for those with kids.

Find a place that is not more than 20 minutes from your work...any more and a snow day can turn your commute into an hour or more. If you've got kids, start looking at school districts. Research your school districts first, THEN zero in on specific schools. School districts make the difference because they are the ones who set their curriculum, class sizes, etc. In addition, good school districts usually go hand-in-hand with families, conveniences, clubs, parks, etc. In my school district (Cherry Creek SD), the people I meet in our neighborhood moved here specifically for the schools. In return, they're involved with their schools which then continues the school's excellent reputation.

Then, spend some time driving through your desired neighborhood a few times per week, at different times during the year. What does a Saturday afternoon look like in the summer...people playing in their yards, kids at the park, people mowing lawns, etc? Or is it a garage-doors-locked-down-tight kind of place? Some people don't want neighbors in their business but if you're looking for a place to socialize and raise your kids, check out what it looks like on days where your ideal neighborhood should be "bustling."

The mountains are absolutely gorgeous and living in Colorado means you will likely be driving to the mountains nearly every chance you get. We live on the far east side of the city, our views of the mountains are absolutely gorgeous and our commute to the mountains is only 45-55 minutes. Find a place to live within the Denver-Metro area, and plan on driving TO the mountains...you don't have to live IN them.
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