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Old 01-31-2016, 08:24 AM
 
2 posts, read 4,814 times
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My husband, young son, and I are planning to move to the Denver/Boulder area in 2017. My husband will be working in Boulder, and we're looking into places to live that would be a reasonable commute. We'd like a place with decent school options and some walkability (a few restaurants or a coffee shop, etc within walking distance would be great). We've lived on the east coast without a car for 10 years, so not sure we could handle having to drive everywhere all the time. Is northwest Denver too far of a commute? Longmont? Thanks for any insight!
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Old 01-31-2016, 09:32 AM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
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You are going to need a car. Maybe two.
Northwest Denver (where I live) is too far away from Boulder.
Longmont is OK.
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Old 01-31-2016, 11:35 AM
 
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There are loads of areas. Rent or buy? Budget?
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Old 01-31-2016, 04:23 PM
 
2 posts, read 4,814 times
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We plan to have cars. We're just hoping to find a neighborhood or town with a walkable retail area rather than a more car-centric retail strip.

Planning to buy, but may rent first while we get to know the area.

Our budget is about $400k
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Old 01-31-2016, 04:38 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,705 posts, read 29,796,003 times
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Longmont.
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Old 01-31-2016, 05:06 PM
 
Location: Old Town Longmont
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Colorado is very car-centric as everything is quite spread out. That said, come check out Old Town Longmont. Lots of walkabilty with a nice downtown. More coffee shops than you could need, restaurants, breweries, post office, library. You will need to drive to grocery shop however.
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Old 01-31-2016, 06:10 PM
 
3,125 posts, read 5,045,940 times
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I'm going to assume "decent school options" trump "walkable retail area". If my assumption is correct then you likely have a null set at that price point. Walkability is a premium feature, commuting distance to Boulder is a premium feature. $400K is likely too low to get those two plus good schools.

Should downtown Longmont schools appeal here is a house at your price point:
417 Emery St, Longmont, CO 80501 | MLS #2996953 | Zillow

Here is one for downtown Lafayette which is walkable but be sure you like the schools:
http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale...t/13_zm/0_mmm/

Here is where you need to be price wise to move up to good schools with a walkable cute downtown. It is a little bit of a hike but that is where you want to be because if you get too close you get the noise from the bars/restaurants/patrons.
http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale...t/13_zm/0_mmm/

Another option is to go with a row home in Bradburn. The walk-ability is to alot of stuff but the retail/restaurants are more suburban strip mall in nature than the above old towns. Still you can walk if you want to because it is all super close. The schools are excellent.
http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale...t/13_zm/0_mmm/
They have apartments that you can rent there to try out the area. http://www.bradburnrowapts.com/westm...ow-apartments/

Last edited by mic111; 01-31-2016 at 06:33 PM..
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Old 02-01-2016, 07:07 AM
 
2,289 posts, read 2,943,582 times
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Why not Boulder?
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Old 02-01-2016, 09:08 AM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,297 posts, read 120,694,120 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mic111 View Post
I'm going to assume "decent school options" trump "walkable retail area". If my assumption is correct then you likely have a null set at that price point. Walkability is a premium feature, commuting distance to Boulder is a premium feature. $400K is likely too low to get those two plus good schools.

Should downtown Longmont schools appeal here is a house at your price point:
417 Emery St, Longmont, CO 80501 | MLS #2996953 | Zillow

Here is one for downtown Lafayette which is walkable but be sure you like the schools:
209 E Geneseo St, Lafayette, CO 80026 | MLS #782554 | Zillow

Here is where you need to be price wise to move up to good schools with a walkable cute downtown. It is a little bit of a hike but that is where you want to be because if you get too close you get the noise from the bars/restaurants/patrons.
112 Aline St, Louisville, CO 80027 | MLS #782124 | Zillow

Another option is to go with a row home in Bradburn. The walk-ability is to alot of stuff but the retail/restaurants are more suburban strip mall in nature than the above old towns. Still you can walk if you want to because it is all super close. The schools are excellent.
4181 W 118th Pl, Westminster, CO 80031 | MLS #2939628 | Zillow
They have apartments that you can rent there to try out the area. Westminster Apartments | Floor Plans | Bradburn Row
There is nothing "bad" about Lafayette's schools. They are part of Boulder Valley SD. I don't get all worked up about school rankings, etc, but BVSD does have a better rep than Adams 12, which is Bradburn's district, and St. Vrain (Longmont). I mean if you going to diss Lafayette...
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Old 02-01-2016, 09:36 AM
 
3,125 posts, read 5,045,940 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt View Post
There is nothing "bad" about Lafayette's schools. They are part of Boulder Valley SD. I don't get all worked up about school rankings, etc, but BVSD does have a better rep than Adams 12, which is Bradburn's district, and St. Vrain (Longmont). I mean if you going to diss Lafayette...
Not too many people who are looking for good schools will be happy with a 3,6,6 (the Lafayette house elementary,middle,high) when they could get a 9,9,8 (elem, middle, high) in Westminster if schools are a priority.

I am not dissing Lafayette. I am simply tailoring my answer to the OPs requested parameters. One of which was schools.
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