where to live if working in Boulder w/ kids?

[michele2714]

We looked in Erie, too - until we saw the huge landfill.... it's very close to Vista Ridge...gross! and then there's all the gas wells and drills going up next to homes... and we read many complaints about the Erie schools... and the St Vrain district as a whole just did not offer a whole lot - and didn't have the sports our kids play...
We are moving to Broomfield - Red Leaf - the Legacy HS / Adams five star side, not Boulder Valley Schools side, which was our original choice --- but after meeting people in the area, Legacy HS seems great...You just can't decide on a school until you see it in person, talk to people whose children attend, etc... We actually checked out Broomfield last - after Erie, Louisville, Superior, Longmont --- at the suggestion of our real estate agent and some local people we met - and we just loved it!
Some developments in Broomfield to check out - Highland Park (Boulder Valley Schools, re-sale homes), Willow Park (re-sale homes), and, of course, Red Leaf!

[gobears]

Thank you so much for your response! Landfills....yuck....I've read so many good things about Broomfield, good luck!! Does Redleaf have a pool? I have seen some homes online there. Are they still building in that community? How can you tell which school district is better?

[kicksavedave]

Go Bears, I just returned from a long weekend scouting the areas you are looking in. We searched Longmont, Boulder, Erie, Niwot, Firestone/Frederick, Dacono, Broomfield. We focused on Erie because of a few things. One is that its central to our jobs - Mine would be in Thornton and hers in Longmont. Another is that the realtor told us that amongst many of those towns we listed, Erie seems to be the most "up and coming" of them, yet still affordable. More housing starts, more commercial development. There is a new restaurant row coming soon, new library coming soon, new community center, etc.

Here's a summary of what I saw from a few days driving around those towns.

First off, except for Boulder the city, all of these towns will seem like total farm land compared to Naperville. I lived in Wesmont IL and worked in Naperville once, so I know that area. Erie and all those towns around it are farms and open space, with planned communities popping up all around, yet still scattered farenough apart that there is tons of wide open space all over. You can just feel that this is an area which will sprawl and grow over the next 20 some years, there is just so much open land that will eventually succumb to development.

Next, the planned communites range from very thoroughly planned and landscaped, to just simple housing tracts with a tiny tot lot in the middle. Many of them have bike trails, only some have pools. If you're into aviation (which I am) you can find land on the airport in Erie where you can develop a custom house, build a hanger, and live in a fly in community, all still 30 minutes from downtown Denver.

I didn't see the landfill, nor smell it, but there are a few, scattered drilling wells here and there. And also lots of farms with cows, horses, and some buffalo too. If you like farms, you'll find some great areas. If you don't, then you can also probably avoid them as well.

I noticed most all the activity and growth seems to be west of I-25, so Firestone, Frederick and Dacono all seemed much smaller, more sparse, father away and behind the growth curve compared to Erie, Broomfield, Longmont, etc. I got the advice to "stay west of the 25" from several people, so I'll jsut pass it on. I'd say that advice is also reflected in the home prices - less stuff equals lower prices, and that's what you'll find in Firestone/Frederick/Dacono, all east of I-25.

All those towns put you about 15-20 minutes from downtown Boulder, and from Westminster on Rt 36, which puts you 15-20 minutes from tons of dining options.... just don't expect to find lots of dining choices out in Erie, Longmont, Niwot, etc. They are "growing" but still fairly rural.

Housing prices ranged from $250K to $1M, but for the $350 you are looking for, you can find new constuction in a tracrt development, or a decent resale in most any area you are looking, except Boulder city.

Finally, about Schools. I was told Boulder Schools are better than Weld or some of the others... however, the Boulder county line runs north and south right through the middle of Erie, so be careful... In Erie, you can drive 1 minute and change school districs and tax rates.

Hope this helps... I know my wife loved the area and wants to move tomorrow. I on the other hand, am having a hard time leaving San Diego for the farms of those northern suburbs...

[Micktooth]

My family and I moved to Louisville just south of Boulder last June. We absolutely love it. It was recently named one of the best places in the country to raise a family. Our daughter has special needs and we like the Boulder Valley School system. The town of Superior is just across the highway and it is nice as well. It's only about a 10-15 min drive into Boulder. Just thought you might want to look into Louisville.

[Tasker]

Does anyone have the name of a good realtor that you can recommend from personal experience? We are moving from VA to the Boulder/Louisville area in the next month or so and would like to have someone to scout some homes for us. I don't want to just grab a name off realtor.com. Thank you so much.

[dj32]

wonder if gobears ever moved? I always wonder about some of these stories....

Tasker- there are several realtors on this forum, I'm sure you can get some help from them through a PM. Hey, and per the above, please make sure to update us on where you end up living!!!