Larkspur, Colorado (Denver, Highlands Ranch, Parker: house, to buy, theater)

[Skytripper]

Hey DD,

I used to live in the Larkspur area and might be able to provide some insight on the area.
Though, it has been over 8 years since I lived there, I doubt it has changed too much other than more houses (McMansions) have been built.
Larkspur itself is very small.....but not isolated. There's a convenience store/deli, a bar and one or two liquor stores, a railroad track with frequent freight trains.....and EASY access to I-25.....which IS right there.
It is also home to the local Rennaisance Festival every summer with a lot of young, wannabe hippy, travelling gypsies around town for a month or so.
Just west of town are some nice neighborhoods (Sageport), an elementary school and a few miles further west, up against the Rampart Range....lies picturesque.....Perry Park. Very nice area with incredible rock formations and a Golf Club (Perry Park CC).....not sure if its private or semi-private.....but its nice. Most of the homes are on one acre lots and range from 400K - 1,000,000 + in PP. Last I knew.........there are concerns over water (or lack of it) and the number of homes in Perry Park with only one paved road in/out.........of the neighborhood, which was a real concern for Fire/Emergency vehicles......BUT they may have built another road in/out of the neighborhood by now.....I don't know.
A LOT of homes have been built in the area since the early 90s!
It's a fairly short drive to Castle Rock which has grown leaps and bounds in recent years (LOT more ammenities nowadays!) and relatively close to Monument/Black Forest to the south......but Monument Pass (7,300 ft?)....can and does get a bit tricky sometimes in the winter on I-25 if your heading for Colo. Springs.
Either way.......its a decent location if you basically, wish to live halfway between Denver and Co. Springs. and quite a bit more snowfall than Denver/Co. Springs is the case.....along with the occasional mountain lion and bear......with lots of mule deer and some elk and coyotes too.
Hope I could help 'ya.

[BenWolfe]

The excellent post by Skytripper should answer many of your questions, but first a minor correction, the town of Larkspur has water issues, but homes serviced by Perry Park Water & Sanitation (Perry Park, Sage Port, Sterling Pointe) have plenty of water. I have lived in the area for over 5 years and even during the height of the drought we did not have any water restrictions.

I will elaborate regarding my feelings. I'm not an isolationist at all, I am actually quite the opposite. I am a real estate agent so being an isolationist is not a option. I like living here because it feels like the mountains with pine trees (no pine beetle problems) and an interesting terrain, but it is not too remote. From my house to Castle Rock is only 10 minutes, in under 25 minutes I am at Park Meadows and in about 50 minutes I am at DIA or downtown Denver. I am in Sterling Pointe (near Bear Dance Golf Club), if you are coming from Perry Park add about 5 minutes. Several of my neighbors are pilots and fly out of DIA and I have yet to hear one of them complain about the commute.

In my opinion there is something fundamentally wrong with moving to Colorado to live in a planned community that looks just like every other planned community found in every other major city in the country. I moved to Colorado for the mountains, trees and wild life and that is what I found in Larkspur.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by BenWolfe

In my opinion there is something fundamentally wrong with moving to Colorado to live in a planned community that looks just like every other planned community found in every other major city in the country.

Some (a lot) of people like those planned communities. If they didn't nobody would build them. They also make housing a little more affordable because of the efficiencies builders use, kind of like an assembly line. A ball point pen costs $0.19. How much would it cost you to build exactly one?

Also, a planned community (Highlands Ranch, Briargate) in Colorado is still within enjoyment distance of Colorado's nature plus they have close access to jobs, family amenities, a culture of conformity that utilizes CC&Rs to prevent your neighbor from parking his car on the lawn, erecting a 150 foot shortwave radio antenna with a 1000 amplifier, or a painting his house fluorescent purple.

[Skytripper]

No offense regarding your opinion and "Planned" neighborhoods with covenants preventing such a distasteful portrayal of what "could" happen in a "non-planned" development.
But......to be honest with the OP of this thread, from personal experience.....you will NOT find these things in any of the neighborhoods around the Larkspur area!
I am NOT a RE Agent and in no way I am trying to "steer" someone into a particular area for any personal gain whatsoever.
I don't even live in Colorado anymore......although, I would move back.
I am just providing the OP with MY unbiased view of what I know and knew of the Larkspur area when I lived there.

BTW........to Ben, the RE Agent:
I completely forgot about the Beardance GC and the homes near it, but as I recall, that was also a very nice area as well. The drive to DIA is no problem either on I-25 to E-470.......DIA......Hello?! Still remember when E-470 didn't even exist and C-470 was new with hardly a car on it! LOL

To each his own......but IMO, I would MUCH rather live in the Larkspur area ANYDAY.......over the ho hum, blah of Highlands Ranch and MANY other indistinguishable, crammed together, (huge homes on tiny lot neighborhoods of conformity) that abound many of the 'burbs built over the last decade or so in the Denver area!
To actually HAVE some peace, quiet and privacy in a beautiful setting with average lot sizes from 1 to 5 acres....HALFWAY between Denver and Colo. Sprgs. IS better to me.
Just my opinion though......gas expense and commute times may deter many from such a location though.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Skytripper

No offense regarding your opinion and "Planned" neighborhoods with covenants preventing such a distasteful portrayal of what "could" happen in a "non-planned" development.
But......to be honest with the OP of this thread, from personal experience.....you will NOT find these things in any of the neighborhoods around the Larkspur area!

Yes, I know that. I think Larkspur has a bunch of 2-10 acre lots probably with $500K to $2M homes on it. Those ugly photos are representative of where I grew up in the San Fernando Valley in LA. We (my parents) took care of our house but we could get stuck with some jerk (or renters) neighbor whose home looked like those photos. Both my parents and I ended up moving to where that junk isn't allowed. But a lot of people can have a nice community (HL, Briargate) in the $300K range and those properties will hold their values due to the CC&Rs.

[HighlandsGal]

I teach at the middle school in Castle Rock and it seems that the students that live in Larkspur always have a hard time getting here. Why is that? Can the buses not reach there any time there is remotely bad weather?

[BTNS_TX]

[quote=BenWolfe;2526186

In my opinion there is something fundamentally wrong with moving to Colorado to live in a planned community that looks just like every other planned community found in every other major city in the country.

I moved to Colorado for the mountains, trees and wild life . . .[/QUOTE]

So did we. Unfortunately, between other bills, two teenagers (and the upcoming college costs, yikes), and moving into a much more expensive market, the closest we could get to the mountains, trees, and wildlife was a planned community with good schools near our jobs. The houses may look like all the other planned communities, but the view out our back windows reminds us otherwise.

That's enough for now. And I don't there is anything fundamentally wrong with that.

[DenverDude2008]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

[pdth]

Dude, I lived in the Larkspur area for 9 years, leaving just a year ago. I'm in the same boat as you: work from home with occasional trips to DIA. We moved anyway, not because of my commute but because of all the trips my wife had to make to run the kids to their activities. If this isn't a problem for you, I think you will like Larkspur a lot. We love the pine trees and people are very nice except in the most remote parts.

Regarding water, Ben is right, one way to be safe is to live in the Perry Park Water & Sanitation District, but you're also OK with a private well as long as you are away from the aquifer margin. Subdivisions like Douglas Park, Keene Ranch, and Perry Pines are just fine for water. Keene Ranch especially has a good long-term water plan.

HOAs cover most of the area and it's hard to get away from them. They are a 2-edged sword: the neighborhood looks a little nicer, but they are frequently over-bearing.

Pine beetles are starting to appear in the area. You need to spray your trees, not a big deal. We spent about $300/year to keep our 24 pine trees sprayed, and had no problem with the beetles.

[DenverDude2008]

pdth - that's my wife's one concern...the commute for activities. My sons plays Lacrosse and Basketball and Football. Were your kids' activities in Castle Rock or further north? I think we'd plan on them playing in those leagues if they exist.

Is that what you did and are you know living in Denver proper?

(we are considering Castle Rock as well)