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Old 07-20-2007, 10:01 PM
 
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Hi Everyone,
I've just moved to Denver Colorado and after several exhaustive days searching the real estate market, I must say it's been difficult. Prices are really high! I found two very different places I like enough to consider buying - one is in Holly Hills Sub-division just east of I-25 and the other is in the new Bel Mar project in lakewood. Can anyone give me some feedback on these areas -- the good, bad, and the ugly. Thanks!
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Old 03-16-2008, 10:32 AM
naj
 
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Default Holly Hills, Denver

RE: Holly Hills.

It's an awesome neighborhood. Everything is close. Downtown is 10-15 mins. Tech Center is 10 mins. 4 Grocery stores within 2-5 mins; including my favorite, SunFlower Market. Other shopping areas are few mins away. Yale light rail stop is a 10-15 min walk depending on where you live.

The neighborhood is mostly owners - few, if any, rented houses. I would say the average age of the residents skews a little older. There's a good mix of price ranges. Some houses have sold in the upper $400Ks - others sell in the mid $200Ks - I would say on average homes are $320K / 2000 sqft / 9500 sqft lots; depending on whether you want something renovated or in need of renovations.

There are usually not a huge number of homes for sale in Holly Hills and Neighboring Holly Ridge. Why? People just don't want to move.

Some folks might think it's too close to I-25. But I-25 isn't an issue. Maybe if you live to the west of Holly St - but I live 1 block east and don't hear it. It's VERY quite. In fact I love being less than a mile from the Interstate.

The only downside is that the style of homes (Ranch) - aren't the most attractive - and not every home has a basement. If you can get past the exterior - the interiors are quite nice. There are some 2 story/split level homes as well.

Traffic on Yale between I-25 and Monaco can be heavy during rush hour - but it's tolerable.

The only other place I'd rather live would be Cherry Hills Village...if I could afford it.
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Old 03-16-2008, 11:22 AM
 
Location: Chesterfield, MO
386 posts, read 1,687,477 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twinflyer View Post
Hi Everyone,
I've just moved to Denver Colorado and after several exhaustive days searching the real estate market, I must say it's been difficult. Prices are really high! I found two very different places I like enough to consider buying - one is in Holly Hills Sub-division just east of I-25 and the other is in the new Bel Mar project in lakewood. Can anyone give me some feedback on these areas -- the good, bad, and the ugly. Thanks!
Belmar is an urban development project designed to renovate a particularly crime-ridden, depressed part of Lakewood east of Wadsworth. It's very nice--though way overpriced. It's got lots of upscale retail and neat condos. That said...it's in a weird area. I grew up a mile west--in a much better area. Wadsworth is kinda like "the other side of the tracks" and Belmar is Lakewood's attempt at erasing that boundary. So far, it's not working--though Belmar remains very attractive and continues to grow. So...it may just be that Belmar is a cool gem in a bubble of a so-so neighborhood.

I don't know a thing about Holly Hills. Does it have to be new urbanism? If you're open to just regular old suburbia, check out Green Mtn, just west of Belmar or parts of Littleton. Maybe a little more bland--but bland usually equates to liveable in Denver so....check it out.
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Old 03-16-2008, 07:49 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
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I agree with most of what WestCoDude said about BelMar. I was definitely NOT impressed with it when I finally saw it after all the hoopla. It was even written up in Newsweek. The surrounding area is 50-60 yr old tract houses. I wouldn't pay a premium to live there.
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Old 03-16-2008, 09:00 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO
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I think you will see better potential resale value in Holly Hills simply b/c of location. I am looking "around" that area- Southmoor Vista, Cherry Hills Heights and I have now lost 4 homes in the matter of 2 weeks. All went under contract in 2-3 days. Things seem to ber still doing very well in SE Denver.
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Old 03-16-2008, 10:59 PM
 
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Originally Posted by dj32 View Post
I think you will see better potential resale value in Holly Hills simply b/c of location. I am looking "around" that area- Southmoor Vista, Cherry Hills Heights and I have now lost 4 homes in the matter of 2 weeks. All went under contract in 2-3 days. Things seem to ber still doing very well in SE Denver.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WestCoDude View Post
Belmar is an urban development project designed to renovate a particularly crime-ridden, depressed part of Lakewood east of Wadsworth. It's very nice--though way overpriced. It's got lots of upscale retail and neat condos. That said...it's in a weird area. I grew up a mile west--in a much better area. Wadsworth is kinda like "the other side of the tracks" and Belmar is Lakewood's attempt at erasing that boundary. So far, it's not working--though Belmar remains very attractive and continues to grow. So...it may just be that Belmar is a cool gem in a bubble of a so-so neighborhood...

I do not agree totally with this assessment of the Belmar Redevelopment. It was not a particularly real bad crime ridden area. However, you are correct that it is an attempt to erase some of the bad boundaries east of Belmar and stimulate growth in the area--but I never consider it bad--only when you get into Denver--east of Sheridan. However, I do think there have been some positive changes in the areas.

I agree, It is overpriced but there are many nice homes near this area that can take advantage of the development near Wadsworth and Alameda--especially in the area where you grew up, west. Going west of on Alameda and South of Garrison there are some nice homes and large parks. Close by going west on Alameda, you will run into the development that will occur around the Federal Center with the building of the new St. Anthony Hospital and the arrival of a light rail at the Colds Springs Park and Ride. In addition, across the street from Belmar is the redevelopment of the area for the Westminster City Center and Belmar Park.

I remember Tally Ho Restaurant as the place where all the proms were held on the northwest corner of Alameda and Wadsworth--I sort of liked that place--it is no more.

Livecontent
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Old 03-16-2008, 11:17 PM
 
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Holly Hills is a good area. Its main advantage is location -- it's pretty close to everything. There's been some other posts around there. Nearby Southmoor and University Hills are nice areas as well. As you probably know, it is NOT in Denver city limits, which does have some advantages. It is Cherry Creek Schools, though the neighboring DPS schools are largely at least as good, if not better.

Belmar is a neat experiment, and I admire a number of the things they've done. It is truly mixed-use, and I'd like to see a dozen "Belmars" built around light rail stations as well as other places -- there's clearly a demand for residential/retail/office mixed-use development. My big complaint with it from an urban planning perspective is that it's poorly connected with the surrounding neighborhoods. Wadsworth and Alameda are both big pedestrian barriers on two sides, and on the east and south, there seems to be poor connectivity by design. Nevertheless, I would seriously look into some of the houses or townhomes right around Belmar (but not part of the development) -- seems that you could probably get all the advantages of living in Belmar at a fraction of the price.
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Old 03-16-2008, 11:21 PM
 
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Originally Posted by Katiana View Post
I agree with most of what WestCoDude said about BelMar. I was definitely NOT impressed with it when I finally saw it after all the hoopla. It was even written up in Newsweek. The surrounding area is 50-60 yr old tract houses. I wouldn't pay a premium to live there.
This is not totally, correct. You need to spend more time and look at the area more thoroughly, Though I agree, that I think Belmar development itself is over-hyped, but the area around the development is very nice and getting better.

I have been around that area for many years--as I have relatives who live close by and I have seen the changes and I am very familiar with the neighborhoods.

There is a diversified housing stock around this area that includes, not only track home (some are very nice and well built) but large unique housing. In addition, in the Villa Italia Days there were significant condos built south to thake advantage of the amenities of Villa Italia and the King Soopers to the South. I was sorry to see Villa Italia destroyed as it provided a great walkable area with good basic shopping, Montgomery Wards, Penny's, and the King Soopers to the south. In addition, on the east of Villa was the business library on of Jeffco Library. Now there is a big new library across the street in the Lakewood City Center Complex with new shopping, the relocated King Soopers, and a beautiful park with a cultural center.

In addition, there are mixed home developments south of Wadsworth, west of Wadsworth--and north of Alameda that do not fit your descriptions.

In addition the area is well served by public transit with a transit center in the middle of the Lakewood City Center and buses move through belmar across the street.

I would live in the vicinity of this intersection of Alameda and Wadsworth because of the public transportation and shopping advantages that are available and wil be available when light rail comes to Lakewood. In addition there a major Kaiser Facilty nearby that is opened 7 days a weeks--for urgent medical care.

Livecontent
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Old 03-16-2008, 11:28 PM
 
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I have spend some time looking over the holly hills neighborhood because it is near the Yale Commuter Rail Station which interest me. I think it is a good area with nice potential. I like the area west of the highway on Yale because it is more accessible to the station and it is closer to shopping and transportation on Colorado, in the University Hills area.

Livcontent
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Old 03-17-2008, 09:58 AM
 
Location: Chesterfield, MO
386 posts, read 1,687,477 times
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The reason they tore down the Villa Italia mall--after coercing Lakewood tax payers to vote for urban renewal which was supposed to be used to rennovate the mall, not tear it down--was that it was full of gangs. The Latino presence is very high around Belmar and there is a lot of gang activity. If you want to live there, livecontent, have at it. But for my family....I'm going to Belmar to skate and shop. But I wouldn't live there or anywhere near there unless it's west of wadsworth.....
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