I want to live in downtown Denver with 3 kids...no suburbs please....any suggestions on neighborhood?

[buffalobirdie]

I personally wouldn't like Cap Hill unless you really need to buy a house. If a condo is an option (Don't know your price range) Riverfront Park cannot be beat. It is a beautiful condo community right near LODO that feels like a neighborhood. We live here now (renting) and it is amazing. Hate to leave but we bought a great condo in the Central Business District. Riverfront Park is right on a beautifully landscaped park, next to the river and Cherry Creek Path, amazing access to I25... I'm so sad we won't be living right here anymore! If you have children they will have plenty of space to ride bikes etc. There are about 4 or 5 condo buildings and 2 bdrms are around 400k +. You could also do LODO which is the swankiest part of downtown near Union Station (walking distance from Riverfront Park where I just mentioned). Again, pricier but really nice. Denver is not that big, so really any area within the city will be practically walkable to other areas. I just love Riverfront park so much because to me it feels like the best of both worlds: beautiful almost suburban neighborhood walking distance to all the action. Good Luck!

[dlei456]

I live in City Park and it is very close to several schools and very bikeable. Park Hill and Stapleton are also good choices because of their proximity to downtown.

[bikinmikein]

Id reccomend capital hill or the uptown area or a little further south and if you want a more diverse area east colfax and a little north have more diversity. And denver is building 120 miles of light rails through out the whole city and the suburbs and will be completly finished in 2017

I mean this not as a slight, but given your grammar I believe you are speaking from a younger crowd, and the places you have recommended reflect that. Capitol Hill is a neat area, for those just out of or still in college but not a place I would list in the top 10 of places to live given the stated requirements.

However, many areas just at the edges of north and south Capitol Hill do fit the stated criteria.

Also, more as an aside, the chances of the fasttracks project being completed anywhere near to 2017 are highly suspect if not simply an impossibility at this point. The planners put the tracks first and foremost to places which did not make much sense unless you were attempting to appease riders hell bent on moving into the suburbs, my guess is that this was an attempt to sway future votes on what they knew would be coming in terms of asking for additional money. That does not seem to be working very well in the current economic and political environment.

I'm waiting for the Tea Party to come out and call light rail satans transport designed by the government to take our cars away, wait they kind of already have.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Mid America Mom

Moving into NW Denver this month. We had a hard time finding that neighborhood feel where we could walk and not be tied to a car.

Try West Highlands at 38th on the North, 29th on the South
Federal on the east and Sheridan on the West

Farmers Market in Highlands (not West highland but you can walk it) - Highland United Neighbors, Inc. - Highland Farmer's Market

Sunflower Market sounds like it has much in organic food. Located on 38th and wolff- Sunflower Farmers Market ~ Right Choices Right Results ~ Your Local Grocery Store

OH check out the organic delivery service - Door to Door Organics - Serving Colorado with Organic Grocery Delivery of Produce & Organic Food

Denver Public El. School is Edison. They are the site for the highly gifted and talented kids in that area too. There is also Chavez for public charter (space may be an issue since enrollment for next has occurred). These would be less than 1 mile. High school is a different matter which I really cannot speak to since mine are not that age.

Just found out that they have a car share type of thing with a location at 34th and Meade - Locations | e-Go Carshare

and for sharing Bikes go next door to the Highlands- Denver Bikes | Denver Bike Sharing Program | B-Cycle | bcycle.com

Parks not plentiful there but you can go to sloan's lake which is nice.

Food and shops at 32 and Lowell, and its boarders of 38, 29, sheridan, federal.

Houses are more reasonable here than to the east of the river (thinking Congress, Cheesman..)

Good luck!
Mid America Mom

We lived south of there in the Sloan's Lake neighborhood years ago, did not consider it particularly walkable. This was before Sunflower groceries were around. We have a Sunflower in Lafayette now; I like it, but it doesn't have everything, particularly generics or a pharmacy (at least not in Lafayette). We did most of our shopping in Wheat Ridge, Arvada, etc.

[All_Over_Guy]

Originally Posted by bikinmikein

I mean this not as a slight, but given your grammar I believe you are speaking from a younger crowd, and the places you have recommended reflect that. Capitol Hill is a neat area, for those just out of or still in college but not a place I would list in the top 10 of places to live given the stated requirements.

However, many areas just at the edges of north and south Capitol Hill do fit the stated criteria.

Also, more as an aside, the chances of the fasttracks project being completed anywhere near to 2017 are highly suspect if not simply an impossibility at this point. The planners put the tracks first and foremost to places which did not make much sense unless you were attempting to appease riders hell bent on moving into the suburbs, my guess is that this was an attempt to sway future votes on what they knew would be coming in terms of asking for additional money. That does not seem to be working very well in the current economic and political environment.

I'm waiting for the Tea Party to come out and call light rail satans transport designed by the government to take our cars away, wait they kind of already have.

If you want it done before 2020, go here and vote:
http://www3.rtd-denver.com/elbert/ne...ex.cfm?id=1550

And don't tell the Tea Party-ers about this...We want to give the public an option before they brainwash them.

[dlei456]

Originally Posted by Christine Michelle

Wow! I'm shocked to hear that Denver isn't very friendly to a car-free lifestyle. I currently live in a midwestern university town and my neighborhood is very urban with neighborhood schools where my kids walk to school each day. I have access to a wonderful natural foods coop, fantastic farmer's market and a small organic grocery store that is all within 1 mile of my home. I have always wanted to live further west as I'm originally from Cali. I was under the impression that Denver was very "green" with friendly people who are very happy to be living in such a beautiful environment. These are the things that attracted me to Denver. There isn't much natural beauty where I currently live. ;p But, if I'm going to be moving my kids to a new area, I need to be sure that Denver is right for us.

As far as schools are concerned, I prefer to live in a neighborhood where my kids can walk to school. I'd like the school to be diverse, and I'd like it to offer college prep classes in the high school along with honors classes. I don't want to send my kids to a failing school.

I'd like to live in a neighborhood where there is a strong sense of community and you know your neighbors. That is one thing that is really missing from where I currently live.

Thanks so much for the responses!

Oh...one last question...Do you love living in Denver?

Thanks!
Christie

Hi Christie!

I live in North City Park and often bike my 3 year old and 1 year old around. There are lots of families in Park Hill and Stapleton as well. AND there are lots of bike routes. It is easier to go east/west than it is to go north/south via bikes here in Denver.

You should probably look into Washington Park Area...

Schools to look at that fit your neighborhoods. I would look into the following schools: Steele, MckinneyPark Hill, Steck, Carson, Cory, Teller, and Polaris at Ebert (this is the gifted magnet in Denver and your kids will have to test highly gifted to get in, but some times, there are open spots- applications are usually due in December). Stapleton is very family friendly with lots of parks and family focused activities, but it is not as racially diverse.

I feel that Denver is very bike friendly! We live in a small house in North City Park, but we can basically bike everywhere: zoo, Safeway, Nature and Science Museum, parks, libraries, botanical gardens...

Good Luck with your move!

HOWEVER, you will want to consider getting a car, especially in the WINTER. We tend to have plenty of snow which usually melts quickly, but it makes biking more dangerous!

[chandraskye]

Hi Christie,

My husband and I are interested in the downtown lifestyle too. We are also from Southern Cali and both very impressed with what Denver seems to offer to quality of life. Please let me know how much you love it when you move!

Good luck!