Less expensive alternative to Boulder (Denver, Colorado Springs: rental, hotel, homes)

[cityofdenver]

Boulder is perfect. Good place to raise a family, lots of outdoors/nature to enjoy, reasonable commute to Denver, but still has lots of stuff to do locally, culture and character (not cookie-cutter architecture)....but, it's just too expensive. What is the best alternative? Golden? Arvada? Littleton? BTW we liked but have already ruled out Highlands (not enough affordable homes with a yard) and Wash Park (too expensive). We are a married couple with two kids. I am a stay at home mom and would like a place that has other stay at home moms. Interests include eating organic/locally, farmer's markets and other things involving our kids and the outdoors.

[Mike from back east]

Where does the wage earner work. Location is key to that.

[smdensbcs]

Originally Posted by cityofdenver

We are a married couple with two kids. I am a stay at home mom and would like a place that has other stay at home moms. Interests include eating organic/locally, farmer's markets and other things involving our kids and the outdoors.

You've just described our neighborhood in the SW part of Colorado Springs to a "T" (in the foothills north of the Broadmoor Hotel). Homes around here range from high $100's through $1 Million+ (depending on how high up the hill one must be), with an average range for a spacious, reasonably updated home in the $250K-$350K range. The local school district (D12) consistently has the highest academic ranking in Colorado (based on CSAP scores). Many stay at home parents (Mom's AND Dad's actually, though not generally both from the same family, unless there's some independent wealth going on ). Almost no traffic. It's ridiculously nice. Though if one absolutely must work in Denver, I'd not make the commute. A big part of the benefit of living here is the 10-12 minute daily commute downtown. Boulder is overpriced, for what it is.

[cityofdenver]

My husband will be working in Denver (close, but not right in downtown).

smdensbcs- We are relocating from Woodland Park. I am familiar with the area of which you speak, which is indeed fitting to our needs, but too far of a daily commute. We need to be much closer to Denver (30 or so minutes of less of downtown would be ideal).

Thank you!

[Mike from back east]

There are towns near Boulder that may work for you (Louisville, Lafayette, Longmost, Niwot, Superior, etc) as well as places along the Hwy 36 corridor (e.g., Westminster). We have a lot of threads on these towns, just use the search tool to find them.

[livecontent]

I have written much on Arvada and its amenities and it would be difficult to repeat myself, it will work just great--just do a search on my name and keyword "Arvada", another area would be "Wheat Ridge and "Applewood". However, these areas are not a close replication of Boulder.

As you already know, a great alternative the Boulder is Denver. What you are neglecting, considering you wants and desire, is the area around Denver University, which gives you many of the same vibes, cultural amenities of of the University in Boulder with good walkable neighborhoods of those kind of stores, shops that the area of a University attracts. I actually really like this area, much more than many parts of Boulder,, because it is does not attract so many of that kind of potentially dangerous people who are attracted to, and hang around a University, like Boulder. That is just my opinion.

I would look even South and Southeast of the University from Downing to the West, Evans to the North, Dartmouth to the South, and past Colorado to the Highway north and south of Yale. These neighborhoods which include University, University Park, University Hills and Wellshire are some of the best and the safest neighborhoods in Denver. They have great variety of homes with good parks.

In addition, these areas have excellent public transit to Downtown Denver, on the Southeast Corridor Rail Line.

Livecontent

[cityofdenver]

Thank you so much! I am so excited to check these areas out. I had all but given up on Denver because I was having trouble finding what I was looking for, but the University area looks promising! I do know that we will need somewhat of a yard. My husband is a very avid barbeque guy and would die without enough space for his huge grill and patio furniture. But, if we could get that and walkable together it would be heaven for both of us!

[2bindenver]

What would be the price range or the budget for a rental?

There are neighborhoods for you in Denver.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by cityofdenver

Thank you so much! I am so excited to check these areas out. I had all but given up on Denver because I was having trouble finding what I was looking for, but the University area looks promising! I do know that we will need somewhat of a yard. My husband is a very avid barbeque guy and would die without enough space for his huge grill and patio furniture. But, if we could get that and walkable together it would be heaven for both of us!

You will find many places with larger yards in this area. The area is not as old as other neighborhoods in Denver. At one time, this area was considered the suburbs within the City of Denver. The University Hills Plaza was the a big shopping area for homes built around in the 1950s. It was located at Colorado and Yale and was still opened when I came here, 33 yrs. ago. Ahhh, it had this great Jewish Deli. It has since been redeveloped. I find the areas just north of University Hills interesting (Virginia Village) as comforting. It all reminds me when I was growing up in the 1950s.

I have been through these areas, I have described in my previous posts, often, and I have noticed many different homes with larger lots. If you go south, along Hampden, you will find much newer homes that were built about the late 1960s and early 1970s and still in Denver. So, Denver has many areas that go from dense Urban to less dense to areas that look very much suburban.

I can easily live in the area. I could live on South Downing, near Porter Hospital. I like areas even farther west, toward Broadway, near Harvard Gulch Park (Rosedale)-older, less expensive and nearby much older areas off Broadway but up from Englewood which I find also appealing.

Gee, I think I am getting myself convinced to move to this area.

Livecontent

[cityofdenver]

We are looking at a rental budget of under $2,000/mo.