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I agree with mic111. There are plenty of places lots closer to the DTC that have easy access to outdoor activities. You could live in my old neighborhood near Orchard and Havana and walk to work (yes, it's very safe) quicker than that long commute by either car or light rail from Lakewood. There are many greenbelts and hiking/biking trails throughout the area, and it is very close to Cherry Creek State Park which provides miles of hiking/biking. We even see wildlife there (deer, owls).
What price range are you looking at? Are good schools important?
Schools are very important but I recognize schools change and my son is only 3 months. Housing prices are hard to pin down given the variability in property tax, insurance, potential HOA, and interest rate. Nevertheless I am very risk averse and I would not want to go over $550k. I would really like to be close to the mountains and have something as marvelous looking as green mountain to bike to and up. I am also into tennis, as a beginner, and was looking at wash park which seems similar to where I live now but with actual houses. Last but not least my wife works in government and I would want her to be close in to Denver commute wise (I am probably wrong but I have this suspicion that Denver was set up to replace DC in case of disaster.
I think the huge thing for me would be proximity to mountains that we can experience, something we don't have in proximity here.
Denver is in a bowl with the surrounding suburbs higher in elevation than Denver - so there are mountain views to be had in the suburbs. Denver's elevation 5280, mountains 14,000 + You can see them when they want to be seen in your every day life.
You will be pleased with what you can afford here. But if you think you can work in the Tech Center & your wife at the Federal Center and bike up green mountain after work, you are in for a disappointment.
Ok, so your price range is $550,000 max, and schools don't matter because you'll move before your kid will go to school. Actually, schools do not change like you think, considering the good reputation that Cherry Creek Schools has had for many years and considering that people in that district keep voting affirmative on bond issues.
Then your next criteria is that you want to be close to the mountains that you can "experience". There are a ton of bike trails in the foothills, but it still would be a drive to get to them. I doubt that you are going to want to experience the mountains every day after working all day and commuting for over an hour each way. However, there are many areas and communities that have bike trails either running through them or nearby, so having those where you live (and not having an hour plus commute) would be a lot more convenient for your daily after work ride. In your price range you should have plenty of choices for a great house that's better located for both of your jobs.
If you are absolutely set on living in Green Mountain, then I think your questions have been answered.
Denver is in a bowl with the surrounding suburbs higher in elevation than Denver - so there are mountain views to be had in the suburbs. Denver's elevation 5280, mountains 14,000 + You can see them when they want to be seen in your every day life.
You will be pleased with what you can afford here. But if you think you can work in the Tech Center & your wife at the Federal Center and bike up green mountain after work, you are in for a disappointment.
Come visit.
I could not agree more on the visit part. We are slated for a vacation there in March. I am not sure my wife would be at the federal center. She spends more time on legislation so we were thinking the Capitol for work. I don't really want just a view. I could move to the burbs here for a view of things in the distance. Denver has many assets but I am particularly interested in the outdoors part. I would really want to be able to get out and experience that while being close enough to see Denver. A commute three times a week should give me a leg up on getting out into the outdoors surely? Thank you so much for taking the time to give advice!
I'll give you my experiences as a reference. I lived near Arapahoe and Quebec. A stone's throw from your work. In the summer every Sat. and Sun. I got up at the crack of dawn and went for a hike in the foothills. I regularly hit all the Jefferson County Open Space parks. They are fabulous. If you get a chance hike around the top of Mount Falcon and make sure you check out Deer Creek Canyon. Two of my favorite close in locations. http://jeffco.us/jeffco/openspace_up...ap_outline.pdf
You have to do it at the crack of dawn because otherwise it is too hot in the summer. I could easily be back by 11 a.m. and still have lunch out with friends. Sometimes in the summer if I got off early I would go after work. It stays light till about 9 so easy to do in daylight.
In the winter, on weekends, I could go at any time during the day. Easy drive there. Great experience. Easy drive back or maybe have a meal in Morrison. In the winter it is dark by 5 p.m. So I wouldn't go after work in the winter.
When I was training for a triathlon we did bicycling after work at Cherry Creek State Park often. There was a group of us from my office so we all went together. We also swam at Chatfield Reservoir, DU, and recreation centers.
I was walking distance to 5 grocery stores (my walking range is a little further than most). Although there was one across the street from my neighborhood. Also had numerous restaurants, an auto repair place, post office etc. within walking distance.
I walked to work all the time. Although in summer when the afternoon thunderstorms rolled in sometimes I had to wait till they cleared which was about 6 p.m. before walking home.
If you build in a commute of 9 hrs per week (assume 1.5 hrs each way for 3 days per week) that is 9 hours you spend getting to and from work when you could be doing something else like spending time with your family or getting your workouts in. You can easily live in the DTC and still spend plenty of time riding your bike at the Jeffco parks, hiking with your family and enjoying the outdoors. Think about it. 9 hrs per week is a full work day. One of the wonderful things about Colorado is the availability of good housing near most jobs and the availability or outdoor recreation everywhere. You don't want to give yourself a stressful long commute and miss time with your family when you don't need to.
For your wife's job the light rail is right there. Walking or biking would be easy. I used to walk to a breakfast restaurant all the time that was where one of the stations is.
Ok, so your price range is $550,000 max, and schools don't matter because you'll move before your kid will go to school. Actually, schools do not change like you think, considering the good reputation that Cherry Creek Schools has had for many years and considering that people in that district keep voting affirmative on bond issues.
Then your next criteria is that you want to be close to the mountains that you can "experience". There are a ton of bike trails in the foothills, but it still would be a drive to get to them. I doubt that you are going to want to experience the mountains every day after working all day and commuting for over an hour each way. However, there are many areas and communities that have bike trails either running through them or nearby, so having those where you live (and not having an hour plus commute) would be a lot more convenient for your daily after work ride. In your price range you should have plenty of choices for a great house that's better located for both of your jobs.
If you are absolutely set on living in Green Mountain, then I think your questions have been answered.
Thanks! I would not want you to think I am stuck on Green Mountain at all. I am definitely open to anywhere that has similar amenities with an easy drive into the mountains. Also within commuting distance of downtown for my wife's potential work. I know everything requires compromise and cherry creek state park does look interesting Is it swim able or boat able?
I'll give you my experiences as a reference. I lived near Arapahoe and Quebec. A stone's throw from your work. In the summer every Sat. and Sun. I got up at the crack of dawn and went for a hike in the foothills. I regularly hit all the Jefferson County Open Space parks. They are fabulous. If you get a chance hike around the top of Mount Falcon and make sure you check out Deer Creek Canyon. Two of my favorite close in locations. http://jeffco.us/jeffco/openspace_up...ap_outline.pdf
You have to do it at the crack of dawn because otherwise it is too hot in the summer. I could easily be back by 11 a.m. and still have lunch out with friends. Sometimes in the summer if I got off early I would go after work. It stays light till about 9 so easy to do in daylight.
In the winter, on weekends, I could go at any time during the day. Easy drive there. Great experience. Easy drive back or maybe have a meal in Morrison. In the winter it is dark by 5 p.m. So I wouldn't go after work in the winter.
When I was training for a triathlon we did bicycling after work at Cherry Creek State Park often. There was a group of us from my office so we all went together. We also swam at Chatfield Reservoir, DU, and recreation centers.
I was walking distance to 5 grocery stores (my walking range is a little further than most). Although there was one across the street from my neighborhood. Also had numerous restaurants, an auto repair place, post office etc. within walking distance.
I walked to work all the time. Although in summer when the afternoon thunderstorms rolled in sometimes I had to wait till they cleared which was about 6 p.m. before walking home.
If you build in a commute of 9 hrs per week (assume 1.5 hrs each way for 3 days per week) that is 9 hours you spend getting to and from work when you could be doing something else like spending time with your family or getting your workouts in. You can easily live in the DTC and still spend plenty of time riding your bike at the Jeffco parks, hiking with your family and enjoying the outdoors. Think about it. 9 hrs per week is a full work day. One of the wonderful things about Colorado is the availability of good housing near most jobs and the availability or outdoor recreation everywhere. You don't want to give yourself a stressful long commute and miss time with your family when you don't need to.
For your wife's job the light rail is right there. Walking or biking would be easy. I used to walk to a breakfast restaurant all the time that was where one of the stations is.
You had me at walkable neighborhood and walking home dodging summer thunderstorms. I could actually smell that walk as weird as that sounds. Really well written and I plan on visiting Arapahoe and Quebec.
You know I think you got through how interconnected it is out there. I am so used to the idea of having to spend an hour escaping New York through heavy traffic and then another hour driving past the burbs before experiencing real nature.
However, there are loads of good neighborhoods in that area at many different price points. I chose the one I did because it had a house I liked but I had put in offers on a couple of other houses in other neighborhoods before buying the one I did. I didn't realize it but the neighborhood elementary was very well rated so the neighborhood kept going up in value the 7 yrs I lived there and has risen quite a bit since then. Many of the houses have private pool clubs (where something like 30 houses share a pool). Mine was not but again I wasn't aware they even had that when I bought. I liked the floor plan and the lot. The homes were not set back-to-back but were off centered so I looked between the two homes behind me. That and the mature landscaping made the yard nice and private. I even had a little mountain view from my family room window. The back of the house had a wall of windows so I liked that also. After living there I found I really like the people in the neighborhood. Nice sensible people and not keep up with the Joneses types.
They do allow swimming in the summer but I don't recommend it. Denver doesn't have enough rainfall so when we do get some the e-coli counts go sky high. Most reservoir swimming in the Denver area is disgusting (my opinion) and I only did it when triathlon training so that I could learn to sight in open water. A few hours after the last time I swam there they had a raw sewage leak that close swimming for about a week. But there are rec. centers everywhere so you can find an indoor pool.
They do allow swimming in the summer but I don't recommend it. Denver doesn't have enough rainfall so when we do get some the e-coli counts go sky high. Most reservoir swimming in the Denver area is disgusting (my opinion) and I only did it when triathlon training so that I could learn to sight in open water. A few hours after the last time I swam there they had a raw sewage leak that close swimming for about a week. But there are rec. centers everywhere so you can find an indoor pool.
Forgot to include the boat link. Click on the Marina tab. Cherry Creek Marina
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