New to Colorado searching for a Family friendly area (Denver: rent, house)

[petedoty]

Platte Park is in fact a great neighborhood, however it tends to get absorbed into both DU and Washington Park. And while all three are good, there is also Harvard Park, and Cory Merrill, as well as Bonnie Brae (most expensive), University Park. The price point may be a greater issue, so be prepared!
Schools would be all Denver Public and yes, charter schools are public but almost all have waiting lists.

[Dorthy]

what grade will your child be in next year? There are some new schools popping up for younger grades in Denver.

[CaliRado]

Petedoty: I am still trying to get my head around what neighborhoods all link up together, which ones are more family friendly yet relatively affordable. Right now we can afford top rent of $1250. We prefer to go the Public school route but would like the school to have at least a score of 6 on a popular school grading website (not sure It's allowed to post website name).

Dorothy: Nice to see you checking in on my post again. Thanks for all the neighborhoods you listed in a previous post. It really gave me a great starting point for checking into Denver for a neighborhood that will suite my family. We will be in 1st grade next school year.

[Jamesla30]

I live in Stapleton, and work VERY close to where your husband will be. Feel free to fire away any questions you would like.

[CaliRado]

Jamesla30: Hi & thanks! Feel free to pick & choose which to answer/not answer.

Are all the public elementary schools relatively good?

Which School is your favorite?

Around what is your commute time?

Is it easier to take the streets rather than the hwy?

Is Stapleton diverse as far as socioeconomic & ethnicity?

Would an outsider feel that Stapleton/residents give off a snobby vibe?

If you had to choose again would you pick Stapleton(not only because of commute time)?

PROS/CONS of Stapleton?

Any other neighborhoods comparable to Stapleton in Denver(other than Lowry)?

Best complex to rent at?

Complex rental or private condo/townhouse?

Can I afford to rent there($1250 1bd +den or 2bd)?

Are there many mixed raced couples there?

Are schools still overcrowded like mentioned in older threads?

Most family friendly Stapleton vs Platt Park/Cory Merrill/Park Hill/Virginia Village/Hampden?

Are Visible tattoo's(non-gang related tattoo's) an issue in Stapleton or a danger when in surrounding neighborhoods?

Undesirable areas of Stapleton?

Are there any homes in Northfield or are they building?

Are there any One story homes (not counting basement) single family residences in Stapleton or Northfield?

Am I correct that Northfield is an extension of Stapleton?

OK I know I came up with a bunch thanks for any input really appreciate having an insiders opinion.

Thanks again.

[dude_reino]

If your husband works on Tower and you live in the Highlands, that means he will have to go through the Mousetrap twice a day. I seriously advise against this. It gets old, trust me.

Always live and work on the same side of the Mousetrap, if at ever possible.

[Jamesla30]

See my answers below... I sent you a PM a while ago, feel free to email me if you have any other questions or need advice on anything.

Originally Posted by CaliRado

Jamesla30: Hi & thanks! Feel free to pick & choose which to answer/not answer.

Are all the public elementary schools relatively good? I don't have kids yet, but from what I have seen heard, and read, Stapleton has some of the best schools in Denver.

Which School is your favorite? I wouldn't be able to recommend anything, but again, everything I have heard, read, and seen says Stapleton has some of best schools in Denver. If you decide to move here, you don't need to worry, you will find a very good school easily.

Around what is your commute time? No more than 15 minutes usually. Its awesome.

Is it easier to take the streets rather than the hwy? I work just off of the intersection of I70 and Tower Rd. I-70 is the fastest by faaaaar. Central Park Blvd to I-70 and go east. Piece of cake. Try to take the streets, and it will take you 30 minutes or more.

Is Stapleton diverse as far as socioeconomic & ethnicity? I would like to think so, but if I was honest, not so much.... I don't think "affluent" is the right description (like cherry creek), but the cheapest homes are about $250,000, so you tend to get higher incomes. White families with young children make up the majority of the residents. However, we do have (low) income-based housing mixed in, as well as many gay residents -- so I guess it is more diverse than some affluent and suburban neighborhoods, but also less diverse than most "Denver" neighborhoods. Hope that's not too confusing

Would an outsider feel that Stapleton/residents give off a snobby vibe? No I don't think so... some people assume anyone with a nice car or house is snobby, but most residents here are very social and open-minded.

If you had to choose again would you pick Stapleton (not only because of commute time)? Yes definitely. And I would mention commute time and schools should probably be your biggest deciding factors. Nothing stresses me out more than wasting life sitting in traffic. And of course you want the best for your children.

PROS/CONS of Stapleton? Biggest PRO for us is location... my wife is in school at the Anchutz medical campus, and I work fairly close, so it works out nicely. It is also very close to downtown and the airport. We also love the outdoor parks, trails, and activities Stapleton offers. Cons would be the closeness of the houses, things are definitely packed in -- small yards, no driveways, etc. But the outdoor areas make up for that. Home prices can be quite high too.

Any other neighborhoods comparable to Stapleton in Denver(other than Lowry)? Not really, Stapleton is unique because it was the old aiport that was demolished, so they basically started from scratch.

Best complex to rent at? There is several, just depends on pricing. Check out www.stapletondenver.com -- go to find your home -- rental apartments. Eastbridge Botanica is brand new and looks nice. But really any of them are nice. There is a load of more info on Stapleton too if you haven't researched the website.

Complex rental or private condo/townhouse? Personal preference basically. Rentals are scarce home/condo wise, but can be found.

Can I afford to rent there($1250 1bd +den or 2bd)? You would be slightly on the low end, but can probably find something. I should mention if you can qualify there is some great affordable housing options: Stapleton's Affordable Housing Program | Stapleton Denver the income limits are actually pretty high.

Are there many mixed raced couples there? Don't see too many, but I'm sure they are here.

Are schools still overcrowded like mentioned in older threads? Haven't heard anything like this for Stapleton, but I can't really comment.

Most family friendly Stapleton vs Platt Park/Cory Merrill/Park Hill/Virginia Village/Hampden? Stapleton FOR SURE. They is always events going on for the kids.

Are Visible tattoo's(non-gang related tattoo's) an issue in Stapleton or a danger when in surrounding neighborhoods? Laughed a little at this one Quite simply, no.

Undesirable areas of Stapleton? Stapleton is quite small, and its all desireable. I would say the only undesirable parts would be the houses that literally face across the street out of Stapleton. So the houses on the absolute border of Stapleton.

Are there any homes in Northfield or are they building? This is the next "stage" of Stapleton -- it is starting this year and will explode quickly. This part of Stapleton is going to be called "Conservatory Green". There is a video and all sorts of info on it on the website I mentioned earlier.

Are there any One story homes (not counting basement) single family residences in Stapleton or Northfield? Hmm....honestly there might not be. Since the lots are so small, they have to build up and down to get the space. The lots aren't big enough for ranch homes.

Am I correct that Northfield is an extension of Stapleton? Northfield is the shopping center/entertainment center just north of I-70 across from Stapleton. The Conservatory Green project will technically be the extension of Stapleton. As I said, that is starting very soon and will expand rapidly. As it is now, Stapleton is all south of I-70 -- the expansion will all be north of I70 (Conservatory Green). It will all be considered Stapleton -- but Stapleton is split up into smaller neighborhoods (Central Park West, Eastbridge, Central Park North, South End, Conservatory Green, etc).

OK I know I came up with a bunch thanks for any input really appreciate having an insiders opinion.

Thanks again.

I hope that helps! Again, feel free to email, I don't mind at all!

[CaliRado]

Jamesla30: Wow you answered all of the ?'s Thanks so much for taking the time. It really is a tremendous help. BTW I know the tattoo question is kind of silly but depending on where you live it can be an issue/danger. We've lived in areas before where it was a concern & being approached by gang members because of body art is definitely not fun, neither is being snubbed because of being tattooed.

Well I will be checking out the links you posted & yes I will definitely call upon your knowledge if I can think of any other questions Thanks again!
The FAM & I will have to start venturing closer to Denver to specific neighborhoods. So far I've only been to Taste of Denver, Zengo's & Caribbean breeze north Aurora. You can see the trend, we venture for a night out.

I will keep posting as we narrow down neighborhoods so others can get some insight on their moves to the area.

[CaliRado]

So found this gem...again, this was actually the second time reading it but it definitely stood out more the 2nd go 'round since i have a better grasp on the area than i initially had. Really great thread on family friendly neighborhoods in Denver Proper.

//www.city-data.com/forum/denve...s-park-vs.html

Hope it helps others in my situation. :-)

[Claire S.]

Following up on Jamesla30's well thought out responses:

Speaking of one-story ranches - they do exist, though they may be slightly out of your price range for buying or renting. Rental prices are really steep in Stapleton and you will get a lot more bang for your buck if you buy in that neighborhood.

Many of the single family detached homes built by KB and Wonderland are built on shared courtyards which provides some additional space for the kiddos and pets, but the courtyards tend to come with sub-HOA fees that run between $60-100/month. Think of it as monthly expenses that would have gone to maintaining your own yard/lawn. The master HOA is $38.

Stapleton does have a tax rate that is much higher than the rest of Denver. This has helped pay for some of the nice public spaces and schools.

Let me know if you'd like any additional info about one-story ranches in Stapleton.

Originally Posted by CaliRado

Jamesla30: Hi & thanks! Feel free to pick & choose which to answer/not answer.

Are all the public elementary schools relatively good?

Which School is your favorite?

Around what is your commute time?

Is it easier to take the streets rather than the hwy?

Is Stapleton diverse as far as socioeconomic & ethnicity?

Would an outsider feel that Stapleton/residents give off a snobby vibe?

If you had to choose again would you pick Stapleton(not only because of commute time)?

PROS/CONS of Stapleton?

Any other neighborhoods comparable to Stapleton in Denver(other than Lowry)?

Best complex to rent at?

Complex rental or private condo/townhouse?

Can I afford to rent there($1250 1bd +den or 2bd)?

Are there many mixed raced couples there?

Are schools still overcrowded like mentioned in older threads?

Most family friendly Stapleton vs Platt Park/Cory Merrill/Park Hill/Virginia Village/Hampden?

Are Visible tattoo's(non-gang related tattoo's) an issue in Stapleton or a danger when in surrounding neighborhoods?

Undesirable areas of Stapleton?

Are there any homes in Northfield or are they building?

Are there any One story homes (not counting basement) single family residences in Stapleton or Northfield?

Am I correct that Northfield is an extension of Stapleton?

OK I know I came up with a bunch thanks for any input really appreciate having an insiders opinion.

Thanks again.