Anywhere but Applewood? (Bye, Berkeley!) (Denver, Lakewood: for sale, houses, neighborhoods)

[leosmama]

Well. My oldest son goes to kindergarten in two years, and I've heard enough horror stories to know my heart can't handle DPS' choice system.

We haven't been keen on the 'burbs in general, mostly because they didn't feel necessary to two East Coast city slickers like us in a city as safe and spread out and friendly and liveable as Denver. Alas, here we are. We've been in Denver for 10 years (5 points, then Cap Hill/Alamo Placita, finally Berkeley for the past 5).

Here's our criteria, we've narrowed it down to Applewood or bust, unless I'm missing something.
-My husband works at Broadway and I-25, no more than 30 min commute at rush
-I'm home now, but was/will possibly again be a Jeffco teacher
-3+ bedrooms, 2.5+ bathrooms for $350k ish
-Proximity to safe parks for the kids
-Proximity to trails for running
-Decent school options
-Backyard!
-Non attached house!
-nothing too "scrubbed" (ie Stapleton)
-politics lean left, it helps if we don't stand out this way
-I hate Highlands Ranch. It freaks me out. I don't know why, I can't put my finger on it. The newness? Nothing HResque

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

You have a lot of choices. I always recommend my old neighborhood -- Cherry Creek Farm -- which is located just east of I-25 and north of Arapahoe Road. Not very many houses listed for sale right now, but there have been sales in your price range.

[leosmama]

Thanks. Most of our friends are still in NW Denver or moving to NW suburbs, how far is it? What school district? Will do some searching!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

It's located adjacent to the Denver Tech Center. Cherry Creek School District. During non-rush hour, we can get to Arvada in 20 minutes.

[VT_CO10]

Maybe the Green Mountain area of Lakewood? Your $350k would go a bit further there than Applewood. I think it fits all the other needs as well.

[vegaspilgrim]

At your price range, Littleton (the actual small city of Littleton) or western Centennial would be my recommendation. These areas are in the Littleton school district. You're looking at older homes (1950s-60s) but great neighborhoods.

[livecontent]

If you are working at I-25 and Broadway, then it is very convenient for you to live in the Western Suburbs. Applewood is a great area and one of my favorite place; but that does mean you cannot extend your search beyond the area around Youngfield and still have the same ambiance. You can go farther east in Wheat Ridge or North in Arvada. You should look south in Lakewood and take into consideration, the new west rail line that is starting operations in April. There will be numerous call-n-rides that will be coming on board that will take you from/to your home and a rail station. All these areas will allow you the added options of having public transit to your job site.

I think the suggestion of living beyond the Denver Tech Center is not good for your husband's commute and future job opportunities in Jeffco Schools. Also, that area is the "scrubbed" areas that you have indicated you do not prefer. You have good experience and knowledge in living in this area and have chosen great areas to live in the past. I think you can easily find what you need in these older suburbs of the west side.

Livecontent

[sbelvedere]

I'd second livecontent's suggestion about expanding your search to the older Wheat Ridge areas in addition to the Applewood area around Youngfield--look around the Crown Hill open space area if you like a nice set of trails with wildlife (there's a bird sanctuary there), and Wheat Ridge High School is right there as well. There's also the Clear Creek greenbelt to the north. Wheat Ridge is rezoning around making 38th between Wadsworth and Sheridan a walkable "downtown" of sorts (see here)--there are already a few new restaurants opening, and judging by some of the crowd I've seen, some of the Berkeley/Highlands energy (youth and money) seems to be leaking westward as the prices rise in those areas within the Denver city limits.

Your $350k should easily grab a 3+ bed/1+ bath house in recently upgraded form. On my block that size of house, recently upgraded, went for $345k, and across the street from it an old house needing to be gutted (kitchens and baths at least) went for something like $270k, so the new owners (who had the money available, presumably from spare downpayment not needed due to the lower price) were able to do a complete renovation. The only *if*, and it's a big one for some people, is if you are able to be comfortable living in a 1-story ranch house with finished basement. The properties in this area are from the 1950s/1960s, with ranches on 0.25 to 0.33+ acre properties (so they are not generally cramped). I was skeptical of ranches at first, but after last summer's heat, I was quite content to have a basement to escape to and no second floor. I'm sure livecontent will concur that ranches of this type also allow one to age gracefully in place, not to mention the excellent location of these western neighborhoods between the upcoming West and Gold lines of RTD.

[petedoty]

For what it is worth, to those who are left leaning ;-) Littleton might offer some good opportunities.
I had some Jeffco teachers 20 plus years ago who did not want to live in the district...they were high school.
I think that may come into your decisions too?

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by sbelvedere

I'd second livecontent's suggestion about expanding your search to the older Wheat Ridge areas in addition to the Applewood area around Youngfield--look around the Crown Hill open space area if you like a nice set of trails with wildlife (there's a bird sanctuary there), and Wheat Ridge High School is right there as well. There's also the Clear Creek greenbelt to the north. Wheat Ridge is rezoning around making 38th between Wadsworth and Sheridan a walkable "downtown" of sorts (see here)--there are already a few new restaurants opening, and judging by some of the crowd I've seen, some of the Berkeley/Highlands energy (youth and money) seems to be leaking westward as the prices rise in those areas within the Denver city limits.

Your $350k should easily grab a 3+ bed/1+ bath house in recently upgraded form. On my block that size of house, recently upgraded, went for $345k, and across the street from it an old house needing to be gutted (kitchens and baths at least) went for something like $270k, so the new owners (who had the money available, presumably from spare downpayment not needed due to the lower price) were able to do a complete renovation. The only *if*, and it's a big one for some people, is if you are able to be comfortable living in a 1-story ranch house with finished basement. The properties in this area are from the 1950s/1960s, with ranches on 0.25 to 0.33+ acre properties (so they are not generally cramped). I was skeptical of ranches at first, but after last summer's heat, I was quite content to have a basement to escape to and no second floor. I'm sure livecontent will concur that ranches of this type also allow one to age gracefully in place, not to mention the excellent location of these western neighborhoods between the upcoming West and Gold lines of RTD.

I agree that a ranch home with a full basement is the best energy efficient home, easier cheaper to keep cool and to heat. Yes, as a senior with severe arthritis, my ranch which I bought new, 27 years ago, allows me to age "gracefully in place". Obviously, the previous generations knew all these issues because there are so many ranches in these older areas when air conditioning was not common.

Livecontent