Got the job! Now - where to live? (Denver, Westminster: real estate, sublease)

[samananana]

After what turned out to be the fastest hiring process I've ever experienced, I got a job in the Denver area. I'll be working in Westminster, near the intersection of Huron St. and W 136th Ave. I'm really excited for the move and ready to experience something new. I start my new job on August 14, but unfortunately, I won't be able to relocate to the area until August 12. This doesn't leave me much time to get things situated before I begin working, but the plan is to figure out as much as possible before actually arriving and taking care of everything else as it comes.

Now that I have some more specifics on our situation, I thought I'd ask a few more questions on here. I've read through the forums and numerous other resources online but, for some reason, am having a hard time sorting through all the information I find about the different neighborhoods around Denver.

I'm moving to the area with my boyfriend. We're both in our early twenties. No children, no pets (although we may get a large dog in the future). We love craft beer, bar trivia, local restaurants, and spending time outdoors - one of the main reasons we're moving to the area, really.

We're looking for a house or an apartment - house preferably, but either one works! One or two bedrooms. We're only hoping to spend around $1000 a month, since he likely won't have a job when we first arrive. I'd love to live somewhere within walking distance of local bars, restaurants, and shops. Since my boyfriend isn't sure where he'll be working yet, I'd like to stay somewhere where the commute to either Denver or Boulder wouldn't be too terrible.

- Since my job is located in Westminster, I'm considering just living there. Any opinions on the area? Is it nice? Expensive? Boring? Older families or younger people? Lots of traffic? Is there anything that the area is particularly known for?

- Are there any other neighborhoods that you'd recommend that meet the criteria above?

- Is renting a place a time-consuming process, or can it happen within the span of a couple of days? Where I live, there's so much housing for rent that you can walk into a place, sign a lease, and move in within 24 hours. Is this the case in Denver? Or should we expect to get a hotel room or sublease for the first week or two?

- We're not bringing any furniture with us - we're getting rid of almost everything before the move. Aside from Craigslist, do you have any suggestion on affordable ways to get furniture? Are there any great thrift shops around town that carry sofas, tables, etc?

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by samananana

We're looking for a house or an apartment - house preferably, but either one works! One or two bedrooms. We're only hoping to spend around $1000 a month...
Where I live, there's so much housing for rent that you can walk into a place, sign a lease, and move in within 24 hours.

1. Padmapper.com
2. $1000 seems low to me for a house of any kind.
3. You won't be happy with Colorado Division of Housing: vacancy surveys "Vacancies in single-family homes and townhouses drop to near zero "
and
Vacancies fall, rents rise | Inside Real Estate News

[Katarina Witt]

Westminster is suburban. Lots of families with kids. It also has a lot of park and open space land, plenty of shopping, and, as my son-in-law who lives there likes to say, "every chain restaurant known to humanity". $1000 is cheap for a house; my daughter and the above pay more than that for a 2 BR townhouse there.

[samananana]

Yikes. Well, in that case, we'll have to reevaluate our budget. Not the end of the world though!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by samananana

Yikes. Well, in that case, we'll have to reevaluate our budget. Not the end of the world though!

PS: Congrats on the job!

[SkyDog77]

Congrats on the job!

A couple thoughts....

While living near work definitely improves quality of life, that area is kind of the antithesis of what you sound like you are looking for in a place to live. I would shoot for something on the north side of Denver like maybe Berkley. This brings me to my second thought: Your budget. It needs to go up.

[Davros]

Your job is way up north in the metro area.

I've just got a couple of thoughts.

I'd recommend starting by researching apartments around 120th and Federal then secondly researching apartments around Downtown Broomfield (Interlocken at US 36) A 3rd place to research is around 92nd and Wadsworth (significantly longer commute for you). Apartments due south of your workplace near I-25 don't seem to get very good reviews.

I don't know much about how to go about finding a rental house, as I've always lived in apartments.

[Davros]

Originally Posted by SkyDog77

Congrats on the job!

A couple thoughts....

While living near work definitely improves quality of life, that area is kind of the antithesis of what you sound like you are looking for in a place to live. I would shoot for something on the north side of Denver like maybe Berkley. This brings me to my second thought: Your budget. It needs to go up.

Well, they like outdoor activities and bars, and there's plenty of parks and bars in Westminster/Broomfield ...

North Denver to far northeastern Westminster --- that's a pretty long commute, but maybe worth it.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Davros

Well, they like outdoor activities and bars, and there's plenty of parks and bars in Westminster/Broomfield ...

North Denver to far northeastern Westminster --- that's a pretty long commute, but maybe worth it.

Yeah the commute might not be great, but they are looking for a young, walkable neighborhood. Tough to find that near her work.

[otterprods]

How about trying to find a place near the intersection of Huron St. and W 136th Ave.?

I'm not just trying to be a smart alec. In my experience, nice houses and neighborhoods don't add that much to your overall quality of life long term. Things like more time, lower stress and greater financial freedom, all of which you'll gain by not having to commute, do. I don't think you'll find anything for $1k/month around there though. The same will be true just about anywhere in or near the city, but you already said you're willing to re-evaluate that.