Moving to Denver, need community recs (Aurora, Lakewood: for sale, house, neighborhood)

[littlestbird]

Hi. My husband is going to be starting work at CU Denver in the fall, so we're moving to the area this summer from Chicago. We would really like to buy a house since we want our 5-year-old to get settled in and not have to move again for a while. So we want to choose an area we'll love.

We're really hoping to find the following:

1. Good schools. We're open to public schools, charter, montessori, private; we really want a good place for our son. He has mild autism and thrives more in a hands-on, play-based curriculum, and I don't know how to find that. Public school is our most likely option, so a good public school is vital.

2. A 3-bedroom home for under $250K, and around $200K would be even better. We're open to older homes and homes not in perfect condition, since I know we're probably not going to find our dream home at those prices.

3. A friendly, safe community. A sense of community and outdoor trails and things would be nice, but friendly and safe are most important.

4. Commute. Since my husband will work downtown, we know there may be a bit of a commute if we live in some of the communities that have what we want. We're ok with that, but we'd like to keep the commute as short as possible. Also, public transportation nearby would be nice.

We've heard Broomfield, Centennial, and parts of Aurora. Any of those recommended? Where else could we look?

Thanks for your help.

[davebarnes]

Look in this neighborhood
6513 Gray St, Arvada, CO 80003 is For Sale - Zillow

[ELCO5280]

Have you looked into Wheat Ridge? Nice older homes that won't break the bank and they have Sudburry Schools that I'm real fond of (if you haven't heard about them) Alpine Valley School | We are a community that supports each child's drive to learn..

[Count David]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

Look in this neighborhood
6513 Gray St, Arvada, CO 80003 is For Sale - Zillow

[Katarina Witt]

Which CU Denver campus are you talking about OP? Downtown (Auraria) or the health science center in Aurora? It makes a big difference in our recommendations.

[Claire S.]

Since work is located downtown, I would definitely consider areas like Wheat Ridge or Arvada. Arvada will have the Gold Line open in 2016, so that is a big plus for the commute. Broomfield and Westminster are also good communities. You could also look at areas along the West Line in Lakewood, since that train stops right on the Auraria campus.

[2bindenver]

I'd start looking along the light rail lines - west, southwest, and southeast.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Claire S.

Since work is located downtown, I would definitely consider areas like Wheat Ridge or Arvada. Arvada will have the Gold Line open in 2016, so that is a big plus for the commute. Broomfield and Westminster are also good communities. You could also look at areas along the West Line in Lakewood, since that train stops right on the Auraria campus.

We don't know which CU Denver campus the DH will be working out of. The health science center in Aurora is also called "CU Denver".

[littlestbird]

Originally Posted by Katiana

We don't know which CU Denver campus the DH will be working out of. The health science center in Aurora is also called "CU Denver".

He'll be at the downtown campus.

[littlestbird]

Originally Posted by Claire S.

Since work is located downtown, I would definitely consider areas like Wheat Ridge or Arvada. Arvada will have the Gold Line open in 2016, so that is a big plus for the commute. Broomfield and Westminster are also good communities. You could also look at areas along the West Line in Lakewood, since that train stops right on the Auraria campus.

So do Arvada and Wheat Ridge have good school districts? The only school districts I have definitely heard positives about are the Boulder Valley school district and the Cherry Creek school district. I'm open to other places, but definitely want to know that they have decent schools.