Are there any Denver burbs with older homes and tree lined streets? (Lakewood: new house, neighborhoods)

[marpot]

My husband and I are going to be relocating to Denver in the next year or so from Chicago. We currently live in an old building (1890s) in an old city neighborhood with lots of trees and character.

I've been reading a bit on this forum for recommendations on where to find a home/apt with "vintage charm" and I get the feeling that neighborhoods in central Denver are where to look. But I was wondering if there are any older suburbs that have that feeling as well?

My inlaws live in Castle Rock, and we visit 2-3 times a year. So I've been to the 'burbs a lot and feel like a lot of it is new construction in big, vast, empty-looking subdivisions. I'm sure these are nice homes but I'm sort of looking for something that will be a little unique. If we were going to stay in Chicago, we'd probably be looking for a fixer upper in an older suburb, so I'm kind of hoping to find an area that would remind me of home a little bit.

I'm not opposed to living in Denver proper, and so far Denver is my preferred choice over the suburbs I've seen, but I just wanted to see if there were any areas we should maybe look at outside of the city.

We also have preschool aged boy and another on the way, so school is something we need to consider too.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Claire S.]

Several neighborhoods in Denver actually feel like older suburbs. Particularly, areas like Park Hill, Montclair, and Wash Park. Englewood and Littleton have the charm of an older suburb, when you look near their "downtown" areas. Also consider the areas around Old Towne Arvada, which has a lot of 50-60s era brick ranches and fantastic views of the mountains.

[davebarnes]

Kittredge, Colorado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Morrison, Colorado - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Claire S.

Also consider the areas around Old Towne Arvada, which has a lot of 50-60s era brick ranches and fantastic views of the mountains.

There are even houses much older than that around there.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Wheat Ridge
Edgewater (but the schools suck)
Lakewood

++ Littleton
++ Englewood
++ Arvada

[philberf]

West side of Denver in general has the older suburbs. I second Littleton and Wheat Ridge as areas to consider.

[ArthurDaly]

In 2 years time houses here will be $600k for even a 1 bedroom shack. The madness had begun - all over again

Of course I may be exaggerating a wee bit, but houses are now selling in hours not weeks and its not even spring yet.

[SkyDog77]

You should be looking the city for that, not the burbs. Tons of old neighborhoods with tree lined streets in Denver.

[Claire S.]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

There are even houses much older than that around there.

Yeah, you're right. I briefly considered a turn of the (20th) century farmhouse in Old Towne during my housing search.

[BarryK123]

Having lived half my life in a "Geo Washington slept here" town, and having looked at some old homes (circa 1700s and 1800s) before building a new house in the late 80s, I can tell you they may sound romantic, but unless MAJOR renovations have been done, they're not very practical or comfy. Think poor insulation, drafty, small closets, no central A/C, various states of disrepair, etc. I realize "old" in Denver is pre-1960, but similar issues apply.