Thinking about moving to downtown Denver (Englewood: best neighborhoods, rent, home)

[dreateee]

Hello everyone.
My fiance and are planning to be moving this coming spring(from Miami, Florida). We have narrowed our move down to a handful of cities and Denver(specifically downtown) is one of them.

-We want to live somewhere where we do not need a car, and would be able to walk, bus, bike, etc. to. So would we be able to do that living downtown? We definitely would want to be able to easily walk or bus to the nearest grocery store or CVS or Walmart type place.
-What is the rent like downtown and are there many affordable places for a young couple to live?(we are looking for a range between maybe 900-1100 a month in rent)
-Also, how is the nightlife there and is there generally a lot to do downtown such as restaurants, movie theaters, bars, and so on ? Preferably a major mall or shopping center ?
-Is is relatively safe living downtown ? I know I know, it's a downtown area and of course there is going to be crime. But i just want to be assured that is is generally safe and I don't have the risk of getting stabbed or robber coming home late at night from work or the movies.
-What are the people like there ? Demographics ? Are they rude ? Educated ?
-Last, what is the weather like ? Snow often ? What are summers like ? Is it humid there ?

If there is anything else you feel like you should share, feel free to ! We are in our early 20's just in case you needed that information to help answer any questions.

Sorry if that is a lot of questions, but we truly do appreciate anyone who would take the time to help us with all of our issues. Thank you so much

[davebarnes]

1. $900-1100. You make me laugh.
2. It snows 7 months a year in Denver.
3. Is safe.
4. Everyone smokes dope all the time.

All of above may be true or not.
A few hours of research on this forum will provide more data.
Start reading.

[dreateee]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

1. $900-1100. You make me laugh.
2. It snows 7 months a year in Denver.
3. Is safe.
4. Everyone smokes dope all the time.

All of above may be true or not.
A few hours of research on this forum will provide more data.
Start reading.

Thanks for the most unhelpful response ever.

[woob]

Originally Posted by dreateee

-We want to live somewhere where we do not need a car, and would be able to walk, bus, bike, etc. to. So would we be able to do that living downtown? We definitely would want to be able to easily walk or bus to the nearest grocery store or CVS or Walmart type place.

Downtown is actually not particularly walkable for day to day life. The biggest shortcoming is lack of a grocery store although that will be changing in the next year or two.

The best neighborhoods that meet your criteria would be cherry creek north (two grocery stores, a mall and tons of restaurants) and capitol hill (also two grocery stores, lots of bars, less upscale)

However your budget will be tight. You could probably find a small one bedroom in cap hill.

[Chicago2Denver]

Originally Posted by woob

Downtown is actually not particularly walkable for day to day life. The biggest shortcoming is lack of a grocery store although that will be changing in the next year or two.

The best neighborhoods that meet your criteria would be cherry creek north (two grocery stores, a mall and tons of restaurants) and capitol hill (also two grocery stores, lots of bars, less upscale)

However your budget will be tight. You could probably find a small one bedroom in cap hill.

Agree with Woob on this. I live in the Lower Highland, near 15th and Central. Love the neighborhood, walkable in all aspects except the grocery store. Some people will point to the Natural Grocers on 15th and Platte, but it is expensive and very limited in selection. You should also consider LoHi or Highland. I do know a few people who were able to get 1BD for around $1K in the ballpark area of the LoDo.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by woob

Downtown is actually not particularly walkable for day to day life. The biggest shortcoming is lack of a grocery store although that will be changing in the next year or two.

The best neighborhoods that meet your criteria would be cherry creek north (two grocery stores, a mall and tons of restaurants) and capitol hill (also two grocery stores, lots of bars, less upscale)

However your budget will be tight. You could probably find a small one bedroom in cap hill.

It's funny that downtown will join this two-grocery criteria in the next 3 years or so. King Soopers will open up a store next year behind Union Station and another grocer *cough* Whole Foods *cough* will also go up on block south of the new King Soopers.

Now if only central Denver could get a Costco...

For the original poster, Capitol Hill would be your best bet as it meets the criteria that you are looking for. It's also a quick bus trip to access all of the entertainment amenities downtown.

[MissTerri]

Based on what you are looking for, downtown does not sound like your best bet. You want good public transport, a walkable area with grocery stores as well as chains like Walmart, movie theatres and a good mall and you have a budget that tops out at $1100 per month. I think that staying on a light rail line in a more affordable yet walkable area would make more sense. It sounds like you are looking for suburban as well as urban.

Baker seems to fit all of your requirements (not sure about budget). There is a major grocery store as well as a K-Mart. Its very walkable and lively with a lot of nightlife. The Mayan movie theater is in the neighborhood. It has good bus and light rail.

Old Englewood is another option. It has a couple of major grocery chains in the older section as well as a Walmart. It has a walkable downtown and nightlife ( live music venues, nano brewery) but is not as lively as Baker or downtown Denver. I think you could find something in this area in your budget.

[whoisjongalt]

I'd say either Cap Hill or South Broadway (near Alameda) are doable. You won't be getting a posh 1BR for $1100 but you could probably find something decent. You might also look in the RINO area north of Broadway like the other poster said. I know there were deals there a couple of years ago but since it has become "the" hipster neighborhood it may be more difficult. It's a great location.

You aren't going to find any malls or big box stores near downtown but south Broadway has a Walmart and a KMart. The closest mall is Cherry Creek but the area near it is pretty expensive but there is a great bike path from downtown to there.