needing detailed info on Evergreen please (Denver, Golden: rentals, HOA fees, houses)

[mkrcron123]

I think we have settled on relocating to Evergreen (from Chicago). I have oh so many questions and hoping some of them can be answered.

-do the evergreen neighborhoods have different "personalities" (i.e. old money, young families, rentals, etc.). trying to find a good fit for a family of four (kids 15 and 10) and two big dogs.

-it appears that the town is dog friendly as I have seen there is a dog park. Are cafes and downtown establishments dog friendly? parks?

-what is the turnaround for plowing streets? unincorporated is new for us. when there is a snow fall, is the street plowed efficiently or do the city proper get plowed first? (trying to figure out commuting, etc). do people plow their own driveways or are there services?

-is a fenced in area for dogs "safe" with all of the wildlife? coming from Chicago, we can open the back door and the dogs can lie on the deck or patio for hours. I'm assuming that is not done considering the wildlife? we do not have little dogs, we have a Great Dane and 100 lb. lab, but a mountain lion can take down a deer (says the city folk!

-4x4 is necessary I am assuming for all cars? We have a jeep but trying to figure budget of if we need another 4x4 bc we have a sedan.

-is swimming allowed in Lake Evergreen? are there any outdoor pools in Evergreen for summer time?

-what neighborhoods require HOA fees? and what is included for this fee? (i.e. pool?)

-do houses not need air conditioning in the foothills? I do not see any house listings with A/C.

thanks in advance for answering!

[2bindenver]

Where is work?

[mkrcron123]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

Where is work?

husband works from home. i will work but not sure where. looking into hospitals so probably towards Denver.

[2bindenver]

Evergreen is spread out - lots of foothills, larger lots to go with the house. Most families with young kids bond over extra-curricular activities. One Conifer mom drives to Golden for swim lessons/practice. Driving is something you will have to adapt to.

Dog parks? Yes. Keep wildlife out with a fence? no.

Jefferson County is good about plowing main roads and school bus routes. Is your new driveway long? sloping?

Front wheel drive and a bag of kitty litter for when you get stuck.

Each HOA has different amenities they cover.

See Evergreen Park & Recreation District

good luck in your move.

[JohnnyDenver]

Originally Posted by mkrcron123

I think we have settled on relocating to Evergreen (from Chicago). I have oh so many questions and hoping some of them can be answered.

-do the evergreen neighborhoods have different "personalities" (i.e. old money, young families, rentals, etc.). trying to find a good fit for a family of four (kids 15 and 10) and two big dogs.

-it appears that the town is dog friendly as I have seen there is a dog park. Are cafes and downtown establishments dog friendly? parks?

-what is the turnaround for plowing streets? unincorporated is new for us. when there is a snow fall, is the street plowed efficiently or do the city proper get plowed first? (trying to figure out commuting, etc). do people plow their own driveways or are there services?

-is a fenced in area for dogs "safe" with all of the wildlife? coming from Chicago, we can open the back door and the dogs can lie on the deck or patio for hours. I'm assuming that is not done considering the wildlife? we do not have little dogs, we have a Great Dane and 100 lb. lab, but a mountain lion can take down a deer (says the city folk!

-4x4 is necessary I am assuming for all cars? We have a jeep but trying to figure budget of if we need another 4x4 bc we have a sedan.

-is swimming allowed in Lake Evergreen? are there any outdoor pools in Evergreen for summer time?

-what neighborhoods require HOA fees? and what is included for this fee? (i.e. pool?)

-do houses not need air conditioning in the foothills? I do not see any house listings with A/C.

thanks in advance for answering!

1) Evergreen neighborhoods do have different personalities. Older homes, less expensive along Hwy 73, up Little Cub Creek, down towards Kitteridge and down North Turkey Creek towards Morrison. More of the mountain people in these areas. Upper Bear Creek and Bergen Park more expensive.

2) yes, dog friendly, but there are some people who don't like dogs. Keep them leashed at all times when walking them.

3) Plowing on county streets is sketchy. Also, Hwy 73 is not great even a week after a snow. Some parts of the road get very little sun and not as fast to melt as Hwy 74.

4) Keep your dogs fenced outside your house. Coyotes will attack.

5) No swimming in Evergreen Lake.

6) Neighborhoods and HOAs vary. Your relator will have this info.

[nele]

I lived in Evergreen for two years and volunteered for an animal rescue there for five.

The Evergreen dog park is the best I've visited. Huge, treed, two separate fenced areas, plus a very large unfenced area with a stream, where you can have your dog off leash. People are pretty tolerant there - dogs will occasionally get into squabbles. My only criticism is folks taking little tiny kids into the fenced area. I'm always worried my boisterous dog will collide with a small child.

Be aware that you *cannot* leave your dogs outside unattended for any significant amount of time. Even big dogs, even two big dogs, will not be safe without a human presence. There are many stories of dogs being taken by the big predators we have (not to mention smaller dogs taken by coyoyes or stomped by elk!) Try to have a 6-foot fenced area for them, where you live. Have them off-leash only in the dog park or in your 6 foot fence, when you are there!

We didn't have AC when we lived in Evergreen. Now, a south-facing room with a lot of windows is gonna get hot in the summer...make sure you have good blinds or shades, a ceiling fan helps too.

[alliern]

Originally Posted by mkrcron123

I think we have settled on relocating to Evergreen (from Chicago). I have oh so many questions and hoping some of them can be answered.

-do the evergreen neighborhoods have different "personalities" (i.e. old money, young families, rentals, etc.). trying to find a good fit for a family of four (kids 15 and 10) and two big dogs.

-it appears that the town is dog friendly as I have seen there is a dog park. Are cafes and downtown establishments dog friendly? parks?

-what is the turnaround for plowing streets? unincorporated is new for us. when there is a snow fall, is the street plowed efficiently or do the city proper get plowed first? (trying to figure out commuting, etc). do people plow their own driveways or are there services?

-is a fenced in area for dogs "safe" with all of the wildlife? coming from Chicago, we can open the back door and the dogs can lie on the deck or patio for hours. I'm assuming that is not done considering the wildlife? we do not have little dogs, we have a Great Dane and 100 lb. lab, but a mountain lion can take down a deer (says the city folk!

-4x4 is necessary I am assuming for all cars? We have a jeep but trying to figure budget of if we need another 4x4 bc we have a sedan.

-is swimming allowed in Lake Evergreen? are there any outdoor pools in Evergreen for summer time?

-what neighborhoods require HOA fees? and what is included for this fee? (i.e. pool?)

-do houses not need air conditioning in the foothills? I do not see any house listings with A/C.

thanks in advance for answering!

There are some Evergreen neighborhoods with and without HOA's and Covenants. There are also many houses that are located on their own that are not part of a typically neighborhood feel. Some of the more designated developments such as Hiwan in North Evergreen (actually made up of 9 subdivisions) have many neighborhood amenities such as an outdoor pool, tennis courts, golf course, clubhouse. You can pay different membership fees to enjoy various levels of membership. For the most part, lot sizes are smaller in North Evergreen. Most Hiwan lots are anywhere from 0.25-1.00 acre. If your budget allows, you can get a 10 acre property in Soda Creek or Silver Rock...those homes are well over a million. Most HOA fees are under $300 annually. There are one or two Hiwan neighborhoods that do not allow fences around the perimeter of your property.

There are other subdivisions that have voluntary HOA's but also have Covenants that may or may not be strictly enforced. The South Evergreen area has some larger subdivisions with homes on 2-5 acre lots. Evergreen Meadows and Evergreen Highlands are examples. The HOA fees are $35-$60 per year. Homes in these areas are generally between $350-$600K. Although there are numerous homes priced higher than that. Kids are everywhere in this town. Granted, many people like neighborhood feel if they have kids.

Rental properties are all over the place. There isn't one particular area that has more than another. You can find an 800 sq. ft. cabin to rent or a 6,000 sq. ft. executive home to rent. Rentals are very hard to come by...they go quickly and often by word of mouth.

Jefferson County does a great job plowing the snow. Side streets get plowed because the school buses need to be able to get through. Hwy 73 does have some issues with being plowed as often as Hwy 74 during storms, but still not bad. Yes, you are responsible for your own driveway. Depending on how long it is, you can shovel. Most folks have snowblowers or an ATV with plow. You can hire someone to plow it for you, but then you're reliant on their schedule. The going rate is about $35 per plow.

Evergreen is very dog friendly...almost too much. I have a dog myself, but I don't take him everywhere with me. Many people do. The small cafes and restaurants will allow your dog to be on the patio with you. Many even have water bowls. Evergreen National Bank allows you to bring your dog inside while you do your banking and offers dog treats. You can't go to a field to watch your kids play soccer or any other sport without many dogs on the sidelines as well.

Many people will warn you that you shouldn't leave your dog outside unattended. Many people do. Lots of people utilize Invisible Fences and if your deck is elevated off the ground, your dogs should be fine. My dog loves hanging out on my deck just watching the squirrels and birds. I keep a closer eye on him during elk rutting season. In our neighborhood there are large dogs hanging around on neighbors properties all the time.

4x4's are great to have but not totally necessary. A good front wheel drive car with snow tires can handle most days up here. Most often it depends on your driveway and how sloped and maintained it is. I had a Honda Odyssey minivan when I first moved here from NYC and never had any issues on any of the roads except my own driveway on one north facing corner that would get icy. My tires would spin and sometimes had trouble getting up if I didn't sand that one area. Many folks have one 4x4 and one front wheel drive car.

There are people who swim in Evergreen Lake. There is even a swimming lane there now for Masters swimmers. You have to wear a wet suit. Many people will go in up to their knees. They rent Stand Up Paddleboards and many, many people fall off their boards and wind up swimming I wouldn't want to swim in Evergreen Lake at all. Too many ducks, fish, and even Elk are using that lake and it's not very clear water at all. Hiwan has an outdoor pool, Mt. Vernon C.C. has an outdoor pool and many Evergreen residents have memberships at both of those. On the south side of town, many folks drive down to Bear Creek Swim Club. The two Rec centers in Evergreen have indoor pools.

You'd be hard pressed to find a home with air conditioning. For the most part, the 8000 ft. elevation doesn't require it. It is about 10 degrees cooler then the flatlands of Denver. When I built my home here in 2008, I must have asked 20 times if we needed to put in central air. I was used to the heat and humidity of the east coast. Everyone told me no. I don't even have a ceiling fan in my bedroom. My windows are open at night and it's the best sleeping weather. That being said, there are homes up here that will feel hotter if the family room has a wall of windows that faces south. Again, not everyday and not every home.

Sorry of this was more information then you wanted!