Family friendly, convenient to mountains and light rail (Denver, Golden: real estate, house)

[yosup]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Not a bad problem to solve because on April 22, 2016 we are opening the new heavy rail commuter line goes to the airport. That has a stop near Anschutz. In the winter of 2016, the light rail extension along 225 will reach anschutz with a station on Colfax and one within the health complex and go on to meet the heavy rail to the airport at the Peoria Station.

Also, there will be a new commuter rail line opening from Wheat Ridge and Arvada, going to Union Station. It will open in the fall of 2016. There you can transfer to rail that will take you to Anschutz.

Check it all out at RTD

I would suggest that you look into the western suburbs, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and Arvada. You then can get quickly to one of the jobs downtown and to Union Station for transfer to Anschutz. Keep in mind that downtown in not in the center of Denver but is nearer the west side and closer to the western suburbs.

Yes, you could live many places as there is good public transit to downtown from almost all areas. The trick is to get to downtown quicker for that job and to the connection point of Union Station.

You could also live 225 and the new light rail extension and get to Aschutz quicker and get to Downtown with the connecting rail of the east line from the airport to Union Station.

Or you can live near the Southwest light rail line or the Southeast Rail line--they will all connect to the new rail lines opening in 2016.

You really have many good choices but the west side gives you that close access to mountains and good public transit with rail and buses to the very near Downtown of Denver.

Livecontent

Thanks for this. Are there particular neighborhoods that are great for kids in these areas? I'm thinking areas where my kids can walk or ride bikes to school.

[yosup]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

The northern part of South Park Hill or the southern part of North Park Hill.

Denver, in general, is not diverse.
Poor people are leaving in droves.
Black population is declining.
Hispanics in higher income neighborhoods are indistinguishable from Episcopalians.

I realize that relative to other urban areas, Denver is not diverse, but every city has a part of town that is more diverse, more mixed income. I wonder if that's Park Hill. My kid has a friend in that neighborhood and I think it looks pretty nice and pretty family friendly, but the family is looking to move out. They claim there's a lot of crime and theft in the area. They won't let their kids out to play with other kids on their block and they say their public school is horrible. I don't know how much of this to take with a grain of salt. Again, it's hard to make judgments unless you've personally experienced a place.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by yosup

They claim there's a lot of crime and theft in the area.

Lots of data.
https://www.denvergov.org/content/de...maps.html.html

Remember, you have to really understand the neighborhood to understand the data and especially the maps.
For example, middle schools almost always have red dots. Because "mischief" gets the same weight as a murder on the map.

Your perception of "lot's of crime" will be different from mine.
For example, in my neighborhood, the top crimes are "theft of and theft from motor vehicle".
Two crimes that will never impact me as we always park our car in our garage.

[emm74]

The suburbs will be even less diverse than Stapleton. I live in Stapleton and while it's unfortunately true that the community is less diverse than we might wish, the schools draw from the rest of Denver and that increases diversity. That won't be the case in pretty much any of the suburbs.

You could afford North Park Hill and that's going to be relatively diverse (for Denver), but I think the elementary schools there are questionable. For middle school, Park Hill is in a shared enrollment zone with Stapleton, with all but one of the schools physically located in Stapleton, at least as of now. They will be opening at least one new middle school in Park Hill, but you aren't guaranteed which specific school you get into, so your kids could still end up in a Stapleton school.

South Park Hill has better elementary school options but is above your budget.

[Mach50]

Originally Posted by yosup

I realize that relative to other urban areas, Denver is not diverse, but every city has a part of town that is more diverse, more mixed income. I wonder if that's Park Hill. My kid has a friend in that neighborhood and I think it looks pretty nice and pretty family friendly, but the family is looking to move out. They claim there's a lot of crime and theft in the area. They won't let their kids out to play with other kids on their block and they say their public school is horrible. I don't know how much of this to take with a grain of salt. Again, it's hard to make judgments unless you've personally experienced a place.

Park Hill is fine, you want diversity you will get it there. I live nearby in Congress park, yes there is a little crime and you should probably get a garage to protect your car but this is nothing compared to other cities.

Schools are a mixed bag but you can choice into others (teller, bromwell, east) not guaranteed of course.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Mach50

..... yes there is a little crime and you should probably get a garage to protect your car but this is nothing compared to other cities.

True, can happen anywhere, any city, just about any neighborhood.

I live in a nice area on the far north end of COLO SPGS (across from USAF Academy's Falcon Stadium, aka I-25 exit 153); there's nothing ghetto anywhere near me for ten miles. We've had 2 pickup trucks stolen in our neighborhood the past few years, one in broad daylight from an occupied home when the spouse went to work and left the garage door open, and the other one at night from a driveway. People need to have a garage, use it, close it, and lock it.

[yosup]

Thanks, everyone. This is all very helpful and I appreciate all your efforts. I will definitely more seriously consider Park Hill.

The public school system is a whole other can of worms that I don't know if I'm ready to open.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by yosup

Thanks for this. Are there particular neighborhoods that are great for kids in these areas? I'm thinking areas where my kids can walk or ride bikes to school.

I know this area well and I recently posted this response on the Boulder forum about Arvada, Look over the videos and you will see there are many parks, trails all through the city of Arvada. We take biking very seriously in our city.

//www.city-data.com/forum/bould...ne-done-2.html

Arvada will be getting a new commuter rail to downtown Denver which will open in fall of 2016. Now we have express and local buses--they are quick as Downtown, as I said, is nearer the west side.

RTD

Livecontent

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Arvada

The commute to Anschutz would not be fun.

Normally what I tell people is: draw a line between the 2 work locations and live near that line.
But, "good schools" increases the degree of difficulty as only certain ones in Denver are good.
A low budget of $375K increases the degree of difficulty as that is the mean/median price.
"One car" increases the degree of difficulty as RTD's coverage is sporadic.
"Access to mountains" increases the degree of difficulty as they are on the west side.

By the way.
Buying another car is the same as paying an additional $500/mo on your mortgage.

As vegaspilgrim wrote: "something's got to give".

[Katarina Witt]

"The commute to Anschutz would not be fun."

If anything, that is an understatement. It would actually be awful. The commute to Anschutz from the northwest (and almost everything is west of Anschutz) is horrendous. I've done it a few times for conferences and the like.