DFW(Dallas) to Denver, Family of Four, Schools & Area to Live (Boulder: renting, home)

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by zephyrr

So we were able to spend a weekend in Denver.

Here is some information for those in the same dilemma.
We had two main requirements

1. Commute time 20-30 mins to Downtown
2. Great schools

Plus would be close to trails. 500-650K

We looked at 3 main areas:

1. GreenWood Village, 80111 and 80112. Home inventory is low, homes are old. The area feels old, but couldn't get a sense of kids playing around in the neighborhoods much. This feeds into the well know Cherry Creek School District.

2. Highlands Ranch: further south, new homes, great recreation centers, schools are good, but have to take the light rail to downtown. Will take 45 min on RTD and another 10 to park car, plus whatever it takes to walk to your work place. I timed the commutes on I-25 in the morning, anywhere even around DTC to Downtown can be a mess, 30-45 mins and unpredictable.

3. Broomfield, Mckay, Redlead, Broadlands that feeds into Coyote Ridge Elemntary, Westlake Middle and Legacy high. We liked this area, well planned and good schools. Plus kids playing outside in the neighborhood.

Overall, decided to rent in Broomfield for a year, before purchasing.

Thanks for this post. Best of luck and please let us know your impressions after moving in.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Could I do public transportation from Highlands Ranch to Greenwood Village or is that a pain in the butt?

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Gaylord_Focker

Could I do public transportation from Highlands Ranch to Greenwood Village or is that a pain in the butt?

It can be done, but it won't necessarily be convenient. You'd have to take a bus to Park Meadows Mall and then hop on a train to the Arapahoe Station. Depending on where you live it could take around 45 minutes.

[2bindenver]

The eastern part would be your best bet. Call-n-ride to Lincoln station or drive to Lincoln station. Just don't forget to change your tags.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

The eastern part would be your best bet. Call-n-ride to Lincoln station or drive to Lincoln station. Just don't forget to change your tags.

Were you answering my question? Do you do apt locating?

[2bindenver]

Originally Posted by Gaylord_Focker

Were you answering my question? Do you do apt locating?

I know where the apartments are in HR and Lone Tree. But, like most real estate brokers here in Denver, I don't work with tenants. If you want to a rent to own house, I am happy to be of service.

[mic111]

Originally Posted by zephyrr

So we were able to spend a weekend in Denver.

...
3. Broomfield, Mckay, Redlead, Broadlands that feeds into Coyote Ridge Elemntary, Westlake Middle and Legacy high. We liked this area, well planned and good schools. Plus kids playing outside in the neighborhood.

Overall, decided to rent in Broomfield for a year, before purchasing.

Excellent decision! Can't say the others would have been bad but I live up north near McKay Lake and love it.

Here are pictures that I took recently at McKay Lake.




The small black dots you see in the air on the picture are hot air balloons. They fly over from Boulder just about every day in the early morning. Sometimes they land very nearby so you get to see them come down and deflate.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

I know where the apartments are in HR and Lone Tree. But, like most real estate brokers here in Denver, I don't work with tenants. If you want to a rent to own house, I am happy to be of service.

Ah interesting. In Texas, realtors work whatever they please.

[zephyrr]

Thought I would post again, almost a year already since we moved!

All in all, took us about 3-4 months to fully settle in. We are renting in Redleaf in Broomfield. It turned out fo be a great decision.

There is excellent open space and rec center next door, can walk from home.

The schools are good, Coyote Ridge and Westlake Middle. Seems like a bit low in funding compared to TX schools but good enough.

We even applied to Stargate, $500 per kid for a Pre-test but they are still on a waiting list. Easier to get in into Kindergarten or when entering middle school (6th) or high school.

Commute has been great/ door to door downtown from home average 35 min. I am able to jump on tollway on 25S until 58th st for $1.5. If you take it all the way it is more expensive. I leave later around 8:30 rather than earlier to avoid the traffic. Coming back is about 40 min average from downtown. Haven’t tried the bus yet.

Overall, Colorado weather has been great, ample of hiking and biking.

What I miss about Dallas clearly

- diversity, in broomfield for example, there is none. my kid is the only brown kid in 6th grade of 300 students
- restaurants, food in Denver is nowhere close to dallas
- there is much less energy overall, but that is to be expected , Denver is 3x smaller than Dallas. Overall not much business savvy or growth

[emm74]

I love when people come back to update!

I'm not sure I had realized you were a family of color - I think people would have given you more of a heads up about the lack of diversity in a location like Broomfield. It still sounds like it's a good fit for your family but at least you would have known what to expect going in.

Depending on what your particular background is, perhaps there are some other types of activities where your kids can get to interact with other kids from the same background, and get a chance to have a time where they don't have to be the only brown kid. Not exactly the same, but as a Jewish family, sending my son to weekly religious school was much more important to me than I think it would have been back East. In the Northeast, so many people are Jewish that you don't feel like you stick out at all. But here, there have always been just a handful of Jewish kids in my son's schools. Having those few hours once a week to be surrounded by other Jewish kids and families and culture has been a very positive experience.

I don't know the Dallas restaurant scene but I can say that in the little over a decade I've been here, the Denver restaurant scene here has really exploded. So I guess it's good you are here now rather than back then, or you would have really felt the lack! lol!