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Old 09-14-2022, 02:45 PM
 
1 posts, read 4,481 times
Reputation: 11

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My partner & I have been in Denver 2 years & are looking to move, likely to a Denver suburb. Currently we are in a drive-only part of Denver. Our first choice would 100% be Golden, but due to pricing & limited availability there, I want to at least consider other options.

About us: Mid-Late 20s, with an active dog, enjoy going to things like comedy shows and indie movies, don't drink much. Nonreligious. We hike & camp together; I ski and he road bikes.
He works from home and I am a self-employed artist, currently with a spacious subsidized art studio near downtown. For the next couple of months I would be commuting, but after that would ideally find a studio space in the area we move to.

Considerations:
1 - A yard for our dog and/or a walkable park to bring him to. Need to be able to play fetch or do herding/agility training ~4 times a day, so this is really necessary for us.

2 - A cute community with independent shops/restaurants & old town feel. I think finding character & hopefully community in my surroundings is the real reason I want to move. Not all new buisnesses ideally.

3 - Close as we can be to the mountains/i-70. Skiing is a consideration, but would really like to be able to add short hikes & trail runs into our weekday routine which just isn't going to happen if we have to drive more than 20 minutes

We could technically afford a down payment now, but are not settled yet in the area so would prefer to keep renting. We moved here because we love the rocky mountains, but living in Denver have found we don't venture into them as often as we'd like. I need to stay at least another year for career reasons. When we do eventually buy (1-3ish years), I'd like a place in a vibrant/artsy/small town community.
Right now we're conflicted about staying in Colorado long-term. We may end up moving back east eventually, but tbh I'm looking at this upcoming move as a last chance to find a sense of home in the landscape we both adore.

Our rental budget is 2000-2400

Golden - ticks all my boxes, and I just love the atmosphere there. We're considering it, but it looks like we'd end up in a large apartment complex, not a cozy place with a yard for our dog. Worth it?
Arvada - briefly visited, but the old town seems nice. We could get a lot more bang for our buck.
Lafayette? Applewood? Should we consider staying in Denver proper & just look at a more walkable neighborhood? I like old town Littleton, but it seems far from i-70.

It doesn't need to be the coolest place to visit, just a cozy non-chain store neighborhood. Are there any areas I've overlooked?
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Old 09-14-2022, 03:20 PM
 
Location: Somewhere over yonder
63 posts, read 87,350 times
Reputation: 146
Arvada would put you near Team Spirit Agility for your dog. I think there's a dog park or two as well. Good access to road riding as well.
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Old 09-14-2022, 04:22 PM
 
2,471 posts, read 2,693,917 times
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Old town Englewood.
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Old 09-14-2022, 04:44 PM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,694 posts, read 58,004,579 times
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Louisville, nice community, easy access to good road biking and outdoor trails. Not sure on dog access, you need a pretty big space, very close by! Like a bunkhouse or cottage to rent on a working ranch. (Near a cute town).

I grew up in just such a place in Estes Park, (raising sheep and cattle) when it was very small town and RMNP had a ski area. Estes flooded a public parking lot during the winter for ice skating.

I can think of lots of places for you in western CO, NM, UT, ID, WA, OR, and MT
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Old 09-14-2022, 04:48 PM
 
8,489 posts, read 8,774,574 times
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How close to Denver? Any visits to / thoughts on Idaho Springs?

Been to Nederland or Lyons?

Morrison?

"Cute small town feel"... In a true small town, a 100+k suburb or somewhere in between? I focused on small towns.

Last edited by NW Crow; 09-14-2022 at 04:58 PM..
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Old 09-14-2022, 05:45 PM
 
2,471 posts, read 2,693,917 times
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If you are open to “greater” Denver, Palmer Lake was always our secret getaway spot. Local, good restaurants, world class hiking in Pike NF, but 45 min to Denver metro.
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Old 09-15-2022, 07:33 AM
 
2,046 posts, read 1,114,539 times
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Default Check out:

Morrison, Evergreen, Englewood, Littleton, Arvada.

The best bang for your buck will probably either be in Englewood or Arvada.
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Old 09-15-2022, 08:17 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,707 posts, read 29,800,391 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by modest View Post
Morrison, Evergreen, Englewood, Littleton, Arvada.

The best bang for your buck will probably either be in Englewood or Arvada.
Arvada (our daughter lives there) is very car centric.
Englewood has many more walking opportunities.

Mountain View is not cute, but is a small town.
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