Where to live in 80124/80129/80111 (Denver, Highlands Ranch: real estate, rental, homes)

[Chipper10]

We are relocating to Colorado within the next few months. We need to be at the very most 45 minutes outside of Denver where we will put our office. I have researched the schools, and these zip codes contain what appears to be excellent schools. We are coming from the highest rated schools in our area now(10 out of 10 on greatschools.net), and I would like to stay within that same criteria. I have a 7th grader, and a 4th grader that is in the gifted program. My 4th grader's school is like a "private" public school because of the academics. The student population is 30+% gifted, and parents from private schools are coming over in record numbers to get in to this school. I would like to know what neighborhoods we should look in to ensure the children go to these schools. We will first rent, and our price range is up to $2,500ish range. It is so hard looking at feeder maps, and streets on paper I appreciate any, and all advice! Thank you in advance!

[2bindenver]

I would choose the school first and then the area.

80111 Cherry Creek High school. Great school. Large student population.

80124 is Lone Tree/Wildcat Mtn and feeds to more than 1 high school Highlands Ranch and Rock Canyon.

80129 is Thunder Ridge High, a personal bias, I think Mountain Ridge is a better school academically. (Last year MVHS had the highest GPA average of graduating seniors in Douglas County)

[Chipper10]

Thank you for the advice. I have printed out the boundary maps for each of those areas, and it is difficult trying to match properties for rent on craigslist to these areas. There are very few options that meet our needs. Are there homes for rent in these areas, or is there a low inventory?

[2bindenver]

Cherry Creek High pulls from Englewood, SE Denver & Greenwood Village. Glendale too - but I wouldn't want to live there.
Thunder Ridge pulls from the wester part of HR & Roxborough, HRHS pulls from the northern and eastern part of HR & Province Center (80126) and Lone Tree Wildcat Mtn is 80124 and goes to Rock Canyon. The other part of 80126 goes to Mountain Vista.


- just ask the property manager or owner what schools - we do have open enrollment in CO - but it would be too late for this school year.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

regarding schools, you should look at the Challenge School in the Cherry Creek School District for your 4th grader. Unfortunately, school starts next week and they are filled, but you could still check it out for next year. You need to live in the Cherry Creek School District (which includes 80111) to go there. There are lots of nice neighborhoods in the Tech Center for you to choose from, and I usually can get to my office downtown in 30 minutes.

[Moonwalkr]

We live in Englewood 80111, districted for Cottonwood Creek up to Cherry Creek High. The area is nice and $2500/month should be sufficient depending on your housing needs. There are some rental units further south from us closer to Arapahoe Rd but I'm not sure which elementary schools they feed to. Again, ask the property manager. The schools are either ranked good, or excellent, and I assume you want only the best. Definitely take a look at the CCSD site and look at the profiles of each of the school that feed into the high school of your choice, check their trends over the past, then figure out where you want to live from there. Housing near popular excellent schools buck the trend of real estate value around here, that's probably true whereever you go.