Where to relocatees move to?

[Bradburn1]

I love Stapleton but to commute to Westminster would be around 30-40 minutes, Bradburn is in Westminster and is exactly like Stapleton (mixed-use, new urbanist) but smaller. Can't beat Stapleton's parks though, they rock. Stapleton is also around 50 K more for the exact same house (two builders in Bradburn also build the same models in Stapleton, lending an easy comparison). On the plus side, if you need to go to the airport a lot, Stapleton is closer than Bradburn is, and is also closer to downtown.

Highlands Ranch is a generic suburan area with some great amenities (why it's so popular!), there are tons of areas just like it everywhere in the suburbs of Denver, some of the neighborhoods I suggested in Broomfield are very similar (cookie cutter, standard suburbia, good prices, nice schools, good amenities).

[livecontent]

I agree totally with Bradburn1, the area that he is recommending and where he lives is very nice. I have now been there a number of times and I know the area well. Bradburn is in a good location for public transit, one of my desires for livability and shopping. However, any housing around this area is very good.

He made the point that it is down the road and down the trails from large Westminster City Park and the Recreation Centers. I would to make that clear that there are multiple recreation centers and some of the largest and newest in Colorado. There is the Westminster Recreation Center which has a large pool and all the amenities of a center. Right next to this is the Fitness Center--very nice with all the latest equipment.

In addition just down west on Church Ranch (104th) is the Sun Ice Arena--it has two full ice rinks; I believe it is the largest in the Metro area. The Ice Arena is located in the Promenade Center which is connected to Westminster City Park by trails and these trails go all over around beautiful housing. The Westminster City Park is connected by trails to Brandburn By The Big Dry Creek Trail and the Bradburn Trail. The Church Ranch Exit on I-36 is also the site of a proposed Commuter Rail Station and a Bus Rapid Transit Station which is part of the Fastracks expansion of transportation in the Denver Metro area.

I would suggest that you go to this website and download the PDF Trail Maps, 1 and 2.
Trail System - City of Westminster, Colorado (http://www.ci.westminster.co.us/246.htm - broken link)

You will be amazed by the amount of parks and open space in Westminster.

Livecontent

[Katarina Witt]

I would not be so negative about Broomfield re: cookie cutter houses. If they are building the same models at Bradburn and Stapelton, those are cookie cutter, too. Broomfield has lots of different price ranges of housing, also different ages, from the 1950s to present.

[Bradburn1]

I didn't say cookie cutter was a bad thing! I love Broomfield, I live right on the Broomfield/Westminster border and love this whole area. Cookie cutter means more affordable, which means more people can afford homes. I don't have a problem with that. It can look a little bland and uniform but has a good trade off. Believe me, Bradburn and Stapleton aren't all original homes either, that's nearly impossible to do with production builders, but they are less uniform than most other new neighborhoods, I do like that aspect personally. The one new neighborhood I can think of that doesn't have some element of the cookie cutter thing is Prospect New Town in Longmont, every home in there is custom and has varying degrees of craziness and the related high price tags.

There are tons of great little neighborhoods new and old in Broomfield (I especially like "old town" Broomfield off Main, love those '50s ranchers).

Cookie cutter doesn't mean bad, just means a certain look most everyone can easily picture.

[Katarina Witt]

OK, my mistake! So many people use "cookie cutter" to mean something bad. But I agree, Broomfield has some neat old housing. Also some very nice upscale stuff if that's your thing.