Rocky Mountain Arsenal? (Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora: for sale, condo, crime)

[twowolves]

What is it?

And any cons to living around it? There are tons of homes for sale just south of it...Denver address and in our price range.

Wondering if it's some type of dangerous toxic waste dump or something like that....please note why to or not to live within 5 miles of it?

TIA.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by twowolves

What is it?

And any cons to living around it? There are tons of homes for sale just south of it...Denver address and in our price range.

Wondering if it's some type of dangerous toxic waste dump or something like that....please note why to or not to live within 5 miles of it?

TIA.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The US Army used to manufacture chemical weapons there, the site is contaminated, and it is a wildlife refuge.

The con to living around it is that it's surrounded by "less desirable areas". The tons of houses available in your price range, the ones with the Denver address, and I'm assuming zip code 80239, well that's the Montbello we were talking about on the other thread.

What exactly is your price range? I'm sure you could afford a nice neighborhood in Aurora.

[twowolves]

Thanks.

Is there any health 'danger' on living around that arsenal? Just curious.

Our price range (right now but we're not ready to move yet...) is max. $225k, (if you ask my husband he'll say a bit more ...I'm more conservative) and we can actually live in many towns and get a nice house for that and much cheaper....

I am just trying to get to know the different 'areas' in and around Denver and doing this from FL and via the internet, it's a bit hard! So, I am grateful for this forum.

My husband is not keen on living more east and nearer the 'plains' as he doesn't want to have to worry about tornadoes.

I kind of like what I see about Parker-but notice it's more east. Are tornadoes common on the east side of Denver? And if so, which quadrant...north or south?

We also want snow so I think from my research, that it snows more in the southern parts like Littleton and that area/quadrant...correct?

I also am liking Littleton and see that we can get a home there for our price range....also like what I see about Westminster, Northglenn and Thornton.

Re: Aurora, I hear negative things about it, like crime, and run-down neighborhoods.....true?

Thanks in advance....

[tfox]

Originally Posted by twowolves

What is it?

And any cons to living around it? There are tons of homes for sale just south of it...Denver address and in our price range.

Wondering if it's some type of dangerous toxic waste dump or something like that....please note why to or not to live within 5 miles of it?

TIA.

There are really no cons to living around the RMA today when you think in terms of health effects. The environmental damage has been pretty well remediated except for very small portions deep within the arsenal. The fact that wildlife has thrived in the area is pretty much evidence of that.

One the other hand, the neighborhoods that sprung up on all sides of the Arsenal in past times (i.e., Commerce City, Montbello) have turned into some of Metro Denver's most blighted locations. While things do change, I think that the negative images conjured up in most minds of Montbello, in particular, are difficult to change.

We've had this conversation before, and many will point out that, relative to other cities, the blight you'll find in Montbello is relatively minor. That may the case, but your price range (225k) is pretty high -- I think you could find many homes in far less marginal areas than that. Aurora, as mentioned would likely be a good place to start.

As for tornadoes, there have been major tornado touchdowns in Metro Denver as far west as Broadway, but elsewhere along the front range tornadoes have touched down even in the foothills and mountains. In 2007, there was even a tornado that touched down in Woodland Park, in the mountains west of Colorado Springs. All this is to say that I don't think being a few miles west or east in Metro Denver really makes much difference in risk, as long as we're talking about areas within the urban boundaries of Metro Denver.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by twowolves

My husband is not keen on living more east and nearer the 'plains' as he doesn't want to have to worry about tornadoes.

You live in Florida for goodness' sakes. Doesn't FL get hit with tornadoes and hurricanes?

I'm sure you've heard about the tornado in Windsor earlier this year. Windsor is due north of Denver. A small tornado also touched down north of Parker, that did little, if any, damage. Here in Aurora, we had the sirens go off once this year, my girlfriend (a CA native like myself), insisted we have dinner in the basement. I thought she was over-worrying, as the rest of the neighborhood seemingly was going about their afternoon as if nothing was going on.

I don't see much of a reason to worry about tornadoes. They are a fact of life, and like tfox said, they can happen just about anywhere.

Originally Posted by twowolves

We also want snow so I think from my research, that it snows more in the southern parts like Littleton and that area/quadrant...correct?

I'm going to add another dimension to my opinion on snow. I used to live on the more southern end, and I used to think we got more snow when we lived down there. Now I'm in a more central north/south location, and now think I was wrong. We live in a more shaded area now, and the snow seems to hang on longer here, which I would rather have than having more actual snowfall.

The only way to notice a difference is to carry a ruler around IMO. Snowfall varies from storm to storm. There are times Thornton/Westminster/DIA get snow and we don't, and vice versa. There are times the snow is deeper or heavier on East Colfax than it is in Littleton. I will say Castle Rock/Parker/etc get more snowfall overall, but IMO it melts off quicker down there. I don't think it makes much of a difference, but if you want to see snow on your front lawn longer, get a home that faces north. Or if you want to see the snow stick around longer, live in a more established neighborhood with mature trees.

Originally Posted by twowolves

I also am liking Littleton and see that we can get a home there for our price range....also like what I see about Westminster, Northglenn and Thornton.

Have you been out here yet? I would suggest a more central location (read: RENT), until you find out just exactly work will be. There are great hoods all around the metro.

Originally Posted by twowolves

Re: Aurora, I hear negative things about it, like crime, and run-down neighborhoods.....true?

Yeah, y'know I have to dodge bullets every night here in A-town. (Just kidding, of course) Aurora is a town where regular people live, you know regular people that have jobs and pay bills. There are yuppies here, but they are on the far south end. There are losers here too, but they typically stay far to the north. I'm in the middle (Central Aurora, west of I-225), and you know what, I love my neighborhood. Been here almost a year and the only things we've had happen are somebody leaving a working TV on my lawn and somebody constantly planting McCain/Palin signs in my yard without asking. I think they might have been doing it to counter a sign in my window.

Haven't been a victim of crime yet here in this hood, but when I lived in the "nicer" part of Aurora (south), I caught a guy trying to steal my Jeep tire. I don't worry much about crime, it, like tornadoes can happen anywhere.

There are run-down neighborhoods in Aurora, but if you are giving a gander at homes in Montbello, I wonder what your definition of run-down is. Most of the run-down Aurora hoods are at the north end. Heck, IMO there are run-down neighborhoods in the wonderful suburbs too. I once went to a subdivision in the far SE section of Castle Rock and saw graffiti on the walls, I couldn't believe it! Parker IMO is also blighted a bit, there are a few abandoned big-box/grocery stores.

[twowolves]

[quote=David Aguilar;6735557]You live in Florida for goodness' sakes. Doesn't FL get hit with tornadoes and hurricanes?

Yes we have to worry about hurricanes...but tornadoes are very rare here in SE FL. Atleast the hurricanes give plenty of warning....I mean days of it. So that means minimal worry for your life...as you have time to leave if need be. I think the randomness of the tornadoes is what worries my husband and I'd also be freaking about that too.

I'm going to add another dimension to my opinion on snow. I used to live on the more southern end, and I used to think we got more snow when we lived down there. Now I'm in a more central north/south location, and now think I was wrong. We live in a more shaded area now, and the snow seems to hang on longer here, which I would rather have than having more actual snowfall.

The only way to notice a difference is to carry a ruler around IMO. Snowfall varies from storm to storm. There are times Thornton/Westminster/DIA get snow and we don't, and vice versa. There are times the snow is deeper or heavier on East Colfax than it is in Littleton. I will say Castle Rock/Parker/etc get more snowfall overall, but IMO it melts off quicker down there. I don't think it makes much of a difference, but if you want to see snow on your front lawn longer, get a home that faces north. Or if you want to see the snow stick around longer, live in a more established neighborhood with mature trees.

Very good pointers about snow. I guess it's random and according the the storm vicinity/direction of movement.

Have you been out here yet? I would suggest a more central location (read: RENT), until you find out just exactly work will be. There are great hoods all around the metro.

Haven't been there yet but we will be out there in July for a good week to tour the area. Can't wait.

There are run-down neighborhoods in Aurora, but if you are giving a gander at homes in Montbello, I wonder what your definition of run-down is. Most of the run-down Aurora hoods are at the north end.

In the north end of Aurora...do you mean towards the Montbello area? So should we stay away from the area south of Rocky Mtn Arsenal and all the way down to north Aurora?

We definitely want a nice town...area....neighborhood with good schools. And not too far from downtown Denver (maybe within 15-20min). Is the Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn area, not considered central? Or I guess....too far out like 30min or more from downtown?

Thanks David, you're a great help and please if you could.....answer my questions here posted!! Like your last post-it was great and specific.

[Count David]

You're welcome!

Don't worry about tornadoes. You'll spend more time worrying about them than actually experiencing them. They are very rare here as well, we aren't in Oklahoma or Kansas or anything.

Yes, based on your wants/needs, don't bother looking at Montbello (zip 80239), or North Aurora (80010, 80011).

15-20 minutes from downtown with good schools in your price range will be hard. I'd say closer to 30 minutes is more doable. Westminster/Thornton/Northglenn are central, north-central, but the commute from the north into downtown can be quite terrible.

Have you thought of looking south of downtown as well?

There are some older (1960s/1970s) houses in Littleton/Centennial (zips 80121, 80122) in your price range with the good schools. Aurora in zips 80014/80015/80016 would be good too, but would likely be a little longer trip into downtown. Lakewood/Arvada/Wheat Ridge would be good places to look into as well, same for the aforementioned Westminster/Thornton/Northglenn. I would say just about any Denver hood with "good schools" would be out of your range or would force you into a condo.

So basically, just about any town will have what you need. I'll pm you with some online resources to help you out.