Lone Tree -- PHOTO TOUR (Aurora, Arvada: condos, houses, neighborhood)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by woob

so discussion of the PHOTO TOUR is limited only to remarking on how nice the photos are and not how crappy we think the neighborhood may be?

I think it means you can say the pictures suck if you want, but stay on topic. (No offense meant to vegaspilgrim, I think the pictures are great!)

[MantaRay]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

If you enjoy that style and you're looking for an affordable place to retire in Colorado, you might want to examine Pueblo-- there are some newer golf course communities and general subdivisions in the newer north part of Pueblo and Pueblo West where the entire neighborhood is decked out in that way-- much like if you were in CA, AZ, NV, or FL. It hasn't really caught on that well in Denver yet.

Thanks, good looking out!

[loveautumn]

looks just like Southern California???

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by woob

so discussion of the PHOTO TOUR is limited only to remarking on how nice the photos are and not how crappy we think the neighborhood may be?

This thread is for discussing Lone Tree and the photo tour. What happened was we got off on a tangent about urban sprawl in the USA so I took that stuff and made it a new thread which is becoming rather vibrant in its own right.

We can say that Lone Tree is a part of suburban sprawl but if we want to discuss suburban sprawl in general we need to locate those thoughts in the other thread.

IMO, a simple one-liner saying "Lone Tree is an example of urban sprawl" is almost enough of a statement for this thread.

What we should discuss here are the contents of Lone Tree, which we did for almost two pages until we got off track. What eateries do people like or not like in Lone Tree, what places of interest, or places to avoid, where best to live for access to the light rail or bus lines, how accessible is to those who do not drive or cannot hoof it very well.

The intent of this thread is to give our readers a once-over on Lone Tree, not a serious discussion of urban sprawl.

[mdtoaz]

Nice pics... it looks like a nice place, but somewhat generic - kinda Stepfordish. Although I do like the indoor skydiving next to a brew pub.

[formercalifornian]

As always, nice photos Vegas. I'm inspired and thinking about grabbing my camera to document the neighborhoods on the other side of County Line, so readers can see how the older sections in this part of town have held up. I think some may be surprised at how suburban Willow Creek, Dry Creek, Homestead, are Hunters Hill feel by comparison even in the midst of a commercial district.

[Scott5280]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

As always, nice photos Vegas. I'm inspired and thinking about grabbing my camera to document the neighborhoods on the other side of County Line, so readers can see how the older sections in this part of town have held up. I think some may be surprised at how suburban Willow Creek, Dry Creek, Homestead, are Hunters Hill feel by comparison even in the midst of a commercial district.

You are so right about how nice that part of town has matured. The Writer Homes section of Willow Creek is around 30 years old or more, and looks better now than ever. I remember swimming at the Club House pool when it was new, many of my friend's parents that lived there then are still in the area. Fantastic family area with big trees,trails,and great schools. Willow Creek ,Homestead, are absolute suburban success stories..just as desirable today. Some of the larger luxury patio homes in Homestead border on permanent open space/park like setting. Anything that goes on the market in that area is quickly snatched up..they are just not building anything nice comparable with those lot sizes unless you want to pay 700k or more. Lone Tree actually looks to me like it will age well too. Nice views of the front range.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by Scott5280

You are so right about how nice that part of town has matured. The Writer Homes section of Willow Creek is around 30 years old or more, and looks better now than ever. I remember swimming at the Club House pool when it was new, many of my friend's parents that lived there then are still in the area. Fantastic family area with big trees,trails,and great schools. Willow Creek ,Homestead, are absolute suburban success stories..just as desirable today. Some of the larger luxury patio homes in Homestead border on permanent open space/park like setting. Anything that goes on the market in that area is quickly snatched up..they are just not building anything nice comparable with those lot sizes unless you want to pay 700k or more. Lone Tree actually looks to me like it will age well too. Nice views of the front range.

When I think of Lone Tree, I think of extremes. There are a few exceptions, but it seems that the only housing options are gargantuan single-family homes in gated communities or apartments/condominiums on the golf course. While it is a very well-manicured community with a ton of shopping and easy access to the Lincoln light rail station, I don't consider it particularly livable for a middle-class family with kids. For very affluent DINKs (pre-kids or empty nesters), it may be a different story.

[WilliamPacker]

Originally Posted by MantaRay

Huh? I saw sidewalks in those pics, even along the main roads. I don't see why a person couldn't walk a mile and a half from home to Park Meadows along sidewalks. It does look rich, clean, and sterile, but if I'm looking for a place I might retire to in the future (which I am), and walking a few short miles a day to a retail destination (or biking) will be part of my exercise regimen (which it will), that area looks plenty walkable to me.

Props to vegaspilgrim for another great photo tour!

If you don't mind walking that same path every single day then it will be great for you. There is a lot of shopping and restaurants within a mile or two along Park Meadows Drive all the way to the mall and then along Lincoln. I used to live in one of the apartments pictured in the tour and have since moved to Denver. I got bored with seeing the same stuff on my walks/runs. There literally is just Park Meadows Drive to walk along. To make things worse, this is a busy street. Very loud and hard to cross at times. I love walking around my new neighborhood. Just a lot more variety and new things to see every day. If you live in one of the housing developments with the very large homes there are more sidewalks/streets but still not a whole lot as they are bounded by busy streets.

[5chevin5]

As I dig deeper into my research of the Denver metro area for possible relocation, I stumbled upon theses photos. It does look like resort living and a hundred other suburban communities I have seen in the West. I think that is the point....people that live there...like it that way. Not everyone wants city living or country living, sometimes right down the middle is okay.

It is a very nice looking area, new, clean and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how many "local" restaurants there are instead of the mega chain stores....Nice! Now whether they are good or not would be the question.

Living in Tokyo now, I'm a little brainwashed...but...Where are the people? Nobody walking around the stores and even the restaurants were empty? Perhaps the photos were taken at a time of day people are not typically eating?

Denver is stacking up the way I thought it would, I'm liking what I see more and more everyday.

Thank you for sharing
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