Relo to Denver - Am I thinking correctly? (Colorado Springs, Aurora: insurance, house)

[rudy68]

Ok, so we're in the process of relocating to the Denver area, and I've done my thread research on neighborhoods. I really want to thank everyone here for their contributions. I don't know what we would have done without them so far. We are actually in town now, and I could REALLY use any input on whether we have missed any neighborhood considerations we should be thinking about.

We currently live in Charlotte, NC, but are originally from the West Coast and still have family there. We're not big fans of the south, and frankly we've found Charlotte (our opinion only) a bit lacking in "stuff" (restaurants, various stores, sports, museums, you know... "stuff"). Frankly, we're looking for (gasp!) a more fully developed suburbia.

For work, I telecommute unless I'm traveling, so I can live anywhere within an hour or so of a major airport. Access to both DIA and COS would be ideal.

My wife has been a professional mom for the last few years, but is considering a potential return to insurance claims.

So as we've looked around, here's what we'd really like to accomplish:

1. Drivable to both DIA & COS (So I'm thinking somewhere south of the city).

2. Christian School. Our kids have been in public, and I have no beef with the public system, but ideally we'd like our kids in a Christian School. We've visited Denver Christian in Highlands Ranch and Cherry Hills Christian, and for personal preference only we kind of like Denver Christian. We are of course open to other Christian school alternatives that might fit - feel free to recommend any!

3. Housing. We have a decent income, but would prefer to live a bit below our means. A smaller home is totally cool with us (maybe 1700 sf), and we'd like it to be under $300K.

4. "Stuff". As an example here, I wasn't personally a big fan of Castle Rock. I know it has some stuff, and it's only a few miles away from more stuff, but I'd really like a closer proximity to more stuff than Castle Rock allows. Even though we like a reasonable proximity to stuff, however, we aren't really "urbanites". I've come to accept that I lack the necessary sophistication, and so I'm relegating myself to a decent suburb.

5. A yard. Doesn't have to be huge, but an 8000-9000sf lot would be great. Just big enough for our Chocolate Lab to sniff around.

6. Newer. Not a huge deal, but for example I'd probably prefer to live in someplace like Highlands Ranch and visit cool places in Littleton than live in a somewhat older area and visit newer places. Totally shallow, I know. And not a deal killer. But I grew up in a really cool house built in 1908 and learned that sometimes "character" is a code word for cold, drafty, and in continual need of repair.

7. Insurance companies / other employment. Just in case my wife decides she can't live without the adrenaline rush of the insurance industry.

8. Terrain. Liked the newness of some of the areas in Aurora we visited, and maybe it was just me but it felt more like the plains. Further west in that regard seems to make more sense than further east.

All these considerations have kind of ultimately brought us to the Highlands Ranch area. We've driven around and like the area, but are totally open to any other input. You guys are the experts, though - what do you think?? Are we thinking correctly given our stated priorities?

[darryl bush]

If you are looking for Christian schools for your kids, you could do no better than move south to Colorado Springs. The city is big enough and small enough at the same time. It has far fewer traffic issues than the Denver area. The Springs get less snow and cold than Denver. I too am from SoCal and would return there in a heartbeat rather than stay anywhere in Colorado. My work has me tied down here for another three years. I've lived in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina and have to agree with you about the south. Not sure why we didn't let them cut and run in the 1860s. This is a great place to visit but it is kind of in the middle of nowhere!

[fsufezzik]

It sounds to me like you're focusing on the right area. I know nothing about Christian schools, but all of your other criteria sound like you're describing Highlands Ranch. That's where my wife and I settled a year ago, and I'm very happy with the choice. It's a bit farther than I'd like from DIA (about 45 minutes, typically), but it sounds like that's not too far for you, so you should be all right here.

I have a 16-year old house that's 2,800 square feet and over $300K (implying to me that 1,700 square feet can be had for under $300K) with a yard that's fenced and not very big (I mow it with a manual reel mower). There's plenty of "stuff" within a drive of no more than 15 minutes (Park Meadows, Littleton, not to mention everything that's right here in Highlands Ranch - some of which is a 10-minute walk away). I can see the mountains from my bedroom (though I tend to get the best views when I'm driving west on County Line Road or Highlands Ranch Parkway).

Good luck with your house hunt!

[bhcompy]

HR sounds like a good spot, though I'm not sure about that lot size at your price, but my price point was 75k lower, so maybe that just locked me out of those properties. There are also hilly areas of Parker(south Parker) with some large lots and recent developments, but I'm not sure about Christian schools or the drive to COS(but it's an easy trip to DIA). That area of Parker had a vibe similar to HR to it, but on a more scaled down level since the developments were much smaller.

[Count David]

I don't know of anywhere you can't get on a plane from DEN that you can get from COS. Most of COS flights only go to airlines' hubs.

But, to answer your question, south metro, south of Hampden, west of I-25, north of Castle Rock. Anywhere in there where you can find a house/school that suits your wants/needs.

[2bindenver]

If you want a specific type of school - get the school picked first, then focus on close by areas.

I live and work in Highlands Ranch, and it cannot be beat in my opinion if you have kids and dogs. But Parker, Lone Tree, Centennial, Littleton all "fit" your initial wants.

[denverian]

Maybe Centennial would be worth checking out. Still close to the Tech Center for jobs, easy access to get to COS, and easier access to DIA, although via the toll road or whatever that thing is. I've never used it before.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

If you want a specific type of school - get the school picked first, then focus on close by areas.
I live and work in Highlands Ranch, and it cannot be beat in my opinion if you have kids and dogs. But Parker, Lone Tree, Centennial, Littleton all "fit" your initial wants.

I agree with 2B. Start with the school, and then start evaluating nearby neighborhoods. There are plenty that will fit the bill.

[rudy68]

Wow, thanks everyone for all the replies!! Hugely helpful.

Ok, so we'll definitely spend a bit more time checking out Parker and Centennial today.

With regard to Colorado Springs, for us it just felt a bit too small. We kind of like the Denver area and the reasonable (half hour - 45 mins) to downtown when necessary. It's pretty, though, but just not quite for us.

Totally agree the COS airport really only connects to hubs. But I've found that there are a few places on the east coast I can connect on American through Dallas and get there way more cheaply than through DEN (sometimes as much as 2/3 less). So it's good to have access to both if possible.

Totally agree also on the school priority. We made the mistake of not doing things in that order on our last relo 5 yrs ago, and regretted it ever since. Won't make that mistake again!!

Thanks all for the input!! Any other ideas? Can anyone recommend a different Christian school in south Denver? We are also checking out the public schools today as well - 2 different tours this afternoon in HR.

Thanks!!!!

[Moonwalkr]

I like flying Southwest for cheap from DEN to RDU, BOS, and Dulles. Are you doing Christian school for Christian principles or private school principles?