My first time in Denver, CO. Can someone please tell me what are the nicest area to live for the decent price

Question

I am moving from high priced California in search of a better quality in life. I just recently married and want to relocated to start a new family. We have decided on Denver, CO. It seems like a great place to live with no major natural distaster to worry about. But please tell me some stories if there is something to worry about like hail storms. I also would like to know if there are Asian area, White area, Latino area, and the Black area since I am very new to Denver... Could you tell me what area I should avoid and what area I should live first? Thank you so much.... your input is highly appreciated.

Answer 1

We moved north of Denver and are very happy. We are in Lafayette which is in Boulder County. We do get a few hail storms and snow but the mountains tend to shield us from most of the major weather.
We just started a family and the school system has been very helpful so far.
As far as the ethnic make up I can only tell you what I have noticed as far as differences from the south east. There are more latinos and fewer blacks but I haven't noticed any community having more of one than the other.

Answer 2

Broomfield, Westminster, Louisville, Lafayette, and a few unincorporated ares all are what you say you want. Single family house prices range from 200,000 (hard to find, maybe in a dodgy neighborhood) to over a million. Townhouses and condos are cheaper of course. 300K is a much more realistic number than 200K for "good". If someone in the household is working here, you'll want to be close to work. Traffic is bad. Of course, farther out East is generally cheaper. The location is indeed prime, with good access and even some views. What you really need is a real estate agent. Some will represent you as a buyer, and you pay no fee, they get a cut of the sellers commission. You do have to be careful about picking an ethical one, there's plenty of scope for conflict of interest.

Answer 3

denver is 1/2 hispanic. that's right, half. the now trendy highland neighborhood was most recently a mexican hood, now being taken over by white affluent types. it is a cool hood, but there are tensions.

the black neighborhoods are 5 points, citypark north/east, on east out to stapleton. the northeast part of the city. i live in 5 points and love it. there is crime, homeless panhandling everyday - all you'd expect from a gentrifying hood. i have a 3 year old daughter and another on the way. we live here because we like being immune to national trends in real estate (we are gaining equity every month), we like inner city energy, architecture, and proxinity to everything this city has to offer. some folks are just not cut out for the inner city, and that is understandable.

there is a sort of "chinatown" on north federal between colfax and alameda, which is actually a more violent neighborhood than 5 points. it is called westwood. i'm not sure many asians reside here, but all the stores and restaurants they run are here.

so essentially, all the burbs are mostly white. the central districts are where the minorities are (and as a white guy, i am now officially a minority in denver proper).

i recommend living closer in to the city center, in any number of nice neighborhoods, for a more rich life experience.

washinton park, park hill, stapleton, and many parts of denver proper. berkley & wheat ridge have nice areas.

hope you like it! the weather is great - lots of sun with distinct change of seasons. hail is my most hated aspect - it happens every year. sometimes, golfball sized, and insurance claim time.

Answer 4

No natural disasters to speak of. We did get a rediculous amount of snow last winter - but that is not common here. Normally it snows, gets sunny and all the snow melts (atleast in the Denver area and suburbs) within a couple days.

I think Littleton, Castle Rock, Englewood, Centennial and Golden are all nice places to raise a family. I live in the city of Denver and love it. I think there are some great places to raise a family in the city of Denver as well. The Platte Park, Washington Park, Bonnie Brae, Stapleton, Lowry and Cherry Creek neighborhoods are all very nice. I have found http://www.hubbuzz.com/Denver/MetroAreaOverview.aspx to be very helpful with finding good neighborhood information. You can look at pictures, neighborhood write-ups and blogs and maps. Very helpful!

Answer 5

Highlands Ranch Colorado.
Very nice suburb. it has vitually no crime, amazing weather(it will rain for 20 minutes then the sun will come out and it will be 80 degrees)
Mainly the ethnicity there is like 90% white 5% asian and 5% black.
It is a costly area in some spots but we do have a "beverly hills" so to speak area with houses in the millions. But all the other houses are around $300,000- $700,000. It is such a pretty area and we get no natural disasters, it hails maybe 2 times a summer and its pea size. DO NOT LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR AUROA, 5 POINTS OR DENVER WEST. those have a lot of crime but Highlands Ranch is just perfect for a family and its about 30 minutes from the city.
Hope this helps!!

Answer 6

A lot will depend on where you are going to be working. I wouldn't want to raise a family in Denver. We live in Castle Rock, 30 min south of Denver. Great town to raise a family. littleton, lakewood Arvada and Highlands Ranch are nice too. I would not recommend Aurora.

Answer 7

I lived in Denver and hated it. Moved there from California, in fact. You like LA traffic? Denver's your place. You like LA sprawl? Denver's your place. You like bland? Denver's your place.

Yes, hail storms, can be extremely damaging. Yes, wild fires, though rarely close to Denver but sometimes.

Have a ball.

[EDIT] Whitney cites Highlands Ranch in particular. THAT'S WHERE I LIVED! Let me tell you about Highlands Ranch.... I lived in a gated community that was bordered by a shopping plaza with a grocery store. If I could have walked to that grocery store, it would have been about 200 yards. But no - I had to get into my car and drive out of the compound, through the gate, get onto a major street, go through two stop lights, make a left, and then another to get into the parking lot. Distance one way? HALF a mile.

You can't even walk out the door to get a newspaper and a cup of coffee in Highlands Ranch without getting into your car.

Five Points (which she does NOT like) is a good investment.

Castle Rock is 30 MILES, not 30 minutes, from Denver, unless the highway is dead empty.

Answer 8

stay away from east denver if u can


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Answer 9

STAY WHERE YOU ARE. WERE SICK OF ALL YOU YUPPIES MOVIN HERE AND TRYING TO CHANGE THE STATE TO BE JUST LIKE YOURS. WALK INTO A COLORADO BAR AND TELL THEM YOU MOVED FROM CALI YOULL HAVE 10 BOTTLES SMASHED OVER YOUR HEAD! BELIEVE IT!