Mountain - Plains - Denver - a little help?

Tried posting on a non-bike forum and all we got were smart aleck answers.

We are moving to the Denver area. g/f is getting transferred from her work in K.C. to work near 225/Colfax. I'm not employed yet so where I work isn't really an issue right now. We're looking for an apartment in a nice area. Nothing fancy, but not ghetto either (like where her work apparently is).

Where can we live that is a 45 minute commute (not considering snow)? Is Westminster/Broomfield/Arvada direction too trafficky? She needs to get to work by 8 and leaves at 5:15 M-F.

TIA.

I'm in Broomfield;
If I had to drive all the way down there every day, I'd be hating life.:mad:
I'm not familiar with the Colfax/225 area, but I used to live in Centennial, which is a *lot* closer.
There are lots of nice apts down there.
Also, close to Centennial is Greenwood Village and Cherry Creek which are very upscale.

Why the draw to Westminster/Broomfield/Arvada?

It sounds like your lady is going to work around Children's.

Although, Aurora has the lowest tax in Denver and can be considered a little less desirable, I lived just a few miles north of cherry creek reservoir. There are a number of apartment complexes there some exceptionally nice) that would only be a ~15 min drive (fxn of traffic). The Cherry Creek area also wouldn't be too far.

It's probably best to visit once or twice. Having lived on both the east and west sides of town, I still drive to many of my rides - I don't like mups. I don't notice much of a difference in terms of riding access. Plus in aurora you have the reservoir that's good for winter rides when the roads are tough.

Thanks for the great suggestions. We've vacationed in Boulder, Ft. Collins, Loveland so know the west side of I-25 a little better.

We're actually driving there from KC this weekend to scope the place out and perhaps decide on a few candidates for apartments. Then we'll go back for another reconnisance mission in 2 weeks and then move permanently 2 weeks after that the weekend before Thanksgiving.

She wants to minimize commute times. I on the other hand want to make sure there's plenty of good riding (road, mtn, piddling around) to be had. My goal was to trade our Mercedes and Jeep in for 1 Subaru and 2 bicycles :)

It just occurred to me that DataJunkie lives fairly close to that area.
You might shoot a PM to him.
Don't let the hot brunette in his avatar fool you; He *is* a guy.:lol:

PM sent. Thx!

I am afraid I am not the most help.
I live in Thornton along 120th and Co Blvd. The commute from my area will be a tad better than from broomfield but it will still be aggravating.
Plus, the riding in my suburb leaves quite a bit to be desired. It is somewhere you ride through or away from to find a decent ride.
What I can tell you is that a commute in the NW suburbs will result in a long commute for your g/f.
I would stick to Denver. A nice neighborhood off to the west would help.
Other Denverites will be here shortly to chime in. :)

My mistake;
I didn't recall that you lived this far North.

No worries. :)
I keep trying to forget about living in no man's land. :p

The Fitzsimmons area is rapidly gentrifying due to renovation of the prostitute motels by Aurora and the new hospital complexes, but it may take awhile before it is a "nice" neighborhood.

Personally, I love the MUPS in the Denver metro area. Here is a map of the major ones, but there are more:

http://www.ourwebs.info/denverbikemap1.jpg

You might look in the I-225 and Parker Road area - the Aventine apartments come to mind. Very close to light rail and the Cherry Creek Trail, now that they are using the former "Bridge to nowhere" over I-225 as a bike path and as a connection to the Nine Mile Rail Station. This would be just a short deiv NE on I-225 to Colfax.

But, then, I am an old guy not into the downtown scene!

Look in Stapleton, Lowry, Park Hill, Montclair, Congress Park.....

These are all an easy, quick commute to Fitz and great places to live. They are close to downtown and really hold the best of Denver.

Thanks for the great replies. DenverFox - that's an awesome map. I can't wait to move and get acclimated to the elevation and get out there on my bikes with some of you guys.

Look in Stapleton, Lowry, Park Hill, Montclair, Congress Park.....

These are all an easy, quick commute to Fitz and great places to live. They are close to downtown and really hold the best of Denver.

This one. I live in South City Park (small neighborhood just north of Congress Park). I can drive to 225/Colfax in 15 mins and bus it in under 30. The cycling gets a little sketchy as you get out east though.

Thanks for the great replies. DenverFox - that's an awesome map. I can't wait to move and get acclimated to the elevation and get out there on my bikes with some of you guys.

You will do fine. I moved here in 2000 from sea level. No issues that I remember.

I live about two minutes east of the Cherry Creek Res.in Aurora and love it.
There are all kinds of MUPs going on all dirrections.
There are nice appartments around the area and also some very expensive homes.
Drive time to Colfax via 225 is about 7 minutes.
Good luck with the move.

This one. I live in South City Park (small neighborhood just north of Congress Park). I can drive to 225/Colfax in 15 mins and bus it in under 30. The cycling gets a little sketchy as you get out east though.

When biking out to Fitz, the best way I've found is Montview (20th).

Well, I don't have much to add to this discussion! They've pretty much covered the places that would be near where she's going to work.

Look in Stapleton, Lowry, Park Hill, Montclair, Congress Park.....

These are all an easy, quick commute to Fitz and great places to live. They are close to downtown and really hold the best of Denver.

I'd second something on the east side of Denver or even close to Downtown over the Broomfield area. It's easier to hop in a car and drive to the mountains on the weekends than it is to try and negotiate some of the worst traffic in the Metro area. US36, I-270, I-70 and I-225 are some of the worst traffic choked roads in the area. Make your, and her;), daily commute short and as traffic free as possible. Save the driving for the weekends:thumb:

Thanks for the replies. If you see a pair of lost people walking around Denver with a printout of this thread in hand, stop us and say hi :)

Thanks for the replies. If you see a pair of lost people walking around Denver with a printout of this thread in hand, stop us and say hi :)

While you are here this weekend, go to Veloswap (http://veloswap.com/). You might want to rent a U-haul to take all the stuff you'll buy back;)

While you are here this weekend, go to Veloswap (http://veloswap.com/). You might want to rent a U-haul to take all the stuff you'll buy back;)

I do have some stuff to swap :) and we are going to get a storage unit for our stuff that we're bringing on this trip.

My wife and I lived near the confluence of Cherry Creek and High Line (Yale and Yosemite in SE Denver) a few years back, great location next to two awesome trails and Bible Park, easy 16 minute drive to your wife's work.

Great ethnic food nearby, easy to get downtown. Loved living there.

Well we looked in a few places today.

What do you guys think about The Breakers (near Mississippi/Dayton) or Crestone (near Havana/Florida)? Those are our top 2 so far.

Looked in Lowry, Cherry Creek Mall, near the REI Flagship, Aurora Town Center. Realized we don't want anything > 8 years old because of things like tiny closets and questionable people mulling around.

We may look at a few places near DTC even though it's a little further in terms of commute.

Lowry is brand new. The Breakers has been here as long as I have, 14 years. I used to live down there in South East and we had a lot of crime issues. I am one block off Colfax now and we don't have the problems we had down in South East.

I really think the old neighborhoods are where the character in the city is.

I almost didn't get married because of the Breakers. When the wife and I (GF at the time) moved to Denver I came out and looked at places first. I picked the Breakers and the wife came out to approve...she literally wouldn't speak to me and cried for a half day when she saw them. She couldn't possibly believe that I would want to live there under any circumstances whatsoever.

We started the search over from scratch and ended at 10 Emerson St in Wash Park...she was right as she usually is.

At least y'all were smart enough to stay out of the burbs.

If you prefer new, then Lowry or Stapleton.
Ditto the fact that all that is great about Denver lies in the older, central neighborhoods. Adjusting to small closets really isn't that hard. ;)

I'll tell you why else I would stay away from places like The Breakers. This is opinion, but I lived in such a place down in SE. All those places are built with their parking lots surrounding them. Your bedroom inevitably ends up over a a parking lot and you get a lot of noise, heat, and fumes.

I am fortunate to be a homeowner in Denver now, but if I were looking to rent again, I would look for an older apartment in a solid brick building with not parking lot. Sure, street parking can be a bit of a hassel, but my neighborhood has permit parking so it only gets crowded during Jazz concerts in the park (They are on Sundays and parking is open on Sundays).

I lived just a few blocks south of The Breakers. I've known a couple of residents there and it seems like a younger crowd, 20-30's. The community also has many events. The people, I knew, who have lived there didn't have many complaints.

I was just a couple of blocks south at The Flats at Whisper Sky - they were to be condos, couldn't sell enough units and converted to apartments. The apartments are relatively nice, built within the last few years, and a quick ride to Cherry Creek reservoir.

Thanks for the help everyone. GF pulled rank and we ended up getting a new apartment at the DTC on the corner of Union and Monaco. Only a few miles from Cherry Creek State Park. I saw a lot of roadies and MTB'ers riding through the neighborhood and some pretty nice bikes in other people's balconies so I'm hoping it'll be a good experience.

REI and Performance Bike is just a short bike ride south in Centennial so that's a plus, too. :)

Thanks for the help everyone. GF pulled rank and we ended up getting a new apartment at the DTC on the corner of Union and Monaco. Only a few miles from Cherry Creek State Park. I saw a lot of roadies and MTB'ers riding through the neighborhood and some pretty nice bikes in other people's balconies so I'm hoping it'll be a good experience.

REI and Performance Bike is just a short bike ride south in Centennial so that's a plus, too. :)

That is very close to where I used to live.
Stop into REI and pick up one of these in the map rack, and you should be good to go:
http://www.dbtc.org/images/RouteMapCover2008_small.JPG

My favorite rides were:
1. Laps around the Cherry Creek Reservoir.
2. High Line Canal.
3. Cherry Creek Trail to Confluence Park, (busy in the summer, but had the best female scenery).

Thanks for the help everyone. GF pulled rank and we ended up getting a new apartment at the DTC on the corner of Union and Monaco. Only a few miles from Cherry Creek State Park. I saw a lot of roadies and MTB'ers riding through the neighborhood and some pretty nice bikes in other people's balconies so I'm hoping it'll be a good experience.

REI and Performance Bike is just a short bike ride south in Centennial so that's a plus, too. :)

Congrats and welcome to the hood. I'm in agreement w/ darkstar regarding the older neighborhoods in Denver being the best, but given your GF's work location you guys made a good decision.

You're pretty close to Chatfield St. Park. You can do loops around it during the winter -- pretty flat, but it beats the trainer IMO. And when it warms up (winter seems really early this year :() you'll be close to really good climbs just west of Chatfield. And take the Cherry Creek path north to the REI in Confluence Park. It's a decent ride for a MUP and brings you to a nice part of the city.

N on Monaco to Happy Canyon/Quincy (purposely hidden a bit by Cherry Hills Village), west on Quincy past Holly a bit and you will cross the Highline Canal and the Highline Canal Trail. You can get on the Trail at Quincy. The Highline Canal Trail winds from Waterton Canyon on the far southwest side of town out to Aurora, for 66 miles. The prettiest section is around Orchard/Belleview/Quincy (south).

The surface ranges from hardpack "fines" to asphalt to cement.

It is passable on a road bike, but better suited to a hybrid or mtn bike. About 20 - 30 feet wide in most places. This is a great Sunday ride - just for fun, speed limit is 15 mph, and extremely scenic and lots of big acreage with mini mansions and open space in this area. Coyotes, owls, a couple of small ponds, birds, great big Cottonwoods.

Not for everyone's riding, but my wife and I love riding on it.

Also, just south of Orchard on the Highline, there is a connector east to the Little Dry Creek Trail, which turns into the Willow Creek Trail after crossing Holly and Arapahoe, which will take you to the C470 Trail just after going under County Line Road, or, alternatively, you can go under County Line and also C470 and end up in northern Douglas County.

Go east on the C470 trail and come visit me in Parker. The trail goes 1/2 mile from my home. Then go south on the Cherry Creek Trail to Franktown and Castlewood Canyon State Park.

Anyway, lots and lots of exploring to do, if you enjoy that sort of thing in addition to hammering.

Nice .....Welcome to town and you'll find it's an outdoors enthusiasts haven! Hiking, Biking Skiing you name it!!!

Thanks. Very excited about the outdoor opportunities... and local nightlife ;)

Thanks. Very excited about the outdoor opportunities... and local nightlife ;)

There's nightlife in Denver....who knew:D

I'm married with younguns and I have all my fun in the daylight....nightlife for me is for eating dinner, reading a good book and hitting the sack:cry:

There's nightlife in Denver....who knew:D


Not where he is moving ;)

OP, just kidding, well kind of. Welcome to the area, but you will definitely be commuting inward for the nightlife. What are you looking for? Perhaps I can give you some info.

I am old and married (42 is old in Denver), but with no kids, my wife and I dine out a lot and I do a lot of pubs and blues/rock shows as well. Don't ask me about the club scene though. Not really my thing.

Well we're real close to the light rail so we were figuring on having to going downtown for some beers, etc..

Riding the light rail in is fantastic! Just keep an eye on the schedule into the night hours. Denver's mass transit leave a lot to be desired as you move away from the central part of the city.

Not where he is moving ;)

OP, just kidding, well kind of. Welcome to the area, but you will definitely be commuting inward for the nightlife. What are you looking for? Perhaps I can give you some info.

I am old and married (42 is old in Denver), but with no kids, my wife and I dine out a lot and I do a lot of pubs and blues/rock shows as well. Don't ask me about the club scene though. Not really my thing.

:eek:
I'm 47 and don't consider myself old...of course my wife always telling me how deluded and out of touch I am:D

Kids didn't change our lifestyles a whole lot. We ate out a lot more before tykes but we still didn't go to shows or clubs. I've had no interest in that sort of thing since around 30. I'd much rather read a book even a bad book.

I don't really consider myself old either, but so many of our friends are younger. I like to stay home and read, but since I work at home, sometimes I just need to get out at night.

OP, the lightrail is quite good, but as you have been warned, it can stop early on weeknights. Oh, and since you like beer, you are going to love Denver.

Anything going on Saturday PM? I'm taking a drive out there from KC to drop off more of the gf's crap and a few more bikes to our storage unit so I'll be around tomorrow night. :)

My wife works in that same area. We have a nice APT in Castle Pines (North Castle Rock). Her commute is not bad at all. but she does leave around 6:30 am or so

I think I know which apts you're in, and you could have done a LOT worse.

Being on top of the Belleview light rail station is the shiznit, head to downtown for all your partying needs without the parking hassle or DUI fear. Local brews can be found at Baker St. Pub (http://www.sherlockspubco.com/Main.aspx) (walking distance in good weather), and you have the Greenwood Village shops/movie theater/etc right down the street off of Quebec. There you'll find a smattering of upper-scale restaurants (including a really good sushi place, Happa) and a Landmark Theater.

You're in a great spot. As far as riding is concerned, you can head south really easily (I use Monaco to Orchard to Colorado, that's my commute when I ride). And Cherry Creek Res is literally off of Union (head over the highway and keep going till you pass the high school; you're there. To get to the mountains on bike from where you are, I'd head south (either via the Highline Canal Trail, or Colorado) and hop on the C470 trail and head west. You are about 15mi or so from the mouth of Deer Creek Canyon, a popular climb (I'm leaving the politics out of this).

Denver is great, you will be quite pleased--

On one of my trips I found Wahoo's Fish Taco's near the REI down there. I need to buy stock in that place. Shrimp tacos :love:

Not where he is moving ;)

What are you looking for?

Beer.

Lots of good beer in DTC area. Many people love CB Potts (I-25/Arapahoe)which is a micro-brew pub with lots of several beer choices. Since I like food more, I like the Tavern-Tech Center, on DTC Blvd or Great Northern Tavern ( east on Belleview) ...