Anyone live(ed) in Denver?

[Galaril]

I am living in the Boston suburbs now and am looking for a change of scenery. I have thought about Seattle but feel the cost of living especially housing is similar to Boston. I am now looking at Colorado. The main thing is the housing market and jobs. I am in IT/accounting so I am not to worried about getting work. I am interested in the areas around Denver maybe more in the mountains. I was under the impression from talikng to some that Denver was more like a prairie-type town near the Rockies. I was wondering are there some nice subs and how is the commute into the city. Also, how is Colorado Springs is it just a college town or is there alot professionals there? Thanks ahead of time for any insight.

[st.cronin]

TroyF lives in I think Westminster, a very posh suburb of Denver. You should pm him. The Rocky mountain area is gorgeous, perfect if you like spending time outdoors.

You may also look into Boise or Salt Lake City, or even Albuquerque.

[Galaril]

Thanks.

[gottimd]

Lived in Denver?

[Ryche]

Colorado Springs is more a military town than college town, or at least it was 10 years ago. Beautiful climate if you enjoy sunshine without much rain or humidity and still not too hot. Personally, I'd move back there in a heartbeat.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Not sure Denver is the best place to go if you're looking for cheaper living. I suppose it is cheaper than Boston for sure, but it's still on the higher end of cost of living as far as larger cities go. Traffic can be pretty bad during rush hour. Smog can also be a problem at times because the mountains don't allow the smog to move away from the city. Many are starting to move downtown to avoid the commute. Also, you mentioned that you wanted more towards the mountains. Obviously, the housing prices escalate very quickly the more closer you are to the mountains.

I would echo the above statement regarding Colorado Springs. Boulder is also a good alternative with a bit less population and cost of living.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Galaril

I am living in the Boston suburbs now and am looking for a change of scenery. I have thought about Seattle but feel the cost of living especially housing is similar to Boston. I am now looking at Colorado. The main thing is the housing market and jobs. I am in IT/accounting so I am not to worried about getting work. I am interested in the areas around Denver maybe more in the mountains. I was under the impression from talikng to some that Denver was more like a prairie-type town near the Rockies. I was wondering are there some nice subs and how is the commute into the city. Also, how is Colorado Springs is it just a college town or is there alot professionals there? Thanks ahead of time for any insight.

The housing market in Denver has actually hit a slight lull. The costs have come down quite a bit in the last few months. (I purchased a 983 sq ft condo for about 125k a few weeks ago)

The area is beautiful. The weather is incredible, with a bright, high, blue sky a majority of the year and three very distinct seasons. We get some snow in the spring that causes spring/summer to really merge together.

Outdoor activity is plentiful. Bike riding, hiking, skiing, golf, hunting, fishing, camping. . . all top notch. The city is middle of the road in terms of politics. Boulder is far left of center and Colorado Springs is fairly conservative. Other than that, just a laid back town.

There are good suburbs all around Denver. Westminster is the one I've found the best for my costs. (Cherry Creek is by far and away the best and most expensive suburb)

Traffic can be pretty bad at rush hour. The last study I saw showed the Denver had more cars per person than any other city in the US. There isn't a solid mass transit to use and the city is spread out, so everyone commutes. There are some highway projects underway (called TRex) that may improve the commute a bit.

As for sports, this is a professional sports town first and foremost. The Broncos are the #1 story a majority of the year in terms of the sporting events.

Denver as a "prairie town?" Yeah, it pretty much is. The city is about 1-2 hours to the east of the mountains. The closer you get to the mountains, the higher your housing costs are likely to be. Look in Golden if you want to get closer to the mountains and still live near the city. It's the home of the Coors brewery. Also has some very nice homes and is a growing community.

If you are looking for anything else, just give me a PM

[Galaril]

Thanks for the info.

[Young Drachma]

If you really want a prairie, live in Wyoming...pay no income tax and commute. Hehe...you'll get more prairie than you want or need.

I won't even give my cynical opinion of living out here, other than to say, I really like Colorado...and I'm considering moving to Ft. Collins once my lease ends, because I dunno if I can bring myself to live in Cheyenne..though I guess compared to Laramie, it's "bigger and better" but..if I have to move, might as well go somewhere that has stuff. I probably won't move tho, because I prefer not paying taxes on stuff.

Denver traffic is a lot worse than anything I encountered growing up on the east coast and the only place I found to be worse was Seattle....who are too busy frothing their lattes to build mass transit rail.

Luckily, there are more deer on the road in Wyoming than cars. Or not, i guess.

[MacroGuru]

I will pimp Utah, and with your IT Security training, a lot of companies are paying good money. In fact, just me leaving a company made them allocate 250K to a security staff budget. (I was one of the major IT Analysts to touch the customer DB on a daily basis and went to the competition, they were afraid of me either hacking the system, or taking trade secrets with me. They even hired a forensic specialist to go over my machine)

Anyways, Cost of living in Utah is awesome, and if you can secure an IT position in the security sector, you can do quite well out here.

[molson]

I just moved to Boise - it seems like a really nice place to live, and housing is crazy cheap. There's not really any suburbs because they're not really necessary - you can buy a nice house with a yard right in the city. There's been huge population growth in the area, and there's also a surprising amount of industry.

[st.cronin]

A lot of people don't realize that Albuquerque is in the mountains, as well. It's the same altitude as Denver.

[Buccaneer]

Cool, I get to use my Colorado Springs booster again:

Money Magazine has rated Colorado Springs the #1 Best Place to Live

Education, economy help make Colorado Springs BEST PLACE TO LIVE


By JIM BAINBRIDGE THE GAZETTE
Gen. William Jackson Palmer’s little prairie town is all grown up.

Money magazine’s 19th annual survey of the Best Places to Live in America ranks Colorado Springs No. 1 in the big city category, population of 300,000 or more.

The Springs outperformed Austin, Texas, and Mesa, Ariz. — not to mention New York and San Diego — in a study released Monday that factored a range of financial, housing, educational, health, weather, leisure and quality-of-life issues in 59 big cities.

One economic indicator that helped put the city over the top: a median home price of $192,250 that was well below the Best Places’ average of $256,659.

“Colorado Springs also did very well on education scores,” said Money magazine executive editor Craig Matters, “and in ease of living,” which he said included “factors like commute times and health.”

The Springs benefited from a change in methodology in the Money survey this year. In 2005, the editors had focused on communities of 14,000 people or larger but this year decided to alter their guidelines and include only those cities of 50,000 or more.

That decreased the sample from around 1,400 communities to 745 and allowed Money’s editors to look deeper, Matters said. They increased the number of measuring categories from 23 to 41 and did a breakout of big cities they did not have last year.


This magnified look at each community — and that breakout — pushed Colorado Springs to the top of the list. It was not even mentioned in the top 100 under the previous format.

Fort Collins was No. 1 in the small cities category, 50,000 to 299,999.

“I’m a little surprised we ended up No. 1,” said Fred Crowley, senior economist for the Southern Colorado Economic Forum. “I think it is wonderful that we rank well. It speaks well of the community on average. It doesn’t matter where we rank in individual categories, but that we rank well overall.”

Predictably, business leaders were as happy as if the No. 1 ranking came with a cash prize — which it doesn’t.

“It’s worth its weight in gold,” said David White, marketing vice president for the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp.

For the EDC, the top billing will help the Springs get noticed as it attempts to recruit new employers, as well as when it seeks to retain existing companies and get others to expand.

“It helps to put us on the radar screen,” White said. “It makes more people aware that Colorado Springs is a great place to live. Before, they may not have included Colorado Springs in their site selection survey. It’s an important tool in our tool bag to help market the region.”

Dennis Donovan, a New Jersey-based consultant who helps companies select locations and who toured the Springs last year, agrees that “once you’ve got Colorado Springs appearing in such a survey, you go to your boss to get approval, and you say, ‘Look, man, Money magazine says this is a great place.’ It legitimizes it. It makes it a much easier sell.”

Money is the nation’s largest personal finance magazine, with nearly 2 million subscribers and newsstand buyers.

Expect the Money magazine ranking to show up on the EDC’s Web site, White said. And when the EDC targets an area for a marketing campaign, it plans to place ads in local business journals in the area that tout the No 1. ranking.

“We’ll definitely play this for all it’s worth,” White said.

Will Temby, president and CEO of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, was also happy to see the ranking.

“I think it makes people feel good about the location in which they reside,” he said, “and I think it validates why we live here.”

Beyond economics, the Springs also received positive health scores, which match other recent findings. The city was ranked as the third-fittest city in the nation by Men’s Fitness magazine in 2005 and came in as the leanest city in a 2005 study by the Trust for America’s Health advocacy group.

“We are in a state where recreation is a premium — we have the mountains to hike in, and we have people biking, running — you name it,” said Bradd Hafer, spokesman for city-owned Memorial Health System.

Colorado Springs also falls well below the national averages for cancer mortality and cardiac mortality in Money’s study.

One category in which the Springs scored poorly was crime. Property and personal crimes ranked above per-capita average compared with the other ranked cities.

In education, local student test scores in reading and math exceeded the state average — but not by as much as the survey’s best places overall.

The city outscored the state average by 4.8 percent in reading and 8.3 percent in math, while the top cities exceeded their state averages by nearly 12 percent in reading and 15 percent in math.

What struck many city officials as the most significant aspect of the study was that Colorado Springs scored so well in so many areas.

“I think it might all add up to people wanting the amenities of a big town but all the benefits of a small town,” said Amy Long, spokeswoman from Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, the convention and visitors bureau. “Between the cultural facilities, the schools and other attractions, we have lots of things you normally don’t find in a town this small. We have a great balance.

Said Mayor Lionel Rivera: “It is a reflection of job growth of nearly 9 percent since 2000, good housing affordability and purchasing power, clear air, low commute times and a very healthy community. It is very encouraging. It will be a strong attraction for businesses that are considering moving here.”

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

A lot of people don't realize that Albuquerque is in the mountains, as well. It's the same altitude as Denver.

St. cronin, no disrespect again, but do you actually look around you? Albuquerque is not in the mountains. It has the Sandia Mountains (a rocky, sagebrush mountain except towards the top) sort of nearby. The whole city is located in the high desert with very little elevation change. Altitude has nothing to do with geography. Santa Fe is in the high plateau and even though it is up against the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos, it is a "prairie town" just like Denver is. True mountain towns are those actually in the mountains, not 0.5-2 hours away like most of the Front Range cities of the Rockies and certainly of the desert cities of the Southwest.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

St. cronin, no disrespect again, but do you actually look around you? Albuquerque is not in the mountains. It has the Sandia Mountains (a rocky, sagebrush mountain except towards the top) sort of nearby. The whole city is located in the high desert with very little elevation change. Altitude has nothing to do with geography. Santa Fe is in the high plateau and even though it is up against the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos, it is a "prairie town" just like Denver is. True mountain towns are those actually in the mountains, not 0.5-2 hours away like most of the Front Range cities of the Rockies and certainly of the desert cities of the Southwest.

The Sandia Mountains are in the Albuquerque city limits. It's every bit as much a "mountain town" as Denver.

edit: Actually, it appears they are right outside the city limits. Also, the Jemez Mountains are just a 1/2 hour away. My point was that it's just much a "mountain town" as Denver or Colorado Springs, and if that sort of lifestyle is what's being sought out, Albuquerque counts as well.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Allen Ginsberg

Down in Denver
All I did was die

love that line

[Galaril]

I am leaning towards looking at Boulder since it is in the mountains and get quite a bit of snow. Colorado Springs is also achoise but it sounds like it doesn't get all that much of snow. Denver is looking like a no with the talk of the traffic there and that also goes for Colrado springs.

[Subby]

Boulder is probably the one place I would want to move to if we ever decided to leave McLean...

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Galaril

I am leaning towards looking at Boulder since it is in the mountains and get quite a bit of snow. Colorado Springs is also achoise but it sounds like it doesn't get all that much of snow. Denver is looking like a no with the talk of the traffic there and that also goes for Colrado springs.

Boulder's snow also melts like...instantly. 300 days of sunshine, and the capacity to be 70 in the dead of winter is quite nice. Gorgeous town.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Boulder's snow also melts like...instantly. 300 days of sunshine, and the capacity to be 70 in the dead of winter is quite nice. Gorgeous town.

Yep. Technically, both Boulder and Colo Springs are right up against the mountain (look north, south and east from both cities and you see the high plains). Plus, you really don't want much snow in the city but in the high country where it really counts (for water and for skiing).

[Galaril]

I am still lloking into the rela estate market out inColorado. I am thinking GOLDEN cO.

[Peregrine]

Interestingly I checked that Money Magazine best places to live thing and in the overall best small cities Fort Collins, CO was #1, so you might look into that. Of course I (and gstelmack) live in the #5 city on the list, Cary, NC, and Raleigh is #4 on the list of bigger cities, so if you decide not to go out west you can move down here, it seems like everyone else is!

[Craptacular]

Originally Posted by Galaril

I am still lloking into the rela estate market out inColorado. I am thinking GOLDEN cO.

Golden is a good place to be if you want to get into the mountains quickly ... you take one step west and you start going up in a hurry. The cost of living is also lower than a place like Boulder, although I'm not familiar enough with Golden to know what the quality of life is like there. If i remember correctly, you would be working in Greenwood Village, and Golden is certainly an easier commute than Boulder would be.

[TroyF]

Golden is a nice town. pretty high quality of life. You'll be within about 30 minutes of Central City and Blackhawk if you want to play some B&M poker. I don't think you can go wrong there.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Golden is a nice town. pretty high quality of life. You'll be within about 30 minutes of Central City and Blackhawk if you want to play some B&M poker. I don't think you can go wrong there.

Troy. Thanks for all the info from you and the other Colrado-FOFCs. When you say Golden has a "pretty high quality of life"?. I am curious what you mean? Do you mean it is a"nice suburb" type town? Just curious cause that is what I would like to find. that it is cheap is not a huge overriding factor since we are coming from Mass. which is outrageously expensive.

[gkb]

My wife's parents live in Golden. We currently live in Thornton (which I woulnd't recommend), but are moving to Broomfield soon (which I would recommend). Golden is definitely close to the mountains like TroyF mentioned. They have a college ( Colorado School of Mines) there, but it isn't really a college town. Fort Collins is great, but a LONG commute if you're going to work in Denver. Suburbs I like - Westminster, Broomfield, Golden. Suburbs I don't like, Thornton, Aurora, Commerce City.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Troy. Thanks for all the info from you and the other Colrado-FOFCs. When you say Golden has a "pretty high quality of life"?. I am curious what you mean? Do you mean it is a"nice suburb" type town? Just curious cause that is what I would like to find. that it is cheap is not a huge overriding factor since we are coming from Mass. which is outrageously expensive.

Just a nice suburb. Low crime rate compared to other areas in Denver. Fairly easy commute no matter where you go. Close to the mountains. Just a nice town to live in.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by gkb

My wife's parents live in Golden. We currently live in Thornton (which I woulnd't recommend), but are moving to Broomfield soon (which I would recommend). Golden is definitely close to the mountains like TroyF mentioned. They have a college ( Colorado School of Mines) there, but it isn't really a college town. Fort Collins is great, but a LONG commute if you're going to work in Denver. Suburbs I like - Westminster, Broomfield, Golden. Suburbs I don't like, Thornton, Aurora, Commerce City.

Hey now, be careful pal!!! I graduated from Thornton High School and work near Commerce City.

In all seriousness, I'd agree with a lot of this. Aurora and Commerce City can be pretty bad places to live. Thornton stretches a lot further north than some people think. There are some REALLY nice places in Thornton, depeding on which section of it you live in. Westminster, Broomfield and Golden are all nice areas.

All are West of the city and get you to the mountains quicker. All are fairly nice neighborhoods. Westminster and Broomfield are close to Boulder (within 20 minutes) and close to a nice assortment of highways to get you anywhere you want to go.

I live in Westminster and have enjoy life.

Send me a PM when you get out here. Buc, me you and whoever the heck this new guy is can hook up for a beer.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by gkb

My wife's parents live in Golden. We currently live in Thornton (which I woulnd't recommend), but are moving to Broomfield soon (which I would recommend). Golden is definitely close to the mountains like TroyF mentioned. They have a college ( Colorado School of Mines) there, but it isn't really a college town. Fort Collins is great, but a LONG commute if you're going to work in Denver. Suburbs I like - Westminster, Broomfield, Golden. Suburbs I don't like, Thornton, Aurora, Commerce City.

Originally Posted by TroyF

Hey now, be careful pal!!! I graduated from Thornton High School and work near Commerce City.

In all seriousness, I'd agree with a lot of this. Aurora and Commerce City can be pretty bad places to live. Thornton stretches a lot further north than some people think. There are some REALLY nice places in Thornton, depeding on which section of it you live in. Westminster, Broomfield and Golden are all nice areas.

All are West of the city and get you to the mountains quicker. All are fairly nice neighborhoods. Westminster and Broomfield are close to Boulder (within 20 minutes) and close to a nice assortment of highways to get you anywhere you want to go.

I live in Westminster and have enjoy life.

Send me a PM when you get out here. Buc, me you and whoever the heck this new guy is can hook up for a beer.

Hey guys,

I am now in the beginning stages of house hunting for the move out to the Denver area in 2008. I am still interested in Golden, but am finding that there is definitely a slow down in homes being built which means less new homes on the market. So, I am alos looking into alternatives such as Broomfield, Superior and maybe Westminster. One thing I am seeing that most homes are subdivisions which is alright but with very small property space othe rthan the house it self i.e not much yard space. Is that common out their: small yards for most homes. The homes I have been looking at are not the size that you expect small, for example 0.17 acre yards.
Also, Troy and GKB how are the towns you live in? I have done some research and Broomfield or Superior sound like nice suburbs or even extraburbs but I thought Westminister was part of denver or very close to the city so alot more city like than suburb town like?

[gkb]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Hey now, be careful pal!!! I graduated from Thornton High School and work near Commerce City.

In all seriousness, I'd agree with a lot of this. Aurora and Commerce City can be pretty bad places to live. Thornton stretches a lot further north than some people think. There are some REALLY nice places in Thornton, depeding on which section of it you live in. Westminster, Broomfield and Golden are all nice areas.

All are West of the city and get you to the mountains quicker. All are fairly nice neighborhoods. Westminster and Broomfield are close to Boulder (within 20 minutes) and close to a nice assortment of highways to get you anywhere you want to go.

I live in Westminster and have enjoy life.

Send me a PM when you get out here. Buc, me you and whoever the heck this new guy is can hook up for a beer.

No offense meant. I agree that Thornton does have some nice areas to the north. Actually, even Aurora has some nice parts of town, but I think those are south.

[gkb]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Hey guys,

I am now in the beginning stages of house hunting for the move out to the Denver area in 2008. I am still interested in Golden, but am finding that there is definitely a slow down in homes being built which means less new homes on the market. So, I am alos looking into alternatives such as Broomfield, Superior and maybe Westminster. One thing I am seeing that most homes are subdivisions which is alright but with very small property space othe rthan the house it self i.e not much yard space. Is that common out their: small yards for most homes. The homes I have been looking at are not the size that you expect small, for example 0.17 acre yards.
Also, Troy and GKB how are the towns you live in? I have done some research and Broomfield or Superior sound like nice suburbs or even extraburbs but I thought Westminister was part of denver or very close to the city so alot more city like than suburb town like?

I believe Golden keeps a fairly tight reign on how many new homes they allow to be built each year. That may explain the apparent slow down there.

I think small yards are pretty common here. I don't have a ton of experience with this since I've never really looked for a home with a lot of land. My guess is that you can find a house with a larger lot if you're willing to start looking further east.

I really enjoy living in Broomfield. I graduated from Broomfield High way back in the day and since then I've lived in Westminster, Aurora, Fort Collins, Arvada, Golden (very briefly), and Thornton. My impression of Westminster was that it was definitely more suburb like, but since TroyF currently lives there I'll let him share his thoughts.

[Galaril]

Well, I found out from a Realtor out in Denver that most new properties have very little yard but that is alright for the right home. I haven't ssen much that interests me in Golden but am very interested inBroomfield. I am especially looking at the Anthem Highlands/Anthem Ridge subdivisions built by Pulte. I like Pulte and am biased to their properties so that helps. BTW, what is the population in broomfield 40,000? or 80,000? I have seen both numbers on the internet.

[Young Drachma]

About 40k

[gkb]

Here's a link with some information about Broomfield, including the population as of 2005.

http://www.bestplaces.net/city/profi...=Broomfield_CO

[Galaril]

We have finally settled on buying a home in the next 6 months or at least start building one in Castle Rock south of Denver. Anyone know much about it? Anyone recommend any good housing communities/subdivisions in Castle Rock?

[Buccaneer]

You do realize that Douglas County (where Castle Rock is located) is not one of the fastest growing counties in the country but one of the most expensive? When I moved here nearly 20 years ago, there was next to nothing up there (just a small town and a bunch of ranches). I've seen it explode to a quarter of a million with the highest median income of any county in the US.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

You do realize that Douglas County (where Castle Rock is located) is not one of the fastest growing counties in the country but one of the most expensive? When I moved here nearly 20 years ago, there was next to nothing up there (just a small town and a bunch of ranches). I've seen it explode to a quarter of a million with the highest median income of any county in the US.

The median income I saw online was 73,000 which to be honest, isn't very high. Coming from the suburbs of Boston two things don't scare me housing/cost of living and traffic.

[Grammaticus]

Actually Castle Rock is probably further from the mountains (places you would likely go to hike, camp and ski) than all of the other places mentioned. But I do hear it has some pretty nice houses comparatively.

Bout 12 years ago when I lived in Boulder, Castle Rock was an up and comer as it was reasonabley close to the tech center and airport. I personally thought it was starting to get too far out in the wrond direction, but then again I chose to live in Boulder right up against the mountains.

Good luck in Denver/Castle Rock. You and your family will likely love it.

[Buccaneer]

I meant to say "now" one of the fastest growing.

Coming from Boston, I understand and the figure I saw was over $88,000. But there is one big difference and that is demand. Even with the latest downturn in property values, there is still a big demand in Douglas County which is still driving up prices.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Grammaticus

Actually Castle Rock is probably further from the mountains (places you would likely go to hike, camp and ski) than all of the other places mentioned. But I do hear it has some pretty nice houses comparatively.

Bout 12 years ago when I lived in Boulder, Castle Rock was an up and comer as it was reasonabley close to the tech center and airport. I personally thought it was starting to get too far out in the wrond direction, but then again I chose to live in Boulder right up against the mountains.

Good luck in Denver/Castle Rock. You and your family will likely love it.

That's the thing, the Denver basin and now Douglas County as well as east and north of Colorado Springs had and still have room to grow. Colorado Springs to Castle Rock (about 40 miles) can't connect but if able to do so, it would rapidly. The eastern portions of all three places have unlimited room to grow, all the way to the Kansas border.

Boulder and Springs are the closest to the mountains (20 minutes to someplace high) but Denver and Castle Rock are not that far. Like everywhere else in the West, people can easily drive to get somewhere.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I meant to say "now" one of the fastest growing.

Coming from Boston, I understand and the figure I saw was over $88,000. But there is one big difference and that is demand. Even with the latest downturn in property values, there is still a big demand in Douglas County which is still driving up prices.

I have thought this would be the case but I have seen a lot new home builders offering homes at around 3000 sq ft with 4bed/2.5 bath under 400k some as low as 300K. Once again this seems like a good deal. I am assuming these are not loaded with option homes but the builders are good ones and the areas "sound" good but it is hard to say with out visiting.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

That's the thing, the Denver basin and now Douglas County as well as east and north of Colorado Springs had and still have room to grow. Colorado Springs to Castle Rock (about 40 miles) can't connect but if able to do so, it would rapidly. The eastern portions of all three places have unlimited room to grow, all the way to the Kansas border.

Boulder and Springs are the closest to the mountains (20 minutes to someplace high) but Denver and Castle Rock are not that far. Like everywhere else in the West, people can easily drive to get somewhere.

Yeah, I was seriously looking, originally at places in or near Boulder or Broomfield north of Denver to be closer to the mountains.However, the problem with that is I am relocating to my company's corporate headquarters for a promotion; to commute to the Tech Center south of the city it would suck.
Recently, I was talking with a colleague from out there and he mentioned that Castle Rock and Monument are nice places to live, fairly close to the Tech Center, as well as being in rolling hills , foot hills type location but at a higher altitude than even Denver. He also, mentioned that Broomfield was very flat and very "suburbia" with out the small town feel of Castle Rock.

[Buccaneer]

commute to the Tech Center south of the city would suck

No doubt about that, one just don't do that. That's why the new E-470 Corridor (from Tech Center to DIA) has boomed from nothing, as well as Douglas County. People chose Monument and Black Forest (both northof Colorado Springs) because it offers more of a "mountain" environment, being on the Palmer Divide. Contrast that to south of Denver and Douglas County, which are kind of flat.

I think the price you mentioned makes sense, that's about average here in Colorado for a nice house. But you have to consider that not so long ago, the price was about half of that. That what happens when you go from 40,000 people to 250,000 in less than 10 years.

[Galaril]

BTW, thanks for the info Bucc and Grammiticus much appreciated.

[JeeberD]

DCHS sucks, HRHS rules!!!

Sorry, Douglas County High was our rival in when I was in high school, just had to get that in.

Castle Rock always seemed like a nice enough area, but I never really spent much time there. We went to the outlet mall there fairly often, and we used to hit up a couple of restaurants there, but that was about it....

[Craptacular]

My good buddy lives in Castle Rock, in "The Meadows" development. That thing is basically going to be a city by itself.

Any specific things you want to know more about?

[Ryche]

Hoping to get an interview for a job in Denver very soon. Damn I'd love to move back to Colorado.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by Craptacular

My good buddy lives in Castle Rock, in "The Meadows" development. That thing is basically going to be a city by itself.

Any specific things you want to know more about?

The main things are:
1. Is there a bad part of town or an area less desirabLe to live in e.g. next to the town dump or something like that.
2. Are there any housing developments/subdivisions to avoid?
3. We are looking for a housing developments in castle rock that offer a little bigger lots than the 6,000-9,000 we are seeing in other places closer to the city. In the best case scenario we would like to find a 4 bedroom 2.5 bath around 2800-3000 SQ FT.(not incl. the basement) with about .50 acre of land give or take .10 of an acre.
4. The main thing is we don't want to live with houses on either side of us that are right next to each other say. Hoping for a little bit of room. This is the reason we are choosing castle rock.
5. What does your friend have to say about the "Meadows"? Who is the builder for it BTW?

Thanks for responding to this Craptacular.

Dan G.

[Buccaneer]

1. Is there a bad part of town or an area less desirabLe to live in e.g. next to the town dump or something like that.

I had to laugh at that. Nearly everything in Douglas County is brand new (relatively speaking). That's one of the main things that Easterners react to when coming to the West - at how new everything looks as if they tore everything down and rebuilt it. The truth is that just a short time ago, there were nothing there, which is a strange concept to those coming from the Northeast. I suppose something right on top of I-25 would be less desirable and we don't have "town dumps". That's what the eastern part of the state is for.