Elise Goshorn (Equity Colorado) Agent Golden, CO Contact Me

A.

I personally like the Lakewood/Golden area of the Denver suburbs. Just west of Denver about 10-15 miles. The Lakewood area will have more affordable homes (but that depends on your definition of mid-level). Prices can be from $120K to well over a million. Of course, the size and condition of the home is always the indicator.

Just 15 minutes west of Colfax Ave. & Simms Street are mountain bike/hiking trails. Jefferson County, at one time, was ranked the number one spot in the United States for Mountain Bike and hiking trails. My personal fav, Lair 'O The Bear!!

A lot of neighborhoods have parks. I have one just 4 blocks from my home with playground, tennis courts, volley ball courts and softball fields.

We are close enough to Denver to enjoy the professional sports teams and big city, but far enough away to feel a little more suburby. We have big box stores, but a Whole Foods is about a mile away in the Denver West. NREL is about 2 miles away. Golden proper is a very nice town to visit for a 2 hour vacation. Golden was the territorial capital of Colorado, back in the day. Homes in Golden proper usually are priced higher. There is a 24 Hour Fitness Sport just about 5 miles south of here. 

I have friends that live in Loveland and they really like it. The other towns, I am not as familiar with. I have visited them, but not been a part of the community. 

I hope this answers some of your questions. Welcome to Colorado and enjoy your stay!

Joetta Fort, Independent Broker Homes Denver to Boulder (The DiGiorgio Group) Agent Arvada, CO Contact Me

A.

LOL!! I just answered one of your posts, all the while thinking, "Didn't I answer this before?"  Anyway, I'll just put in one more plug for Arvada, where it's said that no house is more than a five minute walk from a park.

Happy house hunting!

Ron Rovtar (Prudential Real Estate of the Rockies) Agent Boulder, CO Contact Me

A.

I don't know if I am a little late answering this question, but if you have not already visited the area, let me offer some information about Boulder.

Many new Boulder residents gravitate to the city's western neighborhoods near the foothills because there are so many oudoor opprotunites for recreation, including hiking, biking, climbing or just strolling. Also Chatauqua Park with its large green open area, its dining hall, and regular events at the historic auditorium is always a favorite place to gather at the base of the Flatirons.

But there are several communities along the west edge of Boulder and all have something special. Dakota Ridge, to the north, seems to attracted young professionals and others who prefer newer homes with small, low-maintenance yards. These homes are near some new shops along the north end of Broadway. Residents from from Dakota Ridge and the nearby Holiday neighborhoods often congregate here at the north Broadway coffee shops, Spruce Confections and other restaurants. Upslope microbrewery,  with a small tap room is also nearby.

A little south, but still north of Downtown Boulder, are Wonderland Lake, Newlands and the Mapleton Hill areas. Residents of these neighborhoods tend to congregate at the restaurants and coffee shops and other venues around the Ideal Market. From parts of Newlands and all of Mapleton Hill, residents can also walk to Pearl St. Mall, with all the shops and world-class restaurants there.

Wonderland Lake is probably the newest of these three neighborhoods, with many homes built in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Many Newlands homes were built between the 40s and the 70s, but some date back to the 1800s. Many homes in these areas have been significantly updated. It is not unusual to find homes costing more than $1 million.  But don't fret about price. While none of these areas are exactly cheap, buyers can find much more reasonable dwellings as well.

Most of the Mapleton Hill homes date from the 1800s. Mapleton is one of the original Boulder neighborhoods, along with some other communities near Pearl St.  Many of the original Mapleton homes (including some real mansions) remain in excellent condition. They attract buyers who want to live near the heart of Boulder. However the buyers of these homes do pay for the privilege.

South along the west side of Boulder exists University Hill, named for its proximity to the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus. This area attracts students (of course) and academics. It has its own shopping area, mostly for students, including some very good casual restaurants, coffee shops and bars. To the extreme west, Rose Hill and Chautauqua areas seem to have fewer students and more expensive homes dating mostly from the early 1900s to the 1950s.

Further south are Interurban Park, Table Mesa, Rolling Hill and Devil's Thumb. These neighborhoods are near several research facilities operated by the Federal Government, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric facilities and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Not surprisingly, a lot of scientists gravitate to these areas.

But the western communities are not the only wonderful areas of Boulder. No Boulder neighborhood is far from good restaurants, entertainment, culture, parks, trails and community gathering places. Melody Heights, Frazier Meadows, Northfield Commons, Sombrero Ranch and others sometimes have the most inspiring views because they are back a little from the mountains.

And Gunbarrel is another great community. It is partly in Boulder and partly in the unincorporated portion of Boulder County. Gunbarrel provides some exceptional homes around the Boulder County Club at reasonable prices. To the north of the main part of the city, Gunbarrel is near Boulder Reservoir, which offers whole other set of outdoor activities.

So whatever you do, don't miss Boulder as you look around the Greater Denver area! We can't think of a better location west of the Mississippi. But, we admit to a degree of prejudice when it comes to our favorite city.