OT: Moving to Denver...

[Marco Polo]

I got a promotion and I'm moving to Denver. Broncos jokes aside, I'm looking to live somewhere downtown, preferably a few blocks near the light rail. Any recommendations of what neighborhoods I should look into?

[GloryDayz]

Talk to Deface and Rainman..

[RealSNR]

Move in with Rain Man

[lewdog]

Carpool with Rain Man in his Roadster.

[tk13]

Ride with Rain Man in his B-52 to work.

[yeti]

Rent or Buy? There is a lot of apartments/condos being built around Coors Field and Union Station (Light Rail Station). I think Rainman actually lives downtown area so he would be the best in terms of neighborhood specifics. Denver is a great place to live aside from the Broncos shit everywhere.

[GloryDayz]

Tell new-boss to about the whole Chiefs thing and take his car. And tell him if he slips up you'll leave a mayo surprise in his wife's butt when it is that you get around to doing her Donk self...

[Rain Man]

Dude, I'm your man.

Regarding light rail:

If you want to live near light rail, your options are south, west, and slightly north. The light rail only goes a mile or so north of downtown, though expansion will happen within the next ten years or so. Not worth the wait.

They're currently building a line east to the airport, but it's not going through any really top-notch neighborhoods. Or at least they haven't hit their stride yet. Maybe north Stapleton. I'm not sure exactly where the line is, but I think it's just running along I-70 somewhere.

The west line goes out toward Golden, but I don't think it reaches Golden. But Golden is nice if you don't mind driving a bit, and Belmar is a nice area that's closer in.

There are lots of options with the South line. The University of Denver neighborhood and Observatory Park areas are nice and they're close. You can go further out to the 'burbs, too.

Light rail is nice, but need not be your only option. Lots of my coworkers bus into downtown, and it's easy and convenient. If you're left-leaning to the point of communism you can even live in Boulder and take a nice express bus into Denver quickly and easily.

Or you can take the best option and live close enough where you don't have to light rail. South Capitol Hill (where I live) and downtown are nice, and Cherry Creek, Hilltop, Washington Park, Belcaro, and other places are very close.

I guess it really depends on your budget. The nice neighborhoods and the places near light rail are not cheap, and like any place there are tradeoffs. For the most part you're paying $250+ per square foot to buy a house close in ($500 to $600 for downtown lofts the last I knew of) and rents run $1,000 a month for a studio or small 1BR.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by yeti

Rent or Buy? There is a lot of apartments/condos being built around Coors Field and Union Station (Light Rail Station). I think Rainman actually lives downtown area so he would be the best in terms of neighborhood specifics. Denver is a great place to live aside from the Broncos shit everywhere.

What part do you live in? I know central Denver really well, but I don't know much about pricing outside that area.

[Marco Polo]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Dude, I'm your man.

Regarding light rail:

If you want to live near light rail, your options are south, west, and slightly north. The light rail only goes a mile or so north of downtown, though expansion will happen within the next ten years or so. Not worth the wait.

They're currently building a line east to the airport, but it's not going through any really top-notch neighborhoods. Maybe north Stapleton.

The west line goes out toward Golden, but I don't think it reaches Golden. But Golden is nice, and Belmar is a nice area that's closer in.

There are lots of options with the South line. The University of Denver neighborhood and Observatory Park areas are nice and they're close. You can go further out to the 'burbs, too.

Light rail is nice, but need not be your only option. Lots of my coworkers bus into downtown, and it's easy and convenient. If you're left-leaning to the point of communism you can even live in Boulder and take a nice express bus into Denver quickly and easily.

Or you can take the best option and live close enough where you don't have to light rail. South Capitol Hill (where I live) and downtown are nice, and Cherry Creek, Hilltop, Washington Park, Belcaro, and other places are very close.

I guess it really depends on your budget. The nice neighborhoods and the places near light rail are not cheap, and like any place there are tradeoffs. For the most part you're paying $250 to $600 per square foot to buy a house close in and rents run $1,000 a month for a studio or small 1BR.

Thanks, Rain Man! I'll be working downtown so was thinking in that area, but really I'm flexible. I'm mid-30s, single, so would prefer somewhere where walking to nightlife, restaurants, bars, etc. is easy to get around. I'm looking to rent initially until I get a lay of the land and upscale pricing is an option.

I only mention light rail because there is a stop right near where I'll be working so would prefer not to drive if possible, but not a big deal by any means.

Would prefer to stay out of the neighborhoods where early 20s, fresh out of college, hang out. My club days are over.

[Abba-Dabba]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

What part do you live in? I know central Denver really well, but I don't know much about pricing outside that area.

I've always seen you as a Washington Park kind of guy.

[yeti]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

What part do you live in? I know central Denver really well, but I don't know much about pricing outside that area.

I live in the University Hills now and I have lived in Cherry Creek and near the CU Medical Campus in the past.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Marco Polo

Thanks, Rain Man! I'll be working downtown so was thinking in that area, but really I'm flexible. I'm mid-30s, single, so would prefer somewhere where walking to nightlife, restaurants, bars, etc. is easy to get around. I'm looking to rent initially until I get a lay of the land and upscale pricing is an option.

I only mention light rail because there is a stop right near where I'll be working so would prefer not to drive if possible, but not a big deal by any means.

Would prefer to stay out of the neighborhoods where early 20s, fresh out of college, hang out. My club days are over.

If that's the case, I'd seriously consider this:

Originally Posted by yeti

Rent or Buy? There is a lot of apartments/condos being built around Coors Field and Union Station (Light Rail Station). I think Rainman actually lives downtown area so he would be the best in terms of neighborhood specifics. Denver is a great place to live aside from the Broncos shit everywhere.

If you can handle the rent prices, the area around the renovated Union Station is looking like it's going to be fantastic in the coming years, and you'd be right downtown for the true urban lifestyle. Of course, you're looking at high rise apartments primarily in that area, so if that's not your thing...

The trendy area these days is the Highland neighborhood across I-25 from downtown. It's pricey, but lots of little chunks of shops here and there, some trendy restaurants, etc. The other end of downtown is the Capitol Hill neighborhood. I know a lot of people in their late 20's/early 30's (like Rain Main ) who live there and really love it. It can be...colorful...but it's got a lot to offer.

[yeti]

Be careful as you go north of downtown the areas can get rough. Well at least rough for Denver.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Marco Polo

Thanks, Rain Man! I'll be working downtown so was thinking in that area, but really I'm flexible. I'm mid-30s, single, so would prefer somewhere where walking to nightlife, restaurants, bars, etc. is easy to get around. I'm looking to rent initially until I get a lay of the land and upscale pricing is an option.

I only mention light rail because there is a stop right near where I'll be working so would prefer not to drive if possible, but not a big deal by any means.

Would prefer to stay out of the neighborhoods where early 20s, fresh out of college, hang out. My club days are over.

Lodo has lots of condos and lofts and is in the middle of the nightlife, but it's not what you want. It gets loud with the nightlife and some friends of mine just sold their condo because they said it was essentially a dorm. And it was a nice building. There are apparently lots of rich young people who choose to live there.

The Golden Triangle (area between Broadway, Speer, and downtown) is a good bet for you, or you could go east on 17th Ave just outside downtown. Both are recent gentrification areas so they're mixes of upper-end and less upper-end, but are on the whole pretty nice. Don't wander north of about 20th, though there are still some nice neighborhoods in pockets.

There are lots of apartments in Capitol Hill (area between Broadway, University, Colfax, and Sixth Ave), but if you don't want to live with 20-somethings go south of 8th.

I'm biased, but my neighborhood is perfect for you. The renters in my 'hood tend to be more mature (and by that I mean personality, not old), and you can still walk to work downtown. Look for places between roughly Third and Eighth Avenue, between Broadway and Downing.

The Highlands is a hot area right now (across the highway northwest of downtown), but I don't know much about rentals there. I'm not a fan of the architecture so much.

Washington Park is the perennially hip place for younger single people, but I don't think it has a lot of rentals, or at least not apartments.

Cherry Creek is very nice, but you kind of need to be a 50 year-old C-suite person to live there.

Glendale is popular with the young party crowd, though there are probably some quieter areas.

I love this stuff.