Nice places to live near Boulder (Longmont, Lafayette: apartment complexes, rentals, condos)

[spakov]

I'm thinking about moving out to the Boulder area (for work) sometime next year but probably not going to be staying there for longer than a year or two. So, I'd be looking strictly at apartment living since it doesn't make sense to me to own a house for such a short time.

I'd be coming from northern California where I pay over $1600 for a one-bedroom apartment (~800 square feet), so cost is really not much of a concern.

I'm curious to know which areas of places around Boulder (or maybe Boulder itself) would be nice to live in. School districts, parks, etc. don't matter at all since I'll be out there alone.

Work would be out near Gunbarrel and it's moderately important that I be within a half-hour drive of there, preferably less. I would consider this of secondary importance to the area being a nice place to live.

Downtown areas, shopping, restaurants and so on don't really matter to me. I'm ultimately looking for a place with a minimal crime rate and fairly nice housing. I'd prefer a place that's a bit more conservative rather than liberal, though that sounds like it might be hard to come by in the Boulder area.

I'm thinking Louisville or Longmont. Any suggestions on places (or parts of town) to concentrate on? I'm planning on traveling out to the area later this year to get a feel for places I'd like to live.

Thanks,

Brian

[qfrost]

Maybe Longmont. Others can chime in here. I doubt Louisville would be a good fit from what you're saying.

[suzco]

Gunbarrel, Niwot, and Boulder would all meet your criteria. Don't worry about liberal/conservative; it's not going to impact your life when you're living here for a year.

Gunbarrel itself has many apartments and condo rentals. It's safe and quiet; you might even find a place where you could walk to work.

Niwot is small, and very quiet. Gunbarrel and Niwot blend together at points. There's a development there that has many condos that are rented out, and there are some townhomes that are rented.

Boulder has plenty of nice, quiet rentals when budget doesn't limit you. For what you're willing to pay, you could find something good in Boulder. Boulder offers a "more urban" type of experience than Gunbarrel or Niwot, and depending on exactly where in Boulder you would be, Gunbarrel might be a ten minute drive. Gunbarrel is the far northeast part of Boulder.

From what you've said is/isn't important to you, you might as well just live close to work; it doesn't sound as if you want to interact much with your environment, and safe is all around there.

[Katarina Witt]

Louisville has a low crime rate and nice housing. It also has a downtown and lots of other stuff that isn't important to the OP. It takes ~ 15 min to get to Gunbarrel from Lsvl.

[spakov]

Very good, thanks all for your help! Hope to drop by the area in the near future to take a look.

- Brian

[mom2grace]

My husband and I actually moved out to the area about 6 months ago from the Bay Area. We know exactly what you mean about prices...we were paying $1575 for a small 2 bedroom condo rental. Husband got a job in Boulder and absolutely loves it (loves his job and location...he was commuting to Richmond before so completely different environment)...swears we will never move back!

We live in Longmont and it takes my husband about 20-25 minutes to get to work...he works in North Boulder. So if your job is close to Gunbarrel that would put you even closer to Longmont. Gunbarrel, Niwot and Boulder itself are great areas, but can be pricey, especially Boulder. I would say it depends on how much you have to spend and want to save. In Longmont, I know there are a couple apartment complexes on the west side of town near the airport, which would keep you close to highway 119. Not sure how much they run for, but they would definitely be cheaper than the other places. We are renting a 4 bed/2.5 bath house in Longmont for $1450.

Louisville and Lafayette are nice too...but since they are so close to Boulder, 5-10 minutes...their prices can be a little high as well.

Good Luck!

[ZeroTiger]

Boulder can be surprisingly conservative on some things. I would highly suggest you check out North Boulder. It's a quick drive or bike ride to gunbarrel, there are some nice neighborhoods where you'll find a condo or townhouse to rent.
The other suggestion would be to check out the Powderhorn complex in gunbarrel.
If you don't mind being fairly remote, check out Lyons or Niwot.
Louisville is going to be too far away and won't meet your 30 min commute requirement.
Longmont isn't as nice as the other places, but it is cheaper. It's much like any other suburb in the US.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by ZeroTiger

Boulder can be surprisingly conservative on some things. I would highly suggest you check out North Boulder. It's a quick drive or bike ride to gunbarrel, there are some nice neighborhoods where you'll find a condo or townhouse to rent.
The other suggestion would be to check out the Powderhorn complex in gunbarrel.
If you don't mind being fairly remote, check out Lyons or Niwot.
Louisville is going to be too far away and won't meet your 30 min commute requirement.
Longmont isn't as nice as the other places, but it is cheaper. It's much like any other suburb in the US.

To Gunbarrel? We live in Louisville, went to church in Gunbarrel for years. It was 8 miles away, 15 min. max. It's probably closer than most places in Longmont are to Gunbarrel.

[Amatista13]

Hi,
I have a question also. I am moving from Oakland to look for a job in Boulder. I rent a studio for $650 and can afford up to $800, at least until I get a job. Does anyone know areas that are not that far from Boulder where I could rent an apartment? I plan to drive there in a month or so to look for an apartment and job. Any suggestions would be appreciated!