30+ Professional - Thinking of Apt or TH in Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette (apartment, rentals)

[A LIL HELP PLEASE]

Hello All,

I will be working in Lafayette. Most of the time, it will be me and my fiance but if he is away, I want to feel secure going to/from car at night. Looking for a nice apartment (ideally, that means @$1500-$1600 or less, secure, quiet - i.e., not a de facto dormatory). I was only there briefly but really liked the energy of downtown Boulder and access to shops/restaurants. (I just really want to avoid living in a complex that is filled with college students -- love ya but, been there done that.) I drove through Louisville where I understand that there is a Whole Foods, access to great shopping, nice developments, etc. Lafayette seemed a little desolate but I would sacrifice a lot if it means avoiding a bananas commute in the AM and a lot of space in the way of townhouse in a safe, newish development.

I am not trying to spend, e.g., $2000+ a month just to live in a quiet complex -- accordingly, I'm calling on you all to tell me if my wish list is ridiculous. (I saw a couple of things online that were exorbitantly expensive -- like they were just waiting for desperate out of towners.) If I had a view of the foothills, that would be total icing but, not a priority over the other stuff mentioned above.

Many thanks.

[osmanparvez]

Uptown Broadway and Holiday Neighborhood. I live here, it's relatively safe though the homeless shelter is nearby. Far fewer college students than downtown and far less expensive to buy or rent. A handful of restaurant options keep things interesting. Downtown is only a bus ride and 15 minutes away (and the buses run frequently).

By the way, Boulder has effectively zero percent vacancy for rentals. $2000/month for downtown or new build is not unreasonable for this market.