Where to live in Denver, apartments, homes, etc. (real estate, affordable apartment)

[simonkco]

Hi All!

I'm considering a move to Denver after college, and I was just wondering about a few things...

Where is the best area to live if you want a more residential feel (suburb, more or less) but still want to be close to dining, shopping, entertainment, recreation, etc.?

Does anybody know of any nice, yet somewhat affordable apartment communities in these areas that allow small/medium sized dogs? I'm talking in the $1,000 and less kind of affordable.

After I get my ducks in a row, I'd want to purchase an actual house. What would be the best area (again, in a suburb) to buy a house in the $200-300,000 range?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Mike from back east]

Your stated requirements are generic enough to be met by much of the Denver metro area. In such cases we usually tell folks to nail down the job location then we can really help you zero in a good solution.

Sounds like you'll want access to the downtown, aka LoDo, which is served by the light rail lines and bus service. Look at the system maps to get an idea of what's here in the way of transit.

For mountain recreation you'll want the west side of the metro area for quicker access, but the city has a ton of parks and trails for in-town cycling, running, dog exercise etc.

[simonkco]

Thanks for the information! As far as a job goes, I'll be working in the real estate industry, hopefully starting my own company.

[cowboyxjon]

I'd take a look at the Southeast Denver neighborhoods like Indian Creek, Kennedy, etc. They feel more suburban but are still relatively close to things to do.