What are Denver's bad areas?

[amanda200]

Originally Posted by nwbound

Hi. I'm originally from Seattle and know that summers there are much cooler than 100 degrees. Sounds like Denver is perfect for me as I'm on the east coast now and looking to move to drier air in summers for health reasons. What's air quality like?

Wow, we should become friends.

[amanda200]

Originally Posted by jeof

Based on the lists from David Aguilar and SouthXSW I overlaid their recommendations onto a zip code map of Denver. Bright green is "good" or "average" areas, the more yellowish areas are "middle class" or "below average," orange indicates "generally not well regarded" and red is "not well regarded."

Striped areas mean it's either odd (like 80019/80018 - where its new, so probably okay, but forgotten, so who really knows?) or the area straddles a couple different ratings. Obviously near borders the colors would mesh a bit, I just am too busy packing for my move to Denver to make a nice looking map ;-)

Questions - ask the thread, I'm moving to Denver and have no idea what I'm doing.

Good luck to you. I hope to follow suite. Can't stand the summer heat in NorCal (outside the Bay Area which is too crowded and bad traffic for me) anymore.

[Kevlegs]

So, I was looking at a plce in Milwaukee Street, Clayton. Anyone from there or know much about the immediate area?

[Mort_canard]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Baloney...I am glad you think Denver is fairly safe but these neighborhoods are not crime infested. I live here; I been through those areas and I know. I know Sunnyside and Westwood much better because I live on the west side of Denver and I have been there more often--I have not seen a big problem today. Since, you do not live here, now, how do you know? Sunnyside has much improved and in being affected by the gentrification of the neighborhoods nearby.

Livecontent

I totally agree. I have never felt unsafe in Southwest Denver. The sketchiness seems to be block-by-block, more than neighborhood-wide. I live on a sleepy, dead-end street of older homes that are owner-occupied by the elderly original owners or young families. Everyone is friendly, and we never have any issues. 6 blocks over, there's gang graffiti, and there have been a few burglaries recently.

People sell drugs and pick up prostitutes in the park a mile away, but if you're not a pimp or a drug dealer, and mind your own business, you have nothing to worry about.

[mollygee]

Originally Posted by Mort_canard

I totally agree. I have never felt unsafe in Southwest Denver. The sketchiness seems to be block-by-block, more than neighborhood-wide. I live on a sleepy, dead-end street of older homes that are owner-occupied by the elderly original owners or young families. Everyone is friendly, and we never have any issues. 6 blocks over, there's gang graffiti, and there have been a few burglaries recently.

People sell drugs and pick up prostitutes in the park a mile away, but if you're not a pimp or a drug dealer, and mind your own business, you have nothing to worry about.

Really??
What about the children in the park? Seems like you should be able to walk, bike around your area. Sounds a little scary, to me. Does the graffiti come back once it is cleaned/painted over?

[Mort_canard]

Originally Posted by mollygee

Really??
What about the children in the park? Seems like you should be able to walk, bike around your area. Sounds a little scary, to me. Does the graffiti come back once it is cleaned/painted over?

I mean, it really depends on how you define scary and what you're comfortable with and that's different for everyone. We don't have kids, but there are kids all around our neighborhood, riding bikes and such in and around the park. I walk down to the corner store and ride my bike around and never feel unsafe. There's also a dog park in the same area where people walk their dogs and hang out with neighbors. The people who want drugs, get drugs, and they really keep to themselves. I think it's mostly weed, and that's pretty much legal anyhow. You only see it if you know what to look for. Kids just see a lot of parked cars

As for the graffiti, there's a number you can call and the city will come and pressure wash it off or paint over it. Many people here take a lot of pride in their homes (because they've worked so hard to get them) and paint over graf themselves. The graffiti is really just a message from one crew to another marking their turf. I would even argue that half the time it's just bored kids being dumb. We used to spray paint under the train bridges growing up.

If you speak some Spanish, are in a working class occupation, and aren't bothered by things being a little rough around the edges, check it out. It's WAY better than my old neighborhood back East

[Annette0101]

Thank you David Aguilar...I very much appreciated your insight.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by TheBletch-PortlandOR

There has not been a tornado in the Denver area in the last 50 years.

A tornado touched down at the intersection of Broadway and Evans in 1988. I watched it from my office window.

And this
https://www.city-data.com/forum/17771706-post49.html (lots of photos)

And this
Tornadoes in Denver, CO | eHow.com
"Largest Denver Tornado
The largest Denver-area tornado was an F-3 that occurred on Jun 15, 1988, injuring seven people and causing between $5 million and $50 million in property damage. The tornado touched down at 5:24 P.M. near the corner of Eudora St. between East 8th and 9th Avenues. With a width of 200 feet and a path of two miles, the 1988 tornado was the biggest and most injury-producing in Denver history."