Stapleton vs. Older Denver neighborhoods (Boulder: 2015, new house, construction)

[apa1128]

Hey Guys,

Since we found out our relo isn't until next year, it's given us a lot of time to really figure out what we want when we move to Denver. At first glance, it made sense to us to just build a house in Stapleton (good schools, new house, easy commute, affordable, easy to meet people, etc.). But now, we're debating on whether or not we want to be in a construction zone for the next 8-10 years. We love the character of the older neighborhoods. But my husband feel like we're being selfish when looking into these neighborhoods. Is Stapleton really the best place to live if you have kids (ours are 7.5 & 2.5)? We have no problems scraping something, renovating, or popping the top off something. We've narrowed it down to the South Park Hill, Cory-Merrill/Bonnie Brae and Wellshire (Slavens) neighborhoods. Can you Denverites help me out with pros/cons? New vs. old, etc?
We're so confused......help!

[davebarnes]

I would suggest a completely different approach to "site selection".
Your 7.5-year old will be in HIGH school in just 6.5 years.

Get a map of Denver. Denver Maps - Downloadable Maps (City-wide)

On it, mark:
1. the high schools with good programs. For example, X-track at East, DSST, IB at GW, etc.
2. the middle schools with good grades and programs. Search Colorado Schools and GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community can help

Look at the boundaries for those schools. Denver Public Schools
Elementary schools (good ones) will be found within.

[denverian]

I've lived in Stapleton for almost 8 years now and it was really only about a year of living in "a construction zone". If you build a new house in the area north of I-70, that's probably what you could expect. It doesn't take years for the area surrounding your new house to be built out and seem like a normal neighborhood.

[Claire S.]

All of the neighborhoods that you mentioned are really nice and family friendly - I don't think you are being selfish. It really depends on what you want. With the older neighborhoods, you'll get established trees, bigger yards, independent businesses and better commutes to downtown, while dealing with higher costs of maintenance for your yard and older home. With Stapleton, you get more parks and open space, pools, community events, newer home, while dealing with slighly longer commutes to downtown, smaller yards, and less independent shopping areas. Stapleton has an advantage when it comes to schools, but there may be some crowding issues to be addressed in the near future. If living in a construction zone is problematic, you may want to consider a resale in South Stapleton.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Claire S.

All of the neighborhoods that you mentioned are really nice and family friendly - I don't think you are being selfish. It really depends on what you want. With the older neighborhoods, you'll get established trees, bigger yards, independent businesses and better commutes to downtown, while dealing with higher costs of maintenance for your yard and older home. With Stapleton, you get more parks and open space, pools, community events, newer home, while dealing with slighly longer commutes to downtown, smaller yards, and less independent shopping areas. Stapleton has an advantage when it comes to schools, but there may be some crowding issues to be addressed in the near future. If living in a construction zone is problematic, you may want to consider a resale in South Stapleton.

They're building yet another grade school soon... in the far southeast section of Stapleton. I believe it's supposed to be open for the 14/15 school year.

The real issue for me is trees. We've been in our house almost 8 years, so we're getting some shade now

[apa1128]

Originally Posted by denverian

They're building yet another grade school soon... in the far southeast section of Stapleton. I believe it's supposed to be open for the 14/15 school year.

The real issue for me is trees. We've been in our house almost 8 years, so we're getting some shade now

Yes, trees! That's also an issue. And, theres just something about the older architecture that gives you a cozy feel. I should also mention that I'm keeping up to date with the school situation. That's part of the reason we're looking at Park Hill - if McAuliffe should move into Smiley, that would be a huge draw for us. And, my oldest may also end up going the DSA route.

Denverian, I remember reading a post a while back that you may be considering leaving Stapleton. May I ask why?

[apa1128]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

I would suggest a completely different approach to "site selection".
Your 7.5-year old will be in HIGH school in just 6.5 years.

Get a map of Denver. Denver Maps - Downloadable Maps (City-wide)

On it, mark:
1. the high schools with good programs. For example, X-track at East, DSST, IB at GW, etc.
2. the middle schools with good grades and programs. Search Colorado Schools and GreatSchools - Public and Private School Ratings, Reviews and Parent Community can help

Look at the boundaries for those schools. Denver Public Schools
Elementary schools (good ones) will be found within.

Hi Dave,
We are well aware of the high school situation and the choice system. We use the Colorado school grades site the most. I know middle is an extremely different animal, and we would most likely choice into a magnet or charter if we ended up in the Merrill boundary. My oldest is probably going to shoot for DSA if she can. And, there's also private.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by apa1128

Yes, trees! That's also an issue. And, theres just something about the older architecture that gives you a cozy feel. I should also mention that I'm keeping up to date with the school situation. That's part of the reason we're looking at Park Hill - if McAuliffe should move into Smiley, that would be a huge draw for us. And, my oldest may also end up going the DSA route.

Denverian, I remember reading a post a while back that you may be considering leaving Stapleton. May I ask why?

We've reconsidered! We were thinking about moving to Boulder, just for a change of scenery. But we decided Stapleton is best for our kids. Schools are good, there are so many kids their age to play with.. I can't imagine anyplace else being so much fun for a kid to grow up in. It would be hard to recreate what they have in Stapleton.

We've been in the same house for almost 8 years (the longest I've ever lived in one home in my life) and I think I'm getting bored! It's the best house I've ever lived in, but there are a few minor things we'd like to have different. Like a mud room! So we may end up moving within Stapleton.

[apa1128]

Originally Posted by denverian

We've reconsidered! We were thinking about moving to Boulder, just for a change of scenery. But we decided Stapleton is best for our kids. Schools are good, there are so many kids their age to play with.. I can't imagine anyplace else being so much fun for a kid to grow up in. It would be hard to recreate what they have in Stapleton.

We've been in the same house for almost 8 years (the longest I've ever lived in one home in my life) and I think I'm getting bored! It's the best house I've ever lived in, but there are a few minor things we'd like to have different. Like a mud room! So we may end up moving within Stapleton.

This is good to know! I think deep down, we know Stapleton is probably the best choice for us. We know it will be good for our girls, and we think it'll be a lot easier for us to meet people coming from out of state. Have you driven around Conservatory Green yet? I know they're just building the models now, but I wonder about the USPS and all that industrial stuff that borders the west of the neighborhood. Noise issues perhaps? We are also torn between builders at this point too.

[Claire S.]

Originally Posted by denverian

They're building yet another grade school soon... in the far southeast section of Stapleton. I believe it's supposed to be open for the 14/15 school year.

The real issue for me is trees. We've been in our house almost 8 years, so we're getting some shade now

I'm aware of the new school in SE Stapleton...in fact, I am building a home that will be less than a block away! I think my concern is how fast the student population is growing and if there will be enough funding to keep pace. There were 2122 students in Stapleton schools in 2012 and there will be 4041 students in Stapleton schools by 2015. While future facilities (2 elementary, 1 high school) will cover this demand, who knows what will happen down the road?