Top 3 Suburbs (Denver, Aurora, Lakewood: crime, houses, buy)

[jsd079]

It doesn't matter where they are located in the metroplex, what are your 3 favorite Denver suburbs?

1)
2)
3)

Thanks!

[davebarnes]

Denver - socialist paradise, where the action is
Lakeside - very low taxes, fun rides
Bow Mar - private lake, rich people

[SkyDog77]

Ewwww suburbs. Denver is where it's at.

1. Golden - Mountain access, cute downtown
2. Greenwood Village - good schools, nice homes
3. Glendale - alliteration

Real 3. Englewood or Lakewood

[Katarina Witt]

Hmm.

1. Boulder- Chi-chi, artsy fartsy, lots going on.
2. Louisville/Lafayette/Superior-suburbs of Boulder
3. Broomfield-well located for d/t access.

All three are on the northern edge of the metro, lots of open space. Broomfield has the biggest pumpkin patch in Colorado!

[SQL]

1) Englewood - still somewhat affordable, gritty & down to earth, good central location

2) Golden - quaint western town nestled in the foothills; truth be told, this is probably what I thought Denver would be like before ever going to Denver

3) Aurora - okay, so I'm biased, but it reminds me of home, and I like the diversity depending one which section of it you visit

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Hmm.

1. Boulder- Chi-chi, artsy fartsy, lots going on.
2. Louisville/Lafayette/Superior-suburbs of Boulder
3. Broomfield-well located for d/t access.

All three are on the northern edge of the metro, lots of open space. Broomfield has the biggest pumpkin patch in Colorado!

I wouldn't consider Boulder a suburb. I think of Louisville/Layfayette/Superior as suburbs of Boulder.

I do really like all the places you listed though.

[guyatwork37]

1) Highlands Ranch - Very family oriented, lots of amenities.

2) Golden - Love the scenery around Golden. Quaint downtown area and lots of access to outdoors.

3) Evergreen - Love the mountain vibe of the town and its proximity to Denver proper. Lovely scenic area.

[Count David]

My 3 favorite? Not the 3 best? Good.

1. Commerce City. There is no more real place in the metro area, and the best bean and cheese burrito in the metro area can be found at the Taco Star at I-270/Vasquez. It gets #1 for that reason and that reason alone.

2. Aurora. There is no more "normal" place in the metro area. "Normal" people live in Aurora. Ones who work, pay bills, eat at chain or authentic un-yuppified mom/pop restaurants, and have hobbies on the weekends, and by gawd it is the only one that isn't segregated. People without pretense. People that live with the stigma.

3. Wheat Ridge. West of Wadsworth, this little burg is still holding on. It is completely ruined east of Wadsworth (the uppity element has "discovered" it), but west of it, it is still old, boring, and normal. Every time I drive, shop, and eat along a particular (unnamed) stretch, I remind myself to enjoy it while it lasts, because the more money than sense element will discover it soon enough.

Honorable mentions: Old Westminster (the original Adams County portion, S of US-36), Berkley (note the omission of the "e").

tl;dr: my take on the rest of the suburbs below.

Spoiler

I'm not particularly enamored with my own suburb (Arvada). It is a very well-run place that is completely realizing its potential, it has nice views, good commutes to downtown, Boulder, the mountains, and is very family friendly. However, it's pretty bland/boring.

I have no desire to ever entertain living in Centennial, Thornton, most of Westminster, Broomfield, Lafayette, Louisville, Superior, Englewood, Sheridan, Federal Heights, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Ken Caryl, Littleton, Northglenn, Parker, Sherrelwood, or Welby. Either because of their positioning in the metro area, or how they feel culturally (bland, boring, etc), or because they just aren't in any way desirable.

I could probably stomach Brighton, Castle Rock, and Golden (Golden is a horrible value though). I like Boulder, but the "everybody's on Prozac" feel could get old. I could do Lakewood. I could do Evergreen/Conifer.

However, If I were to move again in-metro, I would probably go back into the city.

[Hschlick84]

1. Castle Rock
2. Olde Town Arvada
3. North Thornton

[jHolman91]

1) Univeristy hills area. Still has a lot of stuff from the 50s thats still around and still has some "affordable housing" by Denvers standard. Though the houses rarely come up anymore.

2) Centennial. Nice place to raise a family with all the amenities you could ask for.

3) Westminster. Nice quite town, my friend lives there and when I stay at his house I feel safe to walk down to the Shell station a quarter mile from his place at 2 in the morning if that says anything about the town( he lives at 92nd & Federal)

I would also add Lakewood but since its a top 3, I cant due to parts of it being Hit and miss in terms of crime and safety. Though the west part of lakewood is nice quite and close to the mountains and is a big contender when I could buy a house. The spotty areas of crime around the east end puts it in 4th place.