Sloan's Lake and Berkeley Neighborhoods (Denver, Lakewood: fit in, section 8, sales) - Colorado (CO) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

WilliamPacker · 03-07-2009, 12:52 AM

Thanks for the info livecontent. I've learned a lot of interesting info about my neighborhood since moving here last year. Tennyson and Highlands Garden is great since I am within an easy walk of each. I love the Highland area to the south of me but I don't know if I would trade my area for that or any other in the city. The people here feel very real. I don't necessarily sense that in many of the more trendy neighborhoods.

As noted, this is not a dangerous area at all. Christmas Eve night there was a ridiculous amount of graffiti all down 38th street that irritated me. I'm not too concerned about the graffiti though. I was told by a cop buddy of mine that it looked more like a tagger and not gang related. I don't hear too many police sirens in the area. A whole lot more fire engines.

mamamea · 04-01-2009, 10:58 AM

My daughter and her fiance are looking to buy a house just a block north of Sloans Lake. What can you tell me about crime, etc.

DenverAztec · 04-01-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamamea

My daughter and her fiance are looking to buy a house just a block north of Sloans Lake. What can you tell me about crime, etc.

This area is also an area in transition, most recently because a new light rail line, and the next to open, is being installed along 13th. Colfax is considered 15th, so new buildings are being built because property is cheaper south of Colfax. North of Colfax between Sloan's Lake (17th) use to be a stong Hassidic (sp?) Jewish community when I grew up there, and a few remained. However, east of Perry can get rough in the government housing area and the Avondale apartments.

I have friends who have bought several homes in that areas and flipped them. All of the homes were over 100 years old and had very sound structures but were a plumbing and electrical nightmare. However, they are sitting well off with what they flipped them for and are continuing to do this full time in this area.

Anything close to Colfax will see pedestrian traffic and you will have noise.

North of Sloan's Lake is entirely different from the south, much more sound and well kept, and a lot more development that is new. However, recent restrictions have been placed on developers here with scraping and pop tops.

WilliamPacker · 04-02-2009, 10:25 PM

North of Sloans Lake is good. South of Sloan's to Colfax is alright. I wouldn't move south of Colfax. Don't want to sound snobby but it looks pretty rough. You see WM tags on almost every garage door.

SheridanL · 04-02-2009, 11:39 PM

Are you all kidding me????
I grew up on 45th & Utica ( which is 1 block west of Tennyson)!!
So now it's considered...the Berkeley area??? How totally strange!!
It is/was........7 blocks north of Elitches and a few blocks east of Lakeside.
I was only a few houses ( try 3) down from Berkeley Park AND...I can't for the life of me, imagine that this is now a "great" part of North Denver!!
I am soooo feeling sorry for my parents after, years of being there, that,...they sold their homefor a mere pitants(of 40 thou)!!
BTW....it is the ONLY home that has been rebuilt on the 45th st. and Utica! Strange to me I tell ya'!!
So sorry for my rant...it's just totally strange to me!!
BTW!!! I graduated at North High School.....it is sooo totally NOT RECOMMENDED!!
How could that be when the "new" Berkeley" area is sooo highly praised??
Just wondering. I also went to...Skinner Junior High.
Back in the day....I also went to Alcott Grade School (off of 40th and Tennyson) which is now a park.
I guess it is now off of 45th and (whatever, I guess Tennyson) etc. Alcott/Berkeley???

How could this be?? I am sooooo not trying to be a snob, or, whatever but.....how did it all change sooo very much???
AND........ why is North High School still soooo very very CHATISED??? Does one have another option??

tfox · 04-03-2009, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheridanL

BTW!!! I graduated at North High School.....it is sooo totally NOT RECOMMENDED!!
AND........ why is North High School still soooo very very CHATISED??? Does one have another option??

I think the vast majority of the "new" north Denver residents either (a) don't have kids at all at this time, or (b) have very young kids, or (c) do private or parochial school for high school or (d) open-enroll in Jeffco or another DPS school. Frankly, nobody in their right mind would send their kids to north as it's currently the most broken school in DPS, and as of a few years ago, the school was sitting at something like 25% capacity. The fact is that parents are already voting with their feet and boycotting North, and open-enrolling their kids in other schools. I think the North Denver parents are trusting that DPS will either reboot North or provide a second alternative, possibly a charter school. In fact, the upper-middle-class newcomers will likely have the wherewithall to force DPS to make changes.

For the time being, parents of older children who care about public schools would be better advised to choose Denver's first high school: East High School, which IMHO is an excellent high school by any standard. Of course, there are other decent schools in DPS, but that's the best I believe that DPS has to offer.

DenverAztec · 04-03-2009, 08:51 AM

North high was almost closed a few years ago due to the low enrollment that Tfox mentions above. It is true, the gentrification of the Highlands included small children or no children and the schools suffered for it. Additionally, when you have Holy Family and Regis High Schools in the area, it is easy to find a local option. I went to Lake Junior High on the east end of Sloan's Lake and then t0 Denver West. Currently I would not recommend West if I were a parent and would probably send my kids to Mullen, CA or Regis. My niece is finalizing her teaching degree by gaining her student teaching hours at East High and she loves it. She went to Chatfield HS and says that the kids at East have the ability to do just as well. It goes back to DPS being what the students and parents make of it. You know the parents in the burbs are active and demand the best.

WilliamPacker · 04-03-2009, 08:11 PM

Arrupe Jesuit H.S. is off of 44th and Utica but that is a pretty small school. Regis Jesuit, which is much larger, is pretty far away off of Arapahoe and Parker Rd.

East is a great school. I don't have much knowledge of Denver East prior to a few years ago but I assume that school was once in a pretty tough spot (like North is now). How did East recover? If it was primarily by parents forcing change then I'm confident North will recover. The kids in the area are all just very young.

SheridanL--I was talking to a homeowner off of 50th & Utica, selling their house for $500,000. It's golf course property but the house wasn't anything special. Homes in the area are getting pricey. There's a home, pretty much condemned off of 39th and Lowell that is selling for $180,000.

sapasioux · 02-04-2010, 08:17 PM

Does anyone know what is going in at the new developments around Lakeside? For a while there used to be an old Target and various other run down stores, but they have ripped them down and now something new is going in. Any clue?

SheridanL · 02-04-2010, 08:56 PM

The school on 44th and Utica when I was growing up ( just a block down ) was Holy Family.
The area where the shopping center the previous poster is talking about was (again when I was growing up) was called..Lakeside Shopping Center.
My mom was a store detective at the Denver Dry when I was in school!
Strange that it is torn down now!!
The area that another previous posters friend sold their home (50th & Tennyson is/was right along Willis Case Golf Course..or on the edge(SE) of Berkeley Park. My first job ever was Willis Case Golf Course!!
On the westside of WCGC was Inspiration Point..off of 50/52cnd & Sheridan (yes, my name!)....it was where the wealthier lived!!
I have absolutely no idea what these neighborhoods are like now!