Questions about the city of Denver (Lakewood, Arvada: apartments, rent, hotel)

[lovethebigcity]

I will be moving out to Denver sometime late spring/early summer & I'm really excited about it. I will be working in Denver & would like to live in Denver, but I have no clue on what areas are nice, not nice, should never walk alone at night, etc. I'm single & in my late 20s. I've noticed a lot of apartments in Northglenn & Thornton. I've also seen a lot of apartments on the southern side of Denver. If I were to move to Thornton or one of these areas outside of Denver how easy is it to catch the bus? I do have a car, but if I could I would rather use public transportation if its accessible to locations.

Thanks

[TinajaCo]

If you want to live in the city of Denver proper, there are a lot of good alternatives for you-- not knowing what budget is, some good options could be LoDo, Cherry Creek, Washington Park, Cheeseman Park, Capitol Hill (which is a sketchy in some areas, but it's changing fairly rapidly)... lots of good choices in the city. Northglenn and Thornton are suburbs but they are good options as well.
RTD bus service covers most areas of the metro area, but in some suburban areas service is less-than-regular. If you're commuting to downtown from southern Denver, you can catch light rail from either Littleton or anywhere along the I-25 corridor from Lone Tree to downtown... its service tends to be more regular than most bus routes. It really depends on where you end up, but there is some form of RTD service in many areas of the city (but it's best to have a car handy as well). You can check their website out at http://www.rtd-denver.com/.

[tfox]

If you do love living in the big city, as your name says, you can probably find a small place in Capitol Hill or Cheesman Park where the rent will be fairly cheap -- though it may be small and you need to verify that it comes with a parking place. That would allow you to walk to everything downtown and probably your job too.

Nothing wrong with living in Northglenn or Thornton -- there are buses on the route fairly frequently (The 120x is an example). Check out RTD's website at http://www.rtd-denver.com/ That area is not very close to downtown Denver, however. It would probably be somewhat cheaper in terms of rent than Capitol Hill, but not dramatically so, at least not for a 1br or studio. You do have to consider the cost of gas or bus fares as well.

As for what areas are nice, not nice; that's a matter of opinion -- some people will tell you that anything in the city is "too dangerous" -- I think that's nonsense but that's their point of view. It is a city, so the normal precautions are necessary. Most of the area around downtown is fine-- the more dangerous neighborhoods actually tend to be those not right around downtown. Some parts northeast of downtown are probably the most sketchy within striking distance of downtown, but it's very much a street-by-street kind of situation. Also, East Colfax has a fair amount of criminal activity (such as buying/selling drugs) late at night, so it's wise to not linger around East Colfax during that time. This mainly applies to areas fronting Colfax -- there's a lot fewer issues half a block in either direction from Colfax.

[lovethebigcity]

The south side does appeal to me because of the light rail. I would love to live in Denver proper & I think I can afford a nice place in Denver proper. I plan on flying out in a few weeks to actually look for a place.

Originally Posted by tfox

As for what areas are nice, not nice; that's a matter of opinion -- some people will tell you that anything in the city is "too dangerous" -- I think that's nonsense but that's their point of view. It is a city, so the normal precautions are necessary. Most of the area around downtown is fine-- the more dangerous neighborhoods actually tend to those not right around downtown. Some parts northeast of downtown are probably the most sketchy within striking distance of downtown, but it's very much a street-by-street kind of situation. Also, East Colfax has a fair amount of criminal activity (such as buying/selling drugs) late at night, so it's wise to not linger around East Colfax during that time. This mainly applies to areas fronting Colfax -- there's a lot fewer issues half a block in either direction from Colfax.

What area is considered downtown? Are there specific blocks that are considered downtown?

[tfox]

Check out the following websites:
http://www.livedowntowndenver.com/
http://www.denverinfill.com/

That should give you a nice idea of what the various neighborhoods and areas of downtown are.

[lovethebigcity]

Originally Posted by tfox

Check out the following websites:
http://www.livedowntowndenver.com/
http://www.denverinfill.com/

That should give you a nice idea of what the various neighborhoods and areas of downtown are.

Thanks for the links. I have seen one of those before. I'll def. look them over

[jazzlover]

The "original" downtown streets of Denver are set 45 degrees apart from the rest of the city grid (the old downtown streets run NE/SW and NW/SE; the rest of the city is pretty much on a N/S, E/W grid)--it's obvious on a map. Downtown Denver is maybe OK during the day--at night, that can be a different story. As another poster said, the area immediately around downtown Denver can get pretty spooky.

I used to have to go to the State Capitol Building in Denver fairly regularly. One day it was tagged. There were bums sleeping in the main doorway of a state office building a block away (right next to the Capitol security office!). I got panhandled 4 times in a block--this less than two blocks from the capitol. I usually stayed at a hotel about five blocks from the Capitol building. The hotel management admonished everyone to take the hotel's courtesy car rather than walk from the hotel at night. If you did walk, you were told to walk in groups of at least four or five--and we were mostly all guys. There is a really good Mexican restaurant near the hotel. One day a friend of mine (who worked nearby) was at this restaurant waiting to pay his check when the guy ahead of him in line stuck a .357 Magnum in the face of the cashier and robbed the place. This at lunchtime in a busy and popular restaurant frequented by the "business" crowd. Yes, Capitol Hill has some of the most beautiful older homes and buildings in the city. Feel safe? Don't think so.

One other thing, you mentioned you were single in your late '20's--I presume female. I had a co-worker who had to go the area around the Capitol even more frequently than I did. After a couple of pretty harrowing experiences, she bought a 9mm Glock, learned how to use it, and got a concealed weapon permit. After that, she always was "packing" when she went to Denver. She was no paranoid fraidy-cat, either. She grew up in ranch country and was quite capable of taking care of herself.

I would suggest that you visit and look around--and really look! You should be able to tell the seedier areas. Just look for the graffiti and little gang-bangers. It's not hard to figure out.

Many years ago, I lived in metro Denver. For years, I had to go there regularly on business. Now, I avoid the place like the plague unless I absolutely have to go there. Too much traffic, too much sprawl, too many people, too much crime. Denver looks best in my rear view mirrror.

[Rawlings]

Capital Hill was recently rated as having the highest per capita rapes in the country. It's also heavily female. I hate the place. I think it's dingy, dank, and just weird feeling. Denver's different because it's really just a small to medium sized city. It's swollen during the day with all the suburban workers, but the city and county itself is really quite lame.

Anyway, Northglenn and Thornton are okay. I might actually look at south or west metro for an apartment. It's safer, nicer, and overall a better living experience.

[lovethebigcity]

Originally Posted by Rawlings

Denver's different because it's really just a small to medium sized city. It's swollen during the day with all the suburban workers

Sounds like Charlotte (where I live now).
Well I plan on visiting & seeing the sites. I like to follow my gut & if I don't feel safe I'll hightail it out of a place in a heartbeat. I've seen some nice apartments online that are north & south of the city. I also saw a few in town.
What about Arvada? Or Lakewood? Nice areas? Its so hard to tell online...

[Rawlings]

Charlotte is a great city. I think Charlotte is the city that is most often compared to Denver--whether it's politics, culture, business...whatever--Denver is a lot like Charlotte--just more expensive, more outdoorsy, and much better weather.

Anyway, I'd stay the hell away from the city of Denver. Charlotte has it's fancy 'Uptown' which is great and Denver has a few good neighborhoods, but all the action, all the people, and all the best areas are in the suburbs. I highly recommend Arvada and Lakewood. I would strongly recommend Littleton, too.

Just realize that these areas are suburban. They all have plenty of jobs, culture, and restaurants nearby--but they are nevertheless suburban--families, kids, etc.

I'm glad you're from Charlotte because it's a lot easier to relate to you what Denver is like. You've got some folks from New York or Chicago sometimes and it's like, wow, you're in for a big surprise. Dorothy, you ain't in the Big Apple anymore!

But Denver is really just a western/midwestern version of Charlotte. It's got a different ethos and way of life since it is in the middle of America. But just as Charlotte doesn't have great nightlife and caters mostly to families, you've got the same dynamics working in Denver.

For what it's worth I love the suburbs, especially south Lakewood and Littleton, and think you'll love them. It's just all about perspective. Don't come here expecting Shangri-La or the Real World--come here expecting Denver for what it is--not what you wish it to be.