[brj]

How much use do you make of downtown Denver?

Is it really much of an entertainment/shopping/etc. destination for you?  If not, where else do you go?  (Tech center?)

As I explore the area and look for houses, I've been pondering how much weight I should give convenient access to different amenities, and I don't yet have a feel for how Denver proper plays in the mix.

Thanks!

[cryotweaks]

Metro Denver is nice if you like ethnic food, the arts, and professional sports.

My wife and I find ourselves going there for good thai, chinese or indian food.

Most of the suburbs offer the other basic amenities.

BUT if you like the mountains, you may want to consider the western suburbs.

I live in an area about 15 minutes from Denver, 20 minutes from Boulder (another fun area) and 20 minutes from the mountains.  There are lots of new developments to the north and south of me that offer homes in all price ranges.

PM me if you want specifics.

[brj]

Thanks for the reply, Mike!  I'll shoot you a PM a bit later.

I wasn't so much looking for a residence near downtown as wondering to what degree I might want to consider the drive times to get there from the areas to the West and Southwest that I've been exploring.

Of course, the truth is that although I really rather liked Fort Worth's downtown area and lived only 15-20 minutes away, I didn't make nearly as much use of it as I could have.

[mgalusha]

We don't go downtown very often, pretty much only if there is a show we want to see. But I was a product of the suburbs and don't particularly like crowds, thick traffic and parking hassles. I do like the feel of the downtown area and I almost always enjoy it when we go but that is not very often.

Of course last year we moved even further from town so it's pretty obvious this isn't a priority for my wife or I. I do have some friends who thrive on that environment and couldn't live anywhere else. As for close to the mountains, I view that as a low priority since if we're going to the mountains it will be for a few days or more, so any extra drive time doesn't matter. If I were a skier that might be different.

BTW, Mike (cryotweaks/tweekgeek) does live in a nice area.

Mike

[BradJudy]

I'm not much of a city person either.  We go into Denver for the museums, events, shows, etc.  We rarely go there for meals since we're closer to Boulder and there are so many places to eat there. 

It really depends on your interests and personality.  One of my co-workers lives in downtown Denver and loves being in the city.  I think he's crazy.   

[Frihed91]

Have you been to "Twist and Shout", one of the better music stores in the US if you like independant music.  It is right next to the "Tattered Cover", an equally good bookshop, almost, but not quite on a level with Powell's in Portland.

The burbs are for the birds.  The downtown area really is nice. Many nice, but close-by neighborhoods.  I have had contact with the area since I went to school in Colorado Springs in the 1960s!  I travel there at least once every year.

[Randall]

I rarely go downtown.  The prettiest areas, from my humble opinion,  are south of downtown (with the exception of the mountains areas).  If you are from Portland (use to live there), forest access are in Sedalia, Parker, Franktown, Elizabeth, Perry Park, etc. If you take I-25 north of Denver and south you can see the differences.