We are seriously considering relocating to Denver to be near our grandchildren. We just do not know which area--it looks as if the Downtown area is for the 30 year old crowd. Would any of you native Denverites suggest an area for a Mid-Fiftish couple to buy a nice house? We would consider any suburb close to the downtown area where our children live. Just do not want to be surrounded by youngsters just starting out. Thanks!

Consider Fort Collins. Just ranked #1 relocation area. Beautiful. Close enough to be near grandkids, but far enough away to be "not too close".

Seriously consider how close to move to grown children and grandkids. My parents moved away to provide more distance from a grandparent. The grandparent followed. Not a good experience.

Fort Collins would provide a young fiftish couple a lot of options near the grandkids.

Have you thought about a condo/loft in downtown Denver vs. a house? That seems to be very popular; near all the theaters, restaurants, museum, art gallery, parks, river paths, etc. "Youngsters just starting out" sure can't afford to live there! Ft. Collins is a college town about an hour away; you might find a lot of (noisy) younger folks there. Boulder is beautiful, has incredible amenities, tho it is expensive (do you really want a house vs. townhome/condo? keeping grass alive is grueling out here!)

mybailey, it's as if you read my mind. I woke up early this morning, couldn't sleep, and decided I want to move to Denver! I live in Vegas now, but I'm thinking within the next two years...

Anyway, I would not suggest the downtown, or LoDo, area, necessarily. I like the southeast side of town - downtown is easily accessed... you can be at a Rockies game in 20 minutes!

If you want an established neighborhood that's close to downtown, there are lots of choices. Denver's close-in neighborhoods are experiencing a re-birth of sorts, so there are lots of renovations going on. You can find nice brick bungalows, Tudors, Victorians, Denver Squares, etc.
I suggest you look into: Mayfair, Park Hill, Montclair, Crestmoor, Hilltop (pricey), Country Club, Botanic Gardens, Capitol Hill, Washington Park, Bonnie Brae. Many, many choices. All good neighborhoods. It is easier when you don't have to worry about good schools.
Real estate prices in Denver seem to have finally peaked, and are maybe coming down a tad. So it's become a buyer's market-- finally! A good realtor for Montclair, Mayfair, Hilltop, and Park Hill is Linda Law. Another good one for the more upscale older neighborhoods, like Country Club, is Nancy Morgan. (I have personal experience working with both of them.)
Or, for a new area, try Lowry. There are choices from large mansions to lofts and townhomes, all of them new. It is a neighborhood created from Lowry Air Force Base property, and is just about 4 miles east of downtown.
Good luck!

We had a house in Park Hill when our son was in DU Law school. Then they lived in Wash Park, another nice neighborhood I think you just need to go to Denver and see.We have no idea of your budget. I personally think Denver is pretty easy to get around, even with the traffic tieups on I25.
The TRex project with its light rail is hopefully going to make getting to downtown Denver an easy ride by public transit.

Friends of mine bought a house in Breckenridge. They see their Denver children all the time and they don't even have to travel to do so.

Hi there,

Unless you are a real city/suburb lover, I would head to the hills. Check out Georgetown, about 1 hour up I70 into the mountains. It is a very small quaint village with older buildings and some nice older homes. Around the lake, there are newer homes and townhouses--don't know much about them.

Idaho Springs, between Denver and Georgetown along I 70, is an old mining town, a bit rough around the edges, but very genuine and with friendly residents.

Many mountain towns within easy driving distance of Denver, but most are very expensive. What kind of price range are you looking for?

Denver is a great city(lived there for 25 years)but moved ten years ago to Grand Junction after we retired, mainly to get away from the hectic city life. Love it here, but it is about 4 hours or so from Denver area. A pretty 4 hour drive, but it can be rough in the winter going over Vail Pass and through the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Where are you living now? The best thing would be to come to Colorado for a couple(few) weeks and explore the areas.
Hope you find what you are looking for.

Thank you for all your responses. We are from South Florida. I have been to Denver often, but things seems different when you want to live in a place permanently. I do not want a loft.But a real house. I will consider all of your chooices. Thanks!

As other have said, I would choose an older neighborhood close to downtown, but not actually in downtown. That way you get the character of an established neighborhood and the convinience of being close to things.

I would love to know which real estate agencies those suggested realtors work with. Thank you very much.

You can google their names and probably find out. It is often a good idea to interview several agents before choosing the one to use. You may also find out if their fees are negotiable. We used one that was prevalent in one area and in the final analysis, wished we had looked around a little.

Nancy Morgan is with Coldwell Banker- Devonshire, 303 758 7611. Linda Law is with ReMax- Cherry Creek, 303 320 1556.