[LordOpie]

I landed a gig @ I-70 & Peoria in Aurora and think this one might last a while... w00t!

So, I'm thinking I should buy a place. My first concern is money... cheaper neighborhood. I'd like to be closer to the riding, otherwise I'd just get a place close to work. However, I'm concerned about the daily commute along I-70 or 76.

Do any of y'all have experience with those highways during the week? If it's not too bad, I'd love to live closer to the hills.

If moving west is a good idea, where would you suggest that's reasonably priced and has a decent paved trail for road biking and a nice way to get to the dirt.

Thanks!

 

[Squeak]

Traffic sucks ass here. EVERY major highway is packed at commute times. I have tried all the routes.

I suggest living fairly close to work, which puts closer to the mountains out. Sorry.

 

[cool_phrase]

I used to live in Golden and was a field engineer on an I-70 project in Bennet, ~ exit 304. I occasionally got caught up in traffic, but barring a nasty wreck where lanes were shut down, only experienced some local slowing at major interchanges. Caveat: I was on construction hours, started before 7 am, was done by 4 am, AND was on the clock the whole commute!

Rent in Golden was cheap, ownership is another issue, might suggest area east of flat tops or N. Denver for reasonable home prices.

Traffic is highly subjective, compared to other major metropoli, Denver is still a cow town (and at times the drivers exhibit an almost bovine intelligence). If you can time it right, I-70 can be as fast as its name implies.

 

[BarbaRosa]

opus maximus da two wheelius ridi

if you are going to buy... buy more on a factor of what you love... aka if it is close to a ride area, do it, if it is a charming neighborhood and good people, do it. If it is fixer upper projects, do it...

puck the commute... if you buy to be close to one job... you are buying into to rat race, office scapes, it doesnt work for me. if it works for you.. eh go for it.

everything is relative tho, longer commutes you can get good books on cd or on tape, or transistion time, or what ever, there is always a good thing in everything...

so buy something that you will be happy in and location closer to your needs for rides... maybe out by flatirons on 36 so you can ride the mogul bismark hill and down into boulder then from there keep riding up to all the boulder rides.

and ps. it does not matter that you have an k bike, come up to the airhead tech day in ft c... some one may have a welder... the guy hosting it, mike, has a construction company .... and or you can get the welding done after at my house or earlier...work that out with Berah. i will be in my garage sunday at 8 am doing work on my ride, then riding it up to ft c about lunch time or so and so... come on up.

squeak... let me know when you want to ride up here in loveland...when you visit the folks. the backbone is getting a lot of my time as is coyote back loop

so... John, buy what you love, forget about the commute too much ... we all have enough of the rat race as it is

just

 

[pixelninja]

My experience with 70 and rush hour is that west of 25, its not too bad, but east of 25 its a freakin nightmare. Luckily, during my commute I'm only on 70 between 25 and York, so I only have to deal with it for a mile or so.

The few times that I've taken a day off work then headed west for an after work ride, 70 was fine (for rush hour, that is) all the way to the Morrison exit.

If you like city living, I recommend looking around the City Park area. I live just north of City Park and its a great location. We plan on moving in the next year or so, but that's just because we made the mistake of buying on a busy street (York). If we lived a few blocks off York, we'd be staying a lot longer. We'll probably still look around the City Park/Park Hill areas. It takes me about 20 minutes to 1/2 hour to get to all the trails around Golden, 1/2 hour to get to work (36 and 104th) and only a 1/2 hour to get to the airport (during non rush hour times). And from City Park, you can take Montview all the way to Peoria and wouldn't have to touch 70.

I wouldn't recommend buying anything further east than Park Hill. Aurora is the buttcrack of Denver.

 

[Full Trucker]

6th Ave commute in to Wash Park are from Green Mountain is pretty sketchy... somne days I fly in, no problems. Other days, some fool wads up into another car and it's hell. I sat in a parking lot for 25 minutes earlier this week, but made Wash Park from my house in 17 minutes this morning. Touch and go at best.

As for the "live where your loves are" or "live close to work" debate, I would ask yourself this: how is your tolerance for the commute? Keep in mind that you will be commuter guy 5 days a week, and that's a fairly large chunk of your life. I can tell you it's FAR easier for me to sit in traffic knowing at the end of the commute is riding, much less patience when I'm going to work.

 

[Ascentrek]

I live in Golden and head to the airport a lot.

Forget Aurora. Its far away from the hills, and the traffic getting there after work will prohibit you from doing so.

Wheatridge has some nice places for cheap (relatively speaking). You can hop on I-70 and be to I-70 and peoria in about 15-20 minutes is my guess. Plus, Wheat ridge is closer to the hills, and has a bike path that access all other denver bike paths.

Golden is cooler, but way more expensive. Hell, I bought here so I can ride/rock climb out my back door... and I can.

 

[Squeak]

Originally posted by Ascentrek
I live in Golden and head to the airport a lot.

Forget Aurora. Its far away from the hills, and the traffic getting there after work will prohibit you from doing so.

Wheatridge has some nice places for cheap (relatively speaking). You can hop on I-70 and be to I-70 and peoria in about 15-20 minutes is my guess. Plus, Wheat ridge is closer to the hills, and has a bike path that access all other denver bike paths.

Golden is cooler, but way more expensive. Hell, I bought here so I can ride/rock climb out my back door... and I can.

Yep, good choice.

 

[LordOpie]

lots of good info, thanks!

I'll start with looking at City Park and Wheatridge areas.

Thing I love about where I'm renting now is it's close to the Cherry Creek trail, so I can get out and spin to the reservoir, REI, down the Platte... so I prefer to be near a trail system.

But I will dismiss Aurora and being closer to work.


PS: Justin... John?! I'm Steve damnit! Also, other than work, road riding is my top priority right now, sorry for being a wennie and I have a family commitment on Sunday, which means I have to ride on Saturday Sorry for making it difficult for you to help me with my bike. I appreciate it.

 

[pixelninja]

Originally posted by LordOpie
I'll start with looking at City Park and Wheatridge areas.

Thing I love about where I'm renting now is it's close to the Cherry Creek trail, so I can get out and spin to the reservoir, REI, down the Platte... so I prefer to be near a trail system.

You might also want to look around the Five Points area. Its between my house (City Park) and downtown. From what I understand, it used to be REALLY sketchy, but its cleaning up nicely. From Five Points, it all of 5 to 10 minutes (by bike) to LoDo or to the path along S Platte.

I was just looking through some mls listings in Wheatridge, and we may start looking there also! Saw some sweet looking deals. Here's a link to a really good mls search:

http://www.mlsfinder.com/CO_METROLIST/edandtamieseevers/index.cfm

 

[LordOpie]

yo Dave, thanks for the link, cool stuff.

anyone know a quality, no bullsh:t mortgage broker?

(yeah, I had issues with 'em in FL when I bought and sold my place there.)

 

[pixelninja]

Originally posted by LordOpie
yo Dave, thanks for the link, cool stuff.

anyone know a quality, no bullsh:t mortgage broker?

(yeah, I had issues with 'em in FL when I bought and sold my place there.)

Adam Cooney. Colorado Federal Savings Bank. 303-785-3020. Close personal friend. Tell him Dave Ingraham (ing-gram) sent you. Working with him over 3 years and he's helped us cut our original morgage payments in half (literally). Awesome guy.

 

[5cents]

Opie,

Let me give you my 5 cents. (ha) okay

1st, Traffic in Dever, as mentioned above, sucks ass. Hey that's what T-rex is for.

2nd, Live by the Mountains, or Closer than Aurora, you will end up ridding more that you thought.

3rd, Consider getting a bus/light rail pass for your bike. It is great to commute that way, some times sucks, but usually fun, or leave a bike at your last stop and you can do work, read, etc before even getting to work.

4th, Live downtown. If I could I would, but I can't, at least at this time.

5th, Really only had 4.

Rock on and good luck, we will come over and help you "break in" your new home.

5 cents

 

[SkaredShtles]

Originally posted by LordOpie
yo Dave, thanks for the link, cool stuff.

anyone know a quality, no bullsh:t mortgage broker?

(yeah, I had issues with 'em in FL when I bought and sold my place there.)

Andrew McBryan at Denver Mortgage Company. No fast talking. Best rates I found and by far the lowest lender fees.

Let me know if you need phone, etc.

-S.S.-

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by SkaredShtles
Andrew McBryan at Denver Mortgage Company. No fast talking. Best rates I found and by far the lowest lender fees.

Let me know if you need phone, etc.

-S.S.-

sure man, post or PM it to me.

Hey, didn't you go to Vegas? If so, have fun? Or was it Moab?