# LoDo Denver or Boulder?? (long post)



## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

Hi all, 
I am a longtime Southern Cal resident but will be making a move to Colorado in the next few months. My girlfriend is currently attending CU for a PHD in Psych. Well, we are making the move to move in together and so we have been looking to buy a house in Boulder but I am finding that home prices there are almost a bad as LA! So I am including DT Denver near LoDo, specifically the Highlands area just NW and across the Platte River from LoDo. 

There are many factors that will affect where I buy, but one that ranks high on my list is cycling. Boulder has awesome riding up the many canyon roads so if cycling were the top factor, it seems a no brainer right?? How is the riding in Denver? The Platte bikepath goes for miles but it is all flat. From LoDo, it seems about 15 miles to the base of the foothills near Golden, Morrison, etc. My question is this: Are there any good routes that are designated bikepaths from LoDo to the canyon roads of the foothills?? Then once at the foothills, what are some of the best mountain roads where I can put a hurting on myself??? 

Besides the riding pros/cons, what are some of the other obvious or not so obvious factors that would make you choose one or the other?? Restaurants and nightlife?? Real estate appreciation potential?? Sporting and cultural events?? 

BTW, sorry for the very long post but if you read and answered, I owe ya big time!!! Thanks and Ride ON!!!


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## DirtFace (Sep 29, 2005)

Ride-Fly said:


> Hi all,
> I am a longtime Southern Cal resident but will be making a move to Colorado in the next few months. My girlfriend is currently attending CU for a PHD in Psych. Well, we are making the move to move in together and so we have been looking to buy a house in Boulder but I am finding that home prices there are almost a bad as LA! So I am including DT Denver near LoDo, specifically the Highlands area just NW and across the Platte River from LoDo.
> 
> There are many factors that will affect where I buy, but one that ranks high on my list is cycling. Boulder has awesome riding up the many canyon roads so if cycling were the top factor, it seems a no brainer right?? How is the riding in Denver? The Platte bikepath goes for miles but it is all flat. From LoDo, it seems about 15 miles to the base of the foothills near Golden, Morrison, etc. My question is this: Are there any good routes that are designated bikepaths from LoDo to the canyon roads of the foothills?? Then once at the foothills, what are some of the best mountain roads where I can put a hurting on myself???
> ...


I live in Boulder and bike to work in LoDo. I've seen a great number of cyclists commuting both ways. My route is 36 miles one way. So if you want to ride the mtns in Boulder while living in LoDo area your ride could be over 70 miles  . There are some good Boulder to Denver routes in this forum. If you don't want to bike to Boulder then I would reccomend riding out to Golden. You'll take north Platte River bike path then head west on Clear Creek Bikeway. This is all flat and all bike path. The path will take you to Golden/foothils/Morrison and from there you'll have lists of mtn rides. If you don't want to do any climbing you can opt to ride c-470 bike paths. This will take you to Littleton and back up to Denver. This is a nice long relaxing ride. Restaurants and nightlife is good on both end but found much more selection in Denver than Boulder. Of coarse Denver has half a million people and Boulder has only 100 thousand. Coming from Philly, Seattle, and SF I would reccomend the Denver restaurants and nightlife over Boulder. I love Boulder for the abundance of bike routes. Literally right out my front door is Old Stage and Lee Road. I've lived here for 20 years and never get tired of it.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

DirtFace said:


> I live in Boulder and bike to work in LoDo. I've seen a great number of cyclists commuting both ways. My route is 36 miles one way. So if you want to ride the mtns in Boulder while living in LoDo area your ride could be over 70 miles  . There are some good Boulder to Denver routes in this forum. If you don't want to bike to Boulder then I would reccomend riding out to Golden. You'll take north Platte River bike path then head west on Clear Creek Bikeway. This is all flat and all bike path. The path will take you to Golden/foothils/Morrison and from there you'll have lists of mtn rides. If you don't want to do any climbing you can opt to ride c-470 bike paths. This will take you to Littleton and back up to Denver. This is a nice long relaxing ride. Restaurants and nightlife is good on both end but found much more selection in Denver than Boulder. Of coarse Denver has half a million people and Boulder has only 100 thousand. Coming from Philly, Seattle, and SF I would reccomend the Denver restaurants and nightlife over Boulder. I love Boulder for the abundance of bike routes. Literally right out my front door is Old Stage and Lee Road. I've lived here for 20 years and never get tired of it.


36 miles seems short unless you live in South Boulder. Anyway...

If you wanna be with your GF in Boulder I'd suck it up and live in Boulder or s nearby suburb like Gunbarrel, Louisville/Lafayette, Superior, Broomfield. LoDo is far enough away to make it a real PITA to go back and forth. I work in downtown Denver and live in Boulder. I take the bus 5x a week. It gets old really fast. About 45 minutes each way. I know there are some here that commute via bike from Boulder to Denver, but I did it a couple times and it just isn't for me. Too much traffic. Routes not that great. ymmv...


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

I live in Longmont and it is a 10 mile ride to Left Hand Canyon, 12 or so to St. Vrain Canyon and 12 miles to Boulder. The housing is significantly cheaper here than in Boulder. For nighlife, there is a short drive to Boulder.


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## DirtFace (Sep 29, 2005)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> 36 miles seems short unless you live in South Boulder. Anyway...
> Too much traffic. Routes not that great. ymmv...


If you know Boulder then you would know I live north Boulder. Apparently you don't. "Routes not that great" If it's not that great then why do I see multiply cyclist on regular basis using this route? I think you went the wrong way and gave up to easy. Sound like you're looking for an excuse to not ride. I would rather bike thank you.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

DirtFace said:


> If you know Boulder then you would know I live north Boulder. Apparently you don't. "Routes not that great" If it's not that great then why do I see multiply cyclist on regular basis using this route? I think you went the wrong way and gave up to easy. Sound like you're looking for an excuse to not ride. I would rather bike thank you.


Dude...if you had read my post you'd have seen that I admitted others do this commute and YMMV--what part of that didn't you understand? It's not for me.

If you dig dodging cars on Dillon road then have at it.


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## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

Ride-Fly said:


> Hi all,
> I am a longtime Southern Cal resident but will be making a move to Colorado in the next few months. My girlfriend is currently attending CU for a PHD in Psych. Well, we are making the move to move in together and so we have been looking to buy a house in Boulder but I am finding that home prices there are almost a bad as LA! So I am including DT Denver near LoDo, specifically the Highlands area just NW and across the Platte River from LoDo.
> 
> There are many factors that will affect where I buy, but one that ranks high on my list is cycling. Boulder has awesome riding up the many canyon roads so if cycling were the top factor, it seems a no brainer right?? How is the riding in Denver? The Platte bikepath goes for miles but it is all flat. From LoDo, it seems about 15 miles to the base of the foothills near Golden, Morrison, etc. My question is this: Are there any good routes that are designated bikepaths from LoDo to the canyon roads of the foothills?? Then once at the foothills, what are some of the best mountain roads where I can put a hurting on myself???
> ...


The Platte River Greenway serves as the backbone for bike routes that will take you to the west. Here is a general overview:

https://www.sandcreekgreenway.org/assets/maps/Postmaplarge.jpg 

Overall real estate appreciation continues to be very good in Boulder, particularly west of Broadway. There are some exceptions (e.g., Frasier Meadows) east of Broadway. The Highlands neighborhood in Denver is one of those areas that is going through gentrification; there are still some sketchy areas so check it out. 

One thing you might want to consider before purchasing is whether there are kids in the near future. In general, Boulder schools are better than Denver schools. 

Overall the restaurant scene is better in Denver. Boulder has some gems, but there are more of them in Denver. 

Other options may be Golden, Longmont (as mentioned), Nederland, or Coal Creek Canyon. 

Best of Luck.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

*Gunbarrel*



Bocephus Jones II said:


> 36 miles seems short unless you live in South Boulder. Anyway...
> 
> If you wanna be with your GF in Boulder I'd suck it up and live in Boulder or s nearby suburb like Gunbarrel, Louisville/Lafayette, Superior, Broomfield. LoDo is far enough away to make it a real PITA to go back and forth. I work in downtown Denver and live in Boulder. I take the bus 5x a week. It gets old really fast. About 45 minutes each way. I know there are some here that commute via bike from Boulder to Denver, but I did it a couple times and it just isn't for me. Too much traffic. Routes not that great. ymmv...


I forgot to mention that my GF has a townhouse in Twin Lakes Gunbarrel. Really a nice place but here are some other factors that I didn't mention in my earlier post. I will be commuting to DIA for work about 2 to 3 X a week and she will commute to CU 3 to 4 days a week and possibly to Buckley ANG base part-time if she gets into the logistics unit there. I know from Boulder there is the 470 toll road to DIA but I believe it is absolutely un-American to pay for driving on "freeways". Whenever I see toll roads, it reminds me that the local govts have sold out. Sorry for the rant. Her TH in Twin Lakes won't work because I have 2 small, hyper active dogs (a Jack Russell and a Basenji) and so I need a yard. At any rate, we are still looking at both Boulder and Denver proper (Highlands, City Park, and Washington Park. Thanks for your thoughts!!


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

*Thanks PDex*



PDex said:


> The Platte River Greenway serves as the backbone for bike routes that will take you to the west. Here is a general overview:
> 
> https://www.sandcreekgreenway.org/assets/maps/Postmaplarge.jpg
> 
> ...


No kids in our future, thank God!!! I can't afford them- need too many toys for myself!! LOL. As far as RE appreciation, I am looking for maximum capital appreciation and it seems that there are higher growth/investment opportunities in Highlands due to gentrification don't you think?? Thanks again and Ride ON!!!


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Ride-Fly said:


> I forgot to mention that my GF has a townhouse in Twin Lakes Gunbarrel. Really a nice place but here are some other factors that I didn't mention in my earlier post. I will be commuting to DIA for work about 2 to 3 X a week and she will commute to CU 3 to 4 days a week and possibly to Buckley ANG base part-time if she gets into the logistics unit there. I know from Boulder there is the 470 toll road to DIA but I believe it is absolutely un-American to pay for driving on "freeways". Whenever I see toll roads, it reminds me that the local govts have sold out. Sorry for the rant. Her TH in Twin Lakes won't work because I have 2 small, hyper active dogs (a Jack Russell and a Basenji) and so I need a yard. At any rate, we are still looking at both Boulder and Denver proper (Highlands, City Park, and Washington Park. Thanks for your thoughts!!


Tough one...as you know DIA isn't near either Boulder or Denver. How about Broomfield? Kinda in the middle and no further away from DIA than downtown Denver would be. I had a boss that lived off of Dillon road outside Broomfield proper and it's relatively close to Denver/Boulder and DIA.


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

Two totally different things. One's a whitebread upscale college town, but with world-class cycling roads. The other's a hip, culturally and racially diverse historic part of a real city, but with all the pros and cons of more urban living. 

My gut says--based on where you are coming from--that you'd be happier in Denver, but of course I don't really know you.

Yes, the Platte is flat, but from Central and NW Denver you can go down the Platte and ride Deer Creek Canyon, or up into Morrison via Bear Creek, or out west to Lookout Mtn in Golden. Plus putting the bike on the rack on the occasional weekend to ride Lefthand Canyon and Peak-to-Peak highway is easy enough. 

I wouldn't let cycling drive the decision. Think of what you want socially, politically and asethetically.


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## stlutz (Jan 6, 2005)

Based on the places you talk about needing to get to work-wise (Boulder, Buckley, DIA), there really isn't an ideal solution in terms of saving time in the car--I think you'll have to pick something and live with it.

Cycling-wise, Boulder really is great, not just for the climbing (Lee Hill, Lefthand, St. Vrain) that is nearby, but the flat riding in that area is also top-notch. It would be rare that you would need to drive somewhere to ride if you live there.

The streets in Denver itself are also good for cycling, in my experience. There are a lot of secondary streets that actually go through, so it's easy to get places. 

From Lo-Do or Highlands, if you want to climb, it's easy to go west on 26th, until it ends, swing up to 32nd, and you'll head straight into Lookout Mountain Road. It's about 15 miles to where the climb starts. Golden Gate Canyon also goes out of Golden, which is another great climb. Still, most cyclists in Denver who are climbers tend to drive to ride start points a lot--it's up to you if that's an issue or not.

I recommend picking up a copy of Michael Seeberg's Road Biking Colorado. It doesn't address riding in town at all, but it does discuss all of the riding options out of of Denver & Boulder into the hills--it will give you a great sense of what is available.


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## FTF (Aug 5, 2003)

Ride-Fly said:


> Besides the riding pros/cons, what are some of the other obvious or not so obvious factors that would make you choose one or the other??


Boulder for the riding, and the fact that it's not a huge town, but it's not a small town, it's also close to the huge city if you want to go there. I'd rather live in Boulder than denver, no question. 


Ride-Fly said:


> Restaurants and nightlife??


Pearl street, it has a good nightlife, and good restraunts, plus if you want to go to Denver, it's really not that far away. There's always RTD to get you there too. 


Ride-Fly said:


> Real estate appreciation potential??


I can't imagine housing getting any less expensive in boulder(it's expensive), however I can imagine it getting more expensive. 



Ride-Fly said:


> Sporting and cultural events??


Arguably the cycling capital of the nation?


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

The dark side of Boulder.

*3 new cases of flesh-eating disease in Boulder* 
http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGN...MPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

*I'm trying to run away from the coming bird flu and now this!!*



MikeBiker said:


> The dark side of Boulder.
> 
> *3 new cases of flesh-eating disease in Boulder*
> http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGN...MPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf


Denver, here I come!! LOL!!!


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## FTF (Aug 5, 2003)

MikeBiker said:


> The dark side of Boulder.
> 
> *3 new cases of flesh-eating disease in Boulder*
> http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=768dbb20-0abe-421a-0023-46dfe950f540&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf


Obviously Neofascist scare tactics! Ride-fly won't give in to your ways. 



> Medical experts believe the recent rise in cases in Boulder is just a normal fluctuation in the disease, and there's no reason to believe there's a greater risk than usual.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

FTF said:


> Obviously Neofascist scare tactics! Ride-fly won't give in to your ways.


Hey FTF...let em talk. Who needs more people here anyway? It really stinks here people. 15" of snow on the ground 5 months out of the year and usually below zero most of the time. A burger at Mickey D's costs $15 and it is a dry city so no booze at all allowed. Right?


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

DirtFace said:


> You seem to have major issues w/ Dillon road. Here are some options by passing Dillon road. Continue McCaslin over the 36 and hang left on to Rock Creek or left onto Coalton. Coalton will take to frontage of 36 also know as Industrial lane. Or take Broadway to Marshall Road. If you haven't noticed Marshall Road is loaded w/ cyclist. Take Marshall Road to McCaslin. Take a right onto McCaslin to Rock Creek or Coalton. You have lots of options. Go and ride and have some fun.  I hope you participate in Bike to Work day. I’m not trying to pick a fight. Peace.


Yeah no problem. Maybe I just need to find a better route. The time I did ride was for Bike to Work day and once I hit the Platte river trail it was actually pretty nice. Had to dodge a couple of winos on the way in, but no biggie.  Do you do that commute year round? When I did it it was daylight savings in June--nearly the longest days of the year--and I started from Boulder at something like 5am when the sun rose to get to work in time.


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## DirtFace (Sep 29, 2005)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Dude...if you had read my post you'd have seen that I admitted others do this commute and YMMV--what part of that didn't you understand? It's not for me.
> 
> If you dig dodging cars on Dillon road then have at it.


You seem to have major issues w/ Dillon road. Here are some options by passing Dillon road. Continue McCaslin over the 36 and hang left on to Rock Creek or left onto Coalton. Coalton will take to frontage of 36 also know as Industrial lane. Or take Broadway to Marshall Road. If you haven't noticed Marshall Road is loaded w/ cyclist. Take Marshall Road to McCaslin. Take a right onto McCaslin to Rock Creek or Coalton. You have lots of options. Go and ride and have some fun.  I hope you participate in Bike to Work day. I’m not trying to pick a fight. Peace.


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Tough one...as you know DIA isn't near either Boulder or Denver. How about Broomfield? Kinda in the middle and no further away from DIA than downtown Denver would be. I had a boss that lived off of Dillon road outside Broomfield proper and it's relatively close to Denver/Boulder and DIA.


I live in Broomfield and work in the Tech Center south of Denver. I'd love to have a commute only to downtown or to Boulder. Broomfield after years of being a cow town finally has some decent places to eat and drink out at the mall. The riding is good if you head out of town going north. It's easy to do an 70 or 80 mile loop into Longmont and then up above Boulder for some hills and then home (without riding on Dillon). There are also many loops from 20 to 50 miles that are rideable after work in the summer.

E470 is a great way to get to the airport. After winding your way through the free roads a couple of times, it's well worth it to pay the change and get there. I even do the entire e470 loop sometimes when the traffic is messed up on I-25. It's my $10 one way, but well worth it a couple times a year. Definitely get the E-pass where they bill your credit card.

I wouldn't say the night life is anything to brag about, but it's easy to get to both Boulder and Denver for entertainment. Louisville/Lafayette are also inbetween and more affordable than LoDo or Boulder. Have fun & good luck.


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## honkinunit (Feb 13, 2005)

*Golden*

As far as I'm concerned, Golden has everything that Boulder has except the insane real estate prices and the really silly attitudes. And it has BETTER riding than Boulder in a lot of ways, especially mountain biking. Adding to that, it is 30 minutes closer to the big ski areas and the I-70 corridor west. Golden also has direct bike path access to Denver, which Boulder will probably never have. Bike commuting couldn't be any easier. Golden has great hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and yes, road riding right out of town.

As for real estate appreciation, Golden has exceeded everywhere except Boulder. The problem with Boulder is that you have to accept a $350K one bath no garage 60's ranch as the entry point. You can still get a decent house in Golden for $350K, but not for much longer.


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## bots21 (Jun 1, 2005)

*Lafayette or Erie?*

Just a suggestion. Lafayette is very close to the expressway to DIA. Actually only 30 minutes, plus about 15 or so to Boulder depending on traffic. The riding is great there, easy ride to Boulder. Easy ride to Stazio for plenty of crits if you're into that (I am). In-laws live there and I visit and ride often, its all good. Except 287, but only if you like life. Just a suggestion though.


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

bots21 said:


> Just a suggestion. Lafayette is very close to the expressway to DIA. Actually only 30 minutes, plus about 15 or so to Boulder depending on traffic. The riding is great there, easy ride to Boulder. Easy ride to Stazio for plenty of crits if you're into that (I am). In-laws live there and I visit and ride often, its all good. Except 287, but only if you like life. Just a suggestion though.



Ya know, obviously a lot of people do it that way, but it didn't work for me. Based on that theory, when I moved here in 1994 my partner and I found a house in Broomfield. I worked in downtown Denver, she was a law student at CU. And frankly, it felt like we were in nowhere-ville. To do anything (restaurant, movies, decent shopping) we had to get in a car and schlep. We were MUCH happier once in Denver. YMMV.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

*Thanks to ALL OF YOU for your advice!!*

For those that have suggested other nearby towns, I appreciate your inputs but I am pretty much set on Boulder or near LoDo (especially City Park, Congress Park, Highlands). As a matter of fact, I have it narrowed down to a few homes now. Actually only one in Denver and it is just a few blocks south of City Park. Absolutely beautifullly re-done century old Denver Square. The exterior is about average but the interior is perfect!! Stainless steel appliances, cherry cabinets, hardwood floors, and a fantastic deck for entertaining. Plus oversized 2 car garage. Only downside is that there is an eyesore apartment buiding immediately behind the house. In Boulder, I am looking at a few homes in the Palo Park subdivision. What I can't believe is that they are in the same price range- lower $400K. It seems that the prices in Boulder seem to be on a slight decline, as it is in Denver. That maybe just wishful thinking on my part, but homes are definitely staying on the market for months as opposed to weeks and they are usually sold for about 5-7% less than asking (according to my realtor). Anyhow, thanks again everyone!!! Ride ON!!!


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