Colorado Maggots - a question for you.

[snow_slider]

Some friends are moving out to the Denver area and are looking in two towns - Broomfield and Parker. Any beta for either? Upside/downside for either? One better than the other for kids, schools, outdoor access?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[MadMatt]

Parker is South, Broomfield is North. They are both rapidly growing communities that used to be independent from the sprawl. Now they are basically just suburbs of the greater mess. Both are pretty much equal distance from I-70. Broomfield is closer to Boulder. Parker is closer to 285.

I would say that Parker probably has a better quality of life, especially if they have kids. But I don't live there.

[smmokan]

^^^ I was going to say the opposite. Parts of Broomfield are very nice, and if they're looking to buy a house, there are some great neighborhoods. Broomfield is halfway between downtown Denver and Boulder, and Parker is halfway between Denver and.... Kansas? I live just north of Broomfield, and I'd never consider moving way down to Parker.

[Colorado_Freeskier]

Both are typical generic suburbs. Parker may be a bit more affluent and is newer. Broomfield is between Boulder and Denver, so that's a plus in my book. Traffic is terrible in both locations. I'd recommend they move close to their workplace, since metro traffic is pretty bad...the multi-billion dollar TREX interstate/light rail project was a huge waste of taxpayer $$ IMO as it hasn't impacted congestion.

[jon turner]

I'm gonna agree with smmokan. Broomfield is in a better location. You can get to Boulder or Denver in a reasonably short time, and it's a nicer area to live in my opinion. Getting to the mountains/ski resorts is probably about the same time/distance-wise, but you're closer to Rocky Mountain National Park and the Indian Peaks Wilderness from Broomfield.

[rudy]

Why have the decided between Parker and Broomfield? Where will they be working? Seems like random choices.

[Fritz]

Seconded. If you like to hit up backcountry, Broomfield will put you 45min closer to Indian Peaks Wilderness, James Peak Wilderness, Rocky Mountain, etc. Especially nice during seasons like this with week after week of upslope storms.

[stupendous man]

tongue held.

[Phatstix]

I have a place near downtown that they could rent month to month. It's a sweet pad in the Baker Historic hood b/w downtown and Wash. Park. I'm trying to sell it but am living in the mountains currently. Its furnished and I would make them a good deal if they take care of it. I figure they could live there cheap for a while and get a feel for where they want to live.
2 bed, 1 bath.
Hardwood floors, nice kitchen and bath, close to everything, easy access to highways, good free parking, storage.
Let me know.

[Ireallyliketoski2]

You can access the outdoors easily from either city, just step outside your house. People who I know that live in Parker really enjoy living there. But I'll second whoever said it all depends on where you work, to enjoy life in the Denver metro area is to have a short commute to work, preferably off the major roads. I work in the tech center and live in highlands ranch and love it. If I had a job in Broomfield I'd be hating it.

[smolakian]

I agree with most of the posters above. Parker kinda sucks. If you enjoy going out to TGI Fridays for happy hour and shooting prairie dogs from you back porch it would be awesome.

If you are in Broomfield you can take advantage of all that Boulder and Denver have to offer. Great food, music and bars. Not to mention the flatirons, boulder canyon, indian peaks, RMNP....

[HikeforTurns]

thirded for broomfield. last thing i want to do when i get out of the mountains is drive another 30-45 minutes through town to get home. but it depends on where they will work. (west is best)

[bill's toupee]

...If you enjoy going out to TGI Fridays for happy hour and shooting prairie dogs from you back porch it would be awesome...

smolakian has it right

[Crinkle]

to save themselves grief of travel for their jobs, live as close to thier job as they can, traffic can be a bit strenuous. If you take that out of the equation, i'd go with broomfield if they are into the outdoors, its the north end of denver, close to boulder, closer to the foothills, a few mintues closer to the I-70 summit county access point. I really don't know much about parker, only been there 2 times and once i was drunk.

[This End Up]

I was born and raised in Parker and watched it change from a one horse town to a transplant's paradise. I agree with what everyone above has said, Denver's sprawl over the last 20 years has made living close to where you work very important to quality of life. Parker and Broomfield are on opposites ends of Denver.

Broomfield is closer to the People Republic of Boulder where the transplants have created a Mecca of what they think Colorado should be. Parker is kinda half way between Denver and Colorado Springs. Some of Colorado Springs' bible thumper mentality is present in the transplants that live in Parker.

^^^ Sorry if my seething hatred for the NEW Colorado came through in the above^

I was back in Parker over New Years and was appalled at the traffic. On a good note, the new light rail has a stop on Lincoln @ I-25, the main access for Parker. Don't know if the same is true on the North side of town.

[snow_slider]

Thanks guys. Great info so far. I don't know why they are only looking at Broomfield and Parker, but those are the two towns they mentioned.

She will be a stay at home Mom and he will (I believe) work mostly from home. Hoever I think his office will be closer to Parker. They are into photography, hiking, and plan to get into biking and skiing, so living close to places that offer easy access to wilderness is important. School systems are also key, as they have two boys who will soon be in school.

[smmokan]

Like I said, I live just north of Broomfield (in Erie)... and if they like road biking, there are a TON of open roads with no traffic up here. There are hundreds of miles of country roads out my back door, and on a typical 15-20 mile ride, I'm passed by maybe 5-6 cars. Also, if it matters, I can get to Loveland in just over an hour, with keystone/Breck/A-Basin another 15-30 minutes.

[Ireallyliketoski2]

living close to places that offer easy access to wilderness is important.

I think there's still some wilderness left in Colorado.

[mtnbikerskierchick]

Broomfield has more personality than Parker, but I would venture to say Parker may have some better schools, but that depends on the actual school. Neither place has bad schools, either way.

The light rail does go to Parker, but there are plans soon to have a light rail through Broomfield too.

[The Dude]

I'll admit it, I currently live in Parker, and as a single male, it sucks. For a family though with kids, it would be a great community to live in. Its douglas county schools, most of the communities have an elementary school in the neighborhood, and the parks & recreation dept run a lot of sports for kids to participate in. Traffic has been getting worse over the past 5 years, but it isn't that bad as they keep adding more roads and expanding the existing ones.

[smmokan]

Another thing I'd like to add is that if I lived in Broomfield, I sure as hell wouldn't want to work in Parker.

[Below Zero]

I was at a job site in Parker today and snapped a picture for you.



Just pick the house you want. The area also comes with the standard suburban package:

-A Wal Mart
-A Best Buy
-A Circuit City
-A Ruby Tuesday
-An AppleBees
-A PetCo
-An Olive Garden
-10 Starbucks
-Schools where all the kids are the same
-Soccor Moms driving in their Land Rovers
-Drive Thru everything

The above applies to Broomfield also.

[smmokan]

^^^ and most suburbs around major cities.

[Below Zero]

^^^ and most suburbs around major cities.

Yep.

Anywhere, USA

[Tunco]

`When I taught at Loveland, people from Parker seemed more likely to be pricks. Not that I didn't meet some cool cats from there and they certainly didn't have a monopoly on douches, but still.