Input on Denver apt. - urgent!

June 20, 2008 5:02 PM

Does this Denver apartment location sound good?

Hi, Denver Me-fites. My girlfriend and I are looking at an apartment in the vicinty of the McDonald's at Kremeria and Colfax. We like it a lot, but we just wanted to see what the hivemind thought about that location in terms of safety, convenience, etc. Basically, we want your anecdotes - and we want them fast!

posted by McBearclaw to home & garden (7 comments total)

I don't know about that specific corner, but I have friends who live just a few blocks north of there (22nd & Jasmine) and it's a really nice neighborhood. She bought her home (built early last century) for around $400,000. I believe it's a neighborhood that's begun to be gentrified in the last few years. It is a convenient location for being close to shopping, restaurants, etc. And easy access to downtown as well.

However, I must warn you to take what I have to say with a grain of salt since I live in the area but don't know that specific area well. And east Colfax is known as being less than appealing -- presence of drugs, hookers, etc. But I don't know how close to reality the reputation is.
posted by crunchtopmuffin at 5:49 PM on June 20

You'll be fine. You're close to I-70 and the neighborhood is getting more gentrified by the second.
posted by mynameisluka at 6:21 PM on June 20

Colfax has a history of being a pretty rough area of town but the city is dumping crazy amounts of money fixing it up. That specific area of town can go from very nice to very bad in mere blocks.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. I live less than 3 miles from there and my aunt lives right on Colfax and Monaco (three blocks from Krameria) and raves about it. Compared to most major cities the worst you'll see here is nothing from what I've heard.
posted by Octoparrot at 7:53 PM on June 20

Colfax is a great street...full of life, great and unique shops and eats...lots of people going through every day. The weird thing about the street is that as soon as you get as little as a block away from it (sometimes even less) you enter a quiet residential neighborhood. That's true on the west side as well as the east side of town. There are lots of rentals and young people living all along Colfax, especially in Capitol Hill towards downtown, around the hospital at Colorado and Colfax...
Convenience depends on where you are going...15L Bus straight to downtown...I-70 is a bit of a trek up monaco 35 blocks and then along a frontage road for a mile or so...

Do you have anyway of walking around at night...when we lived a block and a half off of colfax when my wife and I moved to denver, we'd be safe and happy walking at night if we just walked south and away from Colfax...we found most people on on the street stayed there where the action was.

If you are looking for a more vibrant happening area of town, you'll be good. If you are looking for somewhere quiet, and out of the way, this isn't necessarily it.

Feel free to PM if you have any more questions or locations
posted by johngalt at 8:15 PM on June 20

I think johngalt makes a good point--it depends on what you are looking for (and maybe what you are used to). I've mostly lived in smaller cities and I would not choose to live on Colfax--anywhere on Colfax that I can think of, really. But, I'm also not looking for excitement to be near my residence. I would certainly live in other parts of capital hill, maybe up to within a few blocks of colfax. But, living right on the street? It would be too loud and busy for me. For you it might be perfect. Best of luck to you!
posted by fieldtrip at 4:56 PM on June 21

Sorry, I just assumed that you would be talking about Capital Hill area. That area around Monaco is probably mellower....I've driven through there quite a bit (I live off Monaco 10 blocks to the south) and it does seem much quieter than Cap Hill. Also, it is Krameria not Kremeria---two blocks west of Monaco. (that might help some others with knowing the area).
posted by fieldtrip at 5:04 PM on June 21

Hey everyone, thanks for all the great input. This is exactly what I was looking for. Just as a side note: we're not living right on Colfax - we're two buildings off, and our apartment faces north. I really get what Octoparrot was saying about about the rapid differences - if all I looked out of was my apartment window, I'd think I was in some quiet suburb. If the apartment was on the south side, I would see McDonald's and a gun shop. Craziness.

Anyway, thanks again for all your help - we were having a bit of a freak-out, but we're a lot more confident now.
posted by McBearclaw at 4:14 PM on June 22