Partnership Aims to Debunk Misconceptions of Downtown Living

About 150 people attended the breakfast meeting at the Embassy Suites hotel at 18th and Curtis streets. John Oakley, for example, who lives in an apartment and is buying a new loft Downtown, can no longer let his 60-pound Australian sheep dog run in his backyard, but he's blocks from 90 acres of parks. "And there are about 50 properties that are pet-friendly," he said.

Another Downtown resident, Jerry Arca, said that Downtown is only 30 minutes from the Denver International Airport and minutes from Interstate exits. His suburban friends, he noted, take light rail to Union Station and walk a few blocks to catch the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Polly Baca said that Downtown is kid-friendly. She takes her grandchildren Downtown for a meal and a movie, all within a walking distance. Though she has a grown son, she noted that schools such as the dual-language Academia Ana MarieSandoval in the Highland neighborhood and Crofton Elementary and Morey Middle School have gifted and talented programs, and are less than 10 minutes from Downtown.

One frequent complaint is that there's no place to shop Downtown. But there are major grocery stores either at the edge of the CBD or within two miles, retail at Pavilions, Larimer Square, Tabor Center and Writer Square, as well as about 260 restaurants.

Other people believe living Downtown is synonymous with the LoDo district, but only 3% of Downtown residents live there. James Roncczy, when he moved back to the city, found Victorian houses, newer single-family houses and renovated rowhouses to choose from.

Also, there are plenty of options for renters. There are 1,170 new apartment units being added to the current supply of 6,507 units. John Edwards is one of the renters. He grew up in San Diego, where he had to drive to everything, so he appreciates being only six blocks from work, a distance he walks even in cold weather. And as a renter, if a neighbor is too noisy, he'll just move to another building when his lease is up, he said.

One of the biggest myths about living Downtown is that it's a short-term option. Anne Fox, a co-owner of a video production firm, moved to the Windsor at 17th and Larimer streets 16 years ago. She noted that when she and her husband married, they wanted to get their own place, but couldn't afford to live in the trendy Washington Park neighborhood southeast of Downtown. Instead, they moved Downtown, which was a cheaper alternative, "which seems kind of amazing today," she said.