I think you would be happier in Boulder or some of the other northern and western suburbs that were mentioned. Olde Town Arvada would not be bad, as there is a light rail connection that will take you to downtown or the airport fairly quickly. The commute to Westmoor would not be terrible, but Wadsworth can be a bit slow at times. The commute from the Highlands would be tough. It is a cool neighborhood, but quite far from Westmoor.

Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Broomfield, Westminster, Arvada, and even Golden are not bad commutes at all, and you will be closer to riding than Highlands. There are several rec centers with pools that would be nearby as well, and good road or mtn biking out your door.

The drive from the airport is not bad from almost any location. From West Arvada it is approx 45-50 minutes unless there is a massive traffic backup. From the northern suburbs it is about the same unless you take the toll road, in which case it will cost you several dollars each way, but also save you a lot of time. US-36 to I-270 to I-70 can be really bad at times.

The farther west and north you go the shorter the commute will be. From West Arvada to Westmoor is 20 minutes at just about any time of the day. Boulder to Westmoor could be about the same, depending on where in Boulder you live. It is actually quite spread out, and the farther north you go, the tougher and longer the commute will be.

Good luck with your move, I hope (and think) you will enjoy the mile high city and lifestyle.

drn92

I grew up in the area and have lived in pretty much every city mentioned. I think the difficult tradeoff for you is where is the best place to train vs. where there are other 30 years old young professionals. The more dense population areas of Denver and Boulder are worse for training (crowded trails, pools, lots of cars) but better for nightlife. The suburban communities near where you work are the opposite.

I'd suggest living somewhere near where you work to save the commuting time and make biking to work feasible. It's easy to head to Denver or Boulder a couple times per week for nightlife. You'll get more total training time that way. It's also easy to be part of the Boulder Tri scene from the outlying communities if you choose. If you look at the results from any of the Boulder races or go to the Boulder Tri Club, there are tons of people living in Louisville, Lafayette, Superior, Broomfield, Westminster, Erie, Thornton, etc.

Here's a list of local masters swimming teams. I'd highly suggest you join since you want to want to improve your swimming:
http://www.comsa.org/clubs/clubs-colorado-Denver.html


Arvada and Broomfield masters teams are the closest to where you are working. I've swum a little with both and they are good, as is the Thornton team which is a little further away. There are great masters programs in Boulder if you want to mix it up with the most serious triathletes, but I've heard they tend to be much more crowded than the more laid back suburban teams. I believe the closest masters team in Denver is at DU which would be a horrible commute. Figure out where you are going to swim before moving to Denver, as I think that will be a challenge where it's easy in the other communities mentioned.

It so great with all the feedback. I think that I have decided for moving to Boulder (and aim to find an apartment in the southern part of the city), for having a short commute to work and great opportunities for training. I might join one of the local triathlon club e.g. Boulder Triathlon Club. Can't wait to move, and climb some mountains!

South Boulder will not be a bad commute to Westmoor and a great location for riding.

I highly recommend spending a week or two looking around (if you have the time). You could stay in Superior or south Boulder and check the options prior to making a 9-12 month commitment.

Good luck with your move and welcome to CO.

drn92

Try to find a place near US-36 and Table Mesa. That's right at the end of the under construction US-36 bikeway. The phase 2 of US-36 bikeway will be complete sometime in early 2016, making a bike commute (and car commute) from Boulder to Westmor much easier. Phase 1 of the bike path is complete now. Here's a map showing both phases:

https://www.codot.gov/projects/US36ExpressLanes/88th-to-table-mesa/us36-bikeway-fact-sheet-rev-06-1-26-14.pdf

I'll second the idea of visiting for a couple weeks before deciding where to live. Boulder vs. the outlying communities are very different and appeal to different folks. Personally, one drawback to Boulder for me is the rental housing stock. It tends to be older, less well maintained, and often student infested :-) Outside of Boulder you'll find lots of newly built very nice apartments.

In Boulder, I'd consider living here right at US-36 and Table Mesa:
http://www.tantralakeapthomes.com/

There is nearby masters swimming at Rally Sport and the South Boulder rec center, and that will be right at the end of the US-36 bikeway. Note you could also take your bike on the bus to the Broomfield or Interlocken stops, then do the longer ride home after work (or vise versa). And, it's in Boulder... and every triathlete should live in Boulder at some point :-)

In contrast, I'd probably choose to live here (or nearby) in a recently built apartment in Broomfield instead:
http://www.aristauptown.com/

That's a very easy, quick bike ride to work for you. It's right at the Broomfield bus stop to get downtown Denver or Boulder for going out without having to worry about parking or drinking. It's right on the US-36 bikeway to ride into Boulder and the mountains (36 bike path then up Flagstaff Mountain would be a great ride). Broomfield masters swimming is nearby, and the gravel Big Dry Creek trail nearby in Westminster is a fantastic trail for a long run. Lots of folks would hate it for being in a contrived community, though, so you really need to see them both for yourself!

_1!

solid advice by tballco.

Hello again,

I just wanted to finish this thread, and tell you how it all ended. After looking at apartments (price, quality) I found an excellent apartment in Broomefiled where I will moving to in medio October. Thanks for all the responses, suggestions. That actually helped a lot!

Now the next step will be to decide which triathlon club, swimming options to go for. But that will be another thread.


Thanks a lot.

Br. Sune