We know that might sounds like a tongue twister but there is no other way to say it.  The lower highlands has been getting better and better reviews from our clients for not days, not weeks, not months, but years.

We just thought we would share why the LoHi (Lower Highlands acronym) area has become one of the most desirable locations for Denver loft and home residences.

• The Restaurants:  There might be no other area of Denver that offers a better selection of restaurants and eateries in Denver than the Lower Highlands.  Not only does this neighborhood offer a number of historic restaurants serving up traditional fare from almost every region of the world but it has become one of the most popular locations to open a new restaurant.  It seems every time Denver condo and Denver loft residents in this area walk out their front door the choices they have to dine at have increased again.   And the magic is that the restaurants are amazing.  This is the neighborhood of Root Down, Lola, LoHi Steak Bar Vita, The Squeaky Bean, and many many more.
• The diversity of Denver condos, lofts, and houses:  Are you interested in living in a classic Denver Square Home, LoHi has those.  Perhaps you are looking for a modern Denver townhome  or condo in a multi dwelling building, Lohi offers those too.  Modern, traditional, historic, or just plain funky can all be found in the LoHi neighborhood of Denver and that creates not only unlimited option for our clients, it also creates a great neighborhood to live in.
• Location:  Lohi is in a wonderful location where access to any of the major Denver Highways is just a few blocks away.  Commuting becomes a breeze and for those who work in the Downtown you are a short bike ride or walk to the beginning of downtown Denver and the 16th street shuttle or the bike trails accessed at Commons Park.  If you have any question how close you are just look out your window and you will likely see the panoramic view of Downtown Denver.
• Value:  There are amazing price opportunities throughout the Lower Highlands area whether you are looking for a historic single family house or a brand new modern lohi townhome.  The opportunities in today's market are incredible

If you haven't checked out Denver's Lower Highlands neighborhood today is a good day to contact New Era Realty and schedule a tour.  Our new office is located in LoHi and we would love to share our love affair with this neighborhood with you.

If you are looking for an East Denver neighborhood for a home, you may find the perfect spot. Five Points are neighborhoods that are just to the northeast of downtown Denver and it is often called the “East Side.” The way the downtown grid runs and the grid of the East Denver neighborhood area all come together at an intersection which is a five-way. This is why it is called Five Points.

The area has been around for a long time and was quite popular in the 1860s. In the 1930s, 1940s and the 1950s jazz was king in this neighborhood. There were more than 50 clubs and bars located here and many of the world famous jazz musicians played here. Names like Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday were just some of the ones that played in the East Denver neighborhood.

Five Points was the first neighborhood in Denver to be primarily African-American. This, along with the many jazz musicians who played here earned it the nickname of “Harlem of the West.” The area today is packed with heritage and as such the Black American West Museum and Heritage Center is located here as well as the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library.

There are several landmarks in the area including African-American churches and some businesses. Their Juneteenth festival is an annual event that welcomes over 100,000 people. The festival begins at the Manual High School and proceeds to Five Points where there are literally thousands of vendors plying their wares. In addition, there are street performers and entertainment.

This East Denver neighborhood is often thought of by the African American community as their center for history. Despite the fact that the Five Points area is no longer primarily an African-American community, the residents of the area still consider it to be.

The Regional Transportation District of Denver constructed a light rail in this neighborhood and the renovations of the neighborhood began. The Victorian homes underwent a renovation process as well and the lofts began to appear in the downtown area. Many that remember this East Denver neighborhood as it was in the old day feel a bit sad that the neighborhood is changing. The disappearance of the old Five Points and the charm it had have given way to higher rents. Many of the old tenants have had to find new homes.

Please contact New Era Realty to learn more about East Denver neighborhoods, or any of the many wonderful Denver loft and condominium offerings at 303-522-7746 or 800.392.1950.

October is always a pretty exciting Month for Denver Loft and Condo residents.  It's not just the anticipation of the ski season or the start of football season.  Our Denver Loft clients have been talking about how much the city has been active with events.

Last weekend we had a spectacular day for the Denver Rock and Roll Marathon.  This half and full marathon weaved it's way through the city touching almost every great city park and winding through the many Denver neighborhoods such as City Park, Lodo, Downtown Denver, Wash Park, Cheesman Park, and Congress Park.  And our city turned out to cheer on runners with fans on the road along the path.

Then this weekend we begin the Halloween festivities with the Denver Zombie Crawl.  If you aren't familiar with this event you should visit the 16th street mall as Denver loft residents dress up as their favorite undead creation and try to set a new record for total zombies assembled.

The Halloween Festivities continue through the 31st with both the World Record Seeking Gorilla Run and so many Halloween Parties that the city is filled with costumed creations.

It's around times like these (which do occur almost every month) that we hear so much excitement from our Denver loft clients about how much they enjoy living in Downtown Denver.  So we thought perhaps that was something we should do a poll about.  What part of the Downtown Denver lifestyle is the most attractive?

We have heard so many great reasons.  Some love the freedom to walk, bike, or take public transportation everywhere they want to go.  Some love living in their Denver loft because of the surrounding restaurants or entertainment venues.  For our sports fans the city of Denver offers all 3 major sporting arenas within the Downtown Denver area.  And we can't forget the practical (and time freeing) benefit of the great downtown Denver business opportunities or the lack of commute.

Enjoy your Downtown Denver lifestyle everyone and please feel free to share your favorite reasons why you love living in a Downtown Denver loft.  Also let us know in a comment if we need to add your favorite reason.

Second home owners are a much bigger sector of the downtown market that people think.  There are a number of reasons why people purchase a downtown Denver condo or loft as a second home.. and both the Glass House and SPIRE are two of the most popular choices.

Here are a few scenarios for our typical second home downtown Denver condo clients.  Feel free to let us know if this sounds like you.

The Mountain Resident

I know that most of our readers are probably thinking about how nice it would be to have a second home in the mountains.  A common Denver dream is the balance of city and mountains with the family and friends ski condo at any of the many great ski resorts only a short drive away.  Well the folks in the mountains have the exact same thoughts.  Except for them the dream is of having a great downtown Denver condominium with a great location and amenities.  In this dream the goal is to have a city retreat where instead of ski in ski out access they have a great place to stay when the come down the hill for sporting events, dinner, shopping, the theater, or simply the convenience of a good nights sleep before an early flight out of Denver International Airport.

The Super Commuter

These are the road warriors who may live in other cities but conduct a great deal of business in Denver.  Perhaps their office headquarters are in Denver or their biggest client.  Either way they spend so much time here in Denver that they have started to fall in love with it.  So rather than the same drab hotels night after night they invest in their own downtown Denver home away from home (and most secretly have plans to make Denver their first home).

The Suburb Resident

This is another large category of Downtown Denver second home owners.  These individuals love their home in the suburbs.  Big lawns, lots of square footage, and perfect for all their needs... except for one.  They miss the city life, the energy, and all the great things to do.  Their Denver condo becomes a city playground escape just like the mountain resident.  The only difference is that their commute is shorter.

Why are buildings like Glass House and SPIRE so popular.  First it's the location.  Both buildings offer great walking access to many great amenities of downtown Denver.  A night out without driving might include tickets to the Broncos, Avalanche, Nuggets or Rockies.   It might include any of the great shows playing in the Theater District.  It might just be dinner with friends out at any of the hundreds of restaurants in Downtown Denver or a shopping spree for the holidays.  Whatever the adventure is the key is location.

Second, both buildings offer great amenities.  For that weekend retreat access to fitness facilities, pools, spas, media rooms, business centers and more allow for an almost resort like escape.  But in this version you can do it every weekend.

Third, and one that is so valuable to many of our clients, is the ability to short or long term rent the second home.  Because both Glass House and SPIRE offer location and amenities they are very successful in attracting renters for both long term and short term corporate rentals.  This is a great financial option for peace of mind in case the owners either decide they want to save more for awhile or have a time where they won't be able to visit.  Fortunately the desirability of both of these buildings means some of the best and highest rental rates in downtown Denver.

To learn more about residences in Glass House, SPIRE or any of the great downtown Denver condo and loft buildings please contact any of us at New Era Realty.

Get ready Denver, the brand new luxury Four Seasons Hotel Denver opens today with  a ribbon-cutting at the 1111 14th Street.

Denver mayor John Hickenlooper will do the honors at the luxury hotel/102-private residence project at 11 a.m today.  It's appropriate that Denver mayor Hickenlooper has the honor today for the Denver Four Seasons.  He was one of the early visionaries who saw the future growth that the Downtown Denver condo and business center would become and he invested to get it started.  Now many years later mayor Hickenlooper welcomes one of the most famous Hotel luxury brands to what has become an energetic city.

What does this new Four Seasons Denver Hotel and Residences mean for our city.  Many things.

First, of course, it means 102 luxury residences have been added to the available Denver condo and loft market.  If you have never taken a tour of these residences we encourage you to give us a call today.  When the designers at the Four Seasons build residences they focus on excellence in every last detail.  With gourmet kitchen appliances and the most beautiful designer finishes in every room and closet these residences are breathtaking.  And of course, living in a Four Seasons means having all the amenities of this brand now hotel as part of your lifestyle including the world famous Four Seasons Spa.  The Denver signature spa treatment is a pampering 3 hour Signature high-altitude revitalising gemstone Ormus ritual.  That would certainly be a relaxing end to a busy day of work.  And of course there is the culinary reputation of the many Four Seasons restaurants that offer not only a convenient in building location but what about room service.  And of course the luxury Four Seasons pool deck, lobby bar, and more.

In addition to the residential benefit this new hotel with it's restaurant and bar offerings just created new dining and entertainment options in the heart of the city.   And conveniently located near the convention center the city of Denver just increased it's ability to offer more room space to bring in larger events.

And, simply put, the downtown Denver condo and loft lifestyle just got even more interesting.  More to do, more to enjoy, and with the increased density provided by these residences and rooms Denver also just created many more reasons for other new restaurants and entertainment venues to grow in the heart of our city.

Downtown Denver condo and loft living gets better every day.  Give us a call to tour the Four Seasons or any of the incredible loft and condo buildings in the city of Denver and it's many great neighborhoods.

Denver Living Halloween events for 2010 are bigger and better than ever. The events this year will include some that were just started last year but turned out to be a big hit. The Metromix sponsored the first Haunted Hotel party last year and due to popular demand, it will be back for the second year as part of the Denver living Halloween events. The event will be held at the Marriott DTC in the grand atrium lobby and the hotel lobby as well.

The event is for adults only and is the expected turnout is close to 5,000. There will be aerial performers, video DJs, Body Art Zodiac opera and adult trick or treating as well as a contest that pays $1,000 for the best costume.

The 2010 Zombie Crawl will be held again this year as more than 4,000 were out last year at Skyline Park for a feast among the living.

The 11th Annual Victorian Fetish Ball will be held for adults only at 1222 Glenarm in the Central Business District. The is a costumes required event.

Spilloween 2010 will be part of the Denver Living Halloween events and is back from last year. The event will have more than $1,000 prizes, with a first place costume prize of $500. 

Another terrific party that is sold out year after year is Slacker and Steve’s annual Exotic Ball. Extraordinary and unconventional costumes, the wicked kissing booth, a costume contest that can’t be beat, fortune tellers, cocktails galore and a terrific DJ - a party you won’t want to miss.

Beta Nightclub will be the scene for the “Jersey Shore” costume contest on October 30. The best Guido costume can win $500.

Enjoy Denver Living Halloween events at the Grizzly Rose with entertainment by the Eli Young Band. Wear your best costume because there are cash prizes.

An annual Halloween party at Conor’s with Mumbouli - only $1 cover chare and this is the place to be is you enjoy this happening spot. College students, party people and locals will have a blast at this year’s party.

Don’t miss the Angels and Demons Halloween Ball held all weekend beginning on October 29. Be at Suite 200 for this event and wear the costume that beats all costumes because first prize will be $2000. Over the weekend $8,000 will be given away for the best costumes.

Join the music genius, Miguel at the City Hall Events Center. The Miguel Migs Haunted house will be part of the Denver Living Halloween events here Halloween weekend.

Please contact New Era Realty to learn more about Denver Living Halloween events, or any of the many wonderful Denver loft and condominium offerings at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950.

Again, let us remind you. These are very close comparisons between two of the most popular buildings in Denver.

A few of the topics we will be going into are about the not only the specifics of the building, but also the lifestyle of the clients we have who live within their walls. Today's topic is about the typical client who simply loves, loves, loves their dining out experience. Let's face it, living downtown in Denver means an explosion of incredible dining options. We know... our client rave about it. Of course they also talk about the incredible self discipline they must exercise every day to resist eating out for breakfast lunch and dinner.

But for many the dining out experience is one of the top reasons for living downtown. Living in the Denver downtown, whether it's at Glass House, SPIRE or any of the other amazing loft and condo buildings in Denver is includes the benefit of hundreds of amazing dining choices outside your front door. From the morning local coffee and bagel shop to the corner deli for lunch, from the finest cuts of steak in the many downtown steak houses to the fresh from Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan overnight Sushi, and from the finest selections of wines wine bar to the decadent desert spots Denver can compete with any city in terms of food. And with every new condo, new office building, new transportation hub our great city builds in density and increases the appeal for more new and wonderful restaurants to open their doors and cater to our our taste buds.

It's all a part of the magic of living downtown. And we know that everyone has their favorite restaurants and culinary neighborhoods. Whether it be Lohi, Uptown, Capital Hill, the Highlands, Golden Triangle, LoDo, Downtown, Sloans Lake, Congress Park or any of the other great Denver neighborhoods there is something unique and wonderful about each.

So today's comparison of these top two building choices we get asked about the most involves the question... If someone loves dining out which building offer's the best culinary playground. This means within footsteps of the front door or a short bike or cab ride. If you want to share a comment and you live in or near either of these locations please tell us what restaurant nearby is the reason for you vote.

Thank you everyone, and if you are interested in learning more about Glass House, SPIRE or any of the amazing condo and loft locations downtown please contact New Era Realty for your own private tour. We can even share the best restaurant spots in these locations with you.

For those of us who have lived in Denver for many years it's easy to forget to appreciate one of the reasons why people relocate to Downtown Denver.... and it's not about the city. It's about our Mountains and specifically the great amount of skiing within a short drive.

We have shared with you some of the many reasons it is wonderful to live in Downtown Denver. We will continue to do so. All of us at New Era Realty love the Downtown Denver lifestyle. More importantly, our clients love it to and it is their stories that often drive the topics for our blog posts. Often the stories we hear from our clients is about how much they enjoy living downtown compared to a home outside the city. The love the walkability, the restaurants, the entertainment, and simply put the energy of living downtown. Today it's a different aspect of our work that we want to write about. Today we want to talk about relocation.

It's amazing how many clients we work with who are relocating to Denver from other cities. Many come from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or any of the cities across the United States (and the world). Some come from cities much bigger than Denver, some come from cities much smaller. Do you know one of the top reasons why they pick Denver? It is because it is the city with over 300+ days of sunshine and the entire Rocky Mountain playground for a backyard.

If you relocated to Denver perhaps this sounds familiar to you. It may have been that annual ski trip to a Colorado Ski resort that filled you with such happiness you decided once year was just not enough. Maybe a friend moved before you and continued to torment you with their stories of weekends filled with powder turns and apres ski laughter. Or maybe it was as simple as one single trip to visit Denver followed by a decision to move.

We know that many of our clients relocate to Denver for other reasons. They find great jobs (our market is one of the strongest in the country), for loved ones, for reasons unrelated to the mountains. But for many the ability to live with all the benefits of a city life balanced with the magical Rocky Mountain outdoors is what brought them to our city. And one such person asked the question many first ski season Denver residents ask.. which Ski Pass should I get. So that is today's poll. Please help them out.

When you decide on living in Denver you are choosing the home of the largest college campus in the state. Auraria Campus is a combination of three campuses where 37,000 students attend school. The University of Colorado at Denver, the Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Health Sciences Center Downtown Denver Campus all share this campus, including the classrooms.

Classes are held Monday through Friday and there are also sessions available on the weekend. Furthermore, there are off campus classes as well as online classes offered. The Community College is a 2 year college where students can obtain an associate degree or a certificate.

The Metropolitan State College is an undergraduate school and is the largest in the U.S. This four year school offers 69 minor and 50 major degrees. The University of Colorado at Denver and the Health Sciences Center Downtown Denver Campus offers 43 master’s degrees, 36 undergraduate degrees and is the only public university in the metropolitan area of Denver.

In addition, the Auraria Campus offers rental housing to the students and staff as well as faculty. Those attending the schools mentioned above as well as Auraria Higher Education and the Community College of Denver can enjoy Denver living at one of three area housing developments. The Regency is only two miles from the school campus and was the first to be developed for this purpose. Rent starts here at $450, with utilities and various amenities.

Campus Village Apartments is another development that is a brand new experience. The affordability of these apartments as well as the proximity, being only a few steps away from the Auraria Campus, makes this a very handy spot to live. Rent starts at $575 per month, which includes utilities and several amenities.

The Inn at Auraria, at 14th and Arapahoe is only 2 blocks from the Auraria Campus and is across the street from the Denver Center for Performing Arts. A high rise with all the comforts of home including a bedroom, kitchen and living room, the Inn starts at $595 which includes all utilities and is fully furnished.

Please contact us to learn more about any of the many wonderful Denver loft and condominium offerings at 303-991-9878.

This one should be another interesting comparison.  Our topic is all about Alternative Transportation.

We thought today we would discuss how friendly each building is for the person who chooses to give up their car and focus on walking, biking, and public transportation.  If you read our last post "Mad Man actor Vincent Kartheiser shares "no car" lifestyle you will know that this is a recurring topic of discussion for us.  And it is growing in importance every day.

Many of our clients are including among their many reasons to live downtown the choice to be free from their cars.  They want to be free to walk for the morning cup of coffee, commute to work reading the newspaper or their favorite book, travel to see a movie, go to a game, or see a show without worry of parking and traffic.  Additionally, many of our clients are choosing to be socially responsible in lowering their carbon footprint and as Vincent put it... “They’ve done a study and they’ve found that people under 30 no longer view cars as status symbols or even positive things,” Mr. Kartheiser said. “They look at them as pollutants.”

So how do these two extremely popular buildings measure up.  They  measure up incredibly well.  In fact it might be said that the buildings we are asked about most are among the two most alternative transportation friendly.   For those bike commuter fans out there... yes both locations have B-cycle stations.

Let's start with Glass House.  Located in Riverfront Park, Glass House has access to pedestrian bridges on both sides connecting it to downtown via 18th street and 16th street.  Going the other direction there are bridges extending over into the lower highlands that are both pedestrian and bicycle friendly.  Commons Park next door is on the bike trails that connect into downtown for easy biking and just across the bridge is the start of the 16th street shuttle system.  Perhaps one of the biggest alternative transportation benefits is in the future.  With Union Station under development and a planned train out to DIA the new transportation hub will change the transportation options not just in this area but for the city of Denver.

SPIRE is located in  the heart of downtown and is almost equidistant between the biking trails along Cherry Creek and the 16th street shuttle.  With a light rail station located right next door access to this system is something commuters have easy access to.   A connect by Hertz partnership in the building provides easy car sharing options.  While many of our clients still want to have parking spaces for possible resale down the road a number of clients are looking at the advantages in price of purchasing a residence with no parking.  SPIRE makes parking an optional expense.  Perhaps the reason SPIRE does this is tied to it's downtown location.  Scoring a 100 out of 100 for walkability at walkscore due to the surrounding businesses residents could simply access the amenities around them.

The reality is that both buildings are incredibly friendly to an alternative transportation lifestyle.  In fact both are just a short walk off the 16th street shuttle from each other and connected by the sames trails, shuttles, and mass transit that are a benefit to both.  So we will leave it up to you to call this very close comparison and we invite you to allow us to take you on a tour of these and the many great downtown Denver condo and loft buildings.