Everyone has been talking about walkscore lately. The Walkscore website, with scores ranging from 0 (least walkable... you use a car all the time) to 100 - (a Walkers Paradise) measures the score of your home. Downtown Denver condo and loft residents enjoy the greatest walkscore which we spoke about in terms of quality of life. The ability to walk to restaurants, shops, sporting events, the theater, and more.  A new study discussed on the walkscore site looks at how the benefit of your downtown condo or loft walkscore translates into financial value.

CEOs for Cities just released a study based on data from Walk Score and ZipRealty that shows one point of Walk Score is worth as much as $3,000 depending on the metro area.  Read the study.

Here is a quote from their study...

More than just a pleasant amenity, the walkability of cities translates directly into increases in home values. Homes located in more walkable neighborhoods—those with a mix of common daily shopping and social destinations within a short distance—command a price premium over otherwise similar homes in less walkable areas. Houses with the above-average levels of walkability command a premium of about $4,000 to $34,000 over houses with just average levels of walkability in the typical metropolitan areas studied.

Which made us want to look at the WalkScore of a few downtown buildings to see how their WalkScore fared (As of Monday, August 23rd at 10:45 am)

• SPIRE - 100 out of 100
• Museum Residences - 98 out of 100
• Pinnacle - 94 out of 100
• Ice house Lofts - 92 out of 100
• ONE Lincoln - 89 out of 100
• Glass House - 88 out of 100
• 100 Park Avenue - 88 out of 100
• Zi Lofts - 88 out of 100
• Watermark - 85 out of 100
• Ball Park Lofts - 84 out of 100
• Flour Mill Lofts - 74 out of 100
• Ajax Lofts - 71 out of 100

We sure love the walkable benefits of Denver.  To learn more about which Denver condos are the most walkable or to take a tour of any of these Downtown Denver condo and loft residences contact New Era Realty at at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950.  And please don't miss out on taking a tour with us of SPIRE, the 100 out of 100 walkable paradise located in the heart of the Theater District in Downtown Denver.  Newly completed this year this building has been a favorite of our clients and we love sharing our knowledge on this beautiful 42 story tower downtown.

Eco-conscious individuals will be pleased with the efforts of Rocky Mountain Institute, a group of environmentally conscious experts dedicated to the creation of the Denver Living City Block. The project is scheduled to take place over the course of three years, with the final stages being completed in 2012 or 2013.

The Point of the Project

The Denver Living City Block will be a functioning system that makes a living city block more sustainable and efficient. It’s the first of its kind, and will help to illustrate how other cities can integrate systems and make changes that will allow for more eco-friendly practices and less waste.

Benefits of The Denver Living City Block

This project will create many benefits for this city block. Some of the different things that will be installed include energy-absorbing sidewalks, living roofs, vertical gardens, and even on-site renewals. These integrations will help this block reduce waste and learn more about being eco-friendly with all the processes that take place in life and business. The Denver City Living Block should serve as a step to attain to, especially for other large cities and areas.

Three components will play major parts in creating this area, including economic development, marketing, and proving the benefits of energy retrofits.  This will produce more jobs in the community, help the project to obtain financing, and make the community a more desirable place to live and work.

More than 80% of the business owners in this area have already committed to the Denver Living City Block, setting the standard for business owners in major cities all over the country.

Sustainability of the Future

Transforming two city blocks into an efficient and sustainable structure, The Denver Living City block will illustrate the ways in which current city blocks can be made more eco-friendly and sustainable. This is opposed to creating brand new efficient city blocks, which is also admirable. However, being able to take current blocks and transform them into more efficient areas can be extremely helpful to the future of the country.

Funding of the Denver Living City Block

The business owners currently on-board with this project will be providing the majority of the funding required to get thing underway. Street and city-controlled improvement measures will be funded by the City of Denver and taxpayers, while other funding opportunities being looked into include building owners, tenants, joint governance structures and more.

This will also provide a blueprint for other cities as far as funding goes to make city blocks more efficient and sustainable. While future funding opportunities may include government grants, citizen-funded efficiency programs, and charity-funded programs – none of these are available as of yet.

However, both the business owners and citizens of Denver are excited to see the progress made through the Denver Living City Block, as well as future city blocks that follow in it’s path.

Please contact New Era Realty to learn more about the Denver Living City Block at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950.

Okay... we admit we are impressed.

SPIRE has been a favorite of New Era Realty since the first plans were floated around.  We liked the sleek glass architecture.  We liked the many amenities including the fitness center, media room, yoga floor, zen garden, and multiple pools, spas, and lounge areas.  We liked the floor plans and the finishes.  We liked the views.

And we really, really liked the location.

Located at 891 14th street in the heart of Denver's Theater District SPIRE condominiums sit right next to the light rail and only a couple blocks from both the 16th street shuttle and the Cherry Creek bike and walking trails.  SPIRE is literally in the middle of everything.  For many of our clients that is a very important advantage.  Whether they live downtown and want to walk to work or they work somewhere across Denver that the light rail goes and want their lifestyle of dining and entertainment to be downtown location the SPIRE address is perfect.

We can use the term perfect because they just scored a perfect 100 out of 100 at WalkScore.  The Walkscore site takes into account everything a person might need to have and how accessible they are from that address.  When we first ran the Walkscore of SPIRE back in 2008 it was always in the high high 90s.  How did the score go up... that's easy to answer.  Denver is just getting better and better.  With the increased density that a building such as SPIRE creates (remember 496 residences means many potential customers) helps to spark the growth of restaurants, shops, markets and more in the downtown.  This cycle of growth has been happening for years downtown and its a reason why our clients love their downtown lifestyle.

A couple of the new changes that SPIRE helped to spark include the creation of Denver's first Connect By Hertz car share program located at the retail level of SPIRE.  Need a car for a few hours once in while.. now  you can have one when you need it without a car payment or the associated costs of parking and maintenance.  SPIRE also put out their welcome mat for the Denver Bcycle program so you can use a bike for a few hours to go across town.  With a vast network of stations to pick up and drop off your bike it offers a speedy way to get across  town.   A Bcycle station is located right across the street from SPIRE.

We also just released a study based on data from Walk Score and ZipRealty that shows one point of Walk Score is worth as much as $3,000 depending on the metro area. Read about one of the newest benefits of a high walkscore.  A study by CEO for cities estimated that every ONE point in Walkscore can have a financial benefit of up to $3,000.  That's a nice $300K of value for any residence of SPIRE. 

That gives you 100 more reasons to visit SPIRE today and learn about this amazing building.  For a tour of SPIRE or to receive materials please contact New Era Realty at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950

What can make Denver living in the downtown area better than it is currently? A project, the Living City Block pilot project, is located in the historic district of Denver. The area includes a block and a half that includes a diverse collection of Denver living space - both low-income and high-end - as well as retail space, office space and restaurant space. This block offers a unique opportunity due to the range of ownership and the uses and visibility that these historic buildings have presently. The owners of the buildings will provide a commitment letter saying they will invest in the modifications of their buildings.

Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo) was given a face lift over twenty years ago. The Denver living space options were increased with the revitalization of older buildings by changing them into loft apartments, among other projects. This type of urban development has been accomplished in various cities and the economic effects are already occurring in the completed projects.

The impact on Denver living is expected to be similar. The tax bases will be boosted, the occupancies will increase and business will see the beneficial aspects of being in the downtown areas. The city will gain from the project. The Living City Block project has the opportunity to take this project to the next level. When doing so, the building owners will have lower operating costs, their buildings will have higher rates of occupancy and their assets will have an improved value. The tenants who occupy the building will see beneficial aspects as well. The value, all around of the Living City Block will be significantly higher.

When using the environmental context of the Living City Block, it is possible to create efficiency and purchasing power while qualifying the risk and raising the potential for profit. Working with residents, tenants and owners of the buildings, this project can decide on the priority, organize and simplify the process while still looking at all the options. From solar energy to wind energy the same renewable option will be used as on all of the buildings located on the same block.

Those coordinating Living City Block will take care of all aspects that can be used on the project. Continuing to address the benefits, act as the designer and the clearinghouse for all the financial sources and as the means for achieving results using these financial aspects for the project (conventional or alternative, debt/equity, tax credits) will be the first part of a system that will make up the work of the Living City Block.

The project will be totally within the Lower Downtown Historic District and include buildings that were constructed in the early part of the 20th century. The chance to work with the historic preservation committee due to the area where the revitalization will take place, the project will also focus on the fact that energy efficiency can be realized even in historic buildings.

We invite you to please contact New Era Realty with any questions you may have about about the Denver Living City Block at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950.

Denver is a fabulous city. In other cities the big decision is whether to live in the city or in the suburbs. Living in the city means an urban playground full of restaurants, shopping, the arts, and more. Living in the suburbs can mean green grass and open space, the shade of trees, a nice breeze. It's a tough choice to make when both have so much to offer. Good thing those of us don't have to make that choice.

Our newest listing at 1140 Columbine Street gives you everything. Located in Denver's historic Stephen's School building you are surrounded by the wonderful amenities of the city of Denver and just five blocks from three (yes three) of Denver's best parks: Cheesman Park, Congress Park and City Park. With this location you have the best of both worlds to pick from every time you walk out your front door.

But the best of both worlds scenario continues. For many there is an appeal to living in a condominium building. There is an energy and sense of community along with the freedom from house maintenance and building repair. But for some it's nice to have the privacy of your own street entrance and two levels of living in a private home. Townhomes and Brownstones are one solution to having the larger square footage in the city but many of these come with higher price tags. Residence #102 is (again) the best of both worlds. This true two story unit offers all the benefits of a luxury townhome without the price tag. This is the ONLY private residence of the 25 residences of this building to offer such a layout. With a private garden level entrance into the main living and dining areas and a sweeping second story master suite you will enjoy spacious surroundings and incredible light through near full-wall windows. And you can pick out an extra large holiday tree because this spectacular residence offers 18' ceilings. This residence is truly one of the most spectacular Denver condo or Denver loft properties out there.

This building was originally designed by renowned architect Robert S. Roeschlau and was converted to preserve the classic design of his vision paired with new features and beautiful fixtures. It's a building that's design would stand in any city from New York to San Francisco but with a Denver location that offers more. These condos are a subtle and strong statement of design and sophisticated style.

On the inside the finishes are beautiful. On the outside you enjoy the convenience of restaurants, shopping, and cultural entertainment. With easy access one direction to the Cherry Creek Shopping District and it's many restaurants or the other towards the famous Tattered Cover Bookstore and restaurants the toughest decision may be what to do for dinner.

So please come and visit this luxurious and recently available residence for yourself. To schedule your own exclusive tour of this residence please contact John Stegner or Brian Lehnerz of New Era Realty at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950 or shoot us an email at agents@mynewera.com. 1140 Columbine Street #102 is truly the best of both worlds and won't last long. Virtual tour of this property can be visited at http://www.Obeo.com/620903.

Design Design Design... we love it. Our world of real estate, especially Downtown Denver real estate, gives us an opportunity to appreciate all the many elements of design. We work with clients who are seeking out the most gorgeous architecture, the best interior design, and of course all within Denver's wonderfully designed urban plan.

So we were excited to learn that one of our favorite Downtown residential towers was the set for the current filming designer challenge on crackersandcheese.tv. Most of what is happening at SPIRE is currently under wraps until the entire competition airs but we can explain how the competition works. Several talented Denver interior designers are given the same budget limits and they then compete to design the most incredible indoor residential space they can. It's an all out designathon pitting different tastes and styles against each other for the judges choice. What we love is that they picked SPIRE as the setting for this challenge.

We are sure their producers saw the same qualities that our clients find so attractive. With 42 stories of glass walls and wide open spaces these condominiums are a designers (and homeowners) dream. With either city views, mountain views (or both) designers need to carefully think how to place furniture and create living spaces that embrace the views to the outdoors. SPIRE's residences offer high ceilings, granite counter tops and high end finishes to start with... so what enhancements will the designers add? We look forward to seeing what all the designers come up with and it might even give our SPIRE homeowners some ideas about their own interior design. If you haven't visited SPIRE or are interested in taking a tour please contact New Era Realty at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950. SPIRE residences are ready for immediate occupancy with great developer incentives including FHA financing and more.

Learn more about SPIRE today and bring your own design into your new Downtown Denver condominium home.

Denver is already a very dog friendly neighborhood and the downtown just got a little more dog friendly.  Denver is almost ready to open the gates on the newest dog park located downtown in Riverfront Park.  Located just one block from the Glass House construction teams have been actively putting in the ground infrastructure and yesterday set up the structure for the viewing area of the park.

This is a pretty big deal.  When we ask our clients who live in Riverfront Park why they picked the neighborhood it's amazing how many mention that their dog was part the decision.  Actually it's not that amazing at all, I've made decisions about where I live based upon my dog's happiness for as long as I can remember.  Those who have dogs know that taking care of their best friend is pretty important.

This new addition may very well make Riverfront Park the most dog friendly neighborhood in the downtown Denver loft and condo market.  Wash Park and Riverfront Park have been running neck and neck up until now.  Wash Park has Wash Park.  Riverfront Park has Commons Park, Confluence Park, and Cuernavaca Park.  Wash Park has a long running trail to give your furry friend some exercise.  Riverfront Park has access to the entire trail system.  Both places are great.  Riverfront Park just bumped up their offering with access to an off leash dog park.  The park itself will have two areas divided for large and small dogs.  The park will have a new irrigation system to help wash out the waste and your furry friend can wear himself out while you relax and chat with neighbors.  The nice thing about dog parks (in addition to the benefit for the dogs) is that it magically creates a community meeting space.  Living in a downtown many neighbors get to know each others dogs before they get to know the people.  "Oh you are spot's Mom and/or Dad" is usually how introductions are made.   We have seen our clients build a huge network of friends through these dog friendly relationships.

It's a social environment where both your dog and you get a chance to meet new friends.  It's just one of the many wonderful reasons people choose to live in Downtown Denver and embrace the downtown lifestyle.

We will keep you posted on the actual opening date of the new Denver dog park in Riverfront Park.  In the meantime feel free to give New Era Realty a call to learn more about Riverfront Park or any of the great neighborhoods in Denver at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950.  If you are looking for a dog friendly neighborhood we would be happy to show you this area as well as the many others and the few select buildings in downtown with access to their own dog parks.  Did you know SPIRE has it's own dog park on the 3rd floor.

Thank you Denver and enjoy your weekend.

Denver living includes the Lower Downtown Historic District (LoDo). This area was formed by the City Counsel in 1988. The object was to get people interested in preserving this piece of the past - the historic buildings, architecture and the economy. The protection of the buildings, the 127 that remained, was guaranteed through the historic status.

The 1960s and 1970s saw about 20% of the downtown buildings torn down because of ordinances for height limitations. Today Denver living includes the preservation of the area first settled by General William Larimer in 1858. The settlement was named Denver City and the area prospered growing from 4,749 people in 1860 to 35, 629 in 1880.

The citizens of Denver City raised the money to have the Transcontinental Railroad built from Denver to Cheyenne and Denver living as far as transportation became much easier. In 1989 a group of property owners in the Lower Downtown area joined forces with the District Collaborative to form the LoDo District. This effort was a mutual interest in the neighborhood needs.

The LoDo Districttoday is a 501(c) 3, which takes care of this area by supporting the cultural, historical and retail marketing. The downtown area is the part of Denver more focused on but they also extend into the areas of Ballpark, River North, Prospect, Riverfront Park, the Central Platte Valley and Auraria. The LoDo District represents both business and residential communities.

The downtown area continues to become more evolved and is the place that it is due to the caring people who strive to take care of this historic piece of the past. The old buildings are a part of the past that they want to keep as a positive for the future.

The goals of the LoDo District organization are to preserve the integrity of the area designated as historic. They also want to influence the present public policies as well as future ones when it comes to issues regarding this neighborhood. The promotion of the businesses in the area to tourists, visitors and residents is another goal and sharing plans between the LoDo members for the good of the area is another.

The commitment of the members of this district want to create a balance between preserving their past and going forward into the future. There are more than 300 members that represent both the residential areas and the businesses in the LoDo District. Ongoing projects to promote this area include marketing, special events, a set of committees that handle the projects and they even have an e-newsletter that comes out twice a month. The LoDown on LoDo, is published and can be accessed online and the Old.New.Now. is a printed newsletter and a calendar of the ongoing events.

One of the many projects LoDo members have is the LoDo Cares Program. Since 1990, this program has been helping to brighten the lives of the Barth Hotel in the Lower Downtown area. The Barth Hotel is an assisted living center and is the home of 62 seniors who are either disabled or low income.

The LoDo Cares Program has taken Christmas gifts to every one of these residents on Christmas morning. Restaurants in the area donate food to make the tradition holiday meal for the residents. The LoDo program also ensures they spend birthdays with residents. Many have no outside family or contacts other than the members of the LoDo Cares Program.

Please contact New Era Realty to learn more about Denver living and Lodo at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950.

Last week we talked about all the exciting developments with the new terminal at Denver International Airport including our favorite part... a train that connects the new Union Station project and DIA. While not scheduled for completion until 2016 this project is already sending ripples through the world of real estate. Commercial developers and large business tenants are looking at the new Union Station Neighborhood site for their office buildings and retail spaces. For them its an opportunity to locate close to the hub of public transportation and allow their employees easy access through the many lines of the RTD light rail system. It's also an opportunity to be at the gateway to Denver with easy access to the rest of the world via one train pass and one airline ticket.

These commercial developers and their tenants are also attracted to the great residential options that already exist right next door and the new ones that will be created. Union Station Neighborhood is a new pulsating heart of the city of Denver and both in and around it it will be many exciting Denver loft and condo projects. Walk one way and you are right in the heart of Downtown Denver with options like the Ice House, Sugar 3, SPIRE and many converted historic loft and condos. Go the other way over the Millennium Bridge and you have all of Riverfront Park and the entrance to LOHI.

It's Riverfront Park we wanted to focus in on today. Being just on the other side of the Millennium Bridge and being on next to Commons Park this neighborhood may experience the biggest boost from the benefits of the new Union Station Neighborhood and the extension train to DIA. Convenient access to plane travel is important, more so for some. If you fly out for work once a week, to visit family once a month, or like to jump on those last minute bargains to put you on a beach across the world on a regular basis the benefit of walking out your front door and doing a commute without driving or parking can be very attractive. Almost every major city has a public transit train system from their airport into their downtown. This is one of the few areas where Denver has been behind the pack. But not anymore. And the possible implications for property values and the urban development around these transit hubs can be seen in other cities. Riverfront Park may be the most well positioned neighborhood to reap these rewards.

So we ask those of you who know Riverfront Park to tell us which condominium building in their neighborhood is your favorite. The poll is below and we look forward to hearing what you think. Those of us at New Era Realty have our own favorites and each building is unique in it's own way and for it's own reasons. If you aren't familiar with Riverfront Park or want to learn more please contact us at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950. We would be happy to take you on a tour of the exciting neighborhood and detail all the different buildings here.

Wow, have you seen the new Architecture proposed for Denver International Airport by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava? The designs are amazing. What you are seeing in the design is a plan for the new South Terminal. The article from the Denver Post discusses the inspiration behind the new design and what it means as a doorway for Denver as visitors arrive. This is a base to tie in with expansion of hotels in the Downtown to host more events and conferences as Denver continues to grow. With more visitors to Denver we locals also get to enjoy the continued development of the Downtown district with more restaurants, shops, and great venues for us to enjoy. Every day, week, month and year the Downtown area is becoming more and more exciting to live in. Just yesterday morning enjoying a nice breakfast on the patio of Sam's no. 3 I had a discussion with a mother and daughter who were having a post night on the town breakfast. The mother, retired lived downtown and her daughter was visiting along with friends and had taken the mother out for the birthday. They have owned and lived in Downtown Denver for almost two decades and spoke so enthusiastically about how much Denver had changed and how enjoyable their life was in the heart of Downtown. They walked to restaurants, shops and shows and were thrilled with how full of energy the city of Denver has become. The daughter was in Real Estate and she and I had a wonderful discussion about the new SPIRE and Four Seasons building. The mother shared stories of the early days when the Ritz building was the hottest site on the block and visiting celebrities and entertainers would stay in their hotel rooms and residents would meet them at the ground level bar and enjoy sharing a glass of wine with their celebrity heroes. As we sat sipping our coffee and sharing stories of Denver's history I realized how often our conversation would be repeated in the future.

5, 10 or 20 years from now someone will be sitting at a cafe or bistro in Downtown Denver looking back at the remarkable changes and developments since today. The big difference is that growth and urban improvements are happening faster now. Before there were initiatives that created a sense of place in Downtown Denver with projects such as the redevelopment of Larimer street, the urban plan for the three downtown sporting arenas, and the creation of Riverfront Park. Back then the city needed to get people into downtown. Now that this has succeeded incredibly well and the downtown is thriving with life and energy progress is continuing by momentum. For those who have read the tipping point... Denver passed that point long ago. Now it's looking forward to a beautiful future.

With the creation of the Union Station Neighborhood, the 14th street initiative, and all the development interest in the 16th street mall corridor Denver is developing quickly. When reading the article about the beautiful new DIA terminal one single sentence resonated more than any other.... the trains are scheduled to begin serving DIA from Union Station in 2016. That may sound far away but it's not and the idea that one could walk out their front door with a suitcase in hand and jump on a quick train ride to DIA will be a huge feature for Downtown Denver loft and condo residents. It's one of the many reasons New Era Realty specializes in Downtown Denver condos and lofts, and a great reason why you should give us a call today to learn more about the great condo and loft opportunities in our wonderful city.

Contact New Era Realty today at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950 to schedule a showing at any of the many wonderful residences in Downtown Denver or to learn more about these growing areas.