Living in Downtown Denver is pretty amazing.  There are all kinds of restaurants, shops, sporting events, theater events, festivals, and much much more.  Another thing to love about Denver is how bike friendly it is.

Maybe you have noticed as I have just how many bicycle commuters there are in Denver.  And why not!  Denver offers one of the highest sunny day counts of any city in the country with over 300 days of sunshine.  Our wonderful city is well planned (thank you early Urban Planners for your forethought) and connected by an array of bike lanes, bike paths, and bridges.  In fact if you haven't noticed lately Denver is all about connecting the city across bridges for both bicycles and pedestrians.  Look at the two bridges on 16th and 18th (new this year) over the train lines in Riverfront Park, or the pedestrian bridge added over I-25 or the one connecting platte street.  The factor in the cherry creek trails and it's very easy to navigate from one end of our city to the other without heavy traffic.

Okay, so Denver is encouraging Downtown Denver to be more bicycle friendly with paths and bridges.  Is there more?  You bet there is.

If you haven't noticed the folks on red bicycles cruising all around downtown Denver then you are either away on vacation or perhaps living out of the city/state.  B-Cycle has taken the city of Denver by storm in allowing folks to pick up and drop off bikes throughout the city.  I know most of our working commuters have their bikes with them but the recreational folks seem to be loving this new way of getting across town for dinner, drinks, or just a fun tour around town.  To learn more (and to see all the many many stations there are for bicycles) just visit their website at http://denver.bcycle.com/.   Not only is it incredibly affordable, fun, convenient, and responsible it's also become a component in Real Estate.  That's right, the idea of pedestrian friendly and bicycle friendly homes in Downtown Denver is important.  Developers such as SPIRE blazed the way for B-Cycle by seeking out partnerships to put their bicycles close by.  Riverfront Park worked to put a bicycle station right at the entrance to Commons Park across from Zengo.  And almost every area withing the Downtown Denver urban scene is embracing this new transit alternative.  Neighborhoods and residents want this amenity.  We wonder if this will factor into property values down the road....

Its part of living downtown.  Or maybe I should say its a wonderful wonderful part of living downtown.  So many clients choose the downtown lifestyle to avoid the hour or more commute each way in traffic.  Living in Downtown Denver offers the rewards of freedom from gasoline bills, white knuckle rides at the end of the day, and road rage.  Just spend a few minutes over coffee with someone who lives in a Downtown Denver condo or loft and gets around by foot, pedal, or light rail and you will see that flicker of joy we see with our clients every day.  It's just one of the many many many (did we say many) reasons we love working as the Downtown Denver real estate experts.

So we'll stop there for now.  Just one thought for this week as the beautiful weather draws out more and more cyclists.  If you want to learn more about the Downtown Denver condo and loft market and the most car optional buildings and neighborhoods in Denver just give New Era Realty a call at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950.

It's not too late to join in on this Grand Open House Event at SPIRE, just give us a ring to RSVP for this great event at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950. Please join us.

New Era Realty is inviting you to join us at this weekends SPIRE Grand Open House Event. We are going to enjoy some food, fun and of course to hold tours of the many incredible residences.

If you have been following SPIRE through our blog, or even if you are just interested in learning more about condos in Downtown Denver this weekend will be a great chance to see this incredible residential tower first hand. Not only are we going to be touring residences and enjoying the Grand Open House event festivities the developer is planning to make some announcements about special grand opening pricing, credits and financing offers.

Our team at New Era Realty are experts in Denver loft and condo real estate. Our focus and knowledge is invested in the Downtown Denver condo market and with SPIRE we have been involved since the very beginning. Representing approximately 5% of all the SPIRE buyers our team has the experience and knowledge to help our clients and this weekend's event is a wonderful opportunity to join us in this new milestone for SPIRE.

If you read through our blog you can see the history of SPIRE, but the best way to learn more is to contact us for a tour. If you aren't familiar with SPIRE here are a number of reasons why this building has been so popular in the Downtown Denver condo and loft market.

• It's a brand new building with spectacular design, architecture and construction.
• The developer is offering attractive pricing
• The views, the views, the views... mountains or city (or both)
• The amenities which include...
  • Two spas
  • Two pools
  • Fire pit
  • Outdoor terraces
  • Grilling stations
  • Fitness Center
  • Media Theater Room
  • Sports Zone
  • 24 hour attended desk
  • Guest Suites
  • Multiple Lounges on the 9th and 10th floors
  • SkyClub Lounge on the 42nd floor
  • Yoga Floor and Zen Garden
  • Dog Park
  • Ground level retail
• 42 stories of a residential glass wall tower
• LEED® Certified Development
• Centrally located in Downtown Denver
• Located in the Theater District
• Located near light rail and the 16th street shuttle
• Surrounded by hundreds of restaurants, shops, and entertainment locations

And there's more to see including incredible one, two and three bedroom floorplans.

Please give us a call and schedule a visit for this Grand Open House event or we can send you additional information and floor plans and schedule a separate private tour.  If you can't make this event just let us know your interested and we can share details from this event.

It's finally started. After years of fund raising the Riverfront Park dog park project has broken ground. The Riverfront Park area is already considered by many to be one of the most dog friendly neighborhoods in the downtown Denver condo and loft market. With Commons Park, Confluence Park, Cuernavaca Park and the Trail system right there dog owners have the luxury of many attractive options for their favorite four legged friends. The new off leash dog park is just one more reason that Riverfront Park is a dog lovers paradise. Of course other neighborhoods like Wash Park and Sloans Lake offer equally attractive green space options and buildings like SPIRE are even designed with their own in built in dog parks. So we know certain neighborhoods are more popular for dog lovers, other neighborhoods for their restaurants and shops, even others for their access to light rail and public transportation.

So we decided to ask our readers which of those neighborhood amenities they consider to be the most important. There is certainly a difference between living in the bustle of energy of the downtown district with access to so many restaurants, shops, theaters, sporting events, and more right outside your doorstep and a the energy of a downtown lower highlands bungalow surrounded by bistro's, restaurants, coffee houses, community gardens and landscaped yards.

The question we are asking about is very important. It is one of the simple reasons (and huge benefits) of living in any of downtown Denver's many neighborhoods. When speaking with our clients about their goals one of the recurring elements is what they can experience when they walk out their front doors. Downtown Denver condo and loft living offers a totally different experience than a suburb. You experience a neighborhood and all the attractive amenities within it. It's not just about the home you love, it's also about the lifestyle that comes with it. So if we think about our favorite neighborhoods we also want to know what amenities are the most attractive. You don't have to pick just one, you can select as many as you like.

And if the most attractive elements include theater, restaurants, shopping, pubs, art district, public transportation, access to trails and more please don't forget to contact us about attending a SPIRE grand open house this coming weekend. Contact us at New Era Realty at either 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950 for more information and enjoy the polling results.

Come join us for a SPIRE celebration and see this exciting building with New Era Realty.

That's right, we want to invite you to an event at SPIRE. Those of you who read this blog often are aware that we have been working with SPIRE from the beginning. From the very first sales center open house event to the very first hard hat tour New Era Realty has been focused on providing our clients with expert knowledge of the SPIRE building. From studying every floor plan to walking almost every unit (It's possible between the team we have walked in every unit) we studied the design, the views, and the many wonderful amenities.

Now we want to share that knowledge with you and we would like to extend an invitation for you to join us for a SPIRE's brand new open house coming up. We are inviting our clients to check out why everyone has been talking about SPIRE. And for this tour you get to enjoy food, drink and music. It's a SPIRE celebration. They have a lot to celebrate. SPIRE began closings over a month ago and the building is now bustling with new downtown Denver SPIRE homeowners.

If you aren't familiar with SPIRE here is a quick rundown. SPIRE has 42 stories of glass in it's tower with 389 residences. With roughly 30,000 square feet of amenity space they offer a fitness center, two pools, a private theater room, a sports lounge, an attended front desk, the SkyClub lounge, the 9th floor lounges, two spas, a yoga garden, a fire pit, a business center, and an incredible location right in the heart of downtown Denver.

If you think it sounds good just wait until you get a chance to see it and the views. So contact us at New Era Realty at either 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950 to attend this SPIRE event. Or if you would prefer to have your own exclusive tour of SPIRE or another downtown Denver condo or loft building we are here to help.

It's been only a little while since we posted our last construction pic of the new Union Station Neighborhood Development project in Riverfront Park and so much has happened. You can see the huge hole that will become the basis for the new transportation project in Denver. It's exciting.

Another exciting development will be the next new project in Riverfront Park. Nothing is official yet but the area that is being discussed is the triangle lot located in front of the Glass House. As soon as the details are revealed you can learn all about the project here or contact us at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950 and we will make sure you are on our hot list to contact when the details become public.

Riverfront park is an incredible neighborhood and while new projects are exciting opportunities for the future the current opportunities in Glass House with resales deserves it's own mention. As of today there are roughly 30 listings available in this Denver condo and loft favorite starting UNDER $200,000. Glass House is an incredible building with two 23 story towers and amenities that include a fitness center, swimming pool, media room, fire pit and grilling area, club lounge, and even a continental breakfast on the weekends. With a Riverfront Park address Glass House puts its residents right off of Commons Park and centrally located between the wonderful restaurants of the Lower Highlands area and the many great downtown Denver events and eateries. Please don't forget the easy access to the Denver bike and running trails and a central location for all three sporting arenas. Within the downtown market Riverfront Park and the Glass House stand out as one of the best of the best.

If you would like to learn more about available Riverfront Park or Glass House condos, lofts and town homes or to schedule a tour of these properties please contact New Era at 303.991.9878 or 800.392.1950. We love this area and we love to share our reasons why.

We already told you that SPIRE closings had begun, many of our clients were among the first to move in.  However there was one group of buyers who has had to wait just a little bit longer.   Those buyers were the ones taking advantage of the great FHA financing that is available.  The wait is now over as SPIRE has begun to schedule those closings.

Many don't realize the great efforts that go into qualifying for FHA approval as a developer.  To be able to offer FHA financing there are a number of qualifications and approvals that a developer and a building must go through.  The process takes time, money, and patience.  But the rewards are incredible.  As an FHA approved building SPIRE can offer it's new residents more lending options, or more appropriately said they allow the lenders to offer the FHA option.  What is FHA?  Give us a call at 303.991.9878  or 800.392.1950 and we will be happy to explain... but in summary it means some incredible interest rates and lower down payments.  It helps our clients in many ways to qualify for their home purchase and to create payments that are more affordable.  With it SPIRE allows many more new homeowners to qualify.

As part of the FHA process SPIRE had to first have the closings for their conventional loan and cash buyers before the FHA folks could move in.  So as much as our FHA clients wanted to be moved in and sitting by the pool or enjoying the fitness center they had to wait just a little bit longer.  And as we said, that wait is over.

So that means that new FHA buyers at SPIRE going forward will be all set to move forward with the closing process immediately.  So if you have a window of time that is ideal for you to purchase and move the flexibility is now all yours.  Of course it helps that as a developer SPIRE has an open schedule to accommodate buyers.

As we enter Memorial Day weekend if you would like to take a tour of SPIRE and see any of the 42 floors of residences or the many amenities just give us a call at 303.991.9878  or 800.392.1950 and we will make arrangements for you.  SPIRE is certainly happening quickly and New Era Realty is your SPIRE buyer representation specialists along with the many other wonderful Denver loft and condo residences.

Get ready, get set... GO!

This weekend is the Colorado famous Bolder Boulder.  This fabulously popular 10K run in Boulder brings folks from across the nation (and the world) for both the beautiful scenery and the entertaining bands, belly dancers, and fans along the trail.  What we want to point out for our Downtown Denver clients and friends is that for you... this race doesn't require a car.

RTD takes care of Downtown Denver condo and loft residents with a regular schedule of buses leaving from the Market Street station.  Just walk or ride the 16th street shuttle down to the station and enjoy a hassle free ride to the race and back.

You can still register online for the race so go ahead and enjoy your bar-b-q and beverages Saturday and Sunday because you can burn off some calories on Monday.

Cheers all!

Here is the link to the Bolder Boulder.

Denver is a dog friendly city.  Perhaps its the beautiful weather or the mountain backyard we have... but whatever the correlation Denver is a dog loving city.  So much so that SPIRE, the 42 story glass residential tower downtown built in a dog park on the 3rd floor.  No need to leave the building when the thunderstorms hit or after a late night out on the town.

So it seems only natural that Denver would also have a number of events geared towards our best friend starting this weekend at the Denver Botanic Gardens.  Here are some details...

Denver Botanic Gardens premiers a new kind of event, geared toward "man’s best friend" and their owners. This dog-centric affair features pet-friendly vendors, informational booths and enough treat stations to keep tails wagging throughout the day. Our family-friendly event allows dogs and dog owners to play, socialize and enjoy the weather as the season transitions from spring to summer.

• Elizabeth Bublitz with Pawfriendly Landscapes will be teaching her very popular class, "How to Create a Beautiful Pet Friendly Yard." This class will begin at 10 a.m. Registration is required and the class has very limited space. Sign up today!
• Enter the dog contests such as Best Trick and Best Dog Owner Look Alike. Contest will begin at 11 a.m. Please fill out the registration form and select the category that best fits your dog. Deadline extended--All registration forms are due to specialevents@botanicgardens.org by Thursday, May 20 by 5 p.m.
• Come learn how your local police dogs are trained and work closely with police officers. Session begins at noon.

The Gardens has a tradition of greeting canine visitors with a treat, as you can see from these photos of some of our furry friends at the old Gatehouse in 2008. These days, neighborhood dogs and their owners drop by the Bonfils-Stanton Visitor Center for a doggie treat.

Date:
Saturday, May 22

Time:
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Location:
Top level of the parking structure at York Street (no part of the event will take place inside the Gardens).

Admission:
$5 Adult
$4 Adult Member
$4 Gardens Neighbors
$3 Child (3-12)
$2 Member Child
Purchase tickets online. Tickets will also be available at the event on Saturday, May 22.

Great Value! An added bonus for all human attendees is admission purchased for Botanic Bow Wow includes one regular admission ticket into the Gardens to be used anytime before June 30. Dogs (except service dogs) are not allowed in the Gardens.

With more people preferring the lifestyle provided by a Denver loft, the need for making it comfortable and uniquely theirs is increasing. The lofts of old, where everything was basically one big room, are being abandoned for defining each living space individually. When you are ready to design your Denver loft there are a few tips that you can use to make it more livable.

Creating an area for entertaining that is separate from your bedroom is very important today. Whether your Denver loft is compact or spacious, there are several options that can be used to divide and furnish your space to make the most of the area.

One option if the area is only one level and your bedroom must be near the kitchen area is to use a screen or more than one to separate it from the rest of the loft. The use of a bed with drawers underneath will eliminate the need for more furniture and provide great storage space. One note - keep this area neat and clean because more than likely people will peek around the screen to see your ‘bedroom.’

The bathroom is another important part of the loft and should be cordoned off so that it is as private as possible. This is essential if you are entertaining. A sliding door is the best way of doing this. You may want to invest a little in making sure it is as much of a separate room as possible. Walls can be installed around virtually anything.

The kitchen is another area of your loft that you will need to ensure is set up to be as functional as possible. The storage for the kitchen area can include cupboards and racks. There are many possibilities when utilizing space for kitchen storage. One thing you want to make sure is kept uncluttered is the counter space. This allows much more room for preparing meals and often is used for dining. With a few stools, this can function nicely.

The living room needs to be as open as possible so that when you have guests they will have somewhere to feel comfortable. If you have room, a sectional will go nicely here and provide seating for several people. If this is a problem, a great area rug with large cushions for seating is another possibility. The use of the Asian style tables that sit lower to the floor will help in this area if you need to use the floor for seating.

Your living room may have a great view of the area where you live. Often this is the spot where there are more windows. Arranging everything to make the most of this view can help the living room to be much more interesting. You can also place a large table in this area if you have room. One with 6 or 8 chairs to allow formal dining is a good idea.

Making the most of the space you have is the key to functionality. Decorating to take advantage of the natural aspects of the loft is another. Your space needs to reflect a bit of your personality so have fun with decorating, but make it simple, clean and sophisticated.

If you would like a reference for our interior designer who specialized in Lofts and Condos in the Denver area, please give us a ring at 303.991.9878 or toll free at 800.392.1950. You can also drop us a line at agents@mynewera.com.

First news.... the Glass House Pool is open.  The official milestone of Summer is when the downtown Denver condo and loft buildings open their pools and the residents begin to enjoy one of the favorite building amenities.  How do we know, because this photo was taken from the Glass House 8th floor amenity level.

The view from this side of the Glass House is a spectacular display of downtown Denver city lights, the new Union Station Neighborhood, and Coors Field.  You can even hear the cheers of the crowd during the Rockies games.  And for the next decade residents can watch the growth of the exciting Union Station Neighborhood.  With plans for new condos, lofts, restaurants, shops, pubs, and of course the hub of light rail and other transit the Union Station Neighborhood is one of the most exciting urban developments of any city... anywhere in the United States or abroad.  For our clients looking at residences in the Downtown Denver or Riverfront Park neighborhoods it offers a constantly developing and growing neighborhood.

Denver is, simply put, and incredibly well planned out city.  Downtown Denver condo and loft owners enjoy walking to multiple sports arenas for Colorado Rockies Baseball, Bronco's Football, Nuggets Basketball, and Avalanche Hockey.  What other city can boast such an offering within footsteps?  Couple that with hundreds of incredible restaurants, a theater district (see our notes on SPIRE right in the heart of it), and a great trail system for biking, running or walking and the Downtown Denver lifestyle rivals any other major city.  The Union Station Neighborhood project will just take that up another notch.. or more.

Interested in a Denver loft or condo downtown?  Now is an incredible opportunity to take advantage of value priced listings in these downtown markets.  Call New Era Realty for a tour of Downtown listings and the growing Riverfront Park neighborhood, we might even stop by the Glass House 8th floor and explain the Union Station Neighborhood project from a birds eye view.  Sorry, we can't take you for a  swim this time but we can certainly show you a Glass House residence that can put you poolside all summer long.