Thornton

South Thornton may be lower than the rest of the city on a map, but the neighborhood peaks like the Rocky Mountains to the west with amenities. Community Park sits in the neighborhood’s center, inviting locals to take their pick of outdoor recreation options. Shopping centers are tucked between 104th Avenue and Interstate 25 for errand runs. “Here, you get a decent amount of house for your money at an affordable price, and affordability is a big deal because being close to Denver is becoming less and less affordable,” says Jeana Albright, broker and owner of Albright Realty with 30 years of experience. Residents enjoy accessibility to the city, with I-25 and the Regional Transportation District (RTD) "N" line light rail on the neighborhood’s eastern side. Subdivisions east of the RTD light rail earn a seven on Risk Factor’s 10-point fire factor scale, while subdivisions to the west earn a one out 10 on the fire factor scale. While apartments appear more often on drives through South Thornton, split-level and ranch-style homes are common within subdivisions. These single-family houses – decorated with brick and wood panel siding – mainly were built between the 1950s and 1980s. Today, they list between $395,000 for a two-bedroom and $570,000 for a five-bedroom. New traditional homes constructed after 2010 list between $541,000 and $602,000, featuring paved driveways that lead to attached garages. “With any planned community, what is attractive is that there seem to be more walking trails and access to open space,” Albright says. “Where I sold, they got to live across from a greenbelt even though the houses were built closer together.” South Thornton students may study within Adams 12 Five Star Schools district if on the western side of Interstate 25. These learners may attend schools including North Mor Elementary School and Northglenn Middle School which earn a Grade C from Niche. Beginning in ninth grade, they may graduate into Northglenn High School, which earns a Grade B-minus from Niche. This high school offers over 30 activities and clubs, letting students embrace passions from art to paleontology. Niche reports that after graduation, these students are most interested in attending the Metropolitan State University of Denver or the University of Colorado Boulder, both within a 25-mile drive from the neighborhood. Reaching Denver for work is as simple as hopping on Interstate 25 or catching a ride on the Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail's "N" line. RTD bus stops line Grant Street, where shoppers and diners drive for quick errands and bites to eat. Grant Street also connects residents needing emergency assistance with North Suburban Medical Center. The neighborhood’s eastern border boasts natural recreation, with walking trails and fishing spread along South Platte River’s western bank at Pelican Ponds. Skateboarders bring their boards to the concrete-covered skate park in Community Park. Children run around in the park’s playground, while further down the park’s paved path, tennis players compete in matches. During summertime, locals cool off under the dumping pail at Thornton City Pool and catch a breeze traveling down the pool’s waterslides. Throughout the year, walkers admire the natural beauty of Pelican Pond’s 200 acres of open space along trails while fishermen cast lines into the water. Drives down Grant Street bring shoppers to stores where they can check off all the items on their lists. In the southern stretch, locals start home renovations with a trip to American Furniture Warehouse to pick out patio and bedroom sets. Further north, they stop at Sam’s Club to buy items in bulk and continue down to Washington Plaza’s shopping center, picking out produce at King Soopers. Off Thornton Parkway, diners pull up chairs at Bluebird Café. This restaurant is known for its all-day breakfast, putting twists on classic dishes such as its pineapple coconut pancakes. Between Grant and Washington streets’ additional dining options, residents gather over gyros and hot breakfasts at Pete’s Café, a local diner open since 1972.

As one of the more prominent sprawling suburbs of Thornton, Quimby is an active community that has access to recreation-filled greenspaces and convenient shopping centers. The neighborhood is only 13 miles from downtown Denver, making it easy for residents to find nearby amenities or commute into the city. A wide range of housing options are available for comfortable living. “Quimby has a lot going for it. It’s so close to everything around it, like Arvada and downtown Denver. It’s a good place to get that suburb feel,” says Andrew Wolfe, a managing broker with Windermere Metro Denver Real Estate who has almost 10 years of experience. Quimby’s wide residential streets are lined with a variety of housing types to suit any lifestyle. Most properties come with nice yards and driveways that are surrounded by mature trees. Contemporary two-story homes and Craftsmen with front gables and porches are common, range from 1,800 to 2,800 square feet and cost anywhere between $450,000 and $870,000. “It’s a great Denver neighborhood. My clients were able to get a single-family home within their budget. They were super excited to be there.” Wolfe says. The city has lower-priced homes compared to areas west of Denver, which makes it a great entry point for homebuyers. Quimby also has alternative housing options like townhouses and condos that go for $350,000 to $460,000. Many of these properties are within communities that come with private parking and amenities like a pool. The eastern section of the neighborhood past Colorado Boulevard has sprawling manufactured home communities such as Pine Lakes Ranch and North County Village for those who want a lower cost of living. Homebuyers can find a remodeled manufactured home that’s roughly 900 square feet for $80,000 to $140,000. When Quimby residents want to explore the outdoors, there are several parks and greenspaces they can check out. Directly south of the neighborhood is Community Park, which has everything from a playground and walking trails to a skate park and softball complex. The Thornton City Pool on its grounds is a great place to cool down in the summer months, and Community Park’s rolling hills are popular for sledding in the winter. There are multiple open spaces dotting Quimby that act as nature preserves and allow visitors to explore the area’s natural land. Lamberton Lakes Open Space has trails along the waterfront, and Grandview Ponds Open Space is known for its prairie dog habitat. “One of the big open spaces – Pelican’s – has a disc golf course. You can access the Platte River along the riverwalk too,” Wolfe says. While there, hikers and bikers can hop on the Platte River Trail, which snakes beside the river for 14 miles from Denver to the northern end of Adams County. Children living in Quimby have the option of attending schools in either the Mapleton School District or the Adams 12 Five Star School District. Explore Elementary PK-8 is located in Quimby and a part of Mapleton. The magnet school maintains a C grade on Niche and is known for its Expeditionary Learning model. Students zoned for the Adams 12 district can attend Thornton Elementary, Middle and High Schools, which all have C Niche grades. Thornton High School offers an IB program and several Career Pathways programs for its students. Quimby’s outer edges are filled with shopping and dining. To the west, there are several retail and restaurant options along Washington Street. Residents can start their day at Bluebird Café or Lisa’s Breakfast place – both serve traditional American breakfast meals. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop specializes in modern Mexican dishes with Baja flavors. On the other side of Washington Street along Grant Street, Thornton Town Center has a Walmart Supercenter for essentials and numerous name-brand retailers like Home Depot and Game Stop. Residents can grab their groceries from Sam’s Club, or head to the northwest corner of the neighborhood for King Soopers. Thirsty’s Sports Pub is a local bar that’s great for meeting up with friends and throwing darts. The intersection at East 104th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard has a Safeway and multiple fast-food options like Pizza Hut and Popeyes. There are many options for commuting around Quimby. Residents who drive themselves have direct access to Interstate 25 in the west and East 104th Avenue in the north. Access to Interstate 76 is only a mile east of the neighborhood, too. “It’s definitely a commuter community, but there are also bus lines that will take you around,” Wolfe says. In addition to the local bus services for public transportation, the Thornton Crossroads & 104th train station can connect commuters to the RTD N Line for traveling into downtown Denver. Commercial flights are available at the Denver International Airport, 18 miles away.