5.7 out of 10

Stapleton

Ranked 29th best neighborhood in Denver
39.7706770113229 -104.873246325825
Great for
  • Safe & Sound
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Clean & Green
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Pest Free
Not great for
  • No ratings yet
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  •  
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Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+

Reviews

2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Medical Facilities 5/5
  • Schools 1/5
  • Childcare 1/5
2yrs+

"Was supposed to be a great neighborhood, but....."

We moved into Stapleton in 2008 because we fell in love with the number and quality of parks every few blocks and how it brings neighbors together. We also loved the look of the neighborhood, and had heard that the schools were wonderful. Since moving in, our quality of life here has slowly and systematically declined. Yes, the parking, restaurants and childcare options all leave a LOT to be desired, but the overall trend that is most troubling is that that the growth of the neighborhood is clearly going at a much faster pace than the capacity of the community events, schools and the recreation center. We used to attend the neighborhood Easter egg hunt, but now it is SO crowded that you can barely walk! The same goes for many of the other community events. The elementary schools here are great, but we can't get our child into them, even though you are supposed to be guaranteed a spot if you are a Stapleton resident. I have talked to other parents who have had the same issue and it comes down to a swap shop of what ridiculous strategies parents are having to use to get their child into the school. One parent I know was upset that his child did not get into any of the Stapleton elementary schools, and could not get any return emails or phone calls from Denver Public Schools, so he literally went down to their office and camped out there until somebody would talk to him. Another parent I know repeatedly called the school she wanted her child to get into and had success with that strategy. We used to use the recreation center all the time, but now we can never get the machines that we want because it is so crowded. Also, the neighborhood is surrounded by not-so-great neighborhoods, and Stapleton has had a LOT of problems with people coming from nearby neighborhood and committing crimes in Stapleton (i.e. thefts and break-ins). We recently called to try and get our baby into the 1 and only neighborhood daycare that has decent reviews and were told that they have a 9-12 month wait list for infants. We loved this neighborhood at first, but everything has gotten so crowded that we don't enjoy our time here any more.
Pros
  • Lots of parks
  • Community vibe
Cons
  • Capacity for schools and events isn't keeping up with rapid growth
  • Not generally walkable from residential to commercial areas
  • Uninspired dining options - drive to South Park Hill instead.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Trendy & Stylish
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 5/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"Stapleton - Great Family Neighborhood."

Stapleton has reformed the the site of Denver's old airport into a new neighborhood with lots of opens space. Infact the developers have set aside nearly 30 percent of Stapleton's 4,700 acres to parks and recreation facilities, open space and trails. Bounded by Quebec, Havana, Montview and I-70, its new shopping and restaurants are conveniently located so residents don't need to leave the area. Downtown is still close enough to downtown to make commuting a breeze. New lofts, townhouses, detached single-family homes and mini-mansions in a variety of architectural styles provide character in this family-friendly neighborhood.
Pros
  • Family-friendly
  • Ambitious redevelopment project
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 5/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 5/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 5/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 5/5
2yrs+

"Great family area close to everything! That's Stapleton!"

You can't go wrong with this neighborhood! If you work in downtown Denver, you're an easy drive away. Shopping???? Cherry Creek OR Northfield are both close by and offer great experiences. Take a look!
Pros
  • Family-friendly
  • Ambitious redevelopment project
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Trendy & Stylish
3/5 rating details
  • Safe & Sound 5/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 5/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
2yrs+

"The largest new suburb in the city"

Stapleton neighborhood used to be Stapleton International Airport. We got pretty used to hearing planes over our Park Hill Neigborhood, but it seems wierd to think about it now that DIA has been established far from the city. I used to work at one of the shops there. The shopping there now is, to say the least, a lot more popular. Since the airport moved, Stapleton has turned into a huge, prepackaged community development.

It's pretty well done for that kind of planned community, but that's as far as my enthusiasm goes. It's got a very suburban feel, despite being part of the city. The Northfield section is an enormous shopping center, with many of the stores that you can find in oversized suburban malls. There are, of course, also chain restaurants, movie theaters, and the like.

It's built to be a safe family neighborhood, and that's what it is. Those who like the space and modern fixtures afforded by new construction, along with the shopping, will presumably be happy there. The housing has been built to accomodate most price ranges. There are rentals in addition to the single-family homes for sale. It takes about half an hour to get to Downtown from Stapleton, longer in rush hour.
Pros
  • Family-friendly
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Parking 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
2yrs+

"Landing the Big One"

Redevelopment has been a buzzword in Denver for decades. And the big daddy of Denver redevelopment projects is Stapleton.

The entire neighborhood was once Denver’s airport. Today, the old control tower is all that remains to serve as a visual reminder of the past. Starting in 2001, all other vestiges of the Stapleton International Airport were plowed under and rebuilt. Stapleton currently has 14,000 residents, with eventual plans to contain 30,000 by around 2020.

Controlled by a master “green book,” Stapleton bills itself as a sustainable, community-oriented, walkable neighborhood. And indeed, it’s crisscrossed by walking paths, has the Central Park green space at its core, and boasts a farmers’ market and a pedestrian town center. It’s an ambitious and laudable project.

As with many such projects, though, there have been blunders. The area was redeveloped with incredible speed, and homeowners have noticed that the quality of construction sometimes shows it. Many of Stapleton’s dining options, both in the larger plazas and in the pedestrian district, are garden-variety chains. Most residents need to drive to reach Stapleton's shopping and dining options, making it feel more like suburban renewal than urban renewal. The Northfields shopping center is a giant mall – which, aside from featuring a Bass Pro shop so huge that it draws stares from out-of-towners, is unremarkable. There’s not quite enough going on here to make Stapleton a destination in its own right – at least not yet.

Unlike many new developments, Stapleton has at least made an effort to avoid the common aesthetic blunder of having every home look alike. Architects used several different design types, with a variety of finishes and textures. The developers also took care to build different types of housing, from condos to townhomes to large single-family homes. Residents are mostly white-collar, with above-average incomes, and homes are well-kept. Since all the plantings are new, there isn’t a lot of shade, and the wind can really howl when it comes in from the plains. And some of the residents may be around that long. It takes a certain gung-ho spirit to buy a home on a former runway, but many Stapleton residents seem to have it. They’ve taken ownership of this experiment in redevelopment, and they want to make it work. This neighborhood isn’t done yet, and while it’s still finding its feet now, it may be worth a more lingering look in 20 years or so.
Pros
  • Ambitious redevelopment project
  • Family-friendly
Cons
  • Uninspired dining options - drive to South Park Hill instead.
  • Not generally walkable from residential to commercial areas
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
CharleyT
CharleyT Just moved to Stapleton 2 months ago because of the high ratings and its website. The neighborhood is nice, but not at all what I expected. The houses are all built on postage stamp-sized lots, most houses don't even have a back yard at all. Even though the architecture differs vastly here, all of the houses are EXTREMELY cookie cutter and congested. If you don't have or appreciate LOTS of kids or LOTS of dogs, you won't fit in here. Coming in from another city (Albuquerque), everyone seems nice but a little Stepford wife-ish/like Twilight Zone if that makes sense. It's like every 30 something family is trying to recreate the stereotypical Hollywood 80's neighborhoods (think Goonies or E.T.) with perfect porches and facades but it always forces me to think of what really goes on behind their closed doors? The 80's are gone and no one is perfect. Recently I witnessed a young lady abusing her dog here but I suppose that could happen anywhere. Don't be deceived by home builders' websites, you would be HARD PRESSED to get a detached, single-family home for less than about 380,000-400,000 (with 5 month wait), and even then it would not have a back yard. Many homes "share" a back yard. One lady was having a yard sale in the "communal" courtyard which looked more like a park in the middle of the houses' front yards while our realtor took us to see a house across the way. She rudely asked, "how much are they selling it for," then told her kid that this house had to be sold before they could move. It was strange. It's so true that bad neighborhoods are bordering Stapleton, and you will definitely have to venture into the bad neighborhoods to go to the bank, church, get gas, etc. There is 1 grocery store that has a gas station with a few pumps that is always crowded. Many of the front lawns are littered with signs saying "Stapleton, keep your promise about a town center..." Don't get me wrong, it is a nice neighborhood and has a few small strips of shops, a small farmers market weekly and even a Target. The parks are always full of happy-looking people and doggies. It's just not for me. So, I'm taking my 400,000 and moving to a neighborhood that has yards, access to banks, grocery stores, gas stations, etc. Don't get me started on the Stapleton Apts (one company owns all of them, there are 3-4 around Stapleton.) The management company is very disorganized. One of the apt complexes is directly across the street from the jail!
2yrs+
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