Genesee

Genesee is a community that sits just south of I-70 as you go up into the mountains leaving the city lights of Denver behind. There is the Village of Genessee just off the interstate and then homes (many large homes with big acreage) to the south of the interstate on paved and unpaved county roads. This is a pretty place and a great real estate scouting location for those looking to invest in a beautiful mountain home that is still close enough to the Front Range to commute or visit easily--Genessee has pretty views of the city in some places and the mountains to the west. In the summer it is warm up in Genessee but you can beat the pounding heat of Denver's hot summers. Denver can easily reach 100+ degrees in the summer!

The population of Genesee is about 3,500 people and the average household income is over $125,000/year. This is a wealthy community that is made up of vacation/summer(winter in Colorado's case) homes, full time retirees, families that are independent or commute to and from Denver and also government and county employees and those who work in conjunction with the many industries of I-70.

Genesee is a great town located just off of I-70 when you're headed up into the mountains. The homes here all seem to have a great view as they sit nestled amidst Evergreen and Aspen trees. People living here have the best of both worlds; it's just a quick trip down the highway to Golden, Lakewood, and Denver and a bit further into the mountains are plenty of great ski resorts. The area is full of scenic views and natural beauty including lots of wildlife.

The Vista Clubhouse has swimming pools, racquetball, tennis courts and a fitness center for residents. But if it's outdoor fun and exercise you're looking for, it's right in your backyard. With plenty of hiking trails in this area there is always something to do. There is a lot of wildlife so people need to pay attention to see the beauty and remain safe. There are numerous deer, elk, coyotes, and foxes, which will all maintain a safe distance although coyotes have been known to attack smaller children. There are also mountain lions and bears which hikers should be wary of.

It certainly costs to be in such a beautiful area. The median home prices here hover right around $620,000 with the median income level around $145,000 which are both much higher than Colorado and national averages.

There is stuff to do close to here like visit the Mother Cabrini Shrine, a shrine dedicated to a nun in the Catholic church who helped many people in the area. It is a short hike up to see the shrine but there are cement steps the whole way. Buffalo Bill's grave site and museum are also located just minutes away. The mountain across from Genesee is called Lookout Mountain and driving to the top gives you spectacular views of the Denver metro area. The Boettcher Mansion is also here and is now a nature preserve. It was originally built for Charles Boettcher as a summer home and was donated in the 1970s to the county. It's used for weddings, meetings, and the nature center. The building itself is neat to look around in and see how things were built back then.

Other than I-70 there are no issues with traffic. I-70 in this area can get backed up pretty heavily but it's usually on weekends and after holidays when many people have been to the mountains and are making their way home. Since the hill here is so steep there are emergency lanes for runaway semi trucks and road workers try to maintain good driving conditions in winter.