Ivan Gillis

With its Varied Housing, Top-Notch Health Care, 52 Senior Centers and Abundant Amenities, Dynamic Denver, Colorado Beckons to Retirees

Cost of Living:  Above the National Average

Denver, Colorado (population 2.4 million in the metro area) was founded as a mining town in 1859 and has been the stomping grounds of cowboys, gold miners, labor bosses and oil tycoons.  Located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains on the eastern edge of the Great Plains, today Denver is a bustling, dynamic city with beautiful weather, top-notch dining, four professional sports teams, world-class museums, a lively cultural scene, plentiful shopping venues, a vibrant downtown and a cost of living that is about 3% above the national average.   Of the population, 20% is age from 45 to 64, and 12% is age 65 or better.

Sometimes mislabeled a "cow town," Denver has developed into a world-class city, attracting professionals, families and retirees, all in search of the amenities of a large city and a high quality of life, two things that do not always go together.  Clean, well-managed and often bathed in sunshine under an azure sky, Denver has dozens of wonderful neighborhoods, each with its own character.  The median home price is $245,000, and more home can be bought today for that price than in recent years when prices were rapidly rising.  Denver has small bungalows, trendy lofts, ranch-style homes, condos, town homes, Victorians and more.  Some popular neighborhoods include Capitol Hill (kind of funky), Congress Park (stable with a mix of families and retirees), Bonnie Brae (beautiful older homes), DU (smaller homes, some students), Washington Park (established homes) and Cherry Creek (expensive new and older homes).

And in the surrounding suburbs, even more choices are available.  Englewood to the south has smaller, older homes and is popular with retirees.  To the west, Lakewood has lots of ranch homes and a mix of residents.  In Golden, in the foothills west of the city, homes are large, often on acreage, and expensive.  In short, architectural styles, neighborhood ambiances and price ranges are varied, offering something for nearly everyone.

Apartments are abundant, and the average monthly rent is $825 per month.  One bedroom units can be found for around $600 a month, but expect to pay more for a unit in a nice complex.  Two bedroom units are available for $700 a month, but again, this may not be in a top-notch complex.  Apartments are also plentiful in the surrounding suburbs, and prices may be less.

Denver's property taxes are lower than those in most other areas of the metro area and in many other major cities.  Generally, they are a little more than 1/2 of 1% of a property's fair market value.  The annual taxes on a $245,000 house would be $1,345.  Taxpayers age 55-64 years old can exclude a total of $20,000 of Social Security and qualified retirement income from state income taxes.   Those 65 and over can exclude up to $24,000.  The sales tax is 7.6%.  

Denver is a pretty city, full of parks and greenbelts.  Within the last 10 to 15 years, a new professional baseball park, a new professional football stadium, a new conference center, a beautiful, new, 5-story public library and an inspiring new art museum, designed by Daniel Libeskind, have been built.  Downtown is healthy and packed with world-class hotels, upscale restaurants, clubs and retail outlets.  People watching along the busy downtown 16th Street pedestrian mall is always fun, and trendy LoDo, once the warehouse district, is now home to beautiful residences, parks and walking paths along the river.

Retirees will find shopping venues abundant and varied.  The Cherry Creek Shopping Mall caters to an upscale crowd and has 170 stores, including Lord and Taylor, Ann Taylor, Hugo Boss, Coach, Brooks Brothers, Neiman Marcus and Tiffany's.  The area just to the north of the Mall, Cherry Creek North, is an old Denver neighborhood full of boutiques, art galleries, spas and restaurants.  Other malls, indoor, outdoor and of varying sizes, are located throughout the city and in surrounding 'burbs; downtown is fun for shopping, too.

The cultural and arts scene is alive and well.  Denver has more than a dozen community and professional theaters, including the beautiful Denver Center for the Performing Arts complex that hosts Broadway productions.  The Denver Symphony and the Colorado Ballet complement the theater scene, and the expanded Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, dozens of smaller museums and art galleries, amusement park Elitches and aquarium Ocean Journey ensure that there is always something to do.  Colorado residents overall tend to be active, healthy and environmentally aware, and Denver residents are no exception.  For those seeking outdoor pursuits, the city has miles of bicycling trails, and downhill snow skiing, hiking trails and scenic mountain drives are a short trip to the west.

Residents are able to take advantage of a great curbside recycling program; items do not need to be sorted, just placed in the large purple bin each residence receives from the city.  Denver also has two major morning newspapers, not something found in many cities anymore.  Broadband Internet and cable TV are readily available. 

The city also has a number of fun events, such as the Taste of Colorado (restaurants showcase their cuisines), the Cherry Creek Arts Festival (a huge juried sidewalk art show), the Race for the Cure (the second largest in the country), the National Western Stock Show (still the biggest gathering of cowboys and ranchers in the country) and the Capitol Hill People's Fair (a giant gathering of all kinds of merchants and funky people).

Denver has nearly a dozen hospitals, including outstanding University Hospital, associated with the University of Colorado, and nationally-recognized National Jewish Hospital.  More medical facilities of all kinds are found throughout the metro area.

Traffic is a problem along the highway system during rush hours, but a major highway renovation project was recently finished, and congestion has lessened somewhat.  Denver has a good public bus system (the fare for those under 65 is $1.75, and for those 65 or over, it is $.85), and the new light rail system, FasTracks, while somewhat limited, is clean, fast and affordable.  From some suburbs, it is the best way to reach downtown.  Denver International Airport, on the eastern plains outside of the city, is sprawling and one of the busiest hubs in the country, but it is clean, modern and efficient.

A drawback to retirement in Denver might be that it has a higher than average crime rate, but the amount and type of crime depends on the neighborhood.  Denver has its share of less desirable areas, but these can easily be avoided.  Nonetheless, Denver is a large city, and crime does occur.

Fifty-two senior centers of varying sizes are scattered about the Denver metro area, many run by recreation departments.   The Senior Hub is a social services agency that provides support and referral to seniors in north Denver.  RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Program) is active, as is Meals on Wheels.  The Jewish Senior Recreation Network is a coalition of synagogues and community organizations that provide recreation and leisure programming for Jewish seniors.  The Seniors' Resource Center is a private, non-profit organization, serving older adults and their families and providing adult day and respite services, transportation, job training, in-home care services, volunteers, care management and referrals.

This is a four season city, but it is not in the mountains so the weather is milder than many people think.  Summers are hot with temperatures in the 80s and 90s and very low humidity.  Springs can be cool or hot, dry or rainy.  Winters see temperatures in the teens, 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s.  Snow is not uncommon, and it can blizzard, but generally snowfalls are 2 to 4 inches and melt within a day or two.  It can snow one day and the next day be bright and sunny with frosted trees shimmering under a breathtakingly blue sky.  Autumns are crisp and clear, the best time of the year.

Denver is a great city with something for everyone.  The cost of living is above the national average, which will be a drawback for some, but the range of housing, services, cultural amenities, health care options, parks and greenbelts, sporting venues and shopping outlets, not to mention a popular mayor and healthy economic base, make this Western destination a place worthy of consideration when it comes to retirement time.