The District of Columbia Office of Planning is doing something pretty cool with their new Live Near Your Work (LNYW) pilot program.

It’s really really simple…

If you move to within two miles of work or to within a quarter-mile of a qualifying bus or train station the government will match incentives paid by your employer up to $6000 for a grand total available of $12,000.

The goal is to get people to either greatly reduce or totally eliminate their commute.

Really… you want to pay people to give up driving in their cramped cars giving up hours every day to traffic, road rage, and white knuckle driving.  You expect people to be happy to stop paying what is now over $4 a gallon and expected to continue to increase painful fuel prices.

That’s just…AWESOME!   Let’s get this pilot program a whirl and then bring it to Denver and even retroactively reward people who already live downtown or don’t commute.  Nah, that probably won’t happen but at least those of us who love living downtown or who ride public transportation, bike, even gas efficiently scoot or (ugh) drive are doing something to help.

But the real reward is probably that we don’t give up those hours of our life every week.  The real reward is the bike ride or walk we DO enjoy instead of driving… or even reading the newspaper on the rail.  The reward is taking those dollars we are NOT spending on gasoline and spending it on Sushi (my pick anyway).

So Denver.. what do you think of the new DC Live Near Your Work program.  And I know not all jobs are downtown but remember that Riverfront Park, LoHi ,and LoDo are all within the right distance to be close to the new Union Station metro station so you could connect with light rail out to so many locations throughout Denver.

Now if we could only get access to some of the Federal High Speed Rail Funds that Florida walked away from (Jackwagon) to build ourselves a I-70 Corridor solution Mountain Rail.

The Railyard Dog Park in Riverfront Park had an opening celebration last night and today is the first full day of the dog park being open.

Check it out, bring your pup. There’s one park for larger or more energetic dogs and a second park for smaller or older more mellow dogs. So no matter what age or energy level there is a crowd for your pup to play with.

Woof!!

You know that boarded up ugly old building on the corner of 15th and Little Raven.  The one that is an ugly eyesore with the fenced off trash yard next to Confluence Park.  Yes, that one.

It’s coming down.  As I’m writing this I can see the cranes scraping everything away.  Does this mean that the Ray Supa project is moving forward?   They had that big vote/debate about the zoning changes last year (or has it been longer… I forget) to put in a tower structure.  Is this building coming down today because it was an eyesore that encouraged squatters or does this mean that a new project is about to be underway.  Demolition or Development… what is the next step?  Anyone have renderings of what the new corner will look like.

DNC Update

8-18-08

Dear Riverfront Park Residents:

Last Thursday evening, the City of Denver held an open forum for local residents to discuss the move of the Tent State University (“TSU”) group from City Park to Cuernavaca Park. The meeting was positive and informative and was well attended by local residents. Also, in attendance were several representatives from the Mayor’s Office, Councilwomen Judy Montero, representatives from the Parks Department, Public Works, the Police Department, and the Secret Service. In addition, two representatives from the TSU were present.

City officials explained that TSU obtained a permit for use of the park through a permit lottery process, when a group previously permitted for the park during the DNC, decided not to use the park. TSU will be using the park from August 24-28. TSU representatives said they expect 5,000 attendees per day, although there could be more. City representatives say they plan to enforce all regular park rules and the 11:00 pm park curfew.

A representative of TSU spoke at length about their schedule of events:

TSU will occupy the park during the day and early evening up to the 11:00 pm park curfew. They will set up tents for educational classes, lectures and activities.
They will be camping at the Coliseum or the Pepsi Center protest area.
There will be a small stage (16 feet wide) for music and other activities. The stage will face west towards the highway.
There will be exhibitions by creative artists as well as ongoing seminars on “non-violent” means of protest.
They will have green teams set up working on keeping the park in order and recycling efforts.
They encouraged all neighbors to visit the park during the activities and also visit their website at www.tentstate.org
With regard to parking and access for the TSU participants and local residents, City officials told us the following:

TSU is encouraging their participants to park at outlying “park and rides” and take the bus in.
TSU participants are being encouraged to use 20th Street and then Lodo streets to access the Pepsi Center protest site. TSU concurs because they feel there will be more publicity along this route as opposed to Little Raven Street.
The City will enforce all existing parking restrictions on Little Raven Street (mostly 2 hour parking).
All streets including Little Raven, Platte Street, 20th Street, 19th Street, 15th Street, and 23rd by the Aquarium will be open. It is likely that 15th and Little Raven will be the preferred exit from Riverfront Park as opposed to 20th and Little Raven.
The Denver Police representatives could not be specific as to their plans for security relating to TSU; however, they said that they will have adequate personnel on duty.

Both the City and TSU appear to be organized and ready to move forward in a peaceful manner. Having said that, there may be some individuals that do not want to follow the plan, and, there are several protest groups coming to Denver not related to TSU whose plans have not been made known. DNC events, schedules and activities seem to be in a constant state of flux, too much at times to stay up to date with the changes. The best way to stay informed is through official websites:

www.DenverGov.org

www.DowntownDenver.com

www.DenverConvention2008.com

and 3-1-1.

The Denver Police still plan to have a command post and officer rest station in the plaza at Riverfront Park, located in suite 170 of the Riverfront Tower building. Should you have the need for assistance, please call 911 for emergencies of life and limb, or 720-913-2000 to report suspicious activity or general police questions.

City Park residents are happy because their expressed displeasure may well have gotten the Tent University demonstrators moved. Of course residents in Riverfront Park are less than pleased. With the 16th street corridor in the heart of Riverfront it is expected that Little Raven Street will become the corridor for access between Cuernavaca and the city.

Councilwoman Judy Montero is getting an earful from CPV residents unhappy with the move. Tonight, at 7 PM at the Flourmill lofts (2000 Little Raven St.) Judy will be list

Family in Commons Park on the 4th

What makes a neighborhood a great neighborhood to raise a family? Which criteria matter the most? Would you say it was the school system, the public parks and playgrounds, or simple safety. What about the value of a dollar towards your real estate, because let’s face it people usually make the transition from “There are so many great restaurants around here and check out this view” to “Yeah, but it’s got a lot more square feet” when they start thinking about families.

It’s too bad that the American way of life has created a situation that pushes people away from the heart of their cities when it comes time to think of families. Sometime during the suburban rush of the 70′s and 80′s everyone decided that you want to live in cookie cutter lots outside of the city. The money flowed there, and so did the education driven by the taxes to follow. But what did we sacrifice? That’s a great question and one that is being answered every day as the number of urban parents continues to grow. They say they don’t want their children to grow up sheltered and away from the culture, the diversity, and the education offered by living in a downtown environment. Pushing this growth along at a grass roots level are a myriad of web site forums and communities such as Urban Baby and DC Urban Mom and Dad.

But now with gas prices going through the roof and commutes becoming more painful I believe a lifestyle choice of urban living is gaining in appeal. Not to mention the financial impact this real estate market is taking on the suburbs. Downtown areas and Resort areas have, at least in the Denver marketplace, held onto their value better than most of the suburban areas. And why not, if you have a family a choice to live in the suburbs may mean long and possibly expensive (hopefully you can take the light rail) commuting and less time with your children. Will this new market mean a new financial incentive to live downtown. I think so.

Now not every urban center is the same. I was reading the LA Times blog discussion about the possibility that gas prices will drive real estate buyers downtown. One commenter made a great point in discussing the differences between such cites as Los Angeles and New York and how far apart they are in providing a family friendly environment. The commenter posts…

Downtown LA is a long way from Urban Living. I just spent a week in Manhattan with my wife and realized the many many differences between the two cities. Parks everywhere (not just Central Park), total access to everywhere through public transportation, and a market, deli, chinese, italian, american, pizza, mexican resturaunt, pharmacy, chain store, hardware store, bookstore, bakery, bar within walking distance so you actually don’t even need public transit to do anything except go to work! LA has essentially none of this. There is no comparison.

Reading this I ask myself, how do we ensure Denver becomes more like the New York scenario. The other comments on this blog point out other worries as well. Sure, the gas price increase might encourage buyers to move downtown, but it might only motivate those buyers who are sensitive to the price increases. If we don’t continue to get diversity in our downtowns we might miss out on the tax base needed to provide funding for better schools and other services. Or should the city step in and put education as a priority first and use it to draw in the audience. Maybe a developer will take that leap speculating that they just increased the price per square foot they can sell that next townhouse for. Better build them bigger then. A number of different sites offer viewpoints from parents who say they may have enjoyed their own youth in a suburb, but they were bored and felt disadvantaged in that way. Others who grew up in cities like New York talk about the education and exposure to the arts, culture, people, and activities that they want their own children to have. Which is better, are we missing out. If we look at Europe we see huge societies raising their families in cities. Are their schools better downtown?

When I look at Denver a couple new areas seem to be creating a unique opportunity for a new family focus. First there is Riverfront Park and the proposed Union Station Neighborhood in the Central Platte Valley. They have created a system that addresses one core point of parental concern, safety. Every resident in Riverfront Park pays into a master HOA. That’s a little bit of money from everyone over a very large area. This pays for their own private security in the form of off duty police officers who patrol and respond to even the smallest “I locked myself out” to the highest safety concern. It’s like an Ungated Community. There are no gates but the security stops at the property line. It’s a great idea and helps to provide the residents with security above and beyond their tax dollars. Sure it costs money, but it’s spread across the who area. This area has more than it’s fair share of what most would consider yuppies. And guess what, those yuppies are having fun together at night and making babies. So now you have an area with folks in start up family mode who have figured out safety. Now its a matter of figuring out the schools which could work just like the security does. More on that in a later post.

Just like Riverfront Park, the Highlands are has also become the starter family route. This area offers the best of downtown living plus you might actually have a yard, or a half yard. Plus you have your Mayberry style main street right at 32nd and Lowell. You can have coffee in the morning, pick up flowers for the table, maybe some wine from Mondo Vino or some cheese from next door. There are plenty of little cafes and restaurants and of course some baby or children’s clothing stores. Yep, this area is growing its starter family base. I have heard a couple stories of stolen cars but it seems theft is the biggest crime issue right now. They have nailed down community pretty well because when you walk down these streets you see a number of strollers and couples. And what is one thing parents want for their children? Someone for them to play with. The socialization might just prevent them from growing up to be the next hillside strangler and just might give the parents a reprieve during their day. Most of the other neighborhoods offer some great family communities as well. Wash Park is often mentioned for families and Cherry Creek comes up for schools. You notice pretty quickly that access to a park or green space becomes a priority. Riverfront Park has tons of strollers and children around with the vast expanse of Commons Park and the Skate Park, but I am not sure most of them live there.

So here are three poll questions for you today. Here is the first… What is the most important element of a neighborhood in a downtown for it it be family friendly. In other words, if you could sit down with the Mayor and say “I’ll raise my family downtown if you prioritize fixing this”.Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

And the second, if the city or a developer invested in an urban neighborhood such that it had the reputation of being the best school district in Denver, would you move to or buy your home in that neighborhood? Would that influence your purchase decision?Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

And finally, with how things are today, what is the most family friendly Denver neighborhood? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

For more of the polls on Denver visit the Best of Denver page.

Related Post: Babies Downtown

In this case the irony involved a post from roughly a month ago about Helicopters flying low and fast around Riverfront Park. My top 10 reasons for the fly by events included at #6 “Homeland Security practice drills”. These reasons were not meant to be realistic, more of a David Letterman tribute.  For example another reason was “The city doing an analysis of rezoning Commons’ park for a Wal Mart”.  But now that I think about it, real estate is getting pretty valuable.

But, as life proves to be ironic, reason #6 turned out to be true as part of the preparation for the DNC. Read about it in the 9 News article “Helicopters to keep flying over downtown for terrorist training“. I knew I should have made that item #1.

Congratulations to Cline and her entire Fashion Show team on putting on what may be the best fashion show yet. The weather was perfect and fortunately our hurricane style winds from earlier that day stopped. I just thought I’d share a few picks of the fashion and the models cruising the runway. The event carried on at Slim 7 (the official after hours) and Zengo (the unofficial one) after the music was turned off and the crews started doing the cleanup.

And from what I saw, quite a few people will be a little unproductive today… if they make it out of bed.

Click on thumbnail images to enlarge and see entire pic.