My wife and I spent the entire evening last night on our front porch--How quiet it was! No police helicopter, no sirens, no drug buyers or sellers, no hookers, no "drama", nothing! I don't even think we saw a police car all night.
Quite a change from what our block used to be like, and very welcome progress. And to be this quiet on a Friday? Amazing. I hope the evening was similarly quiet and safe for other blocks in the area.
Heck, it was way louder and sketchier than this over in Highlands (where we couldn't afford to buy a house)!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
An interesting discovery
In grabbing a cup today for my morning coffee, I noticed something funny: On the inside of the cabinet door (one of the few remaining fixtures in the house from the previous owners) I found gang graffiti--The "E/S" (East Side?) moniker that residents of Denver are all to familiar with.
I guess it shouldn't surprise me, as we knew the house was previously owned by a drug dealer, but finding graffiti inside my kitchen cabinets still seems strange!
I guess it shouldn't surprise me, as we knew the house was previously owned by a drug dealer, but finding graffiti inside my kitchen cabinets still seems strange!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Another new resident in Cole
What a great day yesterday.
There has been an amazing little kitten hanging around our block the last couple weeks. She's tiny--Likely 3 or 4 pounds, black and white, and the kind of coloration that we non-creative humans often name things like "socks" or "boots". She is also incredibly sweet and friendly, approaching pretty much any person that comes by.
Well, as my wife will tell you, I'm one off those weird "animal people" that would take in almost any animal rather than turn it away knowing it will likely get euthanized. However, "there's no room at the inn" at this point as we've already got our hands full with two dogs and two cats, so we knew we couldn't keep her, no matter how fast we were becoming attached to her.
But some things have a way of working themselves out I guess. No sooner had I started asking neighbors if they knew anyone that wanted a cat, my friend from across the street said he'd take the kitten. As soon as I handed the kitten to him, I knew it was a good thing. He's a bit of a lonely older guy, not in the best of health anymore, but incredibly friendly and kind hearted. And his mother, bedridden, lives with him, and likely could use a little company like only a good cat can provide. I can't help but think that Marion, as I named her (he's going to call her Midnight), will make as much difference in their lives as they will in hers.
There has been an amazing little kitten hanging around our block the last couple weeks. She's tiny--Likely 3 or 4 pounds, black and white, and the kind of coloration that we non-creative humans often name things like "socks" or "boots". She is also incredibly sweet and friendly, approaching pretty much any person that comes by.
Well, as my wife will tell you, I'm one off those weird "animal people" that would take in almost any animal rather than turn it away knowing it will likely get euthanized. However, "there's no room at the inn" at this point as we've already got our hands full with two dogs and two cats, so we knew we couldn't keep her, no matter how fast we were becoming attached to her.
But some things have a way of working themselves out I guess. No sooner had I started asking neighbors if they knew anyone that wanted a cat, my friend from across the street said he'd take the kitten. As soon as I handed the kitten to him, I knew it was a good thing. He's a bit of a lonely older guy, not in the best of health anymore, but incredibly friendly and kind hearted. And his mother, bedridden, lives with him, and likely could use a little company like only a good cat can provide. I can't help but think that Marion, as I named her (he's going to call her Midnight), will make as much difference in their lives as they will in hers.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Homes for sale in Cole Neighborhood, Denver
OK, just to be up front, this is a completely selfish post, blatantly trying to sell real estate in Cole. No, I don't own any of these properties, nor do I stand to gain anything from their sale except hopefully adding another responsible neighbor to the area. But that's enough for me.
I just can't get over how many properties are for sale over here! Yet again, I found a home for sale in our Cole neighborhood this week. It's over on Marion Street, and appears to be very similar to our home--A late 1800's Victorian that has been largely refurbished. Asking price is in the ballpark of fair assuming it is as nice as they make it out to be in the listing, though I am at least a little skeptical because of the used-car-salesman-esque descriptions of the home in the listing ("This is truly the best...").
It does appear to be somewhat updated, and have some original moldings and nice wood floors. While the house could use a fresh coat of paint and landscaping, it certainly has good Victorian charm. (Far more charm than this more mundane listing a couple blocks away.) At least three other homes have been renovated on this same block over the past two years, so it is certainly changing more rapidly than some over here.
One could certainly find a cheaper home over here, but if you're like we were when we were looking and don't want a fixer upper, this might be a good one to look at.
I think it definitely has more to offer than this longtime resident on the MLS. I'm no expert, but after six months or so you might re-take your property photo so that it isn't so obvious that the home has been on the market at least since last winter. Oh, and there's another home on this block that's currently in foreclosure--It looks like a real fixer-upper, but I don't think anyone will be biting on it anytime soon, as it looks like the bank is asking $170,000 for it--When it seems more like a $125k property to me based on how much work will be necessary to get it fixed up.
I also found a couple rental properties on Marion, but I can't believe the asking price after looking at them, at least from the inside. Like $282k for this Vic-converted-into-apartments. There is also yet another residence, a duplex, for sale on this same block, though I can't find a listing for it.
Still shocking to me how expensive homes are over here given how far the neighborhood still has to come. It's not hard to realize why so many find it hard to buy a home. (Heck, we know first-hand, as we barely were able to purchase our own.)
With the yet-inflated prices over here, what must be wrong with this little home to be only 46k?
Anyway, thanks for reading, and come look at some homes in Cole, Whittier, Curtis Park or Five Points. We'd love to have you over here!
I just can't get over how many properties are for sale over here! Yet again, I found a home for sale in our Cole neighborhood this week. It's over on Marion Street, and appears to be very similar to our home--A late 1800's Victorian that has been largely refurbished. Asking price is in the ballpark of fair assuming it is as nice as they make it out to be in the listing, though I am at least a little skeptical because of the used-car-salesman-esque descriptions of the home in the listing ("This is truly the best...").
It does appear to be somewhat updated, and have some original moldings and nice wood floors. While the house could use a fresh coat of paint and landscaping, it certainly has good Victorian charm. (Far more charm than this more mundane listing a couple blocks away.) At least three other homes have been renovated on this same block over the past two years, so it is certainly changing more rapidly than some over here.
One could certainly find a cheaper home over here, but if you're like we were when we were looking and don't want a fixer upper, this might be a good one to look at.
I think it definitely has more to offer than this longtime resident on the MLS. I'm no expert, but after six months or so you might re-take your property photo so that it isn't so obvious that the home has been on the market at least since last winter. Oh, and there's another home on this block that's currently in foreclosure--It looks like a real fixer-upper, but I don't think anyone will be biting on it anytime soon, as it looks like the bank is asking $170,000 for it--When it seems more like a $125k property to me based on how much work will be necessary to get it fixed up.
I also found a couple rental properties on Marion, but I can't believe the asking price after looking at them, at least from the inside. Like $282k for this Vic-converted-into-apartments. There is also yet another residence, a duplex, for sale on this same block, though I can't find a listing for it.
Still shocking to me how expensive homes are over here given how far the neighborhood still has to come. It's not hard to realize why so many find it hard to buy a home. (Heck, we know first-hand, as we barely were able to purchase our own.)
With the yet-inflated prices over here, what must be wrong with this little home to be only 46k?
Anyway, thanks for reading, and come look at some homes in Cole, Whittier, Curtis Park or Five Points. We'd love to have you over here!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Momentum in Cole
I met a nice new neighbor we now have around the corner of the house. A nice woman about our age, renting out a newly-fixed up home on Bruce Randolph. She's super friendly and another important addition to the neighborhood. She's been in the house under a week and it's already clear she takes pride in her place.
There's a duplex up for sale on our block, and I'm wondering if there is a pending sale on it as there have been work crews patching up the fence and performing other small touch-up repairs this week.
The residents of the duplex next to it, that moved in over the summer, continue to improve their place, now painting it.
And there is a cute folk-Victorian on our block that is now up for sale. The asking price seems a bit high, but it has a ton of potential as it has exceptional character.
Add that to the house next door that is tied up in foreclosure, and potentially soon to be sold to a flipper or new family, and we seem to be experiencing some very positive momentum. Things are certainly changing around here, for the better.
There's a duplex up for sale on our block, and I'm wondering if there is a pending sale on it as there have been work crews patching up the fence and performing other small touch-up repairs this week.
The residents of the duplex next to it, that moved in over the summer, continue to improve their place, now painting it.
And there is a cute folk-Victorian on our block that is now up for sale. The asking price seems a bit high, but it has a ton of potential as it has exceptional character.
Add that to the house next door that is tied up in foreclosure, and potentially soon to be sold to a flipper or new family, and we seem to be experiencing some very positive momentum. Things are certainly changing around here, for the better.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Enough is enough
Great and encouraging news. The two problem houses on our block, that I write about often, have each improved dramatically recently.
The first, a house on the corner of Bruce Randolph and Marion, has been a consistent nuisance since we moved into the neighborhood. Mostly because the owners have left the home vacant, and haven't aggressively policed their property from the frequent drug users and dealers that have used that house, and the street corner adjacent to it, as their home base.
How this house cleaned up is simple--The police finally adopted a zero-tolerance policy for individuals illegally hanging out on the property, as well as frequently contacting individuals loitering in front of it. In these two actions, they not only arrested numerous dealers and users, but have set a precedent in the area that it is no longer "safe" to hang out and buy or sell drugs there. What used to be a magnet for criminal activity now is safe for the rightful residents of the neighborhood to pass by unharassed and unsolicited, as well as wait safely for the RTD buses.
The second house to show improvement is the one that I've described that houses a motley collection of brothers, sisters and cousins all living free in the home of their aging and failing mothers. I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying this, but the reasons why the residents have cleaned their act up I think is a perfect illustration of some of the principles evangelized by George Kelling and one of his key disciples, William Bratton (formerly chief of the New York City Police Department, now chief of the LAPD) in the Broken Windows theory. Namely, that if troublemakers realize that their disorderly and criminal behavior is no longer acceptable in a neighborhood, they'll either clean up their act or just move on.
Why do I say this? First, because the presence by the police has been so great on the block, the drug-dealing son has almost comletely moved his "operation" somewhere else--The end result being a dramatic reduction to the formerly ubiquitous stream of buyers coming by their house at all hours of the night. It was still happening over there, but very infrequently, instead of all the time.
But since day one, and even with the recent increased pressure by the police, the one straight son that we know of at the house, a guy that is in general a really intelligent, neighborly fellow, has looked the other way as his other family members buy, sell, and use illegal drugs and bring the criminal element into his yard and house.
But a couple weeks ago, as I was out watering the grass, I waived and greeted him as normal, and he came over to me to chat. The nature of the conversation was very interesting. Basically, that he had reached his breaking point and had told some of his family members "enough is enough". He sounded as tired as we were of the almost daily occurrence of drunken shouting matches, strangers coming by at all hours, family members bringing drug addicts over, and his family being arrested.
What had caused him to reach this crossroads? A family friend had come by one day and told him "Man, your mother's house is a nuisance." That apparently hit home for him, that their house--His mother's house--was viewed that way. And the fact that the city could take the house away from his mother, if it continued to be such a problem. The neighborhood had changed, and what used to be acceptable behavior on the block, was no more.
"I can't tell you what to do, because that's your business..." he said he told them, "but you're not going to do it here anymore, not in my mama's house."
Which is all we've ever wanted. Just law-abiding neighbors, that's all. Black, white, Hispanic, whatever. Just take care of your home and don't perpetuate the neighborhood's history of drugs, crime and violence.
He's always been a diamond in the rough of that household. He's super friendly, intelligent, and has welcomed us since day one. And I'm glad to have him as a neighbor, and friend. And 100% happy now that he's drawn his own line in the sand.
The first, a house on the corner of Bruce Randolph and Marion, has been a consistent nuisance since we moved into the neighborhood. Mostly because the owners have left the home vacant, and haven't aggressively policed their property from the frequent drug users and dealers that have used that house, and the street corner adjacent to it, as their home base.
How this house cleaned up is simple--The police finally adopted a zero-tolerance policy for individuals illegally hanging out on the property, as well as frequently contacting individuals loitering in front of it. In these two actions, they not only arrested numerous dealers and users, but have set a precedent in the area that it is no longer "safe" to hang out and buy or sell drugs there. What used to be a magnet for criminal activity now is safe for the rightful residents of the neighborhood to pass by unharassed and unsolicited, as well as wait safely for the RTD buses.
The second house to show improvement is the one that I've described that houses a motley collection of brothers, sisters and cousins all living free in the home of their aging and failing mothers. I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying this, but the reasons why the residents have cleaned their act up I think is a perfect illustration of some of the principles evangelized by George Kelling and one of his key disciples, William Bratton (formerly chief of the New York City Police Department, now chief of the LAPD) in the Broken Windows theory. Namely, that if troublemakers realize that their disorderly and criminal behavior is no longer acceptable in a neighborhood, they'll either clean up their act or just move on.
Why do I say this? First, because the presence by the police has been so great on the block, the drug-dealing son has almost comletely moved his "operation" somewhere else--The end result being a dramatic reduction to the formerly ubiquitous stream of buyers coming by their house at all hours of the night. It was still happening over there, but very infrequently, instead of all the time.
But since day one, and even with the recent increased pressure by the police, the one straight son that we know of at the house, a guy that is in general a really intelligent, neighborly fellow, has looked the other way as his other family members buy, sell, and use illegal drugs and bring the criminal element into his yard and house.
But a couple weeks ago, as I was out watering the grass, I waived and greeted him as normal, and he came over to me to chat. The nature of the conversation was very interesting. Basically, that he had reached his breaking point and had told some of his family members "enough is enough". He sounded as tired as we were of the almost daily occurrence of drunken shouting matches, strangers coming by at all hours, family members bringing drug addicts over, and his family being arrested.
What had caused him to reach this crossroads? A family friend had come by one day and told him "Man, your mother's house is a nuisance." That apparently hit home for him, that their house--His mother's house--was viewed that way. And the fact that the city could take the house away from his mother, if it continued to be such a problem. The neighborhood had changed, and what used to be acceptable behavior on the block, was no more.
"I can't tell you what to do, because that's your business..." he said he told them, "but you're not going to do it here anymore, not in my mama's house."
Which is all we've ever wanted. Just law-abiding neighbors, that's all. Black, white, Hispanic, whatever. Just take care of your home and don't perpetuate the neighborhood's history of drugs, crime and violence.
He's always been a diamond in the rough of that household. He's super friendly, intelligent, and has welcomed us since day one. And I'm glad to have him as a neighbor, and friend. And 100% happy now that he's drawn his own line in the sand.
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