Glendale resident Marilee Linhares considers her city a respite from urban life, even though that life is just a short drive away.
“It’s a hidden jewel,” said Linhares, a condo owner who loves walking around her Glendale neighborhood with her dog.
Perhaps “surrounded” is a better descriptor. Glendale, part of Arapahoe County, is surrounded on all sides by Denver. It’s only 355 acres but teems with parks, shopping venues and, yes, the occasional strip club.
Just don’t expect to find many single-family homes. None was sold over the past two years, and, according to the Denver Regional Council of Governments, 100 percent of living space in Glendale is multifamily units. Glendale’s official website contends three single-family homes exist.
Mark Kruse, a real estate broker with Re/Max Alliance in Denver, said Glendale’s proximity to Cherry Creek and Speer Boulevard, plus its ample park space, makes it attractive to buyers.
“Condos seem to go pretty fast (in Glendale),” Kruse said.
He added that condo shoppers understand they can turn their homes into rental properties and more or less break even, or better, in Glendale. Many of the condos currently for sale in Glendale are listed for $65,000 to $90,000.
Glendale already is a haven for renters, with about 90 percent of local living space going to apartment dwellers.
Wendy Bibeau, a Realtor with The Bibeau Group/Keller Williams Realty, said condo buyers are typically apprehensive about buying in places with such a high percentage of rentals. Lately, buyers have been looking beyond those concerns, lured by attractive pricing, an extensive parks network and the city’s efforts to redefine itself.
Diana Anderson, director of marketing and sponsorship for the city’s recently built Infinity Park, acknowledged that many people know little about Glendale beyond Shotgun Willie’s, the impossible-to-miss strip club on South Colorado Boulevard.
Susan Beckman, chairman of the Arapahoe County Board of Supervisors, said that when she first took her position eight years ago, Glendale was known for strip clubs.
That’s changing, Beckman insisted, pointing to Infinity Park, 4599 E. Tennessee Ave., that features a high-end community fitness center and the nation’s first community rugby stadium, which opened in September 2007. The Cherry Creek Trail has been refurbished, and the city plans to purchase land for open space.
“I think less and less people bring that up (now),” Beckman said of the city’s seedy reputation.
Glendale incorporated in 1952 and has a checkered history of sharing resources with its Denver neighbor. At one point Denver’s police and fire teams weren’t permitted to help out Glendale denizens, said former resident Bill Covery Jr.
The 65-year-old grew up in Glendale and remembers two roaring fires during the 1960s in which Denver firefighters weren’t allowed to respond. Instead, they sat across the street from the blazes until their shifts ended, and then offered their services, he said.
Today, the two cities work in a more harmonious fashion.
Steve and Renata Tibbits enjoy their Glendale neighborhood, although they are frustrated by the school structure. Glendale children must attend Cherry Creek School District, which can mean a longer commute. Parents have the option to pay a fee for the right to choose other, more convenient, schools.
Linhares marvels at the melting-pot nature of today’s Glendale, noting its high population of Russian and Croatian residents.
The city adopted the sport of rugby partly to embrace the area’s international community, Anderson said.
Ed Jalowsky, a broker-owner with Hottest Homes Realty in Denver, said buying in Glendale makes sense now.
“The prices are close to the bottom of the barrel,” Jalowsky said.
All about Glendale
Where it is: Surrounded by Denver, Glendale is bounded by East Alameda Avenue to the north and South Colorado Boulevard to the west.
Average price per square foot: $153-$160.
Main attractions: Infinity Park, which features a community rugby stadium and fitness center; 2.2 million square feet of office space; Four Mile House, the oldest standing structure in the Denver area; generous park space.
Schools: None.
Shopping: Wide range of restaurants and retailers ranging from big-box stores to independent shops.
