From the Lawn Chair is a regular feature. This current post covers free neighborhood events scheduled for the first half of July.

It’s the time of year where you get to grab your lawn chair, fill the cooler and head to any one of the many free events occurring in parks and shopping centers across the Denver metropolitan area. Feel free to add any events I may have missed to your comments. Don’t forget the date, time and location. 

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark at Sloan’s Lake Park and Wendy Woo in concert at Highlands Heritage Park. It was fun to spend time with friends and family in a beautiful setting at a free movie and concert.

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Even with an armful of groceries, you’ve perfected the steps to your home’s unique key dance. Pull the door tight towards you, slip the key in and then pull it back just a fraction, turn it to the left and then to the right and wiggle it just a tad and the door opens right up. It has become such a routine that you don’t even notice the delicate touch your lock requires.
 

Now, picture the Realtor with an excited buyer just waiting to see if the inside of your home matches the wonderful curb appeal. The key slides into the lock and won’t turn. She tries to jiggle it and pulls the door tight. Despite her best efforts, the house remains locked, keeping the buyer from seeing everything your house has to offer. You may have only one chance to impress. Many times buyers will not return.

Remember: Before your house goes on the market, make sure buyers can get in to see it. Invite a friend over and have them unlock the door several times. If they have even one key malfunction, call a locksmith to repair or even replace the lock. Don’t inadvertently delay your move because you’ve locked buyers out of the house.

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I’d been waiting for weeks to see one of my favorite movies, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The night was finally here, so I packed up my car with my favorite lawn chair and snacks and headed out in the direction of Sloan’s Lake to meet my sister and her husband. It is a beautiful area. People were out riding bicycles, water skiing and jogging. Even Indiana Jones was there to entertain the crowd.

I arrived a little early, so I did a some recon before the movie.

How do you show a movie at the park?    With a blow up projection screen, of course!

Can you buy food and drinks?      No, but you don’t have to worry about bringing your own.

The food, which included popcorn, hotdogs, snow cones and cotton candy was all free. Sooper Credit Union sponsored the event and even paid for all the refreshments. They even had flashing ice cubes for your drinks. (Actually, it was a plastic piece shaped as an ice cube that flashed.) It was very cool. I still have mine.

I’ll let a few of the pictures show the scene.

There are a couple things I’ll do differently next time, bring a blanket (it actually got chilly) and invite more friends. If you get a chance, don’t miss an opportunity to watch the movies at our local parks. It is a treat!

Needless to say, a good time was had by all.

Related Articles:

Popcorn and a Movie– Denver Style
From the Lawn Chair– June 17th-30th Free Denver Area Events

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We’ve all seen the news reports comparing “Days on Market” statistics relating to home sales. What does it mean when you are considering putting your house on the market?

“Days on the Market” tells Realtors and sellers how long the average home is taking before it is under contract. Add an additional 35 days, the approximate time it takes from the time a house is under contract to finishing the deal at the closing table, and you have an average timeline from listing to moving date. 

It is only an average. Imagine the surprise of some sellers who are under contract within a week of the sign being put up in the front yard and then others, who are living with the frustration of having their home sit month after month unsold, some for over a year. “Days on Market” gives a seller a ballpark idea on what to expect.

These are average residential figures only. Your experience may be much different depending upon the condition of your home, the specific location and pricing. If you want to get your house sold before the end of the year, you may want to consider listing it in the near future.

Based on information from Metrolist, Inc. for the period of January 1, 2007 to May 31, 2007. Note: This representation is based in whole or in part in content supplied by Metrolist, Inc. does not guarantee nor is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Content maintained by Metrolist, Inc. may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

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In a recent article, Forbes reported that the most expensive home currently on the market in the United States is located in Aspen, Colorado.  Hala Ranch, listed by Christie’s Great Estates, is owned by the former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U. S., Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz. The house is 56,000 square feet and sits on 95 acres. It’s perfect if you have a large family or lots of friends that can use the 15 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. For a mere $135,000,000, this ranch can be yours.

If you are looking for something a little closer to Denver, you may want to consider one of these amazing properties:

2109 E. 9th Avenue–

This home has 9 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms in its 13,367 square feet of livable space. It was built in 1918 and is one of the beautiful Denver historical mansions. It sits on almost a full acre lot near the center of the city. It is a wonderful area and the new owners will find that they overlook the Denver Botanic Gardens from the back of the house and are within short walking distance of Cheesman Park. The property is listed by The Kentwood Company and is priced at $8,000,000.

21 Sunset Drive-

If you are looking to live further south in Cherry Hills Village, the property at 21 Sunset Drive may be just the ticket. This house sits on 3.18 acres and is located south of E. Hampden Avenue between S. University Boulevard and S. Gilpin Street. Taxes run just under $84,000 a year. The home has 7 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. It has 22,591 square feet of livable space and was built in 2001. The property has a pool and amazing gardens. The house is listed by Coldwell Banker Residential at $20,000,000.

 

While incredible properties with these price tags and locations may be hard to find, if you are in the market for something that fits your lifestyle a little better, I’m happy to inform you that there are 28,000+ other home options in the Denver metropolitan area alone.

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To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the Stapleton community is sponsoring its own local “On the Lot” video contest for budding producers.

The challenge: Produce a two minute video on “Why I love to live at Stapleton”.

Not only will you have the opportunity to premier your movie at Stapleton Unders the Stars Events if you are one of the early entrants, but you could win two motorized Scooters from Sportique Scooters if your movie wins. The only problem may be limiting your reasons to a two minute video.

Here’s how you enter:

1. Create your video. Don’t forget to read the rules.

2. Join the Stapleton You Tube Group. You can upload your video anytime between now and August 31st.

3. Fill out the entry form.

4. Send the video link to everyone you know. The videos receiving the highest number of votes will be included in the final selection process.

5. You can submit more than one video.

6. Read and follow the full instructions.

If you are a better audience member than producer, you can view and vote for your favorite videos instead.

For futher information on how to edit your video, Stapleton is even providing classes. So, you have no excuse.

Free Video Editing Seminars:

July 14th  9:00am-Noon
August 7th   6:00pm-9:00pm

Location: Stapleton Visitor’s Center, 7480 E. 29th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80238

Stapleton will donate $5.00 for every video submitted by a Stapleton resident. The total donation will be split between the Urban Farm and the Bluff Lake Nature Center.

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I was out walking this morning on Father’s Day and saw one dad on a family bike ride and a few more out taking walks. I imagine there were lots of dads still eating peanut butter and jelly toast in bed. The barbecue grills will be stoked later this afternoon and the picnics will begin.

There are dads who are no longer with us who still impact our lives on a daily basis. Other men step up to the plate and play adopted dad and grandfather for those of us whose fathers are no longer with us. Thank God for Dads!

Did you know that the idea of Father’s Day was started in 1910 by Sonora Louise Smart Dodd who lived in Spokane, Washington? Sonora and her five siblings were raised by their father, William Jackson Smart, after their mother died in childbirth. Sonora selected June 19th, her father’s birthday, as the date to celebrate.

Since then Father’s Day has been recognized as the third Sunday in June.

1910   Spokane, Washington celebrated Father’s Day for the first time

1924   The third Sunday in June proclaimed as Father’s Day by President Calvin Coolidge

1956   Father’s Day recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress

1966   President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day

1972   President Richard Nixon established the permanent national observance of Father’s Day as the third Sunday in June

Fathers are celebrated around the world. The dates may differ, but the whole world recognizes the importance of fathers.

Happy Father’s Day. Thank you for all that you do to inspire us to be great.

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Here is a quick summary of May 2007 home sales in the Lowry neighborhood. The area is generally located between Yosemite Street (east) and Quebec Street (west), E. 11th Avenue (north) and Alameda Avenue (south). There is a small pocket that extends out a few blocks west from Alameda Avenue to 2nd Avenue. The Lowry neighborhood was developed as a result of the Lowry Air Force Base closure. It is a wonderful community that has a variety of parks, the Lowry Town Center and neighborhood activities that are scheduled year round.

Lowry “Glory Days”, the neighborhood main event, occurs in September with concerts, historic planes and a multitude of craft and educational booths. Lowry living opportunities range from historical homes that have been renovated to areas still waiting for the soil to be turned before construction begins. Most areas of Lowry are within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, parks and transportation routes.

If you missed out on purchasing one of these amazing homes, there are 91 other homes currently on the market in the Lowry area ranging in price from $189,000 to $2,645,000.

Related Articles:    

Take a Walk Lowry Style
What Grows Up Sometimes Must Come Down

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From the Lawn Chair will be a regular feature. This current post covers free neighborhood events scheduled for the last two weeks of June from the 17th through the 30th.

Kristi made a comment on a previous post about free activities occurring at the Aspen Grove Shopping Center, so I thought I’d expand the search for free events in the Denver metro area. From the Lawn Chair comes as a result of that search. Thanks Kristi!

It’s the time of year where you get to grab your lawn chair, fill the cooler and head to any one of the many free events occurring in parks across the Denver metropolitan area. I know I have missed some of them. So, feel free to add events to your comments. Don’t forget the date, time and location. An earlier post, “Popcorn and a Movie-Denver Style” has a list of June movies in Denver area parks.

These are wonderful events for friends and family. Not only are the events free, but you can pack your own lunch or dinner. If you still need to purchase your lawn chair, make your selection carefully. A beautiful evening in a comfortable chair is a must.

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As you are aware, Central Denver Blog is still a fairly new site, having just begun in February of this year. New technology and skill levels always have a learning curve. I’ve definitely had my challenges getting the site and my brain to work in ways that makes this blog a valued member of the Denver Community. That journey resulted in a post designed to speak to other baby bloggers. The blog “The Little Real Estate Blogger that Could” is featured this week on the Real Estate Tomato. The Tomato is a highly respected site for real estate blogging advice and training. We made the big time!

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Even Rudy Gulliani likes Bonnie Brae Ice Cream. He visited last week on his campaign stop in Denver. If he is interested in moving into the neighborhood so that he can walk to the ice cream shop, there are a few houses that are no longer available. Here is a quick summary of May 2007 sales in the Bonnie Brae and Belcaro areas. The east and west boundaries are Colorado Boulevard and University Boulevard and the north and south streets are E. Exposition Avenue and E. Mississippi Avenue. It is a wonderful neighborhood with an eclectic selection of homes. From historical homes to custom contemporary construction, the neighborhood offers something for everyone. The neighborhood is within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, parks and transportation routes.

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It’s a lazy Sunday, so I thought I would share with you a little bit of Denver trivia.

1. The name of the red marble that gives the Colorado State Capitol its distinctive look is “Beulah red”. All of the “Beulah red” marble that was available went into this building. It cannot be replaced for any price. It took six years, from 1894-1900, to prepare and install the marble.

2. In 1893, Denver became the first large city in the world to allow women to vote.

3. Colfax Avenue, at 26 miles long, is the longest continuous street in America.

4. With 205 parks, Denver is has the nation’s largest park system. The Denver Parks Department also maintains an additional 20,000 acres, its own buffalo herd and Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

5. The population of Denver and its surrounding communities was recently estimated at 2,830,000. It’s the 23rd largest metropolitan area in the country.

6. The United States Denver Mint stamps as many as eight hundred coins a minute, or forty million coins a day. Doing a little more math, that means that more than eight billion coins are punched, bagged and shipped from Denver every year.

7. The cheeseburger was invented in Denver by Louis Ballast who owned a restaurant called the “Humpty Dumpty Barrel”. The trademark for the name was awarded to Ballast in 1935.

8. Denver is nicknamed the “Mile High City” because part of it sits one mile about sea level. The elevation is marked on the thirteenth step of the state capitol building.

9. Denver is the host city for the world’s largest rodeo, the National Western Stock Show. The show is held in January of every year.

10. The mountain panorama visible from Denver is 120 miles long. Two hundred peaks of the Rocky Mountains, including thirty-two peaks over 13,000 feet, can be seen from downtown Denver.

For more trivia, read Steven Grace’s book, It Happened in Denver, or visit the Colorado Visitors and Tourist Bureau.

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Six homes sold during the month of May in the Denver Country Club and North Country Club neighborhoods. The east and west area boundaries are University Boulevard and Downing Street and the north and south streets are 6th Avenue and 1st Avenue. It is a beautiful neighborhood with historical homes and mature trees. Within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, parks and transportation routes, this is a wonderful place to live.

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Media attention in the last week has focused on Andrew Speaker, the attorney who took international flights with a case of TB (Tuberculosis). He is now here in Denver seeking out world class treatment for the disease at National Jewish Hospital. The media trucks have lined up in the hospital parking lot to cover the story. It is a tough situation. What he was told and whether or not he should have taken the flights will be debated for some time.

What is not up for debate is the quality of hospitals that Denver area residents have at their disposal.

National Jewish Hospital was founded in 1899. The facility is dedicated to respiratory health. The U.S. News and World Report has ranked National Jewish as the #1 respiratory hospital for 9 years in a row. It has also been named one of the 25 most influential research institutions in the world by the scholarly publisher, Thomson Scientific. Anyone who suffers from respiratory, immune and allergy disorders, would be well treated at a hospital of this caliber.

Children’s Hospital was founded in 1908 and is dedicated to treating children of all ages. In February of this year, the hospital was named one of the top 10 best children’s hospital in the nation by Child Magazine. U.S. News and World Report has ranked the hospital on its Top Ten List for more than a decade. Children are treated for many illness and diseases at this hospital that has worked to create a colorful and comfortable environment with top notch medical professionals. Children’s Hospital will be moving to its new location at the Fitzsimmons campus later this year.

University of Colorado Hospital is consistently ranked as one of the leading hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The hospital recently moved many of its treatment centers from its original home at 9th and Colorado Boulevard to Aurora’s Fitzsimmons campus. University Hospital has many specialities, one if which is cancer research and treatment at the Anschutz Cancer Pavilion. The National Cancer Institute designated the facility as the only comprehensive cancer center in the Rocky Mountain Region.

This is only three of our top hospitals when there are many more I could list, including Denver Health Medical Center.

Denver metropolitan area residents are fortunate to live in close proximity to medical professionals and facilities of world class caliber. Andrew Speaker and his family have sought the best treatment available, which brings him to Denver. I hope that he receives the cure he needs and that any impacted airline passengers and other people he came in contact with will stay healthy.

Thank goodness there are amazing doctors and hospitals here in Denver that are available to give him, and the rest of us, hope during difficult times.

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What’s better than popcorn and a movie? How about popcorn and a movie outside on a beautiful evening? The Denver Summer Movie Series begins this month. If you are looking for a good time, bring your family, friends, a favorite lawn chair, snacks and a blanket and enjoy one of these great movies.

The movies begin at dusk and seating is first come, first served. All movies in the parks are free of cost, thanks to many sponsors.

June Schedule-

Red Rocks also has a film series. Tickets cost $10.00 each and the movies start at 7:00 pm.

Monday, June 18th Pulp Fiction

Tuesday, June 26th Sixteen Candles

What a great time of year to take in an outdoor movie. Grab your popcorn and a soda, and enjoy.

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