Lakewood Is Not One Kind of Suburb
One of the problems with saying you want to buy a house in Lakewood is that “Lakewood” doesn't describe one particular kind of place.
It's a big city stretched across a substantial piece of the west Denver metro area. Drive from eastern Lakewood toward Green Mountain and then continue west toward Solterra, and the housing, surroundings and feel of the area change considerably along the way.
That's one reason I wouldn't start a Lakewood home search by asking, “Do you like Lakewood?”
I'd start by figuring out what parts of Lakewood actually work for you.
The East Side Is Closely Connected to Denver
On the eastern side of Lakewood, you're close to Denver and the housing often reflects the area's longer development history.
You'll find older homes, established street grids, smaller lots in some areas, apartments and condos, and relatively quick access into Denver.
That can be useful if Denver is a regular part of your life.
But someone who says, “I looked at a house in Lakewood and didn't like the area,” may have learned something about **that part of Lakewood**, not necessarily Lakewood as a whole.
Move several miles west and you're looking at something different.
Green Mountain Feels Different Again
Green Mountain is the part of Lakewood I know best.
Much of the surrounding housing was built during the decades when Lakewood and the western suburbs were expanding rapidly. There are plenty of ranches, split-levels and two-story homes from the 1960s, 1970s and later.
The mountain itself is also a significant part of the area. William F. Hayden Green Mountain Park provides a large trail system immediately adjacent to surrounding neighborhoods.
For me, that's one of the practical advantages of this part of Lakewood. I can think about a bike ride, trail run or hike without necessarily treating it as an expedition requiring half a day and a drive into the mountains.
That doesn't mean everyone should live next to a trail. It means proximity to recreation is one of the variables you can actually put on your list if it matters to you.
Then There Is Solterra
Continue west and south toward Solterra and you're looking at another version of Lakewood.
Solterra is a much newer planned community near the foothills. The housing, lot sizes, community design, HOA involvement and overall development pattern are quite different from what you'll encounter in older parts of Lakewood.
Someone could reasonably look at a 1960s ranch near Green Mountain and a newer home in Solterra on the same afternoon.
Both addresses say Lakewood.
They aren't remotely the same housing choice.
Belmar Is Another Version
Belmar adds another option.
The area around Belmar has a more concentrated mix of shopping, restaurants, offices, apartments, condos and townhomes, along with nearby established residential neighborhoods.
If having stores and restaurants relatively close to home matters to you, that creates a different set of possibilities than you'd find in a more conventional subdivision.
Again, neither is inherently better.
The useful question is which environment matches the way you actually live.
The Union Boulevard and Denver West Area Has Its Own Logic
The Union Boulevard and Denver West area is another part of Lakewood that doesn't fit neatly into a single description.
There are offices, hotels, restaurants, apartments, condos and residential neighborhoods mixed around a major employment and commercial area. You're also close to US 6, I-70 and routes leading toward Golden and the foothills.
That can make the area interesting for someone whose regular trips aren't all pointed toward downtown Denver.
A commute to Golden, the Federal Center or somewhere along the western side of the metro area may produce a very different home-search map than a commute downtown.
City boundaries don't care where you need to be at 8:00 Tuesday morning.
Look at Your Life Before You Look at the City Name
When I'm helping someone unfamiliar with the west metro area, I'd rather start with practical questions.
Where do you need to go regularly?
How much driving are you willing to do?
Do you want an older house or newer construction?
Do you want a larger yard, or would you rather have less exterior maintenance?
Do trails and parks matter?
Would you rather be closer to Denver, Golden or the foothills?
Do you want restaurants and shopping nearby, or is that relatively unimportant?
Those answers can narrow a search much more effectively than deciding you want to live in a particular city because you've heard good things about it.
Don't Let the Mailing Address Do Too Much Work
Lakewood has neighborhoods built in different eras, different housing types, different access to transportation and recreation, and very different relationships with Denver and the foothills.
That's useful for a buyer because it creates options.
It's also why I wouldn't draw conclusions about Lakewood after seeing two houses in one corner of it.
Instead, look at the individual parts of the city and ask a more useful question:
**Does this location make sense for the way I want to live?**
That's a question a city name can't answer for you.