I have to say- I think Denver is one of the greatest cities in the world to raise a child. With skiing just an hour away, more than 100 miles of trails for biking and running, and lots of great activities, parenting a child in Denver is a privilege. Here is a quick breakdown of five reasons Denver is a great city to raise kids.
1. Wide, open spaces
Denver is a dream for both parents and kiddos alike when it comes to green, open spaces. There are over 200 parks, 100 miles of trails, and 11 dog parks for locals to enjoy. We love taking our daughter out for bike rides in her bike trailer, and we have almost worn out the tires on our jogging stroller. I am, and always will be, thankful for our amazing parks! One of my favorite parks will always be Wash Park, which has an amazing playground for toddlers (no super high drops and awesome sand).
2. We have lots of sun
Denver boasts around 300 days of sunshine, making it an amazing place for parents to enjoy the outdoors with children! While I am not sure we actually get 300 days of sunshine, I have lived here long enough to know that we get plenty of sun and a gorgeous summer that allows for outdoor fun. What parent wants to be cooped up inside a house all day? We love having picnics, going to playgrounds, hiking, visiting swimming pools, and enjoying fun summer festivals. I think it has saved me lots of money to go enjoy the free outdoors rather than go pay somewhere to play.
3. Breweries, taprooms, and kids
Thank you, Denver, for being kind enough to allow us parents to have a beer with our spouse and bring our toddler along. As parents, it is nice to know we can be trusted to have a great local beer with lunch and bring our children. Breweries and taprooms (not to mention other awesome bars and restaurants) have not only tolerated us here, but have welcomed and embraced children- completing the experience with popcorn machines and games at some establishments. Happy parents= happy kids. One of our favorite local joint, Hops and Pie, even gives out crayons and a coloring paper. Our other fave is Denver Biscuit Company.
4. Denver is healthy
Forbes listed Denver as the #5 healthiest city in America. Makes sense, with all the fun recreational activities we have access to. It is awesome to raise kids who love to play outside and be active. We love to ride Cherry Creek Bike Path and hope this summer we can check out Earth Treks climbing gym. I love knowing that my daughter is being raised in a city that embraces healthy living, enjoying the outdoors, and partaking in recreational activities.
5. The mountains
The first time I visited Colorado my jaw dropped. The Rockies are majestic, no doubt about it. I am so grateful my daughter gets to grow up against such a beautiful backdrop. Access to winter sports couldn’t get much easier for parents who want to teach their kiddos how to ski or snowboard. We have already created fun memories in the mountains, summer camping and a winter ski trip complete with a sleigh ride and skiing. Our favorite-Keystone, even has tons of fun summer camps. With the mountains being so close there are endless amounts of fun and memories to create as a family.
Denver is home for my family. We feel lucky every time we get to enjoy a family adventure together, and we don’t want to live anywhere else. Why do you love raising your child/ children in Denver?
Denver does not get 300 days of sunshine a year, at least not according to an meteorological sources. That’s an urban legend. We get about as much as NYC. Also, the only time you can reach skiing in an hour is probably at 3 am on a Tuesday, otherwise, I-70 traffic is heinous. Still, a great place to live and raise kids.
Erika, thanks for the feedback! According to the Colorado Climate Center, we only have about 30-40 totally overcast days per year in the Denver area. So – evan if the rest aren’t exactly on the brighter side of “partly cloudy”– we’ll take ’em! 🙂
Also, we totally know about how bad traffic can be to and from the mountains! However, if you leave downtown right this moment – it looks like you can make it to Loveland in 63 minutes!
We love to go to Frisco, and it usually takes us an hour, maybe hour and 15 minutes tops- but we live closer to 6th Ave so that helps! But we only go to the mountains when it is not traffic hours, and never drive home Sundays, because my husband loathes traffic!
I have loved reading these posts!! I look forward to trying all of these ideas!
Preach on, sister! 😉 P.S. we just tried out Hops and Pie the other day and it was so so delicious! And our little one absolutely loved it too!
LOVE Hops and Pie- we always get the cuban sandwich… yum!
I totally agree with ALL of it! I love living in Denver because I can dine al fresco! In Texas there are so many mosquitos it is IMPOSSIBLE to be outside for long periods of time. Okay, maybe POSSIBLE, but not pleasant. 🙂
Haha I agree- mosquitoes suck! I went running the other day and got a mouth full- so gross! 🙂