Evergreen

Evergreen is a wonderful place to call home. Not only is it spectacular in beauty, but it offers the "best of both worlds". It gives you that small town feel while providing very easy access into the Denver Metropolitan area as well as easy access to the "high country" where you can ski, camp, and snowmobile, among other things.

The views in Evergreen are quite stunning, particularly for those who have panoramic views or a snow-capped view of Mt. Evans, Mt. Rosalie or Longs Peak. Most of the terrain is gently sloping to steep and when you compare homes here, I like to say it's like comparing "apples to pizzas" as most homes are not the cookie-cutter type and every lot is different.

Hiking and mountain biking are prevalent in the Evergreen area. With access to thousands of acres of open space and forestry land, it is easy to get out into nature. Evergreen Lake is often the hub of many outdoor activities. Here you can fish or rent a canoe or paddle boat in the warmer months or ice skate, play hockey and ice fish during some of the winter months. You can also walk around the path that encircles the lake.

Evergreen offers you a true sense of "community" with many local events and festivals being held throughout the year. These are not only fun, but help bring people together for that "small town" feel. The Summer Concert Series offers a free concert every other Wednesday throughout the summer. Evergreen also hosts a local Jazz Fest, an Arts Festival, a rodeo, parades (a Homecoming parade and a Rodeo parade) and a Holiday Walk. There are other events and activities as well.

Speaking of the sense of community, if you live here, you will very likely run into someone you know while shopping in the grocery store or specialty stores, at Home Depot or Wal-Mart or while dining in a restaurant. You usually don't have to wait for a table when dining out and there are rarely any lines in which you have to wait. Road rage is practically non-existent. The peaceful lifestyle lends itself to relaxed and happy people. Traffic jams are more often caused by a herd of elk standing in the middle of the road.

It is not uncommon to have local "guests" in your yard. These guests usually include a herd of elk or deer or a fox or two, but there are also coyotes, raccoons, bears and mountains lions which you might see on occasion. After all, it is mountain living and most locals just prefer to co-exist with the wildlife. It is a good idea to read the "Living with Wildlife" publication, distributed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. This information can also be found on the internet.

People are friendly and laid back. The lifestyle is casual and relaxed, but many are also into health and exercise. Evergreen is pretty "green" and takes recycling pretty seriously. The air quality seems to be better than in the Denver area and Colorado is known for its over 300 days of sunshine per year.

You can easily shop in the Evergreen area as it offers two grocery stores, plus Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and many restaurants and specialty shops. Downtown Evergreen is a favorite with tourists with its cute shops and "old Evergreen charm". You do need a vehicle, especially if you live outside of the main corridor and northern portion of Evergreen. There is a local "Call and Ride" bus, as well as RTD/public transportation, but it is limited. Depending upon the area in which you live, a 4x4 could be a must, though many people get by with either an AWD or a front-wheel drive vehicle.

The climate in Evergreen more closely matches that of the Denver area versus the high country. Evergreen averages about 10 degrees cooler than Denver, though there are days when the temperature in each area is closely matched; days when Evergreen is in the sun and Denver is dreary and vice versa. On a sunny day though, you will see several locals only wearing light jackets or sweaters, even if temperatures may be in the 30s. Here, you are closer to the sun so you may feel warmer even when it's cold outside. However, it does get chilly when the sun goes down, even on some summer nights. Most homes do not have air conditioning. Many locals merely open their windows at night to let in the crisp cool mountain air. The amount of snow varies each year, but is more closely matched with the Denver Metro area than the high country. Evergreen will get more snow than the Denver area though.

The elevation in/around Evergreen ranges from about 7200 feet up to over 9000 feet. Due to the elevation and cooler temperatures, Evergreen has a shorter "growing season" than that in the Denver area. The soil is very rocky and therefore, gardeners need to amend the soil to get things to grow well.

You will not find a lot of well-manicured and thick lawns in Evergreen for many reasons. The soil does not lend itself well to those, the lots sizes are larger and many prefer not to waste water, and the wildlife can wreak havoc on a lawn. Some homes are on a well and many well permits do not allow irrigation. Some on public water or with watering rights choose to have a small area of nice lawn as a compromise. Many prefer to leave their landscape more natural. Fences, especially privacy fences are not common. Many will use either a split rail or an invisible fence to contain pets.

If you have an Evergreen address, you may live in one of two counties: Jefferson County or Clear Creek County. There are two high schools in Evergreen: Evergreen High School and Clear Creek High. There are both public and private schools running up through 8th grade. Many of the schools have won awards.

At the end of October, 2012, the average price of sold home in North Evergreen was $482,327, and the average price of a sold home in South Evergreen was $402,356. Generally speaking, "North Evergreen" is the area north of Evergreen Lake and includes parts of Kittredge and Clear Creek County while "South Evergreen" is further south. It is important to note that due to the varying prices of homes throughout the Evergreen area, a monthly average sold price could end up very skewed depending upon what has sold. For a more detailed boundary map of North and South Evergreen, please contact me or RE/MAX Alliance in Evergreen.

Evergreen was my home for 15 years. I raised children here and love the area. I loved the small town environment, the beauty and wildlife, and the lack of lines and heavy traffic. Plus it is closer to the high country so many of the locals ski and snowboard. The drawback is that the summer season is shorter than in the Denver area.

I moved to Colorado in the early 70s - part of the Rocky Mountain High phenomena. While my family had vacationed in Evergreen many times, I'd forgotten how the town really emboddied the attributes and scenery I'd been searching for. Evergreen really has it all. Charming Main Street, music, art and theatre, shopping, 1000s of acres of Open Space and National Forests, abundant recreation from hiking and biking to skiing and paddle-boating on Evergreen's Bear Lake, friendly people, variety of neighborhoods and home pricing, great public and private schools, lots of family activities, even dedicated dog parks, and views the world rarely sees.

Most of Evergreen is within an hour of Denver International Airport (DIA) and 40 minutes to downtown Denver's big entertainment and sporting venues. There is plenty of employment available, and new businesses opening to service the folks that don't want to drive down the hill to get car repairs, medical services, cultural activities, shopping and other services.