SarahT2

We moved into Stapleton in 2008 because we fell in love with the number and quality of parks every few blocks and how it brings neighbors together. We also loved the look of the neighborhood, and had heard that the schools were wonderful. Since moving in, our quality of life here has slowly and systematically declined. Yes, the parking, restaurants and childcare options all leave a LOT to be desired, but the overall trend that is most troubling is that that the growth of the neighborhood is clearly going at a much faster pace than the capacity of the community events, schools and the recreation center. We used to attend the neighborhood Easter egg hunt, but now it is SO crowded that you can barely walk! The same goes for many of the other community events. The elementary schools here are great, but we can't get our child into them, even though you are supposed to be guaranteed a spot if you are a Stapleton resident. I have talked to other parents who have had the same issue and it comes down to a swap shop of what ridiculous strategies parents are having to use to get their child into the school. One parent I know was upset that his child did not get into any of the Stapleton elementary schools, and could not get any return emails or phone calls from Denver Public Schools, so he literally went down to their office and camped out there until somebody would talk to him. Another parent I know repeatedly called the school she wanted her child to get into and had success with that strategy. We used to use the recreation center all the time, but now we can never get the machines that we want because it is so crowded. Also, the neighborhood is surrounded by not-so-great neighborhoods, and Stapleton has had a LOT of problems with people coming from nearby neighborhood and committing crimes in Stapleton (i.e. thefts and break-ins). We recently called to try and get our baby into the 1 and only neighborhood daycare that has decent reviews and were told that they have a 9-12 month wait list for infants. We loved this neighborhood at first, but everything has gotten so crowded that we don't enjoy our time here any more.