July 11, 2014

Newlands’ ‘culture of welcome’ makes neighborhood sought after place to live

BOULDER — Dan McCarthy describes his neighborhood as a “culture of welcome.”

“We’re a tight-knit group that is always looking out for each other,” he said, adding that the neighborhood is like a family.

As homeowners in the Newlands Neighborhood since 1970, McCarthy and his wife, Nancy, raised their children there. And now their daughter, Jill McCarthy, and her husband, Ian Bennett, are doing the same.

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In the late 1800s, William and Mary Newland purchased 240 acres of land in the neighborhood that has continued to bear their name. They planted orchards, and many of the apple trees still stand.

The Newland’s paid about $20 an acre for their land.

In the 1970s, Dan bought his first house at 343 Alpine for $25,000.

Today houses in the subdivision, which borders Broadway, Alpine Avenue, Juniper Avenue and the Foothills, sell in a wide range from $540,000 to $6.75 million.

Residents and Realtors describe the location as well as the neighborhood culture as the draw that makes Newlands a sought-after spot to live.

The neighborhood is close to Mount Sanitas hiking and biking trails, and the North Boulder Park. And it’s within walking distance of Ideal Market and the Pearl Street Mall.

Bennett describes Newlands as self-sustained because of its proximity to all the amenities.

“It’s also a quiet neighborhood,” he said. “For as much as we are all connected through things like cellphones and LinkedIn, it’s great to have such a sense of neighborhood here.

“People here focus on family and preserve the area’s natural beauty and sense of community,” he added. “If you’re in the neighborhood you’ll see kids playing outside, and every season you’ll see us planting vegetable gardens and a tree.”

Bennett, Jill and their two young children live at 4th Street and Alpine Avenue in the same house where Jill’s babysitter lived.

Keeping the tradition of family legacies and neighborhood closeness alive, Dan hosts gatherings that range from Halloween parties and Easter egg hunts to wedding and funeral receptions.

“Our house at 237 Alpine is a wonderful location that can handle a lot of people. The key is that we love to have children around,” he said, adding that a lot of the neighborhood kids learned to drive on his garden tractor.

Marsha Badger, a Realtor with 8Z Real Estate, specializes in listing homes in the Newlands subdivision. She believes the diversity of homes and homeowners adds to the appeal of the neighborhood.

“There’s something for everyone,” she said. “You can find a 1,200-square-foot 1950s ranch house next to a newly remodeled 4,500-square-foot home.

“It’s a beautiful old neighborhood that isn’t filled with just one type of person – there are single professionals, retirees and families living there.”

Badger recently showed homes for sale in Newlands to some potential buyers from Nevada.

“People move here for the outdoors, and this area has North Boulder Park and all these hiking trails nearby,” she said. “And then there’s the backdrop of the Foothills and the Flatirons.

“Everyone loves the neighborhood and is connected to each other — they even have their own newsletter,” she added.

An attractive point about Newlands is that it has no homeowners association and no covenant restrictions – only what’s required by the city of Boulder.

“People can build what they want or add on to a house,” Badger said. The variety of homes make the neighborhood a blend of quaint and beautiful.

Newlands is comprised of about 1,100 houses, according to Badger. There are currently 15 houses on the market and eight that are under contract.

“The market has definitely changed lately to a seller’s market,” she added, describing the Boulder market.

Bennett has lived with his family in their current house for 10 years and the differences he’s seen include more foot traffic – hikers and bikers on the way to nearby trails.

Dan described the way Newland residents keep the welcoming culture alive includes interacting with those people whether they live in the neighborhood or not.

“We see people in groups night and day and we all do our little share – it takes three seconds to smile and to say hi.

“This is a unique neighborhood because everyone here cares about the neighborhood in a long-range planning way,” he added.

“Our family has certainly invested in the neighborhood too. We asked our kids where they wanted us to plant trees and what did they want this neighborhood to look like in 30 years. Now they’re talking about the same things with their children.”


BOULDER — Dan McCarthy describes his neighborhood as a “culture of welcome.”

“We’re a tight-knit group that is always looking out for each other,” he said, adding that the neighborhood is like a family.

As homeowners in the Newlands Neighborhood since 1970, McCarthy and his wife, Nancy, raised their children there. And now their daughter, Jill McCarthy, and her husband, Ian Bennett, are doing the same.

In the late 1800s, William and Mary Newland purchased 240 acres of land in the neighborhood that has continued to bear their name. They planted orchards, and many of the apple trees still stand.

The Newland’s…

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