Stapleton’s Homegrown Tomatoes

‎”People who get their hands in the soil have lower rates of depression, higher cognitive attention, and yes, they’re actually happier.”
Check out this recent article by Bryant Mason on the Stapleton website.  Bryant is the founder of The Urban Farm Company of Colorado and Stapleton’s new Chief Gardening Officer.  He’ll be around our new model homes a lot, teaching monthly gardening classes and helping to maintain our model home gardens.
The farm-to-table movement is really taking hold in America, and Stapleton’s next neighborhood, Conservatory Green, will be a great example of this growing trend.Edible landscaping will be everywhere in Conservatory Green–fruits, herbs, and berries growing next to playgrounds and pathways. Parkwood Homes has fully embraced the chance to help families eat and live more healthily. Each single family home we sell in Conservatory Green will include a raised garden bed, installed by Bryant Mason and The Urban Farm Company of Colorado. You get to choose what plants to grow, and you’ll get expert advice from Bryant and his team every step of the way. And with our 65′ wide lots and side-load garages, you’ll still have plenty of space to play in your backyard!

Pretty soon you and your family will be enjoying the great taste as well as the intangible benefits that come from growing your own food.


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The Evolution of Stapleton

Click here to read a blog post by John Lehigh, the President of Forest City Stapleton about the evolution of Stapleton.

Our unique history runs from the opening of the Denver Municipal Airfield in 1929 all the way through this year, when Stapleton community development jumps north across I-70 to the next neighborhood, Conservatory Green.

It’s the largest urban redevelopment project in the US.  Cool story!


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Season’s Greetings From The Parkwood Team

2012 has been a very eventful year for us at Parkwood Homes Colorado.  The housing market has picked up again, Stapleton’s Central Park West has been a big success, and we’ve added several new members to our team.

2013 looks to be even more exciting, as we finish building our last few homes in Stapleton’s south neighborhoods and prepare to move to Conservatory Green, Stapleton’s newest neighborhood.  Conservatory Green gives us the opportunity to introduce a lot of new home plans that we’re excited about.

The Shenandoah Collection of single family homes will feature our most popular floorplans, improved and adjusted to accommodate their placement on much larger lots with side-loaded garages.  The result will be a lot more space in backyards for gardening or play.  Exterior architecture is getting a makeover as well, resulting in a look that still feels like Parkwood, but fits a little more comfortably in the north neighborhoods’ garden-ready, natural prairie aesthetic.

This is one of the new exterior elevations we're working on for the Shenandoah Collection in the new Conservatory Green Neighborhood.

We’re equally enthusiastic about our new Beacon Hill Collection of townhomes.  Inspired by the best of Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, these 24-foot wide townhomes live and feel more like attached single family homes.  Detached garages, fee simple ownership, basements, and generous outdoor living space are just a few of the unique benefits that set the Beacon Hill townhomes apart.  As with all Parkwood homes, Beacon Hill townhome buyers will enjoy a high standard of interior finishes as well as the unique opportunity to sit down with our architect and really customize their floorplans.

An artist's rendering of Parkwood's new Beacon Hill Collection

We’re working on our new Conservatory Green models now, with plans to open them beginning in Spring 2013.  In the meantime, feel free to stop by and talk to Heather and Dede about what’s coming.  Liking our Facebook page will deliver the latest news, plans, and photos to your news feed.  Floorplans and more information will be posted to the website as it becomes available.

As we pause for a few days this holiday season to spend time with loved ones, the Parkwood Homes team would like to thank your for your support and wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, a Joyous Holiday Season, and a Happy New Year.

Season's Greetings from The Parkwood Team!

We LOVE seeing your Parkwood homes decorated for the Holidays!

Santa came to the Parkwood model and took requests from lots of Parkwood boys and girls.

 

 


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Top 10 Reasons Home Buyers Prefer New Homes vs Used

A very good article from newhomesource.com, going through some key factors in the new/used home decision:

Top 10 Reasons Home Buyers Prefer New Homes vs. Used

Today’s new homes offer more benefits than ever before. Here’s a quick list of the Top 10 Reasons why so many home buyers prefer new homes to used houses:

1) Design Your Dream Home Your Way: Why settle for someone else’s choices? Select your favorite cabinets, countertops, appliances, carpets and floor coverings, bath and kitchen fixtures. Your new home will reflect your taste, not someone else’s.

2) Choose a Floorplan and Room Layout that Meets Your Needs: Want a Master Bedroom on the first floor? With massive his and her’s walk-in closets? Done! With high ceilings and a luxurious, resort-style Master Bath? Would you like a sitting room with fireplace in your Owner’s Suite? French Doors opening to a private patio or the pool? Build your Master Suite, your way.

3) All New, Under Warranty: A used home has tired products that may soon need replacing. Your new home — and the products that comprise it — are brand-new and under warranty. What’s the cost to replace a roof, appliances and countertop or water heater on a used home? Those same components of your new home feature the latest designs and building materials — and they offer years of comfort and enjoyment before needing replacement.

4) Energy and Cost savings: Today’s new homes are far more energy efficient than homes built just five years ago, and no comparison to homes that are 10, 20 or even more years old. New homes offer much higher levels of performance in heating, cooling, and insulation. Why settle for drafty, energy-wasting single-pane windows in a used home? Many new homes offer double or even triple-pane windows with special coatings and inert gases between layers of glass that save energy in both heating and cooling season.

5) Comfort and Indoor Air Quality: Today’s new homes meet stringent energy standards and codes not in place in the past. They combine high-performance energy efficiency with state of the art ventilation and air filtration. The result is year-round, consistent and draft-free comfort with higher indoor air quality.

6) Low Maintenance: New cars today are computer-designed and computer-equipped and they perform far more reliably than a 10 or 20 year old car. Homes are the same. Today’s new homes not only have open floorplans and high ceilings to reflect the way we live today, they’re also made of state-of-the-art building products that require less care and maintenance.

7) Community Amenities: Many new homes are built in lavish, Master-Planned Communities with state of the art Community Centers, Pools and Clubhouses. Many new home communities feature hiking trails, protected open lands, and some of the best new schools and shopping nearby or even within your new home community.

8) Advanced Technology and Design: It’s possible to replace all of the single-pane windows in a resale home with state of the art high performance windows. It’s also possible to add insulation to a used home. However, it is very expensive to replace out of date appliances, cabinets and counter-tops in that used home. And it’s simply not realistic to dream of high ceilings on the first floor of a 10 year old two-story home. All the more reason to build it your way for the way you live today.

9) Safety: State of the art circuit breakers. Electric garage door openers with infrared beams that stop if a tricycle or child is too near. High-efficiency furnaces and air conditioners that use the latest environmentally-friendly coolants. Cabinets, carpets and paints that use fewer Volatile Organic Compounds so you and your family can breathe easier.

10) That New Home Feel: A used home was someone else’s dream, reflecting someone else’s choices, and someone else’s family memories. You may love avocado-green appliances and you may be willing to scrub stained countertops or grease-encrusted ovens and cooktops but more and more people prefer that never lived-in feel.

When was the last time you went to a department store and selected used clothes? Or visited a car dealer and paid more for a used car than a new car?

New homes offer the latest designs, style, comfort and quality and provide a care-free lifestyle so that you can enjoy your home, not work on it.


Posted in Buying a Home, Customization Tagged , , ,

Walk Appeal: What Makes a Place “Walkable”?

Excellent article by Steve Mouzon from The Original Green on the factors that drive a place’s “Walk Appeal.” Why do we enjoy strolls in great places, but will get in the car to drive 200 yards in other places? He also helps answer one of the most common questions/concerns we get at Parkwood Homes: “Why are the houses so close together?”

http://www.originalgreen.org/blog/walk-appeal.html?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150916012636891_22379968_10150941931091891#f12adfe3e51721e

three women walking past a sidewalk cafe in Parma, Italy

University Drive streetscape in Huntsville, Alabamapower center parking lot in Huntsville, Alabama

 


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Parkwood Celebrates 10 Years in Stapleton With a Family Block Party

This summer, Parkwood Homes celebrates 10 years in Stapleton.  We’re so very happy to have been a part of building this great community from the beginning, and are excited about what’s still to come.

On July 23rd, we welcomed Parkwood homeowners from all ten years to a family block party on the mews outside our model homes.  Dark skies threatened and gusting winds blew, but good food, fun, and company was enjoyed by well over a hundred guests.  Famous Dave’s brought the food, Wine Cellars at Stapleton put on a wine tasting, and we had live music, face painting, and balloon animals.

Most of our new home buyers in Denver are now either Stapleton residents who are trading up, or have friends who live in Stapleton, so we know that our success depends on customer loyalty and a strong reputation.  We love what we do, and always try our best to make every Parkwood buyer a raving fan.  Thank you for a great 10 years!


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“Nature’s Dinner Table” at the Bluff Lake Nature Center, Thursday night, July 26th at 6:30

Come on out tonight for the latest in Bluff Lake Nature Center’s Summer Fireside Chat Series, sponsored by Parkwood. Here’s some info on this week’s installment, which will be followed, as always, by the roasting of marshmallows:

“NATURE’S DINNER TABLE with Paul Reimer, Four Mile Historic Park. Look at some of the plants and herbs pioneers and Native Americans used as food and medicines in the Old West. Explore Bluff Lake’s unique mix of prairie and wetlands to find some edible plants!”


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BUG NIGHT at the Bluff Lake Nature Center

Parkwood homeowners, Stapleton residents and neighborhood friends heard all about BUGS last Thursday at the Bluff Lake Nature Center. Jody Morse, naturalist from Bear Creek Lake Park, entertained and educated the audience and even served edible crickets! Her Bugs in a Rug recipe was adapted from the Eat a Bug Cookbook.

For those who didn’t fill up on bugs last night, Bluff Lake provided marshmallows for a roast after Jody’s presentation.

Three more Fireside Chats will be held this summer at Bluff Lake Nature Center. Join sponsor Parkwood Homes on July 26, August 9 and August 23. Visit BluffLakeNatureCenter.org for more information.

Check out the photos below of Jody, the bugs, and the kids!

 


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Join us for FREE Fireside Chats at Bluff Lake Nature Center this Summer!

Parkwood Homes is proud to sponsor Bluff Lake Nature Center’s Fireside Chats this summer!  As we prepare to build new homes in Stapleton’s upcoming Bluff Lake neighborhood, we wanted to highlight the great outdoor opportunities available at the nearby Bluff Lake Nature Center.

These fireside chats (and marshmallow roasts) are a fun and educational outdoor activity for the summer months.  A great way to spend a summer evening with the family!

Last Thursday we heard from Liz Wickard, an interpretive naturalist from the Morrison Nature Center, who entertained children and adults alike with her raccoon tales at Bluff Lake Nature Center’s amphitheater.  Afterwards, everyone enjoyed roasting (and eating!) marshmallows.

Tell your friends and join the fun at the next fireside chat June 28 at 6:30, when we’ll learn all about Remarkable Reptiles from The Denver Zoo!

 

 


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Denver 9News Features Stapleton

Check out this news feature on Denver’s NBC affiliate, 9News:

http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/271325/222/Stapleton-Phase-II-expansion-moving-forward

Tom Gleason from Forest City talks about the state of Stapleton at 10 years, and what’s coming next.  Notice the Parkwood streetscape they show, featuring a brick St. Michaels with a wrap porch.

We’re so proud and happy to have played a part in building such a unique and successful community, and look forward to many more years of working with Forest City to create great places for families to live!

 

 


Posted in New Urbanism and Smart Development, Stapleton Tagged , , , ,