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The Ranch turns silver

Contributed by: Brian Phillips on 6/29/2006

Well, now. Highlands Ranch, the absolute epitome of suburban living, turns 25 this year. As a seven year resident, I have naturally acquired a thought or two about the land I call home.

Before my wife, Dena, and I moved to Highlands Ranch in 1999, we lived in a charming little rental in Bonnie Brae. We loved that neighborhood, and for good reason. Bonnie Brae Ice Cream and Bonnie Brae Pizza were within walking distance, and Washington Park was just a few more steps. We lived a young couple's dream with all the hipness that comes with living near the city.

One day, it occurred to us that buying a house would be a great investment. Since we loved Bonnie Brae, we casually looked at a few homes for sale. It didn't take long for us to realize that $225,000 was a lot of dough to fork over for just 900 square feet of early to mid 20th Century architectural character.

For us, the decision was easy. If we couldn't find a great place for a reasonable price in zip code 80210, then Highlands Ranch was it. Nothing else would do.

Mere mention of the words "we found a place in Highlands Ranch" would elicit a colorful variety of comments from our city friends. If you live here, you have no doubt heard them too: "Oooo, Highlands Ranch! When do you get your Range Rover?" Or "Isn't that like almost Colorado Springs?" We usually offer a room for the night whenever we host visitors from Denver. It is a lengthy round trip, after all.

There are two sides to The Ranch. There is the side that I try not to think too much about -- the sprawl, the chain restaurants, the bank/liquor store/grocery/nail salon/dry cleaners combination seemingly on every corner. Where my house sits, I once rode my mountain bike with nothing around but coyotes, rabbits, and a fox or two. In just a few short years, it has become a sea of siding, shingles, and sod. While it pains me to have witnessed a chunk of the area's natural beauty destroyed, I certainly can't complain since I contributed to it.

The other side is the natural beauty of the area. Sprawling development aside, one can't help but marvel at the amazing Front Range landscape when heading west on Wildcat Reserve at either sunrise or sunset. Or take a little hike up to Highlands Point behind Mountain Vista High School and behold the view across the Backcountry Wilderness Area. Pinch yourself because yes, you live here. This is a perfect example of the many places that feel like a world away but are comfortably within suburbia.

There are indeed a number of aspects about The Ranch that are ripe and begging to be plucked from the big tree of jokes and jabs. But to me, it promotes its own culture of vivacity. If you peek outside on a nice morning, you will see walkways and trails teeming with walkers and runners. Saturday mornings out on the roadways might lead you to believe that there's some sort of bike festival in town -- cyclists are everywhere. People here are absolutely out of their minds about being outside.

Maybe it's a mass yearning for the good old days, but neighbors say hi, lend you eggs, invite you for dinner, and host block parties. The ladies "play" Bunco (also known as wine tasting), and the men get together for poker (yes, they really play). The Ranch I know is definitely not snooty, that's for sure.

And ever so slowly, it appears that we have acquired a sense of community - a sense of "our town". The new Town Center and Civic Green Amphitheater hold such great promise for making our community feel like a place to hang out and enjoy just like our counterparts in the city. The Tattered Cover has mercifully graced us with an independent book shop while cozy Landsdowne Arms seems like it has been here for decades. Hopefully within the next 25 years, we will see an independent film venue and an art gallery or two. Then, we'd be set.

Since 1981, Highlands Ranch has emerged as one of the foremost planned communities in the nation. No community is without its shortcomings and Highlands Ranch is no exception. But overall, when I look at what this gleaming 'burb has to offer, I can't think of a more ideal setting for raising a family in Colorado.

Perhaps I paint an idealistic picture and my golly-gee outlook is tainted by my decision to make The Ranch my home. Or maybe it's because I just got home from our neighborhood block party.

Happy Silver Anniversary, Highlands Ranch.


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Showing 1 of 1 comments
Submitted By: Steve Shultz
posted on 6/29/2006 @ 1:18:22 PM
Rated Story
Awesome posting, Brian.
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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Brian Phillips

Highlands Ranch , CO

Brian Phillips has posted 13 stories and 16 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. Brian Phillips 's average story rating is 4.94.
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