NORTHGLENN, Colo. — Denver7's Your Voice series gives Colorado communities a chance to speak for themselves, and our latest visit brought us to Northglenn, a tight-knit, small-but-mighty suburb in North Metro Denver.
The City of Northglenn spans just seven-and-a-half square miles and is home to about 38,000 people. The small suburb boasts plenty of parks and trails, with easy access to both the mountains and downtown Denver.
▶️ Northglenn residents talk community pride, growth, and what they hope comes next with Denver7's Maggie Bryan
Denver7's Maggie Bryan heard from longtime residents, younger generations, and people drawn to Northglenn for its amenities to hear what makes the community tick.
Marcie Haloin was one of the first people to speak with Denver7 outside of the Northglenn Recreation Center, which the city rebuilt about five years ago.
"I love this rec center. I came to the old rec center," said Haloin. "Northglenn is so good to their community. They support the arts, they support recreation."
When asked what makes Northglenn unique, Haloin pointed to the city's willingness to accept diversity. Nearly 38% of people in Northglenn are Hispanic, while almost 12% of the city's residents were born outside of the country, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
"They're supportive of families," said Haloin. "I think they're doing some of the things that can make the community better, keeping an eye on safety and walkability."
Pam Moore, an essentrics teacher at the recreation center, said community investments like the new facility pay off for residents.
"Honestly, the personality of this rec center, it's hard to say, but it's like the friendliest rec center from other places I had been," said Moore. "They've really done some really nice things to improve Northglenn."
The Glenn Bar and Grill on Irma Drive is another important gathering place for people in the city. Denver7 spoke with several residents dining at the restaurant about why they choose to live in Northglenn.
"We found a really sweet little house up here, and it had a huge backyard, and it was a great place for kids, and a school right up the street, and a beautiful park right at the top of our street," said Northglenn resident Barb Turzanski. "In some of these older neighborhoods, young people are moving in and fixing up these homes, and it's just really uplifting."
Turzanski said the city is a great place for young families to find affordable starter homes.
"I think it's a well-rounded community, you know. I would just like to see them invite more young people come this way," she said.
Data from Realtor.com shows Northglenn's median home listing price sits at about $475,000, roughly $64,000 less than Denver's median listing price of $539,300.
Evelia Valencia and her wife, who's a kitchen manager at The Glenn, live in Northglenn with their children. Valencia migrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1998 and said Northglenn feels like home.
"I'm part of the LGBTQ+ family. I've always been welcome, my neighbors are very nice. There's always respect in between cultures," she said. "I think Northglenn is a good city to live [in] right now, because it's not as expensive as other areas, and still safe, it's clean."
When asked what she'd like see more of in the city, she said there should be more spaces and activities for children and teenagers.
"I would like to see a little bit more opportunities for kids, you know, to keep them busy and keep them away from electronics, you know, some outdoor outdoor sports," she said. "I can tell you it's very important for our community to focus on... our young people, because later on, we're going to be in their hands."
What is Denver7 | Your Voice? Read about the project here
Denver7 also stopped by E.B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park, a popular spot for walking, fishing and cooling off at the splash pad in the summer.
For Lorraine Meadows, a Northglenn native who attended Northglenn Middle School and Northglenn High School, returning to the area over the years has meant watching it change, not always comfortably.
"Quite a bit has changed. Over the years, coming back home to visit, I just noticed... the population just growing and growing in this area. Kind of disappointing, in a sense, you know, because it wasn't as congested as it was ten years ago," said Meadows.
Like Valencia, Meadows said while the suburb is a good place to raise a family, she'd like to see more opportunities for children.
"More parks, more things for the youth to do. I think Northglenn does a fine job. I mean, the local rec centers around here provide a lot of activities, you know, indoor and outdoor, so I think maybe something more for the youth," she said.
David Pollack said he moved from a small apartment in Denver to a four-bedroom home in Northglenn to have more space for his kids and grandchildren when they visit.
"Shopping is great, this park is great, there's trails," he said. "The proximity is great, east, west, we got family up in Fort Collins, we got family Denver."
He said when it comes to the city's identity, Northglenn still has room to grow.
"It's a smaller community surrounded by your Westminster, Thornton and Broomfield," he said. "I think it's kind of lost in the shuffle."
Aaliyah Aragon and Bryel Bruce, who are high school sweethearts now in their 20s, said they want to see more restaurants and activities for young adults in the area.
"I would definitely love to see more food places, and more things for young adults as well, like just new places for activities and stuff," said Aragon. "We love going to food places. Any new food places we're like, this is the new rage."
Denver7 will be following up with city officials about some of the topics brought up during our conversations with neighbors, including growth and development across the city.
In these Denver7 | Your Voice stories, we want to hear from you about what matters most in your community. We hope to hear what makes our communities special, the challenges facing them, and everything in between. Have an idea or want to share your thoughts? Fill out the contact form below.
