Why of course … Niwot Colorado!  My grandmother says that you’re always suppose to talk nice about people after they die, or maybe even name a town after them or a street!  How many times have you thought, where in the world did they come up with that name?  Named after Chief Niwot, an Arapahoe tribal leader, Niwot Colorado, an unincorporated village,  as we know it today is located 9 miles northeast of Boulder Colorado, spitting range, OK, cycling range in modern terminology, from Longmont,  Lafayette,  Louisville and Boulder Colorado.  With an elevation of 5095 feet,  this 4.1 mile unincorporated village is a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding cities.  It really reminds me of the “old west” and it makes you say “I want to live here”. If you’re looking for a place to relocate that’s close to Boulder with a sense of history and old world charm, the town of Niwot might be a consideration.  A peaceful man,  Chief Niwot and his Arapaho people played an important part of Colorado history.  His tribesman lived along the Front Range, wintering in the Boulder Valley and made encampments on Left Hand Creek (which is 3 miles west of present day Niwot in the Boulder County foothills) that provided famous lookout points for buffalo and whatever else roamed the ranges, and where tepee groundings can still be found.  He died at the hands of the Colorado Territory Militia at the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 and so… to make it sound not so horrible…along with the town of Niwot Coloardo, other areas have been named after him such as Lefthand Canyon (Niwot meaning “lefthanded)  and Niwot Mountain.

Two years after the Colorado Central Railroad extended it’s tracks Northeast from Boulder creating links to Wyoming and Denver, Niwot was officially platted in 1875.  For 75 years this quiet Colorado town straddled the railroad creating business to the west of the tracks and neighborhoods to the east of the tracks.  Between 1907 – 1915 most of the business shop buildings, still present today, were built and Niwot has the second oldest active Grange in Colorado.  Today historic business district of Niwot extends from 2nd Avenue to Cottonwood Square and is filled with trendy sports shops, coffee shops and cafes, a bakery, antique shops and a romantic French restaurant called Coltera.  Niwot Tavern has a “cheers like”  casual atmosphere with good food, live music and patio dining and Abo’s Pizza won best of Boulder Colorado for 14 years.

As with any small town USA, it doesn’t stay small for very long.  Within walking distance to historic downtown you can purchase a small 1970’s 1-2 bedroom condo, in Cottonwood Park, ranging in price from $75,000 – $200,000 with square footage around 550 sq. feet to close to 1000 sq. feet.   One of Niwot’s newest neighborhoods is called Fox Haven where you can still purchase 1/2 acre lots ranging in price from $175,000 – $300,000 and build your own custom home.  If your budget is middle of the range from $400,000 – $ 750,000 (yes folks, that middle for Boulder) you can find plenty of 3-4 bedroom homes or townhomes ranging from 2500 – 4000 square feet on nice 1/3 or 1/2 acre lots in the outlying subdivisions of Boulder Hills, Centrebridge, Johnson Farm, North Rim and Niwot Estates

Boulder is not known for it’s frugality in home prices and Niwot is ranked the 17th wealthiest area in the State of Colorado.  Boarded by open space and the breathtaking views of the snow capped Rocky Mountains, the high end communities of Somerset, Waterford, North Rim 2, Quiet Retreat, Legend Ridge, Heather Hills provide relaxing 4000-6000 sq. foot gorgeous custom homes with the community of Somerset as the premier community offering homes up to 8000 sq. feet and the price tags to go with them between $850,000 and $2,000,000+.

Part of the draw to Niwot is the location of course, but the schools are rated one of Colorados’ best.  Located in the St. Vrain Valley Public School District (in Boulder County) the Niwot schools receive consistently high Accountabilty Reports.  The private school sector is also well represented such as the Boulder Jewish Day School, Boulder Prep Charter High School, Friends School, Waldorf School, Boulder Technical Ed Center and Front Range Community College, Boulder Campus.

Starting in 1965, initiated by the new IBM plant located at the intersection of the Diagonal and Rt. 52,  business made a strong comeback to the area around Niwot, bringing with it the need for more housing.  Many of the older farms are now gone, but downtown Niwot still resembles it’s early years.  The Niwot Business Associaton sponsorship is very involved in the community and helps usher in programs such as the Niwot Summer Concerts, Rhythm on the Rails at Whistle Stop Park, Lobster Bash, 4th of July Parade with a pancake breakfast, Farmers Market, Niwot Timberline Symphony and the Easter Egg Hunt and Halloween Parade.

As an alternative to “Boulder Life”, Niwot I think, is the place to be.

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about with all the chemicals in our food, our furniture, our carpet, and toys manufactured in a country far away we now have to worry about Radon gas too?  Radon is an odorless (not like grandpa’s gas), colorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that’s formed from the decay of radium contained in rock, soil, and water.  Radon gas reportedly causes over 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States.  It is also the second most frequent cause of lung cancer deaths with cigarette smoking taking the number one spot.
When purchasing a home, especially a home with a basement, it is very important to have the radon levels checked before you buy the home.  Most home inspectors are able to perform a radon test and the cost to do so is usually around $100.  According to the EPA, radon levels above 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) are a health hazard.  If radon levels are high you should install a radon mitigation system.  Most radon mitigation systems will start at $800 or higher depending on the size of the basement, crawl spaces, and foundation/flooring composition.

Radon levels vary depending on geographic locations and soil composition and levels from home to home can vary.  If you would like to see where radon levels are most prevalent check out the map below.

A good real estate agent will always recommend you test for radon if you are about to purchase a home with a basement.  It is definitely worth the extra money to test for radon especially if you will be spending time in the basement of your new home.  A short term test may take 2-3 days and test results may take an additional 1-3 so get this tested as soon as possible after you are under contract.  Most sellers are willing to remedy the issue by installing or paying for a radon mitigation system.

Don’t be a RADON casualty!!