Olde Town Arvada is bursting at the seams with unique shops, entertainment and delightful community events. And it’s also a great place to live. In fact, Niche.com gave Arvada with an A- for Public Schools and Good for Families, and a B+ for Nightlife and Diversity.

People love Old Towne because you get the same type of cool walking neighborhood like Tennyson Street or Highlands Square but at a much lower price.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Olde Town is the site of Colorado’s first documented gold strike in 1850 at the mouth of a small stream that fed into Clear Creek, now named Ralston Creek after the lucky miner. Twenty years later Olde Town was established.

The neighborhood’s boundaries are Ralston Road on the north, Grandview Avenue on the south, Yukon Street on the west and the Wadsworth Boulevard Bypass on the east. The neighborhood is just off I-70, making for an easy commute to downtown Denver or the mountains. The G light rail line, which will have an Olde Town station, is now approved for testing and should open soon, according to RTD.

The community features mostly three-bedroom, two-bath ranch. There are new townhomes as well, including ones just a couple blocks south of Grandview.

What makes Olde Towne so fabulous are the more than 75 small, mom-and-pop restaurants, shops, galleries, breweries and even a winery. Given its popularity, in 2018 Olde Town opened a transit hub with 600 four-hour parking spaces at 7510 Grandview Ave.

Great eateries include the Breadwinner’s Café, 7311 Grandview Ave., perfect for breakfast; Rheinlander Bakery, 5721 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., baking all manner of desserts and traditional baked goods since 1963 like strudels; and the Yak and Yeti Brewpub at 7803 Ralston Rd., featuring Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan fare as well as craft beers.

As far as shops go, one of the coolest is Charlie’s FlyBox, 7279 W. 52^nd Ave, with one of the best selections of fly-fishing supplies in all of Colorado and classes to teach you the skills you’ll need for fishing-on-the-river success. Unlike most corporate stores, the owner Charlie is there to greet you with a friendly smile and attend to all your needs.

Charlie’s FlyBox is just one of the 42 shops and beauty/wellness establishments you can find in Old Towne. It’s not all just shopping and eating, though, as partying has a big role in Olde Town. First Friday Art Walks, the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, A Chocolate Affair, the Arvada Winterfest, and Arvada On Tap are all big hits..

About one mile north of Olde Towne at 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. is the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, which celebrates their 50th anniversary this year. Each year the Arvada Center produces musicals, plays and children’s plays, as well as hosts 25+ concerts in its 1,600-seat outdoor amphitheater.

Most schools in Arvada are in the Jefferson County School District. High schools include Arvada, Arvada West and Pomona. There are six middle schools and numerous elementary schools in the vicinity. Olde Town is just a great neighborhood and community. Whether you’re thinking of moving or not, spend a day there checking out all it has to offer.