The Lakes Limelight: Karen Klein

If you see a couple of adorable Corgis around the neighborhood, that’s George and Tiger. And at the end of their leash, you’ll find their owner, resident Karen Klein. She and her husband Brad moved to Barefoot Lakes from Windsor in March 2019, and they’ve loved every minute of it.

So what brought the Kleins to Barefoot Lakes? With three adult daughters out of the house, they wanted a home that better fit their needs — including a location a little closer to family in Denver and Karen’s job in nearby Loveland. (Not to mention not so many bedrooms.) Once they saw their Brookfield Home Avenue 6 plan, they were sold — with the detached garage being one of the main reasons why, at least according to Brad, who wanted the cars and tools separate from the house. (Every guy’s dream. ) For Karen, who grew up in the Bonnie Brae area of Denver, the floorplan and detached garage felt reminiscent of the home where she spent her childhood.

Then they moved in, and discovered a lot more to love about the community — the namesake lakes, for one (or should we say two). Mornings usually find them on the part gravel/part paved Lake Loop trail, where a full trip around is 2.8 miles (which they’ll double when they decide to take the bikes). And yes, sometimes those cute Corgis make an appearance, too. “It wasn’t as nice to get outside and walk in Windsor,” Karen told us. “There were no nature trails. And no lakes.”

The Kleins spend time outside at their home, too — which Karen says has provided the perfect opportunity to meet neighbors. “We didn’t know anyone when we moved here, but are friends with everyone now … the way our homes sit, especially with the patios and porches, allows for way more interaction with neighbors than our old neighborhood. When we get home, we’re able to wave to our neighbors and catch up.”

Beyond new friends, Karen and Brad have also discovered new places to explore around the area. Like Longmont, with its beautiful views, craft breweries (Left Hand is a favorite), and the LoBo Trail — a 15-mile paved bike trail that runs along open space and farmland from Longmont to Boulder (and its awesome Saturday farmers market). Other favorite spots include Wild Cider, a beautiful Orchard 15 minutes east. The Silver Spur in Platteville, with its homemade bread and pizza. And the nearby towns of Frederick and Niwot, with their quaint restaurants and main streets. As Karen pointed out, north, south, east or west, you can get anywhere you need to go easily and quickly, from Denver to Fort Collins and beyond. But don’t let the accessibility fool you … our location is just far enough from the highway where you feel wonderfully secluded, too. (We may be biased, but it really is as perfect as it sounds.)

A special thanks to Karen for sitting down and chatting with us. If you’re interested in experiencing the Barefoot Lakes life for yourself, come visit us. (Or start your home search right here.)

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