Castle Pines North Incorporates

CASTLE PINES NORTH — This is not your typical Colorado city.
For example, there is no real "downtown." There is a golf course, 65 businesses in a shopping area off of Castle Pines Parkway exit on I-25, and more than 30 homeowners' associations for subdivisions with names like "Forest Park," "BristleCone," and "The Retreat."
There's no city hall — yet.
And that's because Castle Pines North is the state's newest city, born Tuesday when voters here chose to incorporate. But don't look for this city in your phone book; everyone's mailing address here is still Castle Rock.
The 9,500 residents of this Douglas County community 20 miles south of Denver — where the average house sells for more than half a million dollars — prize the area's unhurried lifestyle. They're more likely to see an elk or a deer than a McDonald's, and they like that.
What else do you need to know about this fledgling 2,437-acre city?
We asked local "experts" Tim Gamble, 58, a resident since 1990, and Ron Clark, assistant Douglas County attorney, a resident since 1986, a year after houses started being built in the area.
First store to open in the city:
The Country Market, according to Gamble, which no longer exists. It has been replaced by the Castle Rock Bank on the Parkway shopping center. The market was the "only thing around for nine miles." Clark said the store was a place to get soup and sandwiches.
Most famous resident:
While Gamble said "there's a cast of characters that would fill up a 19th-century novel," he admits he doesn't know of any famous resident. Clark said he knows of one famous resident, Bill Winter, who ran against Congressman Tom Tancredo in 2006.
Best place to have a beer on a Friday night:
Tucson, jokes Gamble, before saying, "The best place to grab a beer around her is at your friend's house."
"We have a long history of getting together at a friend's house because there wasn't any other place to go."
Clark prefers Vinoteca, a wine bar in the Parkway shopping center.
Best place to grab a cup of coffee:
Clark and Gamble say the Starbucks next to the Castle Rock Bank is the ideal place to get your morning brew.
Little known facts about the city:
"Well, we're one day old," Gamble said. "The little known fact is that there's very little known facts."
Clark remembers that at one point in the late 1980s, the Castle Pines North metro district went bankrupt and was unable to pay the bonds for the development.
Wildlife you are most likely to see:
"We have bunnies coming out of our ears," said Gamble, before adding that besides the foxes, owls and snakes, lately there have been bear and mountain lion sightings.
Clark said it's not unusual to see elk, and Wednesday morning he spotted some deer.
Town slogan:
The reason Castle Pines North chose to incorporate was because its neighbor to the south, Castle Pines Village, wanted to incorporate and take the 65 businesses with it. Hence, Gamble said, the town slogan leading up to the election was, "Oh, no you didn't!"
Clark suggests the new slogan should be, "A place to call home."