A Blog Series
By Darlene Ashley-Jenkins
Central Park Resident
My name is Darlene. It’s still difficult for me to believe, let alone say that I’m a widow.
I met my late husband, Mark, in September 2007. At that time, he was living in a Central Park apartment in the E. 29th Avenue neighborhood, which he loved. I also owned a home in Green Valley Ranch but had always had my sights on living either downtown or owning a house somewhere else in Denver.
I loved the neighborhood Mark lived in and saw us building a family and a home to raise our children inCentral Park . I also loved the Farmers Market and all of the activities provided to the Central Park residents. And I loved how close the homes were to the shopping and entertainment in The Shops at Northfield.
I work in Downtown Denver, so it was much closer to Central Park, but my husband and I married in 2008 and we moved into the home in Green Valley Ranch with the plan to pay off bills, work on expanding our family, and one day, move into the Central Park neighborhood.
My husband was a soldier in the Colorado National Guard, and he was deployed in the winter of 2010. Our plans to sell the home and move to Central Park were put on hold. Then, in 2012, my husband was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and he passed away 80 days after a bone marrow transplant that we had hoped would provide a cure.
In the fall of 2013, as I sorted through my life, I made the decision to continue with our plans to own a home and live in Central Park. I looked at many homes online and I paid a visit to Conservatory Green neighborhood on three different occasions.
I looked at many homes of Central Park’s nine builders, but I fell in love with the “Poppy” model by CalAtlantic Homes. This home spoke to me. Its style was just right for a home in the city. I could instantly see myself living there.
Today, I love the open feeling the floor plan provides. I love entertaining and this floor plan suits my way of living quite nicely. I can’t wait to start over while realizing our dream at the same time. I’m looking forward to getting to know the neighborhood and all that it has to offer!
