The freeway cuts through the area, providing a distinct boundary between the larger estate-sized residential parcels to the north of the freeway and the commercial, recreational and retail areas south of the freeway.

Canyon View Park, the city's largest developed park and the largest regional sports park between Salt Lake City and Denver, borders the northwest area between G Road and I-70, providing soccer fields, tennis courts, playground areas, football fields, volleyball courts, a dog park and jogging trails.

"From an economic perspective, it's probably one of the biggest drivers of sales tax in the Grand Valley," says Joe Stevens, the director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Grand Junction. "It generates a lot of revenue." Stevens estimates that the Fall Classic Soccer tournament, which brings in 85 soccer teams from the Rocky Mountain region for the weekend is a bigger economic boon than Juco or Country Jam.

Canyon View is more than just an income generator. It provides those recreational activities residents want while establishing an inviting gateway to the city from the freeway via 24 Road. City planners are intent on maintaining that welcoming look all along the 24 Road corridor, with pedestrian-friendly lighting, open space and uniform parking, landscape and architectural guidelines for all new projects.

Ascent Commercial Development, which developed Canyon View Marketplace, plans to include a village layout in front of the new Regal Cinemas, with restaurants and retail shops. In addition, the company owns 20 acres to the north of the theater, and development plans include their portion of the bike trail that will eventually connect Canyon View Park to Mesa Mall.

There are plenty of large open parcels of land in the northwest area. Closer to Mesa Mall and Highway 6 & 50, the land is zoned commercial. Further north, the land becomes mixed-use, which would allow for retail, residential and commercial development. At this point, most of the development is further south. There have been no plans submitted for residential development south of I-70 in the northwest area, but some planners anticipate that it's only a matter of time, especially for multi-family units.

Community Hospital owns 40 acres in the northwest area, on G Road between 23 and 24 Road. They have plans to begin developing a healthcare campus that would include a replacement hospital and adjacent medical office space for physicians within the next 12 months. According to Becky Jessen, vice president of marketing for Community Hospital, this construction planning and process could take up to three years to complete.

North of I-70 near 24 Road there has been a proposal for a new shopping area, but most of the land under consideration is still zoned estate or agricultural land and must go through a growth plan amendment process to allow for commercial development. Most of the available housing in the northwest area is north of the freeway in areas that are outside of the Persigo Agreement, which outlines areas that will be included in the city limits of Grand Junction when they're developed, with sewer service provided by the Persigo Water Treatment Plant. In addition, the area has historically been agricultural, which means the older homes sit on larger lots. Because of the need for septic tanks, new homes must also have larger lots. Some areas call for one house per five acres, while other areas allow for one house per two acres.

There is a buffer zone between Grand Junction and Fruita in the northwest area. The buffer zone lies between 20 and 21 Roads, extending from the BLM land to the Colorado River.

"The intent of that is to keep it agricultural and kind of rural," says Michael Warren, senior planner with Mesa County. Some of the land in the buffer zone has a permanent conservation easement placed on it, which means it cannot be developed. As for the rest of the northwest area, Warren says, "Ultimately, probably past our lifetime, that area is going to be part of the metro area of Grand Junction."

For the time being, lots in the northwest are large, with expansive views of the Bookcliffs, Grand Mesa and the Colorado National Monument. With new retail and commercial development nearby, rapidly rising land costs and rapidly rising construction costs, that translates into higher prices for new construction in the northwest area, as compared to other areas in town where homes sit on city-sized lots with peek-a-boo views.

"We don't have the traffic like the Redlands does," says Priscilla Studt, broker associate with RE/MAX, who's selling several small acreage properties in Pritchard Mesa Estates. "It's an undiscovered place, a quiet place."

Home prices in Pritchard Mesa start at $700,000. Existing homes may also command a high price, especially if they're sitting on larger lots that can still be developed. "There's not many older homes on the market currently," says Christi Reece, broker associate with Bray Real Estate. "They're out there, but they don't come on the market very often. People are really loving that larger acreage out there."

The school district has discovered the area, however, and has purchased 40 acres north and west of Appleton Elementary School in anticipation of future needs. The type of school that will eventually be built is still undetermined. Currently, Appleton Elementary is the only school in the northwest area. Students in the northwest are bused to Fruita secondary schools.

With the commercial development plans in place both north and south of the freeway, the face of the northwest area is changing. It's more convenient than ever, with recreational, shopping and dining options that make it an inviting place to call home. Unfortunately, those who'd like to call it home without spending at least $500,000 may have to wait for homes on smaller lots that may some day be built south of I-70.

There is more multi-family housing available in Clifton than in other parts of the valley. Much of it was built in response to the oil shale boom of the late 1970s and early 80s. Some of those boom duplexes can be purchased for well under $200,000 and have attracted investment buyers who are looking to rent out one or both sides of the duplex.

Generally, newer properties have higher price tags, but buyers can still buy a single unit in a newer duplex for less than $150,000. Small acreage building lot closer to the buffer zone between Palisade and Clifton and outside of the sewer district offer incredible views of Mt. Garfield and Grand Mesa, and can be found for less than $200,000.

Residents in Clifton have resisted attempts to incorporate more than once, leaving the county in charge of its future. The county isn't taking the responsibility lightly, however, and hopes to create a more cohesive community, with desirable places to live, shop, work and play.