Moving to Denver - Rec Neighborhoods

[Chris Bunya]

My wife and I are planning on moving to Denver, CO in early January. We have been traveling outside of the US for the last two years. We plan on renting for 6-12 mos while we research the area, get involved with the local REI community and network. We would love to house hack and buy a multi-family property in the 400k plus or minus 50k range. Our plan is to hold onto the house forever and eventually buy another one. I understand the Denver market is hot and highly competitive but we're just hoping to put our feet in the water, make a little money, learn a lot, and repeat.

I'm trying to narrow down our research to a few neighborhoods where we can focus.  Because we'll be living in the house for awhile, we're looking for a few things in particular:

1. Safety.  Must be a safe neighborhood for my wife.
2. Close proximity to the commuter (or light) rail.  I hope to be working in downtown Denver and would love to be able to hop on a train or ride a bike to work.
3. Long term investment.  I'm not looking for a quick buck, so I'm okay with slow, steady growth.
4. At least average public schools.

Can anyone recommend any good neighborhoods in the greater Denver area where I should be focusing my efforts?