Best Places to Live Between Boulder and Denver, CO?

Hi everyone! My wife and I are moving to Colorado for Graduate school next Spring from San Diego, CA and we're trying to figure out where the best place to live would be. Her work will keep her in Denver most of the time yet Graduate school will be in Boulder. We have a medium and a small dog and we are VERY active. We love to kayak, hike, snowboard, etc and we would like a very safe area so that we can raise a child. I've been looking into Broomfield and Westminster, but it's always best to get opinions from those who actually know. Any information any of you have, we would greatly appreciate it your input. Thank you very much for your time.