I think I want to move to Colorado

Colorado is a very nice state. It's really dry though, so depending on where you're from, if you aren't used to dry climes then I suggest you buy some Chapstick or some sort of lip balm. Because you're gonna need it. Oh, and buy an aircondiditioner for the hot summers :D.
 
A couple of years ago we spent two weeks in CO. One in Vail and one in Winter Park. We enjoyed our stay there, but I don't think that I would like to live there.
I have friends in Denver and Boulder. Both tell me that CO is becoming a nanny state. I suspect that it's only in the big cities.

Living in MD, I doubt that you would be bothered by the temperatures in CO. I'm sure that it's dryer then MD, but not a dry as AZ.

What part are you looking at? Got a job?
 
Thinner air. One of our members from CO that moved to DC, said he is a big guy, and moved around a lot easier down here. Now the reverse of that, that is another story.
 
Amazingly beautiful place. Some very cool towns. My wife's company has an office there and I love it. But water is a problem always and as I understand it getting a job is hard there.
 
I have spent a lot of time in CO mostly in Beaver Creek over the last 25 years. I am good with the altitude up to and over 12K feet. I plan on doing a lot of fishing if I do go out there. There may not be a surplus of water but I know there are beautiful rivers and streams full of clean water in abundance. I did live in SoCal for about 5 years not long ago so I have some experience with dry climates. Thanks for the replies and I will keep you guys posted on my plans as they develop. -DT
 
CO is a great place to live, cool scenery and lots to do in the outdoors. On the other hand it is very expensive and not very pro business.

Overall I like it...
 
Colorado is one of the most beautiful states and I love to visit there, especially on the motorcycle. But...

The most scenic areas are high in the mountains where it's very cold, and where it snows at least half of the year.
The Front Range (Denver, C-Springs, Boulder...) is a massive area of over-developed suburban sprawl. Pollution, congestion...
The most well-known mountain towns are now unrecognizable from their authentic mountain pasts. Massively developed, incredibly expensive, overcrowded. The ski resort and gambling areas are the least desirable places in Colorado to me. Vale, Aspen, Cripple Creek, Durango. This also mostly applies, with exceptions, to any place within commuting distance west of Denver, and the I70 corridor.

If I were moving to Colorado here are some areas I would consider:
Some of the towns in the mid-south mountains. Seasonally over-run by tourists, but not overly commercialized and still small. Lake City, for example. Maybe Gunnison if you something a bit larger.
Just north of New Mexico about halfway across the state are some areas where the counties have successfully fought off developers and land subdivisions. What remains are traditional American farms and ranches, and authentic small towns, while still being surrounded by amazing scenery and millions of acres of easily-accessible public lands. Saugache is a great example.
Or I'd seek out an area of the state where, simply, few people want to live. No commercialized developments, no mountains, no interstates, no subdivisions, no oilfields. Look to the southeast quarter of the state. Kim, Branson, Springfield. If you're looking for peace and quiet, escape from the modern congestion, and traditional western living, this is one of the last remnants in Colorado.
 
It's Vail, bro. Not Vale. Just sayin'. I'm thinking of Estes Park or Durango. Or maybe Edwards.
 
Durango is an neat city. I grew up near grand junction and stayed til I was 18. It's a great place to visit but I don't think I would want to live there again. My only advice is: bring money ;)
 
My advice would be "don't", but that's just me. The last couple of times I went through the mountain areas, it was like driving through New York City. I saw a lot of the state when I was a child, but most of what I remember is gone now, replaced by hordes of yuppies.
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
CO is a great place to live, cool scenery and lots to do in the outdoors. On the other hand it is very expensive and not very pro business.

Overall I like it...
Click to expand...
I drove through Bayfield last month. Beautiful turf!!!
I guess "expensive" is kind of a subjective term
Compared to California, I find Colorado to be A LOT cheaper (food and gas, mostly)

I like Durango as well...Nice little college town. Never been there in winter though

Just north of New Mexico about halfway across the state are some areas where the counties have successfully fought off developers and land subdivisions. What remains are traditional American farms and ranches, and authentic small towns, while still being surrounded by amazing scenery and millions of acres of easily-accessible public lands. Saugache is a great example.
Click to expand...
I'm 71 miles south of Saugache
What Bob said is correct
You can get land pretty cheap here in Southern Colorado
(I think my house is worth maybe $30,000, tops)
But, it's mostly rabbitbrush. No trees. No streams. Just rabbit brush and dirt....
A lot of people that buy the land are kind of the "off the grid type" ( iahte to sterotype..I'm sure there are retired folks and those who love the outdoors too)
They build a lot of straw bale homes and Yurts. Grow gardens.
Water is an issue, though.

The bad news is extreme poverty and unemployment
Unless you are a rancher, farmer, fly fishing guide or narrow gauge steam train engineer===>
You are kind of SOL :(

You would definitely have better job opportunities in Durango or Estes Park than The San Luis Valley
Depending on what you do for work, obviously
IMHO..I would go for you have the best chances of finding a job
No matter where you go, you will still be VERY close to the beautiful trees, rivers, trout, eagles,etc. that The Centennial State has to offer

I did meet a guy with a PHD in Music who left his cozy, academia job and became a fly fishing guide
I call him Dr. Nymph....lol
I asked him why he picked Conejos County and he said "I fell in love with The Conejos River"
So, there is a lot to be said about the beauty and therapeutic nature of The Rocky Mountains

As far as WINTER and the cold in Colorado
I can not comment...LOL
I'm staying here in winter for the 1st time in my life:eek::cower:
I always wanted to own an ice scraper though ;)
Maybe I'll get a titanium version.....:)

Good luck with your decision and please do keep us posted
If your down my way and need a place to stay while looking for a job or home or go fishing or hunting
Your more than welcome at my humble abode (actually it's cinderblock, not adobe.......lol)
Well...I might need 2 character references first...heheheh.....j/k!!
 
I try not to concern myself with money or hippies. I know that they exist and try to disregard. I do like the money and I plan on making some. For myself and for others.
 
I lived in Colorado Springs for 4 years ... still own a nice house there.

Yes, the economy there goes up and down like a see-saw. Other than that, the winters can be a challenge if you don't know how to deal with the occasional blizzard.

Otherwise ... I'd move back there myself.
 
I kid cuz I wish I could make the move too. I have been to Colorado once and it is amazing. I am into trail running and Colorado is the hot spot for that kind of thing. Rock on brother and make it yours.
 
I live literally only a few hundred yards inside the beltway. I wake up each morning to the drone of the traffic. And I get stuck in that same traffic all the time. :barf:
 
dttomcat said:
I live literally only a few hundred yards inside the beltway. I wake up each morning to the drone of the traffic. And I get stuck in that same traffic all the time. :barf:
Click to expand...

Well, good lord! No wonder you want to escape.

I used to live in Stafford (16 years), but finally moved up to just south of the Quantico river. That's close enough for me. Of course, my commute could only properly be described by a poet ... say, Dante!

But do be a bit wary of good, old CO. Plenty of disaffected folks have migrated from California (and elsewhere) whilst I've been gone. And I wasn't kidding about the yo-yo economy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top