Moving from Brazil to either Colorado Springs or Boise (Meridian: ski resorts, violent crime)

[mfalmeida]

Hi

me and my wife are moving from Brazil to Colorado Springs or Boise due to a job relocation. We are both 29 / 26 and no kids. I will have a job since I'm going to work in the same company I'm working right now. My wife is a nurse, I believe she is a registered nurse since she has a college degree. Our city in Brazil is very hot in the summer can reach 105 F easily and no so cold in the winter, I would say 35-40 F, and it doesn't rain too much.

We don't like very busy areas but we don't wanna live in the desert as well. We like malls, god recreational areas, and like to stay out of town during the weekends. We are not religious, but at the same time we don't have anything against religion, also we don't care much about night life, we are more into restaurants and movies than dancing and night life, well we like pub bars.

I'm very interested in the cost of life, since I'm gonna have the same salary in both cities. How about the weather in Colorado Springs and Boise compared to my current city?

Also which one would be the best for my wife to get a nursing job? And tech jobs, I got a job but how knows the future.

[boisefan88]

I'd say Boise fits you well, but we are very much in a desert here in Southern Idaho. Boise itself (at least downtown and near the river) is fairly green during the summer, and the foothills give the illusion of mountains. And surely there are ample forests and mountains very close. But Boise is very much desert country...

There is a beauty in it. But if you want mountains without desert Colorado Springs would be your choice. I'd also suggest Fort Collins may be more to your liking than CS, and perhaps Durango. Might also look at Portland...

[mfalmeida]

Thanks for your reply. Ft Collins is too far from Colorado Springs to me... I don't have any other option than Boise or Colorado Springs since I will be working in one of these cities. I'm not sure about Colorado Springs area but in Idaho I could be living in Eagle or Meridian too since I can work in Boise as well.

Does anyone has any information about nursing jobs?

[Jim41]

Stay away from Boise, move to the Springs, its close to but not too close to Denver so that you can still take advantage of what Denver has to offer in the way of choice and still not have to live there. Are these the only choices for you Boise or the Springs?

[mfalmeida]

Thanks, and yes, these are my only choices. I will be working either in Boise or CoS. I will be visiting both cities in the next couple of months if possible, but my company asked me the question. So right now it's my call. I tend to prefer CoS 'cause it seems to have more job opportunities than Boise (you never knows), the only disadvantage I see is the weather which seems to be worse in CoS and vacation, from Boise I could drive to more fancy places for vacation.

[NW Crow]

The average cost of living overall and the average price of housing on a survey I looked at for the two were quite close.

Boise's daily average maximum temperature during the peak of summer is about 5 degrees warmer. In the heart of winter, Colorado Springs is both about 5 degrees colder at night and 5 degrees warmer during the day due in large part to less average cloud cover. Colorado Springs averages about 25 days a year where it doesn't get over 32 degrees F, Boise about 20. Boise is more arid but they are both drier than US average.

It is a pretty close call overall. Both are roughly the same sized metropolitan areas and both are pretty good for the criteria you mentioned (including tech and nursing jobs, nightlife and having plenty of both church going folks and not) compared to other places and I'd guess pretty similar to each other.

Being near Denver has pluses and minuses. Whether it is more one or the other is up to you.

Both places have lots of good recreational choices. If you want fancy places to vacation, I'd note that Colorado Springs has some fancy resorts right near town. Vail is about as far from Colorado Springs as Sun Valley is from Boise.

If you want to live somewhere smaller and quieter than right in Colorado Springs, there are upscale suburbs there too. The Colorado board could give more specific advice. I do know that a lot of folks have also been moving into Douglas County just north of Colorado Springs for smaller and somewhat quieter. You could do that if you wanted those things or wanted the option of feasible commutes for you or your wife into both Colorado Springs and Denver now or in the future.

[mfalmeida]

Thanks NW Cow... very helpful!

Anyone has any idea about one city being safer than the other?

[NW Crow]

You are welcome.

The stats suggest Colorado Springs has a lot more violent crime and somewhat higher property crime. Regardless of city it will affected by neighborhood, activities and precautions taken.

There is more detail about crime and other subjects on these pages-

http://www.city-data.com/city/Colora...-Colorado.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Boise-City-Idaho.html

Good luck deciding and everything after.

[medforu]

With what you say you enjoy you will like CO better than ID.

Good luck with your move

[SBOGD]

Both cities are nice and have lots to do outdoors. But I prefer Boise over Colorado Springs, the people are right in saying that boise dosnt have the mountains but there is still a lot to do in the foot hills. We live in Ogden, UT just north of Salt Lake and think Boise is a small Salt Lake. The things I liked about boise is it seemed really family friendly, during the summer it seemed everybody was out having a good time riding bikes around or at the parks along the river. Also the down town is very lively and it close to other places for weekend get aways, 4hrs to salt lake about 7 hours to Portland and Seattle, plus there are good rafting places for the summer and good ski resorts near by for the winter. Not that the springs dont have the ski resorts just a little longer drive. Colorado Springs is nice too, I just liked Boise' vibe better, it felt homey if that is a word