Boulder, CO (Denver, Fort Collins, Loveland: houses, neighborhood, college)

[adamio]

does anyone know about the boulder, jcc? the site isn't very impressive. also does anyone know about the chabad there. I've heard housing is expensive and that it gets to very cold temps. if u could answer my questions it would help a lot. thanks

[Market Mama]

Yes, housing is VERY expensive. And wages are below average.

Also, Boulder regularly suffers from temperature extremes. This summer we've had a record number of 100 degree days (miserable even when the humidity is very low) and every winter we get several strings of minus zero degree days (which are also totally miserable even when the humidity is very low). Many winter days are pleasantly mild (I ride my horses almost all winter, often without gloves), but because of the altitude winter storms can pack a nasty wallop and dump several FEET of snow in less than 24 hours.

Boulder also has a lot of pollution, which can be especially bad, trapped in the Boulder valley by inversion layers, during those very hot and very cold days. If you have asthma, don't move here.

As for your other questions, I have no idea what you are really asking about. Please use regular English, even those of us who are fairly computer savvy don't know every last cutesy "insider" lingo -- e.g. chabad? jcc? <shrug> Maybe someone else will recognize those words and help you out.

[CityGirl52]

Yo, don't let the Rabbi from Brooklyn, NY hear you say that! It's a Jewish term and even I know that (and I'm Catholic!) Rabbi Shmuel Kogan of Brooklyn, NY is a responder for "Chabad.org's" "Ask the Rabbi" feature. You know, it's something like Dear Abby, and actually it's pretty good information for all of us, these days!

Thank you for your information about Boulder. I was wondering the same thing about it. I guess I'll stay clear of that whole town! I really like the sounds of Fort Collins, Loveland and Castle Rock. I'll have to take a trip out there one of these days to check it all out. Your weather sounds find to me. I think where I'm from New England I could handle all those types of changes quite nicely.

Is their really not much humidity? That's what I want to get away from in New England. Other than that, I think I could handle all your other type of weather in Colorado I think? I probably wouldn't mind the heat too much, it's this other stuff (the humidity) that's the killer.

[Katarina Witt]

Per wunderground.com: there have been no 100+ degree days this summer; there have been several 98 degree days. There were two consecutive days in January with highs in the single digits and lows of 0, and one day in Feb with a high in the 20s and a low below zero. Last July, 2006 had 3 days in July with 100 degree temps and a day in June. Humidity is usually low; sometimes in fall it gets into the single digits. Don't get me wrong, IMO, when it gets above say, 92 or so, it's HOT! Depends on the day, too. If it reaches the 90s early, then clouds up and the temp drops, it's a pretty comfortable day. If it gets into the 90s and stays that way for several hours, it's hot. It usually does cool down into the lower 60s or lower at night.

Boulder is expensive for the area, however prices are not outrageous compared with similar homes in the metro area. Wages are lower in Boulder for certain occupations, especially for those that do not require a college degree. Enginieering wages are on a par with the metro area, since the companies draw from the metro. Teaching and nursing wages run slightly lower, I think.

[Brain Drain]

I'd have to second the confusion on the comments about the scorching weather and pollution in Boulder. While we have had some hot days this summer, none have been over 100 degrees. The link below gives you a good account of the last month's weather in Boulder. Be careful when looking up Boulder weather on the web as often you are given weather information on Broomfield, which is only about 10 miles away but can have very different weather than Boulder.

NCAR Foothills Lab Weather (english, monthly)

The pollution here is almost unnoticeable. My wife has asthma and she has had absolutely no problems with the pollution here. One thing about the weather here is that you often get afternoon thunderstorms (there's one raging outside my window right now) in the summer. Not only does this help flush out the pollution (which peaks in the afternoon in most places), but it also makes those 90+ degree days much more bearable. I have lived in places (like Montana) where the high temps are cooler in the summer, but not as cloudy, and Boulder feels much more temperate. The winters, for being up against the Rocky Mountains, are pretty mild with avg high temps in the 40s in the depths of winter with most days being sunny. There are an odd number of below zero nights, but are rare enough to be a curiousity rather a bother.

There is a JCC here and it seems to have a following in town. Boulder has more of a Jewish community than almost any other city in the Rocky Mountain region, with East Denver being another strong center of Jewish culture.

About it being expensive? You'll get no argument from me there. A standard 2,000 sq ft house runs you around a half-million -- it can be slightly less or a LOT more depending on the neighborhood. Rents are higher here than in surrounding areas with 4-6 students crowding into houses in some areas, which helps to drive the rents up as they can split an expensive house.

Boulder is by no means perfect, but there are a lot of advantages to living here.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by adamio

does anyone know about the boulder, jcc? . . .

Do you actually want to know more about the JCC specifically, or are you looking to learn more about the Jewish community in general in Boulder?