Impressions of Boulder

[Neditate]

No, you don't have to ski or climb mountains to enjoy Boulder. I lived there for 15 years and never skied once.
It definitely has the alternative healing vibe you seek. There are Whole Foods stores and a Vitamin Cottage there. The Farmer's Market in the summer is really great.

Don't know where you live now, but if you love humidity Colorado is not the place for you, sorry. It is very dry here. It can get hot between late May and early September. (I remember a few very hot Memorial Day weekends when I lived there.) July always seems the hottest to me with temps getting into the 100s. The wind is bothersome between October and April.

[pomona]

Thank you all! I've never lived in really dry climates (am in NE Florida now and have to say like the weather except for the panic of hurricanes, worse and worse every year), and of course the mentality of the people is no comparison to what's in Boulder. Can one tolerate the dry air with a home humidifier? Is everyone's face wrinkled???

My other consideration in Asheville, NC - would love to hear comparisons and pros/cons of each of these places by someone who's lived in both. I like these posts because they are not Chambe of commerce plugs but genuine feedback from many people's experiences.

[nelumbo]

Originally Posted by pomona

Thank you all! I've never lived in really dry climates (am in NE Florida now and have to say like the weather except for the panic of hurricanes, worse and worse every year), and of course the mentality of the people is no comparison to what's in Boulder. Can one tolerate the dry air with a home humidifier? Is everyone's face wrinkled???

Most people don't have a problem with the dry air. I have had lots of sinus problems since I moved here - never had sinus problems in humid climates. It is one of the main reasons that I plan to move back east. Usually it just causes dry, itchy skin and lots of static. Humidifiers help a little bit, although when it is 4% humidity outside, there is a limit to what one can do.

One of the side effects of the dry climate is cold nights year round. Night temperatures in midsummer are often in the 50s.

I will note than I'm not into hiking, biking, mountains, skiing, or other outdoor activities, and sometimes it can be hard to connect. It seems like a lot of people who live in Boulder have lives that revolve around outdoor stuff.

[WolfBoy914]

I love Asheville. But you better have lots of money because there are almost no jobs there.

Another plus for Colorado and the Boulder area: all of the PUBLIC open space that is so incredibly accessible. NC has a lot of Private land.

[pomona]

Thank you WolfBoy ~ I thought so too. If you know anything about Boone, I'd appreciate it ~ seems to be near enough but should be cheaper?

I guess one last question is, does it ever get hot enough in Boulder to wear shorts? Are summers rainy or dry? Or is this really a town for people who hate warm weather?

Again, thanks to all!

[WolfBoy914]

I wore shorts in Boulder last week when I was up there for an interview.

Edit to add:
Not AT the interview mind you.
Boone is really cool, but again jobs are scarce because it is such a small town.

[jkcoop]

Originally Posted by pomona

Thank you WolfBoy ~ I thought so too. If you know anything about Boone, I'd appreciate it ~ seems to be near enough but should be cheaper?

I guess one last question is, does it ever get hot enough in Boulder to wear shorts? Are summers rainy or dry? Or is this really a town for people who hate warm weather?

Again, thanks to all!

We can reach 100+ in the summer. My son (15 - they all seem to do this) wears shorts almost year round. Has to be really, really cold for him to wear jeans.

I don't mind the heat because it's dry heat. And the evenings cool off nicely. But the sun is very intense here, which adds another factor.

As far as rainy - we have a monsoon season part of the summer. But that just means showers come in during the afternoon - not every day and they don't last all day. For the most part it's pretty dry here - but you really have to plan activities around the afternoon showers due to lightening.