Louisville - weather, people, politicians and trains (Boulder, Lafayette: buying a house, neighborhood)

[kengrome]

I've been trying to absorb all the info I've been reading in these forums about Louisville and so far I like what I read, but I still have a few questions. Actually I have lots of questions but I'm going to limit myself to three to start this thread:

1- What are the good and bad points about the weather and climate? How does it affect your daily life, and what kinds of 'adjustments' do you have to make to deal with it when you come from somewhere else? Is it really dry? Do you need a humidifier? Does it aggravate your skin or breathing conditions? Is the weather frustratingly unpredictable? Too much snow? Too much wind?

2- I'm early 50's, my wife late 30's, and we have a 6 year old son. Mostly I'm thinking about Louisville as a good place to raise our son, and a good place for my wife and I to settle down and make some genuine friends. We would love to find people who are intelligent and open-minded, and where the local politicians really make an effort to listen to their constituents and improve their community ... instead of letting their greed control them, or using their positions to feed their egos at the expense of the community. What can you tell me about these issues in Louisville? Examples would be great of course!

3- I've read that there's a train that comes through town, but that's all I know about it. I'm wondering if this is a regularly scheduled train, freight or passenger train, where it comes from and where it goes, if it stops at a station (is there a functioning train station?), is it a pleasant or useful mode of transport, and anything else you can tell me about it. And in terms of living with a train in the neighborhood, how many blocks away from the tracks should my future home be so that I can always be sure to get a good night's sleep without being disturbed when the train comes whistling through town at night?

Thanks in advance!

[Katiana]

I have lived in Louisville since 1982. I've watched it grow. I will try to answer some of your questions to the best of my ability.

1. Weather: You can find tons of information on the weather on this forum, and on the regular weather websites. It rarely affects my daily life. Last Thursday, the day of the big snowfall, was my day off, but most offices closed by noon. That is the first time this winter. I don't remember DH or I missing one day of work last winter for weather. My kids rarely had a snow day in 16 years in the Louisville schools, though it did snow in Boulder the morning the youngest graduated from high school, June 4, 2005. It just rained here in Louisville. It's dry. I find that positive. We have a humidifier on the furnace.

2. Louisville is a wonderful place to raise a family. Again, I refer you to the search function for information about community festivals and amenities. One I will highlight here is the 4th of July celebration, where the city employees grill free hotdogs for the attendees at the Community Park. There are also games for the kids, a golf tournament if that's your thing, and fireworks on the golf course at dark. Politics comes and goes. The growing pains of the city are taking a break. It was contentious 20 years ago. It may heat up again with the development of the Conoco-Phillips property. "Growth" is a big issue all over Colorado.

3. I never thought the train was such a big deal until I started posting on CD. The freight tracks run along the east edge of town. Several trains a day go through town. The tracks are close to Louisville Middle School, and my kids always said they could practically set their watches by the train. This didn't seem like a big deal to me b/c my high school had the same situation. I'm about 1 1/2 miles west of the tracks, and I can hear the trains on summer nights with the windows open. It's not especially bothersome. There is supposed to be a light-rail station here when FasTracks is all built out.

[beetpapp]

I currently live on 9 acres in rural east Boulder, contiguous to Louisville. Probably can't speak to all your questions, but can address some...

1) I think the weather adjustment depends on where you're from - I moved here from San Diego (5 winters ago) so my adjustment was more than some. Winters are mild compared to midwest/east, but very dramatic compared to SoCA. I had to accumulate layers & coats, and learn when & how to dress for what temps. I also bought a Jeep 4x4, which has been really handy. It's not a necessity, but it made me feel more confident given ZERO winter driving experience. I feel like Boulder proper does a crap job of plowing, but other parts of the county are better. 4wd doesn't help stupid driving or ice, but it means I've never been stuck and I don't fishtail my way down the street. Very few 'snow days'. Had a recent blizzard/snow day, and then the blizzard of 2006 caused 2 snow days. The weather is definitely unpredictable, but I find that kind of exciting. I also pay close attention to the forecasts and prepare for various scenarios. Also the winter temps & snowfall have really varied across my 5 winters. I think this winter was record lows until our recent blizzard.

To be honest, the dryness does in fact bother me. It is impossible to get through winter without dry/chapped lips, and you'd better moisturize your hands every day or your knuckles may wind up cracking. We do use a humidifier, and that helps. I also really can't stand the amount of wind. It can ruin a perfectly nice mild winter day, and it comes often. Besides that, I actually really like the weather here and found myself a 'seasons' convert. Fall is short, but gorgeous! May/June is divine! Summer can be very hot.

Louisville has a thriving small downtown community with shops, restaurants, yoga, etc. I would absolutely consider buying a house there (in the old town part, not the Mcmansion or newer division parts).

Re: #3) I hear the train from my house (about 1/2 mile away) and I find it comforting. Never once gave it a 2nd thought.

Hope this helps.

[Roloc]

1) Weather - Well we just moved from northern California last year so we have one winter under our belt (almost). I have to admit Fall here was probably the coolest thing I have seen in my life. You actually have seasons here which makes it amazing. Coming from where I was it was like 95-120 in the summer and then it switched to 60-85 the rest of the year. It changes a lot hear but that is awesome. I will let someone else throw out the lame Colorado weather catch phrase as I try to steer clear of it

2) We moved here to raise our family and I did about two years worth of research, including making a post like this which Katiana also replied to . Bottom line is this is where it is at. I think all three of the bordering communities here are awesome places to raise families. Superior, Louisville, or Lafayette you can't really go wrong. Although I will admit Louisville by far seems to have a more complete package as far as community schools and events go, however you are going to pay for it, and it certainly isn't a buyers market here, people are in denial (and maybe justifiably so).

3) The only time I notice the train is when I am at Old Louisville Inn, but by the third beer or so you can't even tell it is there