COS transplant-My impression (Denver, Colorado Springs, Fountain: appointed, transplants, apartment complex)

[summer33ny]

I relocated to COS this past summer for a job offer. This board was very helpful for me in making the decision to come out here. Here are some of my impressions of the area that may be helpful to other transplants...

PROS: Coming from suburban New York, I really LOVE the acessibility. Everything that I need is nearby. If I didn't work in Denver now, I would probably never have to do much driving.

I love the scenary & nature feel. I love seeing a family of deer walking down our block or foxes roaming our apartment complex. I can't get over the astounding scenary.

CHEAP decent housing!

Extremely dog friendly. No problem finding an apartment and in the Broadmoor area we are just a few miles away from Bear Creek Park's dog run (rated one of the best in the country!)

Enjoy the weather so far! Love the sun, the warmer days interspered with cold ones, and the snow has been fairly mild.


CONS: The military presence is strong. Very conservative community where it is hard to connect with like-minded people. We are not so used to having missionaries knocking on our door to lecture us about Jesus or being interrogated about our religious beliefs by co-workers. We have made some friends--and don't suffer from boredom here in the springs--but the next place we will live will surely consist of people who are more our type.

While COS certainly feels like it is 'developing'--my first impression of it was urban sprawl. Scattered strip malls with every popular chain can be found here. That's not a con for everyone, but for us--I think we were hoping for something more authentic.

Druggies and homeless abound. At the intersection of every major highway is a homeless veteran with a sign. They hang out by any convenience or grocery store open late. I had been followed to my car on one occassion and was quite scared by it. Walking through any pleasant area like downtown, Manitou Springs or Old Colorado City, you will surely be approached by homeless vets hanging out on the corner or groups of homeless meth-head teens asking for change. Even living in New York City (and certainly not suburban NY) I never experienced anything quite like this... I don't feel threatened but it is certainly an annoyance and usettling.



We will be moving to Denver in a few months to be closer to work. To be honest I much prefer living in Colorado Springs than Denver, and am not looking forward to the move (mostly because I will miss the pros about COS and Denver shares a lot of the same cons). Overall, my husband and I have come to the conclusion that Colorado will most likely not be our permanent place. We will stay here for a few years to make some money and then move on to someplace else that suits us better.

[Amy WJ]

Just curious as to what kind of place would that be that you feel suits you better? Or more simply put, where is the next destination?

[Carrera32]

Summer: We just moved to COS about three months ago, and I had some of the same concerns. It's true, it is a conservative area, and it may take a bit more effort to find folks who are closer to your political persuasion, but as one poster stated in response to my concerns: Obama got 40% of the COS vote. So, liberals may be a bit harder to find, but it's not like we're nonexistent. One suggestion: Read the Independent and forget the Gazette. I'm not sure why you find the military presence to be a con, unless it's that the military folks tend to be more politically conservative. Regardless of their or your politics, the military in COS is a major economic engine for the area, and we would be all the poorer if they were not here.

As for the aggressive religious folks, in three months, I've had one person stop at my door to pass out literature. I politely told them I wasn't interested. They were just as polite, wished me a nice day, and left. My experience both here and elsewhere is that if you firmly and politely tell them you're not interested, they'll leave you alone. I also have a rule that I try not to discuss politics or religion in social settings. My friends of different political and religious persuasions, if they're really friends, will honor that request. If not, and they push their personal agendas, they're not your friends anyway.

As for the homeless, I think you'll find that the homeless are a fact of life in every city and town in the country. You may not have noticed them, but they're there. Also, just because their sign says they're a veteran doesn't make it so... If your ultimate destination is any of the major west coast cities (Portland, Seattle, San Diego, LA, SF) and you hope to not meet any homeless on the streets, you'll be disappointed.

As for the sprawl, you're right. There is sprawl here. But have you tried some of the older, more established neighborhoods, such as North End (the area directly north of Colorado College) or the older, established areas to the west of I-25? If your budget won't allow North End, try some of the other downtown areas. You'll find loads of "authentic" bungalows and other homes built 50-100 years ago.

[hollyt00]

The climate here in Colorado Springs is very mild overall, so there are many more homeless people here than you may find in harsher climates.


I've lived here ten years, I've had two people come talk to me about religion. Don't know where I need to live to get more people to talk to me. I've lived west (off Uintah & Mesa), southwest (115 and Star Ranch Rd), and currently central. Don't know where I need to move to be lucky enough to get bugged.

I think one big consideration is the age of the city. This city was a sleepy old town for decades- from 1870 to about 1940, and then Ft Carson came in and changed the city forever. Think of where NYC was in 1870, and you'll see why I'm saying that. COS began to develop quickly at the same time that we've been seeing all the strip malls crop up, etc. There are some really great "authentic" neighborhoods, but you really have to actively search for them. Certainly you won't find that sorta of small town feel in the NE Powers corridor, but where I live, I am a two minute walk to the grocery, a park, a corner ice cream shop, pharmacy... I really think it's a matter of finding what you like in the town you're in.


Good luck in Denver, sometimes I wish I lived there but mostly not :P I do ask my Denver friends what is going on politically, as the recent scare over the amendments (?) 61, etc, changing the taxes, was difficult to get a read on how it was going to (not)succeed statewide because of how conservative it is here.

[phetaroi]

Hmmmm...interesting...I haven't been approached by anyone homeless in either Manitou Springs or Old Colorado City...and walked through each several times in the last 6 months. Maybe I look grumpy! :-)

I have no more religious-types knocking on my door here than I did in Maryland or Virginia, although I did dislike the messages left on my door by one group...made it sound like I had missed an important package, but no company name to respond to...finally figured out it was a religious group, though I don't know which one.

[otowi]

I've lived here my whole life and I don't think I've ever had someone knock on my door to talk religion - maybe once or twice I'm forgetting. I have had a few deliveries of the Watchtower. But again, I'm talking once a year at the most.

As for the homeless, it is far worse in Denver, imho, but maybe due to size it is easier to ignore. BTW, I never know what to do or think about those guys that stand at the off-ramps with the signs. I've had enough experience to know some of them are lying and some of them could be doing something much better to get help, but I still feel like I shouldn't prejudge and should be doing something - but a handout at a dangerous intersection doesn't seem like the right thing.

[toxicavenger]

Well I have lived in the Springs since 05' and I can tell you I have had more than one person knock on my door to talk about religion, but like some one said I replied "not interested" and they rolled out. Now I lived downtown for 4 years and I did have homeless people knocking on my door so I moved up by the Air Force academy to fix that issue.

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by otowi

I've lived here my whole life and I don't think I've ever had someone knock on my door to talk religion - maybe once or twice I'm forgetting. I have had a few deliveries of the Watchtower. But again, I'm talking once a year at the most.

As for the homeless, it is far worse in Denver, imho, but maybe due to size it is easier to ignore. BTW, I never know what to do or think about those guys that stand at the off-ramps with the signs. I've had enough experience to know some of them are lying and some of them could be doing something much better to get help, but I still feel like I shouldn't prejudge and should be doing something - but a handout at a dangerous intersection doesn't seem like the right thing.

The one place there's been enough homeless to make me feel uncomfortable is near the main library downtown. In fact, that library is full of homeless people because they hang out there due to the soup kitchen a block away that is sponsored by Catholic Charities. The good news is that in the library the homeless really are reading! But outside there's a lot of "hanging out" that seemed just on the borderline of being slightly rowdy the day I went to that particularly library.

[froggin4colorado]

I have had about a dozen missionaries knock on my door down in Fountain. They are always polite and usually when you tell them you love your church and you admire their dedication and courage to do missionary work in the US versus a poorer country- more doors slammed in your face-they seem to have a reliefed look on their face and then go on their way.
I would rather have missionaries spreading God's word at my door than having to put bars or metal screen doors to keep out the crooks.
I am not a Mormon btw, but have friends who are and I know how important it is to them to do a year of missionary work. It builds character, endurance, patience, among other character traits due to the repeatitive put downs.
Yes, you don't have to listen, but we don't have to be rude either- that isn't very Christian or humane.

***Climbing off of soap box and dodging flying tomatoes!!***

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by froggin4colorado

I have had about a dozen missionaries knock on my door down in Fountain. They are always polite and usually when you tell them you love your church and you admire their dedication and courage to do missionary work in the US versus a poorer country- more doors slammed in your face-they seem to have a reliefed look on their face and then go on their way.
I would rather have missionaries spreading God's word at my door than having to put bars or metal screen doors to keep out the crooks.
I am not a Mormon btw, but have friends who are and I know how important it is to them to do a year of missionary work. It builds character, endurance, patience, among other character traits due to the repeatitive put downs.
Yes, you don't have to listen, but we don't have to be rude either- that isn't very Christian or humane.

***Climbing off of soap box and dodging flying tomatoes!!***

Mormons are the only "missionaries" I will invite in for a chat. I warn them in advance that they are doomed to total failure with me -- a firm Christian Buddhist. But I love engaging them in a chat about my home town -- Palmyra, NY -- the birthplace of Mormonism. I often know more about Joseph Smith's early years than they do. Eventually I start preaching a bit of Buddhism to them, and that's when they get that resigned look and say farewell. Great fun!