Why Choose Colorado Springs? (Denver, Pueblo: condo, contractors, college)

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Maynerd

My two cents on living in Colorado Springs:

Employment: There's a lot of defense-related employment. If you've got a security clearance, that's a plus. Medical and services jobs are plentiful. High Tech is a dry well.

Cost of Living: Housing is certainly cheaper than in most metropolitan areas. You can get a nice, suburban three or four bedroom house for around $200K. Established neighborhoods run cheaper than new homes. Other than that, pretty typical.

Crime: No more than other metropolitan areas. Violent crime rates seem to be pretty low.

Schools: Cheyenne Mountain and Academy School Districts are very good. District 11 (most of Colorado Springs) runs hot and cold. Some schools here are better than others. Palmer HS and Coronodo HS have outstanding programs.

Recreation: Outstanding system of parks. Garden of the Gods, Palmer Park, and Cheyenne Canyon Parks are incredible. Everybody thinks about skiing when they think of Colorado. Unfortunately, it's a couple hour drive to the slopes from here.

Culture: Some outstanding privately-owned restaurants. Chain restaurants like crazy. Not a lot of concerts/other arts, but Denver has them all and is only an hour away.

Sports: SkySox (the Rockies' AAA team), Air Force Football and Basketball, CC Hockey. Again, all the Denver teams not too far away.

Political Climate: Yes, there are a lot of religious institutions here in town. No, nobody is spouting fire and brimstone -- it's just there. Use it if you want to; if you don't, that's OK, too. Yes, it's a conservative Republican town. No, they won't hassle you if you're a liberal or a Democrat. The Colorado Springs Independant (local semi-underground paper) is as liberal as you can get.

Traffic: People who've lived here for over 10 years will complain about the traffic, because it's much worse than it used to be, but there's realistically no traffic at all if you're compaing it to NYC, DC, Boston, LA, Denver, etc.

Climate: Our best-kept secret. Sure it snows, but less than the New York Metropolitan area, and it can snow today and be 75 degrees tomorrow. It can also be shirt-sleeve weather even in January.

I've lived in New York, New Jersey, North Dakota, California, Texas, and Colorado. I chose Colorado Springs as my home.

Excellent Post. Thanks for the details. I can't disagree with anything you said.

Culture: Some outstanding privately-owned restaurants. Please tune us in to this. Tell us about your ethnic recommendations, without driving to Denver. Saw stuff off Tejon.

I saw something interesting in Manitou Springs, but I have never been there:

Tajine Alami Moroccan Restaurant

[Maynerd]

Originally Posted by Charles

Please tune us in to this. Tell us about your ethnic recommendations, without driving to Denver.

Fine Dining: The Blue Star, anything at the Broadmoor, the Craftwood, the Cliff House, Peppertree, Briarhurst.

Italian: Antonio's, Paravicini's

Indian: Mirch Masala

German: Uwe's

Moroccan: Tajine Alami (floor pillows!)

Mexican: The Mission Inn on North Academy (get the Mission Burrito Grande!)

Vietnamese: Lemongrass Bistro

Greek: Jake and Telly's


That should get you started. I'll give it a little more thought and to the list later. Let me know if you visit any of the above -- I'd like to hear your impressions.

[CoolColoradoDayz]

Originally Posted by Maynerd

My two cents on living in Colorado Springs:

Maynerd, thank you for giving an honest an fair assessment of our town, as some obviously look through a different set of fogged glasses.

[CoolColoradoDayz]

Originally Posted by Maynerd

Fine Dining: The Blue Star, anything at the Broadmoor, the Craftwood, the Cliff House, Peppertree, Briarhurst.

Italian: Antonio's, Paravicini's

Indian: Mirch Masala

German: Uwe's

Moroccan: Tajine Alami (floor pillows!)

Mexican: The Mission Inn on North Academy (get the Mission Burrito Grande!)

Vietnamese: Lemongrass Bistro

Greek: Jake and Telly's


That should get you started. I'll give it a little more thought and to the list later. Let me know if you visit any of the above -- I'd like to hear your impressions.

Let me add Thai food to this list - Wild Ginger on W. Colorado.

[SoCalDude]

Mike you Rock great info.!

I ask you and others to please give me feedback concerning a weekly commute from CS to San Diego. Due to the high price of homes in SoCal and and very few high paying jobs in CS, I am considering a weekly commute (fly) to San Diego (Monday) and back on Thursday night..Is this an crazy thing to consider or do you know of others doing it?

Also are the winds really that bad in CS?

Thanks in Advance..

[Charles]

Originally Posted by SoCalDude

Mike you Rock great info.!

I ask you and others to please give me feedback concerning a weekly commute from CS to San Diego. Due to the high price of homes in SoCal and and very few high paying jobs in CS, I am considering a weekly commute (fly) to San Diego (Monday) and back on Thursday night..Is this an crazy thing to consider or do you know of others doing it?

Also are the winds really that bad in CS?

Thanks in Advance..

Even if you scored round trip tickets for $200, that would be $800/month just for the transportation, not including rental cars (if needed), parking, etc. Plus that seems like a lot of hours considering parking, walking, security lines, packing, etc.
However, my neighbor back in Thousand Oaks worked for Oracle in the Bay Area. He would fly Burbank to the Bay Area Tuesday morning and home Thursday night and I guess telecommute Monday and Friday. People do it these days. Out of curiosity, what line of work are you in?

[SoCalDude]

Originally Posted by Charles

Even if you scored round trip tickets for $200, that would be $800/month just for the transportation, not including rental cars (if needed), parking, etc. Plus that seems like a lot of hours considering parking, walking, security lines, packing, etc.
However, my neighbor back in Thousand Oaks worked for Oracle in the Bay Area. He would fly Burbank to the Bay Area Tuesday morning and home Thursday night and I guess telecommute Monday and Friday. People do it these days. Out of curiosity, what line of work are you in?

Charles,

I am currently commuting approx 65 miles, upwards of two hours (one way) at times from the Temecula area, four days a week. Using approx $300 a month for fuel, and much frustration from traffic. Been doing it for 9 years.

What prompted this the Doc told me to either shorten commute or it may shorten my life. I cant afford to live near my work nor do I want to.

I currently work as a System Engineer (Microsoft) and all jobs I can find are in Denver, which I feel would put me back in the same boat I am in now..

How long have you been in CS?

Have a good one..

[Charles]

Originally Posted by SoCalDude

Charles,

I am currently commuting approx 65 miles, upwards of two hours (one way) at times from the Temecula area, four days a week. Using approx $300 a month for fuel, and much frustration from traffic. Been doing it for 9 years.

What prompted this the Doc told me to either shorten commute or it may shorten my life. I cant afford to live near my work nor do I want to.

I currently work as a System Engineer (Microsoft) and all jobs I can find are in Denver, which I feel would put me back in the same boat I am in now..

How long have you been in CS?

Have a good one..

Been here a year.

Your doctor is 100% correct.

Life is too short to put up with that.

So why not try Denver for jobs? The commute in this region is about a quarter of the time/distance/frustration of SoCal. The Denver Tech Center is about 35 easy minutes south of me here near Monument. Colorado Springs is about 15 minutes away. I work east of COS about 45 minutes away.

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by SoCalDude

Charles,

I am currently commuting approx 65 miles, upwards of two hours (one way) at times from the Temecula area, four days a week. Using approx $300 a month for fuel, and much frustration from traffic. Been doing it for 9 years.

What prompted this the Doc told me to either shorten commute or it may shorten my life. I cant afford to live near my work nor do I want to.

I currently work as a System Engineer (Microsoft) and all jobs I can find are in Denver, which I feel would put me back in the same boat I am in now..

How long have you been in CS?

Have a good one..

as a person who used to drive from Hemet ca to San Marcos Ca...I know your pain. The drive from Co springs to Denver is considerable less stressfull. Just knowing that your going home to Colorado springs is nice enough. It took me an hour in rush hour, but I was traveling from South Denver. Just clicked on the radio and enjoyed the view of the rockies. The drive at sunset is something to behold.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by sberdrow

as a person who used to drive from Hemet ca to San Marcos Ca...I know your pain. The drive from Co springs to Denver is considerable less stressfull. Just knowing that your going home to Colorado springs is nice enough. It took me an hour in rush hour, but I was traveling from South Denver. Just clicked on the radio and enjoyed the view of the rockies. The drive at sunset is something to behold.

Anyone who commutes on the Front Range (Colorado Springs & Denver) needs to be aware of FREX. FREE high speed internet on comfortable buses.

FREX