Colorado Springs VS Littleton Colorado

[digitaldaveonline]

Wow all this helped and I really appreciated so many people giving me their thoughts on this. I have to decide by this Friday so it is down to the wire. Can anyone tell me about the crime in the Springs, I have heard reports that it is a little out of control?

I am leaning towards Littleton so I can be close to some night life and the NFL games as I love football. My biggest thing is that I do not want to live in the flats of Denver, I assume from Littleton I will not feel like I am in the flats. Will I be able to see the mountains or the foothills from town?

I have spent some time in COS and have enjoyed my visits and thought what a great town and with only an hour or so to Denver I thought I am still close enough to get to games and shopping if I want.

[md21722]

From just about everywhere in Colorado Springs you will be able to see the mountains. For game day, you can take I-25 to Lone Tree/Greenwood Village and take the light rail that drops you off right at the stadium. I'm not sure about views in Littleton. One thing to keep in mind is that if you are in the foothills you won't see the mountains behind them. Living in Colorado Springs, I don't time my trips around town to avoid traffic, because there isn't a need. In Denver, you need to be mindful of traffic in areas, particularly around I-25.

[Carrera32]

I think Marcy's comments are spot on. Littleton is, for all intents and purposes, an extension of Denver. Denver's a big city, with big city sports, entertainment, and night life. COS is a mid-sized city with more of a small town vibe. There's a cultural life here but you have to look a little harder to find it than you would in Denver. If you haven't been to either place, you have to realize that neither COS nor Denver is in the mountains. Both are flatlands, and that includes Littleton. You look to the West and see the mountains. Look to the East, you see Kansas. Depending on where you live in the Denver area, you see a wide expanse of mountains wherever you look, but but you're not in the mountains or the foothills, for that matter. If you live in COS, if you live anywhere east of I-25, while you're pretty much at the base of the mountains, you're still in the flatlands, looking at Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain to the west. If you live west of I-25, you're essentially in the foothills of the mountains. From Denver, if you continue to the west, you'll find foothills communities, such as Golden and Evergreen, but Denver itself is flat. I hope this answers your question about your biggest concern.

As for the NFL and other major sports, you're undoubtedly closer to them if you live in Denver. But, don't forget, you're only an hour or a bit more from COS to Mile High (not counting game day traffic near the stadium). Personally, I wouldn't let that be my decision point. Don't forget, even from Littleton, you'll be dealing with the Denver traffic on game day (unless, of course, you take the light rail. Not sure of the route, but assuming it runs from Littleton to the stadium. Other posters, help me out here).

As for crime, check some of the more recent posts. There are links to the crime stats. Anecdotally, I don't think you'll find that COS crime is out of control by any stretch of the imagination. We did have more homicides this year than in the past, but some of that may be reflective of the times we live in right now. I think the consensus of most of posters on this forum is that COS is a safe community with generally low crime for its size.

Bottom line. My suggestion is to let your lifestyle rule your decision. If you love the outdoors with close proximity to bike and hiking trails, etc., and prefer a small to mid-sized city, with less traffic a more laid back lifestyle, COS might be your better bet. If you want a big city lifestyle, with all the nightlife, shopping, and wide variety of cultural and entertainment options (along with the tradeoff of more traffic, higher cost of living and the other attendant hassles of big city life), then Denver and its suburbs (e.g., Littleton) would probably be more suitable. Regardless of which you choose, I don't think you'll be making a bad decision either way.

[sesamekid]

Originally Posted by Carrera32

I think Marcy's comments are spot on. Littleton is, for all intents and purposes, an extension of Denver. Denver's a big city, with big city sports, entertainment, and night life. COS is a mid-sized city with more of a small town vibe. There's a cultural life here but you have to look a little harder to find it than you would in Denver. If you haven't been to either place, you have to realize that neither COS nor Denver is in the mountains. Both are flatlands, and that includes Littleton. You look to the West and see the mountains. Look to the East, you see Kansas. Depending on where you live in the Denver area, you see a wide expanse of mountains wherever you look, but but you're not in the mountains or the foothills, for that matter. If you live in COS, if you live anywhere east of I-25, while you're pretty much at the base of the mountains, you're still in the flatlands, looking at Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain to the west. If you live west of I-25, you're essentially in the foothills of the mountains. From Denver, if you continue to the west, you'll find foothills communities, such as Golden and Evergreen, but Denver itself is flat. I hope this answers your question about your biggest concern.

As for the NFL and other major sports, you're undoubtedly closer to them if you live in Denver. But, don't forget, you're only an hour or a bit more from COS to Mile High (not counting game day traffic near the stadium). Personally, I wouldn't let that be my decision point. Don't forget, even from Littleton, you'll be dealing with the Denver traffic on game day (unless, of course, you take the light rail. Not sure of the route, but assuming it runs from Littleton to the stadium. Other posters, help me out here).

As for crime, check some of the more recent posts. There are links to the crime stats. Anecdotally, I don't think you'll find that COS crime is out of control by any stretch of the imagination. We did have more homicides this year than in the past, but some of that may be reflective of the times we live in right now. I think the consensus of most of posters on this forum is that COS is a safe community with generally low crime for its size.

Bottom line. My suggestion is to let your lifestyle rule your decision. If you love the outdoors with close proximity to bike and hiking trails, etc., and prefer a small to mid-sized city, with less traffic a more laid back lifestyle, COS might be your better bet. If you want a big city lifestyle, with all the nightlife, shopping, and wide variety of cultural and entertainment options (along with the tradeoff of more traffic, higher cost of living and the other attendant hassles of big city life), then Denver and its suburbs (e.g., Littleton) would probably be more suitable. Regardless of which you choose, I don't think you'll be making a bad decision either way.

Agreed - especially with that last statement!

[GoneNative]

The only real difference is that Littleton is a suburb of a major American city while Colorado Springs is a mid-sized city itself. Otherwise, they cities are extremely similar in terms of culture, demographics, "feel," things to do, and, perhaps, politics, too.

I live very near Littleton because I like living in a larger metro area. But I think Littleton and the Springs are two of my very favorite cities in the state--probably because they are both quite similar.

[davidv]

There are actually "two" Littletons. There is the city of Littleton, which is located primarily in Arapahoe County, and to the west there is an area of unincorporated Jefferson County that is called "Littleton" for mailing purposes.

The city of Littleton is directly south of downtown Denver. At one point in time it used to be a separate town from Denver, but the cities have merged together. Its advantages are that it has a small, quaint downtown area, a light rail line that goes directly to downtown, an excellent view of the mountains, and a mix of old and new housing types.

Unincorporated Jefferson County is basically a suburban community. It is made up of residential neighborhoods and has no real downtown center other than a large shopping mall. It has a major commercial artery (Wadsworth Blvd) where you can find mostly chain type stores and restaurants. Its major advantage is that it has an awesome parks and rec district, and is much closer to the mountains, with some areas (like Ken Caryl Valley) actually being in the foothills. There is a lot more open space (Chatfield state park, Chatfield arboretum) and wildlife (deer, elk, coyotes, fox and an occasional bear) in the area.

Outdoor rec opportunities abound.

[Marcy1210]

When I think of Littleton, I think of it being Broadway/Bellview/Sheridan/C-470. Farther west in Jeffco doesn't really count as Littleton, other than that it's Post Office designation. It's more Ken-Caryl and Southwest Plaza bordered by Sheridan/Bellview/C-470 west and south.