Neighborhoods (Colorado Springs, Colorado City, Yampa: apartment complex, sex offenders, crime)

[fromthebay]

We are thinking of moving to CO Springs and seem to notice quite a bit cheaper rents in westside CO Springs. Is this a bad neighborhood. And is there good community colleges in CO SPrings.

Thanks
Mike & Cierra.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by fromthebay

We are thinking of moving to CO Springs and seem to notice quite a bit cheaper rents in westside CO Springs. Is this a bad neighborhood. And is there good community colleges in CO SPrings.

Thanks
Mike & Cierra.

Specifically what intersections?

[fromthebay]

W yampa & unitah

[Mike from back east]

That's over near, or part of, an area called Old Colorado City (OCC), a somewhat funky artsy area of small shops and some superb food. Nothing wrong with OCC. Housing stock there is older small homes with 'charm,' lots of vivid color and free spirits. Not a ghetto at all, in fact, there aren't any here. The southeast area is a bit dicey, but OCC is fine.

s/Mike

[MidniteBreeze]

We lived just north of OCC (Pleasant Valley) for a while. Really liked the neighborhood. Mike is right, lots of mid-century ranchers...but unlike some of the newer "cookie cutter" developments, the place had some character! Our neighborhood was pretty "normal", middle class but there a lot of "new agey" types in OCC proper and a little west over in Manitou (especially.) You also can't beat the proximity to the mountains, garden of the gods, etc.

Colorado Springs has one public community college that I know of, Pikes Peak CC on the south end of town. Seems like a decent place. UCCS is actually a really nice campus if you decide to pursue your education there. I got my MA there and found it to be much more "user friendly" (as far as red tape, etc. goes) than the similarly sized U of Minn branch where I got my BA. Reasonably priced too.

[itsjuststeve]

The area around West Yampa is Old Colorado City and a fine area. It is close to the Interstate and just a few minutes southeast is the heart of downtown Colorado Springs. The houses are generally a bit older, but well-maintained from what I've seen.

Our city's community college is Pikes Peak Community College. It is an excellent school which rivals nearby colleges in it's teaching and class options. There are 3 campuses: The main campus is the Centennial Campus, which is about a 15 minute drive south from W Yampa. This is the biggest campus and has the most to offer. Then there is the Downtown Studio campus, just on the other side of the interstate on Pikes Peak Blvd, which would be closer to you but focuses on the arts and has less class options. Rampart Range is located just northeast of the city, and probably would not be your preferred option because of the distance.

I go to the Centennial Campus and I would recommend the school - great professors, great class options, and a very good transfer system to other schools. The school is also well-equipped and up-to-date technology-wise.

[jerrygoldsmith]

Most folks cringe around here when you talk about the south parts of town, and for the most part its true (moving away from there soon myself!). But even then its spotty, and a street over from a bad place can be top-notch.

Try this
weekly crime maps
weekly updated crime maps. compare and analyze yourself


and, here is one of the many ways to check for sex offenders in your area. I found 2 in my general apartment complex area I didn't know about :s
But remember, these databases are NOT always reliable or up to date.

-::- Welcome to CriminalCheck.com -::-

[janetjanetbobanet]

Originally Posted by fromthebay

We are thinking of moving to CO Springs and seem to notice quite a bit cheaper rents in westside CO Springs. Is this a bad neighborhood. And is there good community colleges in CO SPrings.

Thanks
Mike & Cierra.

I love living on the westside, I am near Old Colorado City myself. Have had no problems with the neighborhood, neither has my daughter, who has lived here longer.

[dpitts]

I was suprised to see over twenty sex offenders in 80920 Briargate area. This is one of the best areas. Is there a way to see the actual conviction of the offender. The site recommended above only states 'Felony Conviction'.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by dpitts

I was suprised to see over twenty sex offenders in 80920 Briargate area. This is one of the best areas. Is there a way to see the actual conviction of the offender. The site recommended above only states 'Felony Conviction'.

That is a surprise. I found a city website with photo's of the people: CSPD Registered Adult Felony Sex Offenders

The city-wide listing is 105 pages, with 5-6 persons per page. The list for 80920 starts on p.97 and goes to p.100, shows 20 persons. Most of the names match those on -::- Welcome to CriminalCheck.com -::- This website has a "map" feature that is rather helpful, shows 8 of the 20 are clustered around Chapel Hills Mall. By mousing over any pushpin and clicking it, you see the listing. Then you can use the city site to see more data and a photo of the person.

Comparing the data for one offender between the two sites, the city site is more specific. Where 'criminal check' merely says 'felony conviction' (not very specific), the city site says 'sexual assault on a child, position of trust' (rather specific).

To digress a bit, it's obvious from the photo's that some of these people are mental cases, and IMO, belong in a mental facility. Some of the people listed in the downtown area homeless types living in public parks.

s/Mike