I had a Realtor in CoSprings tell me, "CoSprings looks down their noses at Pueblo" (Denver: loans, employment)

[fluffitude]

I was a little surprised by his blatant snootiness not to mention put off. Instead of calling him on it, I ended the conversation and looking back, wish I had pressed him to explain his asshattery. Can anyone tell me where this comment is coming from?

Backstory: we are looking to relocated to Colorado and have looked at the springs but think that Pueblo would be more to our liking (less conservative, laid back, a bit smaller).

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by fluffitude

I was a little surprised by his blatant snootiness not to mention put off. Instead of calling him on it, I ended the conversation and looking back, wish I had pressed him to explain his asshattery. Can anyone tell me where this comment is coming from?

Backstory: we are looking to relocated to Colorado and have looked at the springs but think that Pueblo would be more to our liking (less conservative, laid back, a bit smaller).

IMO those attitudes go way back and aren't anything new. I can't explain the thinking of such people other than they exhibit the usual animosity many people have towards hard-scrabble steel mill towns and the often rough-edged, hard working sorts who live in there. Pueblo isn't as pretty as other cities and towns, is well hotter in the summer and has a few rough areas that are to be avoided. Racism may play a part too, as Pueblo has a larger hispanic population and COLO SPGS is much whiter. No matter that the Hispanic influence goes back generations....it WAS a part of Mexico until, IIRC, ~1848. His comment was typical of comments you'll hear in ALL areas of the country where one guy knocks the other guy's town, team, race, religion, culture, politics, education level, career/work, wealth, lack of wealth, etc.

The truth is that Pueblo is a very affordable place to live, has many very good areas in which to live, and certainly deserves to be on your list of places to do your due diligence research. Other places that may be of interest are Pueblo West, Canon City, Salida, Buena Vista, and yes, Colo Spgs too. One idiot realtor should not put you off on any locale here.

If your getting serious about a relo, tell us more of your criteria, especially price-wise.

[otowi]

I've heard of this now and then. I think it may have to do with how the cities were founded - Colorado Springs started out as a 'resort' town - Little London and all that. Pueblo started out as a fort and then its main industry for a long time was steel. But I think realtors often just say what they think people want to hear and tend to steer people to the more 'elite' areas (in part because there's more money in it for them). I don't think that attitude is really ultra-prevalent in the actual residents. But for those who do have it, it is often the fact that they actually haven't spent much time in Pueblo. Same thing for Denver vs. Springs - people who are dissing usually don't actually know the place very well that they're dissing.

[Josseppie]

Colorado Springs and Pueblo has never got along and to be honest I am proof of that as I can't stand the Springs even though the reality is I know more about the city then most of its residents since I am a native to this region. That being said since I got my full disclosure out let me give you my thinking behind why there is such hatred between the cities.

Pueblo and Colorado Springs are very different cities from the very start. Colorado Sprigs is Republican resort and military town and Pueblo is a Democratic industrial town with a university. So both of the cities core values are opposite one another and have attracted different people to the city. Then you have them in close proximity and always vying to be the regions hub and Colorado Springs has felt that they deserve to be and Pueblo feels that they deserve to be. In my opinion in a way both cities are jealous of one another. Colorado Springs hates that Pueblo has the location that makes it the natural hub city for Southern Colorado and Pueblo hates the fact Colorado Springs has grown so much since they have the military and are now the second largest city in the state when Puebloans feel that was meant to be us. That is why it is rare to see the cities get a long and they could not even build a large international airport in the middle of the two cities on I-25 that would of benefited both towns and why the state supreme court said they can not be in the same district because they are inherently different and will never get along.

I did my best to keep my personal bias out of this when explaining it and while I know it would be in both cities interest to get a long (in fact economically speaking they are starting to talk more) I am not sure it will happen for a while to come. However I do want to give some insight as to why I am not a fan of the Springs. When I was a kid in the 80's (I was born in 1973) Pueblo, along with all the steel towns, went through major economic issues that makes this recession look like a cake walk as Pueblo nearly lost the steel mill, alpha beta plant and the army base causing its employment rate to raise to 20% and unofficially over 50%. The joke in town was the last one to leave turn the lights off. One of the things I remember was the attitude of the Springs politicians and business leaders had towards Pueblo since this was during their big growth spurt and since I was a kid in my impressionable years this had a huge impact on me and I have always had resentment towards them that during our crisis they acted the way they did instead of doing their best to help us over come our economic issues.

[hollyt00]

Joss, you're forgetting UCCS and Colorado College...


I just think it's normal to have that sort of city rivalry when you have two similar-ish sized cities (meaning: Colorado Springs and Pueblo seem to me to be closer in size than C/S or Pueblo to Denver).

For what it's worth, I have plenty of friends who live in the Springs, mostly because their job interest lies in the Springs, and they visit Pueblo with great fondness.


I really want to go to Dew Drop Pizza, the Mesa Drive-In, and try some ...and I'm forgetting the name, but sloppers?

And the Colorado State Fair. Never have been to it- it comes always right in the first month of school, and I'm so busy I barely have time to think.

Last time I didn't just drive through Pueblo was about eight years ago, taking a teacher's exam at the (then) University of Southern Colorado.

[Josseppie]

Agreed Colorado Springs has good universities and colleges but it seems like Pueblo is known more for its college and has more pride that we have one here more then the Springs does. I think it is because Pueblo is smaller so the economic impact the university has on Pueblo is greater then they have on the Springs especially when you compare them to the impact military has.

[phetaroi]

There are several population centers along the Front Range where I would consider living (I live in COS, but also like Denver and Boulder), but I wouldn't be caught dead living in Pueblo. I don't hate Pueblo or dislike the people at all. I just found nothing there that was at all attractive to me. Just a preference.

[Vision67]

I wouldn't be concerned about his bigotry. Some people just have a need to feel superior to others. Usually, down deep they're just insecure people.

If I were you, I'd visit Pueblo for a few days and make up my own mind based upon my own observations.

[otowi]

The Colorado State Fair is worth going to especially if you've never been. The River Walk at certain times may be a good stop as well.

[fluffitude]

Wow..thanks for all the input. Here's some additional thoughts/responses to you all. First, my husband was just there over the weekend. He started in CoSprings for one property, then Pueblo for the rest of the weekend to look at several residential properties, including a commercial one. We have been looking in the Mesa Junction, Aberdeen, Downtown and North/Avenues area, as we want to start a small business central to those areas.

First, we do know the economy is suffering, just like everywhere, though it seems to be a little more evident there. One of the things that happened was when my husband stopped for lunch on Abriendo Ave, he was immediately approached for "spare change." The commercial property we considered is on 4th Street and since it's W. 4th, he found that it was in an area with a couple homeless/poor outreach type centers. Not don't get me wrong, we are liberal and help when we can. However, we are also common sense enough to know that if you have a business in an area that is frequented by unhappy people, it can hurt business and discourage potential customers from visiting. Since it's a martial arts school we are starting, children would be essential to the business and we can't have them afraid to be in the area.

Any further comments would be most welcome.