Manitou Springs or Woodland Park to live? (Grand Lake: appointed, homes)

[killarney01]

That's why it is funny to hear people say Manitou is "dumpy". Many houses in old Ned are considered dumpy (not all...some are quite beautiful) but a dump in Ned can rent for $1300 without utilities included. I think the houses in WP and MS are renting for much cheaper than that and aren't as dumpy? And the town of Ned is very old...many, many crumbling buildings

[StarrySkiesAbove]

Originally Posted by killarney01

So, we are just looking for a town that is maybe a bit bigger, but in a good way so our kids have more options for friends, and more things to do.

I think Manitou would meet this requirement better than W.P.

[stoneclaw]

I am always in awe how close Manitou Spgs and Colorado Springs are together, yet they are so vastly different. I think Manitou Springs is definitely an asset to the Colorado Springs area because of its tourism and history.

Manitou seems like an older, eclectic , red-rocked town while Colorado Springs is more like the modern city. Woodland Park gives off the feel of an older, wooded, nature town full of Aspen trees and fishing lakes.

Personally, i don't think i could live in either. Woodland Park seems to slow and backwards, and Manitou Springs, while lovely to visit seems a little creepy and backwards. If I absolutely had to live in either town, I'd probably pick Manitou for the fact that its a little closer to the state's second largest city.

[killarney01]

Why do you think Manitou is creepy?

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by killarney01

Why do you think Manitou is creepy?

Well, it sits at the base of Pikes Peak. It's surrounded by huge red rock and mountains. Not to mention, the old rumors of witchcraft being practiced out there.

On the other hand, Manitou and surrounding area offers something very special that not too many places in the country can measure: Cave of the Winds, Downtown Manitou Springs, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Nearby Old Colorado City, Nearby Garden of the Gods Park, North Pole, and many more.

It's a very interesting town and I love visiting, but as a little boy, I always remembered it feeling sandy and secluded. By the time I returned back to Colorado Springs, I always felt like I was back on solid ground and back to normal, everyday living.

Hope i didn't offend anyone who's from Manitou.

[otowi]

Manitou sits in kind of a narrow area in the pass - that might contribute to a feeling of claustrophobia or creepiness for some. But also consider that Manitou purposely builds its creepy/funky factor with events like the Coffin Races that some people enjoy and find fun but some people might not put high on their list of desirable traits for a place to live but great for a visit.
My brother and his wife lived in Manitou when they first married - it was very dusty and some of the roads off the main street can get very hard to traverse occasionally in winter. Parts of it are basically alleys more than streets. But others are grandiose. If you don't like a Victorian feel and lots of tourists, you may not like parts of Manitou. My mother had a friend that lived there in the 60's. It was considered very cool to be in Manitou for a young girl then if you were into the hippy scene or motorcycle scene. Some of that vibe continues still and is purposely perpetuated. Woodland Park on the other hand, has much less of any kind of particular vibe or culture to it. It is further up the pass but the pass is wider there. It is more like a suburb situated in the mountains in a way than its "own" city - kind of like one might describe Widefield, Falcon, Fountain, Security, even Monument - yes some of those are technically their own cities and have their own histories but for the average person dropping in and not being from the area from way back, it would take them some real time to pick up on that. In Manitou or OCC you'll know you're "someplace else" a lot sooner.

[Dragger]

I'd go with Manitou Springs, because atleast you're near the city.

[mtngigi]

Originally Posted by stoneclaw

Well, it sits at the base of Pikes Peak. It's surrounded by huge red rock and mountains. Not to mention, the old rumors of witchcraft being practiced out there.

On the other hand, Manitou and surrounding area offers something very special that not too many places in the country can measure: Cave of the Winds, Downtown Manitou Springs, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Nearby Old Colorado City, Nearby Garden of the Gods Park, North Pole, and many more.

It's a very interesting town and I love visiting, but as a little boy, I always remembered it feeling sandy and secluded. By the time I returned back to Colorado Springs, I always felt like I was back on solid ground and back to normal, everyday living.

Hope i didn't offend anyone who's from Manitou.

It's not offensive, it's just very funny the misconceptions people come up with/believe, are easily swayed by and the untruths that get thrown out there.

It doesn't matter where you live; every town, in every city, in every state contains: weirdos, strait people, gay people, nice people, bad people, believers and non-believers, criminals, interesting people, boring people, and yes, wiccans and witches. Manitou Springs is also home to a large ministry.

There are no witches flying above the town of Manitou on brooms, and my cat never disappeared mysteriously. Manitou is a nice little town, with access to the "big city", and quick and easy access to mother nature in all her glory. It's even better if you live over on the "sunny side of the street" and away from the downtown.

I used to live in much the same situation as you did - up in Grand Lake, CO. I too wanted to get away from long cold winters and be somewhere with a bit more going on. Manitou more than fit that bill. It's not a mountain town in the classic sense as Ned or Grand Lake, but there is this big-ass mountain right behind us.

p.s. dumpy is just another word for historic and funky ... we have some rather interesting architecture here in Manitou, not all of it "dumpy".

[killarney01]

I am so glad for all of the responses. I feel a little bit reassured and this forum is wonderful because I can get real answers from people who are there or who have been there. Of course, I can get there and see or myself, but it is great to do some investigating beforehand.

So, when you say "sunny side of the street" what neighborhood does that mean? We pretty much already have a house in Manitou if we want it....it is not downtown but is walking distance.

Do town kids usually walk to school? I mean, is it a safe kind of place where kids walk? I was trying to decipher the bus route and it looks like a couple of bus drivers make many stops. In Nederland we had many buses, but then again many kids were coming from very far out in the mountains. Nederland even had Suburbans to pick up kids out in Ward and other more remote areas where there were only one or two kids to pick up. Not sure if Manitou has that kind of system.

Do the locals hang out? Is it a tight knit community? Nederland is certainly very tight knit and like a family for sure. However, new people are coming in, especially during the time when we had 12 medical marijuana shops in a town of 1200 people. I think only 2 or 3 of the shops were owned by locals. This what really changed Ned really quickly, plus a mayor who wanted to really develop the place etc. The locals in Ned almost cling more tightly to each other with all the new people. All that being said, it is a really friendly place (however the locals are not always nice to tourists-but I was never mean to anyone)

Also, can anyone give advice about daycares? Of course I have been reading up, but just want to get opinions.

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to respond! it makes it more exciting for me to think about moving when I get more information about a place

[mtngigi]

Originally Posted by killarney01

I am so glad for all of the responses. I feel a little bit reassured and this forum is wonderful because I can get real answers from people who are there or who have been there. Of course, I can get there and see or myself, but it is great to do some investigating beforehand.

So, when you say "sunny side of the street" what neighborhood does that mean? We pretty much already have a house in Manitou if we want it....it is not downtown but is walking distance.

Do town kids usually walk to school? I mean, is it a safe kind of place where kids walk? I was trying to decipher the bus route and it looks like a couple of bus drivers make many stops. In Nederland we had many buses, but then again many kids were coming from very far out in the mountains. Nederland even had Suburbans to pick up kids out in Ward and other more remote areas where there were only one or two kids to pick up. Not sure if Manitou has that kind of system.

Do the locals hang out? Is it a tight knit community? Nederland is certainly very tight knit and like a family for sure. However, new people are coming in, especially during the time when we had 12 medical marijuana shops in a town of 1200 people. I think only 2 or 3 of the shops were owned by locals. This what really changed Ned really quickly, plus a mayor who wanted to really develop the place etc. The locals in Ned almost cling more tightly to each other with all the new people. All that being said, it is a really friendly place (however the locals are not always nice to tourists-but I was never mean to anyone)

Also, can anyone give advice about daycares? Of course I have been reading up, but just want to get opinions.

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to respond! it makes it more exciting for me to think about moving when I get more information about a place

Sunny side of the street means the north side of Manitou (as you're heading west into town) and not up against the mountain, which can lose the light early in the day. So there are lots of nice neighborhoods over hear near Memorial Park (Google it, and also Google "Manitou Springs" and look at the images). There are lots of photos here on City-Data, too ... especially of some of the fun events we have here, like the Mardi Gras parade and Gumbo Cook-Off.

Grand Lake was a very close-knit community, and it's one thing I really miss about it. Manitou does not have that same vibe - that's not to say it's not friendly, but mountain towns like Nederland and Grand Lake are unique that way, everyone looking out for and helping each other (it was a lot like the town in "Northern Exposure" - that kind of community doesn't exist here - at least not in my experience. But then it is what you make of it ... so I'm sure depending on your lifestyle you can find ways to find like minds and fit in.

Lots of kids walk to school on my street - but there are buses too. I'm not real knowledgeable about that because I didn't have kids going to school here. I can tell you that the high school sits above town on a pretty steep hill. The middle school is very close to the center of town behind the library and would be walking distance if you were close to downtown.

If you can tell me what neighborhood this house you mention is in - I can give you better info.