Manitou Springs vs Canon City (Denver, Colorado Springs: real estate, rental homes, homes)

[mojodad]

Hi folks. We're planning on moving to CO from LA soon and have narrowed it down to Manitou Springs or Canon City. It'll be my wife, baby, dog and cat. We're both from the mountains of WA and are trying to move back to some mountains. We'll be looking to rent since we're basically moving blind. We won't be able to visit 1st as much as I'd like to. We're pretty adaptable though. How do these towns compare/contrast to each other? I won't need to find work since I work offshore in the Gulf of Mexico so I'll be flying to Louisiana once a month out of Colorado Springs. How's the winter commute to the airport from these towns? Are there any issues with roads closing in the winter? They call Canon City area the banana belt, are the winters really that much milder then Manitou Springs. How are the towns for raising a kid in? How's driving around in the winter? Do the towns plow the roads very well? How is the rental situation in either town? They both seem like pretty safe. I'd just like to hear a comparison from people who are familiar with these places.

Thanks for the info.

[Arrby]

I am floored by your two choices - I cannot think of two more disparate locations within the state. If you were torn between Paris and Djibouti I could scarcely be less surprised.

Not to put you off, but the answers to your questions have been dealt with at great length within these forums: use the "Search" feature for both Manitou Springs and Canon City.

First, rentals. Neither is a very large place, so at any given time rentals may be scarce. Canon City, by reputation, is one of the least expensive Colorado locations to live west of I-25. If you are comparing like properties in Manitou Springs, well there aren't any. Real Estate in Manitou Springs has to be seen to be understood, if not believed. Canon City is laid out in a large, more or less level valley. Manitou Springs is crammed into the cracks and fissures of a mountain.

Canon City's principle employment derives from the 13 state and Federal prisons. Manitou Springs principle employment derives from being funky. Manitou Springs (pop. under 5,000) is hard up against Colorado Springs, so all the big city amenities are just a few blocks away - ok, maybe a couple miles. Canon City (pop. 15,000 plus) is less than 40 miles from the Springs, but somehow it has the feel of a somewhat shabby oasis in a remote desert. Compare/contrast? I cannot begin....

Canon City is at just over 5,000 ft in elevation, located in the Arkansas River valley and is noted for its relatively mild winters. Manitou Springs is at the foot of Ute Pass, on the slopes of Pikes Peak at 6,400 ft., and will be a bit colder than even most of Colorado Springs and significantly colder than Canon City - say 10 deg. on any given winter day.

Snow plowing is taken seriously, but the distance from Canon City to the airport is three times farther than from Manitou Springs. Since you fly out only once a month, it is hard to advise just how often snow covered roads might be a problem; once every three or four years? If you cannot get into the airport from Manitou Springs there is a good chance the airport is closed anyway. From Canon City it might be advisable on occasion to not risk a dangerous-sounding forecast and stay in the Springs the night before your flight.

I could move blind into Colorado Springs. I could do it in Castle Rock. Or Monument. Or, even the Denver area. I cannot imagine moving into either Manitou Springs or Canon City without seeing them.

[stoneclaw]

Still trying to figure why and how you have narrowed your selection down to two cities that are so vastly different and far from one another?

Manitou Springs has the advantage of being close to nearby Colorado Springs which will offer you big city amentites that you can't get in Canyon City.

Canyon City, although about an hour from the Springs, offers great tourism, rich history with a small town charm.

If it were me, I'd pick Manitou Springs, but hey, I'm a city type of guy.

[otowi]

Those two places are indeed very different. Manitou Springs is geographically confined at the entrance to a mountain pass. It has a touristy feel in its little downtown and prides itself on having some "weird" silly traditions. Canon City is further south, and yes, it is noticeably warmer than the Colorado Springs area. It is in a much more open location and although a small town it is larger considerably than Manitou Springs and is more of a stand-alone city while Manitou is practically encased in other cities or against mountains. Mountains are indeed nearby Canon City but their vistas are a bit lower than in Manitou. I think cost of living would be less in Canon City, it would be a bit less convenient to the airport, amenities, and some mountain things (though not all). The vibe in Canon City would be completely different from Manitou. Much less "hip", much more "small town/rural".

[lurtsman]

I'm curious about how your selection came down to these two also, since the criteria that would put either on the list would likely exclude the other.

Given what you have told me about your work and family, I would that I strongly suspect Manitou would be a better fit for you. Working off coast and needing access to the airport would be a problem if you live over an hour away. The path is through the mountains, and you may encounter some significant difficulties reaching the airport from Canon city, and the plane isn't going to wait for you. If you live in Manitou, you will have no challenges reaching the airport because you'll be driving through the city on freeways and highways the whole time. Working offshore largely eliminates canon city from consideration. Outside of that, you're coming from LA. Either choice will put you in a vastly smaller town, but you may really want to maintain the access to city services that Manitou can provide by proximity to Colorado Springs. When I first left a big city to live in the middle of nowhere, I was anything but pleased with losing access to the benefits of a city. When you arrive, rent for at least 6 months (preferably a year) to see how you like it. Some people, often to my surprise, decide they don't like it here. When I get to the reasons, usually they seem illogical and often times absurd. Sometimes they are built on statements that are factually inaccurate. However, their feelings will guide them more than logic or facts, so it is best to rent and make sure you are right.

[Mike from back east]

Manitou HAS a Mardi Gras Parade and a Gumbo Cookoff each year. Reason enough for folks from LA to live there. Keep Manitou Weird.

[lalahartma]

Canon City is too small, kinda depressed and has a large prison economy.

[mtngigi]

As everyone states, there is absolutely no comparison between the two places.

Do the search others suggest and you'll get lots of info. The drive from Manitou to the airport is an easy breezy 20-25 minutes for me, and we get very little snow here (mild winters are why folks like it here so much). Yes, yes, we get snow, but not enough of it to worry about. I don't know this firsthand, but supposedly Manitou's school system is excellent. It's a fun and funky little town with a large arts community and many events. But it's also a town full of regular folks like me, who like a small town with a big city nearby.

Canon City is hot in the summertime, but I actually enjoy going down there for day trips occasionally. If you get off the main highway 50, the old downtown/main street area is funky and interesting.

[Sonic_Spork]

Never been to Canon City and it doesn't sound like my kind of place. I love Manitou. But when I was in the rental market, pickings for rental homes were really slim out that way, and often higher priced.

Actually the home buyer's market is pretty slim there, too, from what I recall.

I'm curious, why not Colorado Springs? Within the many parts of the city there are a wide variety of housing options, and you'd still be within easy visiting distance of awesome, artsy, funky Manitou.

By the by, if you've heard things about Colorado Springs being super-religious and conservative and that's why you're ruling it out, please don't get hung up on that. People say that because there's some organization up north (Focus on the Family) that is vocally right-wing. But I've lived here for over a year now and never encountered anything that made me feel like I'm in a town full of Bible-beaters. For every church, there's an MMJ dispensary someplace, and neither one is in your face or changing your day to day life....unless you seek out their services, both are easy to ignore. The Springs is very live-and-let-live.

[stoneclaw]

LOL.

I think here on city data is the first time ever I have heard Manitou Springs referred to as "funky". Not saying that it can't be funky, but just kind of funny.