Moving to Springs fom Texas (plates)

[Saylor91]

Originally Posted by lurtsman

Des Moines is the best city in Iowa, but the gap between Des Moines and real CITIES is still enormous. The difference in services is astounding. How you can get Houston, Colorado Springs, Des Moines, and a small city in Utah all into your finalists is beyond me. The only rational way is that you haven't really sat down and written out the criteria of what you want in a city. If you write out the things that matter most in choosing a city for you, I'd be happy to supply a list of which places would meet those requirements.

For Instance:
Houston is great for low unemployment.
Des Moines looks great for unemployment, but being a smaller city within Iowa the job market is based on nepotism, so unemployment of the non-related is drastically higher.
Colorado Springs has significant unemployment.
The unnamed town in Utah can't be researched without a name.

For weather, if you loved heat and humidity, and some people do, then Houston would be ideal.
If you loved having four seasons but don't like humidity and want each season to be enjoyable, Colorado Springs has some of the finest weather in the country.
In Des Moines, the weather sucks. It really just does suck. If you're stationed on the East Coast, you probably haven't experienced the great climates our country can offer. -- This is not meant to be offensive in any way. I strongly appreciate your service to our country. I also remember that before I began researching geography and weather, I had no idea how different the climate systems could be in the USA.

For cost of living, Houston wins. Des Moines and Colorado Springs are both reasonably affordable, but won't beat Houston. In Colorado Springs the higher house prices make it more expensive, in Iowa it's the absurd property tax that drives up housing.

Quite simply, the only major draw for Des Moines is if you are trying to live near family. Otherwise Colorado Springs has it beat in every reasonable metric. Houston's summers are too hot, but otherwise the very low cost of housing and low unemployment will make it much easier to have enough money for the things you want.

Thanks for you're information. I was only thinking about Texas really just because the jobs are blooming pretty good down there but i cant stand the weather at all. I know I wouldn't be able to handle the humid heat down there and i think that type of life style just isen't for me as well.

I love the outdoors, I want to explore all the hiking and biking around Pikes Peak, i want to go out on trails and explore new places. I love the laid back kind of life style, the type when nobody really seems to be in a rush to get anywhere like they are on the east coast. I want to be able to go out and meet people around the neighborhood and make friends with them, and help them out with anything they need help with. Coming from a small town, you know pretty much everyone there and you would drop what you were doing to go help someone.

Cost of living really doesn't bother me much at all since I can still go on to the bases and shop for what I need. I'm getting medically retired out of the army just after 3 years due to alot of back and ankle problems and I'm only 22 so I'm still pretty young lol. I think the Springs area would be a great area because they also have that new VA hospital opening around April as well I believe.

How is the job market out there? I wouldn't mind getting on a job with an apprenticeship for a couple of years and learning a new trade at all like electrician or anything like that.

My main focus is to start college as well and get my BA in Computer Science.

[lurtsman]

You'll certainly find all the hiking and biking you could want out here. I feel the life style is pretty laid back, without the feeling I had in the Midwest of "waiting to die". It's a good environment out here.

The job market is pretty rough, but what we don't have is a large dose of nepotism. So if you see a job out here that you are qualified for, there is a good shot that they are actually looking to hire someone. That is very different from posting a required opening then hiring the girlfriend's cousin with anger management issues because he hasn't been able to hold down a job and your girlfriends pregnant so you don't really wanna get her going by not hiring the kid and... So, in short, the unemployment is high, but the jobs are real.

[Dagumol]

It is official. We are on our way back to COS! I'll be getting up there right behind the winter weather and ahead of the murderous TX humidity. We got a place lined up and are just closing the loose ends here.

[beezle1]

Congrats and Welcome!

[Dagumol]

Thank you. I have five more weeks here to enjoy some last minute bass and catfishing. I am going to have to learn how to trout fish because, after some research, that's pretty much all there is in CO. I welcome the challenge but, there is nothing like reeling in a 30+ lb. cat at 2am and then letting it go to be caught another night.

[lurtsman]

Originally Posted by Dagumol

Thank you. I have five more weeks here to enjoy some last minute bass and catfishing. I am going to have to learn how to trout fish because, after some research, that's pretty much all there is in CO. I welcome the challenge but, there is nothing like reeling in a 30+ lb. cat at 2am and then letting it go to be caught another night.

Welcome to the area! Congratulations on getting everything lined up. Moving here from Texas at the start of May is great timing. We had a snowstorm last night and looks we like we got around 6 inches. Most days out here aren't like that, but it does happen.

Have you considered keeping the fish and tossing it on the grill? My personal favorite thing to do with the fish is to eat it If we ever run into each other trout fishing, you're welcome to toss unwanted trout into my bucket...

[Dagumol]

I used to keep my catches. I personally have had my life's fill on death. I have nothing against anyone who does keep a fish or hunts a deer; I really don't. I have never had fresh trout so I may have to clean and cook one after my first catch.

[Dagumol]

I'm here! Been in town for six days and feel more and more like I am at HOME. I spent the first few days taking it easy and driving around getting familiar with the place. Since I have spent a day up in Pike Nat'l forest and a day hiking in Cheyenne Canyon. I feel like a little boy in a toy store with a pocket full of saved allowances.
I am not covered in sweat all the time, not swarmed by flying insects, cool and fresh air....dude, this is like Heaven on Earth.
I just love hiking up someplace where I can sit and listen to nature for six hours at a time and not see another human being or have any cell phone reception. Granted, I have to sit and catch me breath a lot but that's getting better by the day. I love it, I love it, I love it.

[otowi]

Glad you're happy here!

[lurtsman]

Welcome to the city Dagumol!

That's how I felt when I arrived, and it didn't go away. For the first couple months I had this fear that someone was going to drag me back to the horrible places whence I came.

You'll see the Miller Moths showing up soon, but they are only here for a couple weeks. If you can keep them out of your house/apartment, they aren't much bother. Nothing like the swarming insects of the Midwest.

The weather here will be beautiful most days for the next 5 months, especially since you are used to Texas weather. You'll feel our "hot" weather and just think "**** how did I not know about this place sooner?" Monday is supposed to have a high of 41 with snow, but then we'll be back to the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Indeed the lungs will make a large adjustment over the next month or two. PS. I absolutely love doing things outdoors and not being drenched in sweat. It just evaporates so fast, even when you are working hard enough to get a sweat going.