Colorado Springs. Why? (Denver, Manitou Springs, Colorado City: to rent, amusement parks, crime rate)

[C2H (ComingtoHouston)]

I'm 27 years old now.I lived in C-Springs for 19 years of my life and couldn't wait to get out. No hopes of ever going back. Don't get me wrong, i love the place for sentimental reasons because its where I did my growing up. I love the Mountains but after a point, you can only look at the same mountains so many times, you start to take it for granted. But this has gotta be one of the most boring places on earth.

Colo Spgs is very limited on entertainment options, too military, too white (yes i'm talking race), too cold in the Winter, continuous sprawl, limited employment opportunities, and basically no character at all. Before some of you burst your lid by my saying the place is too white, let me explain i'm no racist. Growing up there, I've adapted an appreciation for places where you see different kinds of people. Or at least peolpe who look like you. That's what I like better about Houston, TX. It feels more like you're living in a city that represents the world rather than a place that represents Corporate America.

For the last 10 or so years, i've just grown to love the City more and can't see how anyone would want to move to Colorado Springs unless you're old and crusty and have already lived life. I could even live in Denver because it has a more upbeat vibe to me. More places to go downtown, amusement parks, hang out spots, more restaurant choices, better mass transit, opera shows, etc. Colorado Springs is like one big neighborhood. Not my taste. On another note, lots of places to see in around: Garden of the Gods, Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Cave of the Winds, Cripple Creek, Royal Gorge, North Pole, and Pikes Peak. I'm not gonna totally dogg the place because its where I grew up.

If anyone cares to shed some light on their decision to move to Colorado Springs, please share with me.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by C2H (ComingtoHouston)

If anyone cares to shed some light on their decision to move to Colorado Springs, please share with me.

I completely understand your post. If I was in my 20s again I think I'd find COS boring too. When I was in my 20s I was hitting the nightclubs in Hollywood and the Sunset strip, seeing the bands, meeting plenty of chicks, beach parties, clubs, Raider, Dodger, Rams, Angeles, Lakers, Kings games, etc.

If you can swing it, check out SoCal. It's really expensive, really crowded, tons of traffic but if you can get a good job there and get a decent place to rent you might find it fun for a couple of years. When you get ready to marry and have kids you might reconsider COS.



What I was doing when I was 22:

[Piblokto]

Hmmm, I have lived my whole life (33 yrs) in Houston and can't wait to move to Colorado Springs next summer when I finally finish my education. To put it in perspective, I grew up in Spring Branch (the part that is all Hispanic now) and now live inside the loop. I am a little sad to leave Houston, only because this is where all of my family is, but other than that, I don't think I will have any regrets.

The main reason that I am moving is the quality of life that I will have with my job there versus here. There simply is an oversupply of people in my profession here and the competition is fierce.

I picked CoS off a map after much research and visiting several cities. For me, the advantages CoS has over Houston are:

1) Size: Houston is just too big. With this size comes a LOT of problems. Crime. Pollution. Traffic.

1a) Crime: The level of random violent crime here is amazing. One of my friends who grew up in Beirut said the level of violence in this city is greater than it was there DURING A WAR. Wow. It has only gotten worse since the Katrina evacs have set up shop here.

1b) Traffic: I live 5 miles from my work. It takes me 30 minutes each way every day. If I moved out to the suburbs, it would be more like 90 minutes each way. My car has a neat feature where it calculates your average speed. I have 15,000 miles on my car which is 22 months old, and the average speed is 11 MPH. That is 62 hours a month in the car sitting at stop lights. What a huge, frustrating waste of time every day. I know CoS has some traffic, but it is not even in the same league as here.

1c) Pollution: We consistently win the award for the worst air quality here. It is amazing stepping off the airplane in CoS and breathing in the fresh, clean high altitude air. People here litter like its nothing. And I am sure you read the articles in the paper about the fecal material found in all the bayous. Gross.

2) Weather: OK, the winters here are not too bad. We have decent weather October through April. But the humidity is awful. And the sweltering summers make it almost impossible to do anything outdoors. You break a sweat walking from your car to the door of whatever building you are going to. And the Mosquitos are awful. They swarm you as soon as you go outside and even come in the house whenever you open a door. I must have had at least 500 mosquito bites in the past year, and that is a conservative estimate. With the hot spell we have recently had, we just had another crop hatch and I even got 2 bites yesterday (this is January for crying out loud).

I know the cold/snow is going to get old, but to me it will beat the heat/humidity/rain that we have here.


3) Diversity: this is a mixed bag. I like the diversity here to an extent; I have friends from every race/religion/national background. I feel like I have had a chance to meet people from every part of the world and the majority of them are great people. But the illegal immigrants have taken over this city. I don't blame them for coming; if I were in their position, I would come too. However, I am sick of feeling like I am in Tijuana every time I leave my neighborhood. Everything is in Spanish. They have over run the school systems and hospitals and are not contributing significantly to the services they receive. There simply is not enough money to pay to educate all of them and provide them with health care. The worst part, however, is that they don't even try to assimilate to American culture. There are so many here that there is no need. They just live in a Mexican city that happens to be in the US. I have spoken with many of them that have lived here for 10, 20 or even 30 years and don't speak a word of English. I have very mixed feeling about this because I have had the opportunity to get to know many of these people on a personal level and the majority are good people, but there are plenty of criminals too. Anyway, just leave it at I will partly miss the diversity, but part of me will be glad to be in a place that I don't have to use my mediocre Spanish on a daily basis.

4) Outdoor activities: I love the outdoors. I want an opportunity to be outdoors. There is very little opportunity to do anything outdoors here. There is no open space, very few parks and public space. No wildlife outside of pigeons and squirrels and bums begging for money. Houston is truly a concrete jungle. Unfortunately, it has to be one of the least attractive cities there is.

5) Schools: let me just say that I find the quality of our public schools (HISD) lacking. I can't speak for the schools in the burbs because I don't have personal experience there. The "good" private schools are super competitive to get into if not impossible and end up being pressure cookers for kids.

6) The "rat race": It seems to me that everything in Houston is based upon how much money you make. Really, the only reasons that people live here are for their jobs (to make money), or because their family is here. Instead of hiking, skiing, camping, whitewater rafting, fly-fishing, peoples hobbies here are buying more crap, and spending more money. It is a vicious cycle that I have observed...work harder to make more money to buy more stuff-->need to make more money to pay for more stuff so must work harder...etc.

Anyway, like I said, I will miss this place, especially the friendly (mostly) people and good restaurants, but when I am enjoying spending time with my wife and daughters there instead of working 80+ hour weeks here, I think I will be OK with it all.

[El Mac]

Having lived the better part of my life in and around major metro areas to include: Dallas, Houston and Washington, DC, I can tell you I'm ready for some of what you call "white" Colorado Springs action.

I'm quite tired of living in "mini-UNs".

The way I see it, there is plenty to do here in the Springs, IF you want to go out and DO IT. On the other hand, if you want to be sitting on the sidelines BEING entertained...you may well find your nirvana in Houston.

But the inside of a bar pales next to a mountain lake or stream or a ski slope.

Have fun in Houston...it IS one of the friendlier big cities. It is also filthy and humid beyond belief and has more crime than you can imagine. Its a sport down there to watch the nightly news and count murders.

[C2H (ComingtoHouston)]

Thanks for the replies. Charles, i would love to try SouthCali. If you know some cool places to visit, please let me know. BTW, you say Colorado Springs can be boring to someone in their 20s. Since i'm close to knocking 30, does that mean i'll find Colorado Springs exciting in the next few years?

I'll admit that commute times can be frustrating in Houston depending how far you live between your home and job. Houston at least has a freeway system. Travel in Colorado Springs is no walk in the park either. They only have one freeway I-25 that's free of stoplights. There is no east-west freeway that provides non stop mobility. They're trying to make Powers Blvd be the express route for the east side because they're to cheap to build another freeway. So if you add in the stoplights, traffic in C-Springs, and lack of a sufficient freeway system, the commute time can be frustrating as well. Not to mention those long winter days where you have to wake up early to warm up your car!

And Piblokto, Fresno, LA have had worse air than Houston for the last year or two. I do remember when Houston and LA were swopping titles for a while though. Some say Houston is unattractive visually but most big cities are short when it comes to visual appeal. NYC, New Orleans, and Chicago are to name a few. That never stopped them from being major destinations in the U.S. Its the level of activity they offer that make them attractive. I have to say, Houston is starting to bring things in the city that will keep people's mind on what the city has to offer rather than lack of beauty.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by C2H (ComingtoHouston)

Thanks for the replies. Charles, i would love to try SouthCali. If you know some cool places to visit, please let me know.

Anywhere from Redondo Beach to Irvine. Near the Beach. Santa Monica. West LA. Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach. Pasadena. Los Feliz. Maybe Westchester. Maybe Culver City.

A lot of it depends on what line of work you are in. If you are an engineer, you will be in heaven (if you rent and don't care about living in a good school district).

[greatmuta]

I plan on moving to southern California within the next few years, but I must say I would take CO Springs over Houston anyday. Piblokto summed it all up very nicely. The traffic, weather, and crime rate especially. To me the only thing Colorado is missing is the ocean.

[ceadda]

I've lived in SoCal and visited Houston.

Yuck.

I'm 36 and have 3 kids. I'll take less crime and a slower pace.

I'll take my outdoor activities any day. (But I do miss the beach)

I HATE traffic.

I like to camp and hike. I love Colorado Springs commitment to parks and open spaces.

The winters can get tiresome, but I'll take them over the heat and humidity.

If you are going to live here, you have to accept the presence of the military. If you are going to do business here, you are going to have to embrace the military. They do a tough job, but they are just people. I don't have a problem with that.

The job market is fine. It's not the big city, so you just have to adapt to what it is.

I understand why you want out at your age. But I'm not and never have been a party hound, so I'll take my family life, outdoor fun, and peace of working at home.

Have fun in Houston, but I'll pass.

[C2H (ComingtoHouston)]

I truly wonder if some of you that claim to have been to Houston has only been as far as to Houston's airport. Houston is not a bad place and it may not be as clean as Colorado Springs, but there is way more activity and culture because its a bigger city. Its not yuck. Someone tell me what's so yuck about Houston than most big cities? Colorado Springs is stale, soulless, dry, brown- landscaped, and boring. That's yuck enough to me.

[froggin4colorado]

Well..I personally don't want EVERYONE to love CO- then we would have everyone here and we don't want that. The majority of the reasons you list why you dislike COS is why so many love it. AWWW...the beauty of being an individual! Right?! AMEN!!!