California Central Coast to CS Colorado? (Denver, Colorado Springs: hotel, place to live, military)

[mcginnis12878]

Well I never thought I would see another SLO towner here but hey...here is my 2 cents! I grew up in Los Osos, Ca and moved here in 2005. I love the mountains and all that but if you are looking for artsy/earthy/natural Colorado Springs is not really for you. Manitou springs is better or woodland park or someplace more in the mountains...I say this because I know the kind of lifestyle you are used to and CS is way different! One thing to consider is the cold. It is WWWWWAAAAAAAYYYYYY drier here and colder! I thought Frazier park winters were bad till I came here. If you want sun you will be hard pressed here in the winter to find it. Either its too cold to enjoy it or its overcast. I too hated the fog...A nice warm artsy place just to let you know that is inexpensive and wonderful for the art community is Paducah, KY. I know its far but they really are huge in the art community. Another great area that is warmer is Columbia, missouri area. I have been researching this after this horrendous winter this year! Plus prices are going up in this state. When we moved here it was affordable to buy a home now it is getting almost as bad as some areas of CA. Sorry to be the voice of doom but it is reality...On a side note how is Hudsons Grill these days and the Graduate? Man I miss Franks Hot Dogs and going to Santa Rosa Park! Cheers!

[mcginnis12878]

[quote=CentralCalCoast;220564]4. they don't grow vegetables very well there -- how fresh are the vegetables? we always take advantage of the Farmer's Market here for locally grown fresh vegetables throughout the week. Also, some restaurants use them as well. how about there?

i would miss water terribly. we have a creek here, downtown. even if there was no ocean, we could still experience the calming / nastalgia of running water. but, here in CA, many of us miss a huge thing--quality of life. i know wherever we move there will always be challenges, but it's a matter of rethinking priorities and being open to new experiences.

QUOTE]

If you are going to miss water that terribly then you should not look in the COSgs area. We miss it a lot so we are looking into the Springfield/Branson missouri area. Also as far as I have seen in 2 years there have been freak blizzards every year (i have been here for 3 winters) and no farmers markets. I MISS FARMERS ON HIGUERA!

[coltoncity]

Thank you for your answers! I have a couple more questions if you dont mind ... Just how windy is it there? I dont know that it would be cloudy to us...we are next to portland oregon so sloudy and rainy is much more what we are accustomed to here. As far as the elevation I noticed at Mt Bachelor we were 4500 ft up, it was harder to climb the stairs, hike around etc. How long does that last? How hard is it to acclimate in that way?

[misswoodlandpark]

Hello. We very rarely have wind here. That's another reason the winters are SO mild. A typical day is sunny, calm & blue. Real blue. No pollution blue. You can not imagine what the stars look like at night here. It's like your in a planetarium observatory. When we moved here it took a few weeks to get used to the altitude. But if your basically a healthy person - not a couch potatoe, you'll be fine. We are a normal family - and we can do a 4 mile hike at 10,000 ft. (half up hill) and have no problems. Yes, once and awhile you'll have to stop and catch your breath - but that's normal. It's great when you go skiing, because you're already used to it. What happens at high altitudes is your body creates more red blood cells to deal with it. When you go down to lower altitudes - you have way more energy than everyone else and alot of athletes actually like to sleep at higher altitudes just for that fact. Once you're here for a little bit - you really can't tell the difference

[mcginnis12878]

It depends on where you live for the wind factor. Right now I live on the plains (east side) of the springs. It gets uber windy here most of the time. Briargate gets somewhat windy but not as bad as the plains. Woodland park is gorgeous but dont forget the commute in the winter folks. I was born in Portland and lived in the PAC NW so I know what fog is, it is cloudy not foggy so visibility is still ok however I am a sun fiend so I HATE OVERCAST SKIES! That is why I said if anyone is like me in that they would not want to be here. 2 years ago I would have tooted my horn for this place but it has changed even in that short of a time. It is way more expensive and the mentality is shifting. No one is friendly here anymore. That was one of the reasons I came here. Sad. I still love the mountains tho!

Elevation you get used to but there are still some things I huff and puff on... i.e., stairs! I do love it when I go to a lower elevation and have tons of energy tho!

[fiona974]

If you're still reading your posts... I have to say, I haven't slogged through all the other posts, but since I currently live in San Francisco and have visited your home town, and used to live in CS, I thought I'd give you my perspective.

From your comment about God's creation, you should fit in well in Colorado Springs. It is a very conservative, Christian-based town.

I personally loved the weather, but then, I do like snow. If you're not ready for some very crisp, cold days you would not be happy.

Housing will certainly be more affordable. The people aren't very friendly in general but I made a few very good friends - who have all since moved from the area.

It's very different from California. Some people love that and some don't. It really depends on what you're looking for. Good luck!

[CentralCalCoast]

Got so carried away by work that I haven't visited this forum in MONTHS... obviously <=). But i'm still interested in continuing dialog because moving there is still in the back of my mind. by the way, mcginnis12878, Graduate is still thriving, and franks.... hudson's grill is gone as of recently. downtown's changed a lot--in good ways. avila beach is a mini resort now! all built new. that place is amazing. way way more unaffordable now. but always great for taking a breaking to enjoy a sunny warm get-away lunch or something!

i guess i'm quite confused because some people say that it's calm, blue, beautiful in CO and often sunny while others say the clouds will get to you. maybe it depends on where you live? maybe if you're closer to the East and the plains then you're more likely to get the clouds (and wind / cold)? anyone else out there really sensitive to sun that would say it IS sunny there a lot?

a couple people mentioned how people in CO aren't as friendly as they used to be. are there places where that's clearly more true than others? what communities did you experience the negative responses?

Thanks (if anyone is still reading this) for the input... =)

[roastedbeans]

I'm not sure why some folks think this place is unfriendly. From a few of the last posts on this thread, you'd think the last of the nice people have left already. Such generalizations... For anyone who makes in effort to engage others I think you would discover more nice people than you could ever maintain relationship with. Sure, there are jerks, idiots, liars, and slow drivers...but let's not lump them all together. No more, no less "friendly" in my opinion than Chicagoans, Angelenos, or some boating party in Key West. If your preconceptions should direct your perspective, then you may not find what you are not looking for.

Sun. Heck ya, the Springs has tons of it! This winter ('06/'07) was long and cold for sure...but still...more sun, or equal than I would say of 27 years in the OC. CO has clouds most often daily, but they are usually of the Clumpyolimbus and Cottonballus type [Don't look this up]. Brainclouds are very common! Storms are often localized and may dump rain/snow downtown, while be dry 7 miles south in Fort Carson. Unlike much of the PacNW and the East where the cloud cover may come in and cloak a city for days/weeks on end, this is simply not the case in Colorado. Fog is almost unheard of.

At the higher average elevation of say 6,500+, you are going to experience a higher UV Index than that at sea level. Sunburns are very common, and I would easily equate 20 min in noon sun to 60 min surfing HB. So, be careful...lots of UVA and UVB's up here!

c:hris

[CentralCalCoast]

very helpful, thank you for your reply chris! so, when you say clouds come everyday, does it dim the sunlight? or does it still truly feel like a bright sunny day? my immediate family and i all struggle with emotions changing when the sun is covered or the sky is darker during the day.

and it sounds like you're saying the sun is the same for Colorado in general - whether we move to Denver or Colorado Springs?

and good to hear a balanced view of answers on people in CO.
thx!!!!

[CalifDreaming]

1. i'm from a small town called San Luis Obispo and never lived anywhere bigger than Santa Barbara (for a couple years there). though i'm excited and open to new opportunities in a big city, are there neighborhoods that have a smaller feel--more of a central community? and can you tell me about your pace of life in CS?

Hello I have been here for three weeks now but I will still try to answer from a newbie to the Springs.

2. I will intensly miss the wading through the crashing of ocean waves and having bonfires, but am excited to experience (in daily life) different features of God's creation. what's your experience with nature there?

I lived a block from the beach (San Fran Bay) and I love the ocean. There is no way you can not miss the ocean here but the trade off is ok. The mountain is beautiful and you can take walks in the woods and still be in the city.

4. i'm used to 70 degree weather much of the time (more like btwn 60 and 75 maybe). how rare or usual is this? from my research so far, it looks like it's pretty mild in CS--doesn't ever get over 80 degrees. is that true?

I have only been here a few weeks but so far we have experienced all 4 seasons Sometimes in one day! Its great. The thunder storms are wonderful after a warm sunny afternoon. It rains alot here and even in the summer. You have to love storms to like it here. You have to love thunder and lightenin and rain. The weather men seem to be right on target here

6. it looks like you might have a number of organic / natural food alternatives there. my town only has a couple choices. i visited Vancouver, Canada recently and was amazed at all the organic (markets, "fast food", and restaurants)! i know boulder has alot, but i'm more interested in living in CS. and do you have any organic restaurants?

I have seen a few online but can not remember the names but the food here seems to be good and the restaurants are endless from great and natural to junky (just like Calif). I miss Trader Joes alot but we have a fantastic whole foods market and other special shops that have lots of great food items. You can get whatever you want here! We have not eaten out much but we did go to a fantastic Mexican restaurant in the South West part of town. (Sorry I am so new here that I am still confused by road names)

What I love about CS so far is the people. They are so friendly and I find myself laughing with someone whenever I go out That is a plus to me and it makes life a bit nicer.