Visiting Colorado Springs in July (Denver, Manitou Springs: ski resorts, 2011, how much)

[slogan2007]

My husband and 5 month old are visiting Co Springs in early July.

We have 2 things in mind: Vacation and recon mission to see if this is a place we want to move to when hubby finishes school. (Co Sp or Denver...)

Any recommendations of things/places we must check out since we are looking into moving there? We want to have vacation fun, as well as "pretend we live there" fun...

We used to live in Reno, NV... a valley surrounded my mountains and close to Lake Tahoe... I am a snow bum, myself... and want to be able to take advantage of close proximity to ski resorts, mt biking, etc.

How heavy is the snow maintenance in Co Sp? I have read past posts of people complaining about how much it snows. I used to live in Truckee, CA - home of the Donner Party.. where it DUMPS. I don't want to maintain this much snow - because my lifestyle won't let me play in it as often as I used to... so it's not worth it if i can't play a LOT... but I don't mind some maintenance.

Thanks for any tips/suggestions/advice!

-S

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by slogan2007

My husband and 5 month old are visiting Co Springs in early July.

We have 2 things in mind: Vacation and recon mission to see if this is a place we want to move to when hubby finishes school. (Co Sp or Denver...)

Any recommendations of things/places we must check out since we are looking into moving there? We want to have vacation fun, as well as "pretend we live there" fun...

We used to live in Reno, NV... a valley surrounded my mountains and close to Lake Tahoe... I am a snow bum, myself... and want to be able to take advantage of close proximity to ski resorts, mt biking, etc.

How heavy is the snow maintenance in Co Sp? I have read past posts of people complaining about how much it snows. I used to live in Truckee, CA - home of the Donner Party.. where it DUMPS. I don't want to maintain this much snow - because my lifestyle won't let me play in it as often as I used to... so it's not worth it if i can't play a LOT... but I don't mind some maintenance.

Thanks for any tips/suggestions/advice!

-S

We had a half dozen small snows here this past winter, a few inches here or there, hardly anything to shovel, melts off quickly.

We're on the edge of the prairie, not up in the mountains. Some of the CO mountain towns (e.g., ski areas) may get 400+ inches of snow per winter, but down here on the edge of the prairie I'd be surprised if COL SPGS got even 20 inches this past winter - with most of it melting same day or next. The Front Range is NOTHING like the Donner Pass area, though up in our high country we have many high mountain passes that get just as clobbered.

Denver weather is much the same. Denver is closer to a greater variety of winter sports than COL SPGS, has a decent job market, is a better spot for young people, has lots of cool old neighborhoods, pro sports, major airport, great nightlife, and an excellent light rail RTD system.

[slogan2007]

Thanks Mike... sounds great.. our friend is trying to talk us into Denver vs. CS.

One reason CS peaks my interest is that it seems more affordable...
Can you find decent housing in Denver for say... $250K?
3 bedroom/2 bath home that's not falling apart with a small yard for our little boy to play in?

I am in the web/internet industry and my hubby is going to be an architect.

Although Denver is closer to the ski resorts, CS seems like it might be easier to go on a hike/mt bike ride on any given day and not take as long to get to some of these types of things?

Am I mistaken?

[otowi]

I think housing is a bit more expensive in Denver than here, but you might be able to find what you are looking for in both places. Colorado Springs is smaller - less commuting almost anywhere, including places to go hiking and mountain biking, generally speaking.

[javaj]

Housing is more affordable in Colo Spgs, but there are more job opportunities in Denver. Do you have jobs lined up yet?

Oh, and I heard on the radio a few weeks ago that a ski resort may be coming to Colorado Springs! Permits are being filed now, and it will supposedly be pretty big if all approved. I think they said if all went well that it would open in 2010 or 2011. Too bad we'll probably move this year and miss the convenience of having a ski resort nearby!

[JesseInColo]

I moved to Colo Spgs in '06 from Boston and have never looked back. A few comments: the snow situation is quite variable. I live on the SW side of town and I think I have shoveled my driveway a total of 3 times since I moved here. However, if you live on the north side of town or Monument, the snowfall can easily be 3 or 4 times as much as I get. I love my neighborhood (one of the older ones in town, top notch school district, 5 minutes from downtown) and would suggest it to anyone moving here with kids approaching school age. But it is the priciest one in town (although still quite affordable by east coast standards, maybe $150/sq ft). If you're coming this Summer, check out the zoo. Its a nice way to spend a few hours and it'll give you a chance to check out this part of town as well as afford panoramic views of the entire city--its located halfway up Cheyenne Mountain. Also, the "Denver is closer to skiing" claim is a little misleading. We're only 2 hours from Breckenridge the "back way". And you don't have to sit in traffic on I-70 which can make the trip to the mountains from Denver a complete nightmare. I make the up and back day trip from here 10+ times each winter. As for the negatives, the only thing I miss about the east coast is the food. Can't get a good bagel here to save my life. Cultural/nightlife scene is also lacking (but improving with beautiful new fine arts center). Although, with 3 young children, wouldn't take advantage of it anyway. The one thing I wasn't necessarily expecting and something you should prepare yourself for: a large number of visitors. It seems like we have guests staying here every other weekend.

[ColoradoKirk]

Hello, hope I'm not too late. Just signed on to city-data and saw your post.

My wife and I did the same "recon" mission last summer, and we stayed at the Cheyenne Canon Inn, which was a really beautiful, peaceful place to stay while we drove around town looking for housing. It's got mountain views, and it's in very close proximity to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Seven Falls, two really fun attractions.

If you're looking for "stuff locals do," I would go for an early evening hike in one of the parks around town. We like Red Rock Canyon Open Space on the west side of town, just off Hwy 24 before you get into Manitou Springs. It's a lot like Garden of the Gods, but without all the cars and tourist madness. Beautiful views of Pikes Peak, the foothills, Garden of the Gods, and the city. A nice place to "wind down" after the recon. You'll likely see deer bounding about. Good luck and have fun.

[ryanek9freak]

eh, if I could afford it, and put up with all the traffic, i'd move to Denver, but COS is just right for me at the moment.

[westernhalf]

If you do move to Colorado Springs, make sure that your driveway is south-facing. If it is, the sun will do a lot of the snow removal for you. There are north-facing houses that sometimes have snow-packed yards for months!