Potential Move To Colorado Springs (Fountain, Black Forest: apartments, condos, crime)

[Bull City Bob]

I have a job opportunity in CS, and my wife and I have been looking at homes/condos in the 80903 area around Colorado College and Patty Jewett. We're early 30s with no children yet.

We'd like to be close to restaurants, shopping, etc. - possibly within walking distance. We're looking for 2 or 3BR, 2 BA at a max of $250K.

Is this a safe area? Are there any other areas we should be looking that might be a good fit?

Thanks in advance for any input.

[Mike from back east]

Durham Dude, that's a good area of town. Here's the crime map page, pick a week, look at the activity. Nothing to sweat here.

The area around COLO College is awesome, but not sure you'll get a lot for $250k down there, it's pretty desirable. The tree-lined streets in that area are amazing.

Closer you are to downtown the more walkable it gets, with tons of eateries along S. Tejon Street. Terrain is quite flat there.

Use realtor.com to search on zip code of choice. Or use the local PPAR website, which has a really neat feature where you can draw a search box on the map then search within that area.

[Bull City Bob]

The PPAR site is great. Thank you for the recommendation. Looks like there are some nice (but small) bungalows in the area in our price range.

[eastofdurango]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Durham Dude, that's a good area of town. Here's the crime map page, pick a week, look at the activity. Nothing to sweat here.

The area around COLO College is awesome, but not sure you'll get a lot for $250k down there, it's pretty desirable. The tree-lined streets in that area are amazing.

Closer you are to downtown the more walkable it gets, with tons of eateries along S. Tejon Street. Terrain is quite flat there.

Use realtor.com to search on zip code of choice. Or use the local PPAR website, which has a really neat feature where you can draw a search box on the map then search within that area.

Wow, Mike thanks so much for both the crime and PPAR links -- VERY helpful.
I think we are going to hone in on CS ourselves and visit after the holidays and when things settle down-- the EARLIEST we would move would be mid June anyway.

Sue

[Falconlady]

The only downside of that area is that there is no grocery store within walking distance. You'll have to drive south of downtown a couple of miles. Downtown is mostly bars and nightclubs, a few boutiques and specialty shops, good locally-owned restaurants and a brewery. If you like quaint, 1920s and 30s bungalows and an established neighborhood feel, CC and Patty Jewett areas would fit the bill.

[lalahartma]

There is a Safeway @ 2210 N. Wahsatch Ave, which is in the Patty Jewett neighborhood.

I love the area. When searching MLS, look under "Central.'

[treedonkey]

Any chance of making a special sub-forum for the general topic... Thinking of moving to _____, where should I pick for _____? And then the user can just fill in the blanks and it will spit out the answer. It seems like we're getting several of these 'where should I move?' threads per day. I've stopped posting into most of them because I feel like I'm regurgitating the same info over and over again.

Look, it goes like this...

If you can spend $400k-1 mill. $$$ and you want a multi-acre homesite for horses and a big custom home, choose an area in or around - Woodland Park, Monument, Palmer Lake, Larkspur, Woodmoor or Black Forest.

If your budget is $150-$300k and you don't mind a more modest, but still really nice, home or townhome, and you want to be closer to, but not in, the city, then look along the Eastern side of I25 between Academy and Baptist Rd.

If you want to be in town, then move in or near downtown, you can find anything from $100k-$500k in that area and the crime is not a major problem regardless of which neighborhood you choose.

If you've got upwards of a million (or more) to spend and you want something upscale but still close to town, then choose something around the Broadmoor area, or get a bit more for your money by looking in the hills around Manitou Springs or Woodland Park.

If you're into the hippie/tourist town, basically Santa Cruz in the mountains, then choose
Manitou or Old Colorado City.

If you want big house, big yard, lots of families, but can't spend more than $300, then head east, to the edge of the prairie.

If your husband is in the Army, look at Fountain first, and then head further south and or East to save more money.

Of course there are many sub pockets between and within all of those areas, but that pretty much sums it up with broad strokes. Now go find a Realtor and start looking. We can better address all your questions once you narrow down your search a bit.

[eastofdurango]

If you want big house, big yard, lots of families, but can't spend more than $300, then head east, to the edge of the prairie.

If your husband is in the Army, look at Fountain first, and then head further south and or East to save more money.

Of course there are many sub pockets between and within all of those areas, but that pretty much sums it up with broad strokes. Now go find a Realtor and start looking. We can better address all your questions once you narrow down your search a bit.[/quote]


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Actually I had stated we were looking at APARTMENTS lol. So thanks anyway for al the Realtor advice

[momneedstoknow]

Hey, I don't live there, also perhaps moving there, but I have a suggestion. . . based on your age and status. . . buy more in good school area 'cuz the kids won't be far behind!