The 5 things you should do if you want to live in rural Colorado: (Boulder: mineral rights, beach)

[treedonkey]

Originally Posted by Recumbent Falcon

I've become appalled at a (small) hard-nosed corps of people who come off as extremely selfish and a bit self-righteous.

Actually, I know of only ONE hard-nosed curmudgeon who regularly inhabits this Colorado forum.

The rest of us - native, non-native, semi-native, or whatever - residents welcome you with open arms. Please just buy an existing home if possible and do respect the environment. I'm sure you will.

[sterlinggirl]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Come on, natives! We are all non-natives deep down. If it was OK for a young couple to come here in 1945 to start and raise a family, why wasn't it OK for my DH and I to do so in 1980, at the height of "native" hysteria? Why isn't it OK today? We have come, sometimes for a lifetime, sometimes for a short while. While here, we have paid taxes, volunteered in the schools, and dare I say it: helped make Colorado a better place!

Are the people who bash the natives any better than the natives who bash the outsiders?

[Mike from back east]

No, and we're getting tired of it. Newcomers didn't start these craps threads.

[Ticky909]

The most common out of state plate on I-25 is that of the great state of Wyoming, from what I see.

[brightdoglover]

If you increase the U.S. population from 200 million to 300 million in a few decades, there's going to be growth everywhere remotely desirable, and a lot of growth in the better places. I don't like it, but it's a fact. Of course, I want to be the last one in the door, like anyone else.
If the population could stabilize at a reasonable level (whatever that is) then we could all live pretty well.
I realize that most increase in recent years is strictly due to immigration and immigrant birthrates, not general birthrates. The U.S. has the third-largest population in the world. Do we want to be China or India?
I don't want to save the world's beauty for "our children and grandchildren," which, by the way, I've opted not to have. Save it for them so they can mess it up? No. Save it because it's always been, and deserves to continue to be, and a side effect is that every generation will know some of the world's grand beauty.
If people are only concerned so their grandchildren can get in on it, I'm afraid to leave the house. I thought people were bigger than that.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by sterlinggirl

Are the people who bash the natives any better than the natives who bash the outsiders?

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

No, and we're getting tired of it. Newcomers didn't start these craps threads.

You took the words right out of my mouth! Most of us, when we moved here, we more than happy to get settled, meet people, and like Colorado for what it is. We never knew (in most cases), we'd be so reviled (not by everyone, of course).

[sterlinggirl]

Originally Posted by Katiana

You took the words right out of my mouth! Most of us, when we moved here, we more than happy to get settled, meet people, and like Colorado for what it is. We never knew (in most cases), we'd be so reviled (not by everyone, of course).

Those people aren't much different than you are. There is an opinionated minority on either side of the bell curve who rails against those on the other side. In my mind, you and Jazz are just opposite sides of the same coin.

[treedonkey]

Originally Posted by sterlinggirl

Those people aren't much different than you are. There is an opinionated minority on either side of the bell curve who rails against those on the other side. In my mind, you and Jazz are just opposite sides of the same coin.

I beg to differ. I've been around here a while now, and I can confidently state that I've never seen either Katiana OR Mike rail against anyone... Oh, and that little winky face does little to make such accusations palatable.

[Katiana]

I have to spread the rep around, so you'll have to settle for a public "thank you".

Frankly, I try not to tangle with jazz too much.

[Alamosa]

Just joined this forum. I'm a Colorado native, raised and educated in Canon City, BA at Adams State, Alamosa. Being living/working abroad since 1986; mostly Africa, but Asia and South America too. Now resident in New Zealand (long story, but the influence of my Dutch wife, who has relatives here). Now 63, my roots are calling. But having live abroad so long, its hard to know where home is. But I visit Alamosa every 5 years or so (whenever I get back to the USA) and it seems to be where my heart is. Desolate as the San Luis Valley is....

I appreciate several postings by Jazzlover, about rural Colorado in general and about the SLV. I was there a few months back, and looked at houses. I agree: the prices haven't dropped. They were higher than I expected, for such a remote and yes, poverty area.

Any thoughts or comments about Alamosa living are welcomed. I'll give up the New Zealand ocean for "brown"...and home. But I don't want to over-romanticize it, either.