Does CO have the "Magic Answer?" (Colorado Springs, Pueblo: sales, rent)

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by middleoftheroad

We are going to be retiring coming up quixkly. We have looked at two areas, North of Phoenix, AX...Thanks for the help.
Fred

I can't answer the question you asked, but I too considered Arizona as a possible retirement destination. So I took a trip out there a couple of years before I retired and I decided against Arizona very quickly because I felt I would feel very isolated. As I recall, the drive from Flagstaff to Phoenix is abotu 2 hours, and from Phoenix to Tucson another 2 hours. And what's in between each of those three cities. Pretty much nothing. I felt like I would be living on as island.

Just something to think about. Good luck with your decision.

[brightdoglover]

I would personally worry about retiring anywhere that would be totally car dependent. Where I currently live, most things I need and want are in my town area, 1-2 miles, but still need a car. An excellent hospital is about eight miles away.
I guess I'm counting on being able to drive at least somewhat for a long time into older age, but wouldn't want to move somewhere where longer driving is absolutely necessary- unless I had an "after that" plan to move elsewhere for frail older age.
I suspect a lot of people are in this position. The suburbs are full of stranded older people (and people driving well after they are able).

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

How "temperate" are we talking here?

Try AccuWeather.com for all kinds of weather data. Just play around with the site for a while. I would add that Canon is quite isolated, which can be good or bad, depending on what you want. The heigt of shopping there is Wal Mart and the like. You have to go to Colorado Springs or Pueblo for more choices.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Try AccuWeather.com for all kinds of weather data. Just play around with the site for a while. I would add that Canon is quite isolated, which can be good or bad, depending on what you want. The heigt of shopping there is Wal Mart and the like. You have to go to Colorado Springs or Pueblo for more choices.

What the heck is your definition of "isolated?" Cañon City is all of 45 miles from Colorado Springs or Pueblo. Hardly "isolated."

"Isolated" would be some places in rural Wyoming, New Mexico, or Montana where the nearest town of 1,000 people is 75 or 100 miles away. Now that's "isolated." I just got back from a 240 mile round trip TODAY in rural Colorado and still had time to get a bunch of work done at the office. I won't be able to that (and neither will anyone else) when fuel is $8/gal., but for now, that's the way it is when you live and work in rural Colorado. When I lived in Wyoming, it was common to make a 500 mile round trip drive to go to a 3 hour meeting--all in one day!

You need to get out of the metro blob more and off of the I-70 Sacrifice Zone.

By the way, www.weatherbase.com or the Western Regional Climate Center ( Western Regional Climate Center ) has way better data than Accuweather.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

What the heck is your definition of "isolated?" Cañon City is all of 45 miles from Colorado Springs or Pueblo. Hardly "isolated."

"Isolated" would be some places in rural Wyoming, New Mexico, or Montana where the nearest town of 1,000 people is 75 or 100 miles away. Now that's "isolated." I just got back from a 240 mile round trip TODAY in rural Colorado and still had time to get a bunch of work done at the office. I won't be able to that (and neither will anyone else) when fuel is $8/gal., but for now, that's the way it is when you live and work in rural Colorado. When I lived in Wyoming, it was common to make a 500 mile round trip drive to go to a 3 hour meeting--all in one day!

You need to get out of the metro blob more and off of the I-70 Sacrifice Zone.

By the way, Weatherbase or the Western Regional Climate Center ( Western Regional Climate Center ) has way better data than Accuweather.

According to google maps, Canon is 46 miles and 59 min from Colorado Springs. (Since I didn't type in an address, it used Pike's Peak Ave. and Tejon as the COS point.) According to the same source, it's 41 miles and 49 min from Canon to Pueblo. That's a little far to go out to dinner, shopping unless it's an all day scheduled trip, etc. One who is used to going 2 miles to a restaurant or dept store might find that isolated.

Thanks for the alternative weather websites.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Katiana

According to google maps, Canon is 46 miles and 59 min from Colorado Springs. (Since I didn't type in an address, it used Pike's Peak Ave. and Tejon as the COS point.) According to the same source, it's 41 miles and 49 min from Canon to Pueblo. That's a little far to go out to dinner, shopping unless it's an all day scheduled trip, etc. One who is used to going 2 miles to a restaurant or dept store might find that isolated.

Thanks for the alternative weather websites.

I would agree, it's a matter of perspective. When one lives in a rural area, long distances for many things are a fact of life. A friend of mine commutes from Cañon City to Colorado Springs to work every day.

There was a period of time some years ago, when I had to make a 500+ mile round trip to Denver (over and back the same day) once every week to 10 days for specialized medical treatments in Denver for about 3 months. It was inconvenient as all hell, but it is what one sometimes has to do when one lives out "in the sticks." (No, the Chambers of Commerce don't talk about that when enticing people to retire in rural Colorado.) So, 40 or 50 miles to many things is hardly considered "isolated" by those of us who live in rural Colorado.

[Ziasforever]

I wouldn't consider Canon City rural. Limon might qualify but not CC. The last time I was there there were plenty of resturants. The Pueblo sprawl is much close to CC than 41 miles.

In fact, there is little separation, in my opinion, between Pueblo sprawl and Canon City. Maybe a few miles of open fields but not that much I think.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Ziasforever

I wouldn't consider Canon City rural. Limon might qualify but not CC. The last time I was there there were plenty of resturants. The Pueblo sprawl is much close to CC than 41 miles.

In fact, there is little separation, in my opinion, between Pueblo sprawl and Canon City. Maybe a few miles of open fields but not that much I think.

I drove this piece of road just recently. It's way more than a "few miles of open fields". Also, I didn't say CC was rural, just isolated. Some may disagree, but those were the words I used.

[SheridanL]

I agree with Jazz and Zias....Canon City is not far from Pueblo or Colorado Springs!! It takes about 40 minutes to get to Pueblo (4 lane highway, straight as an arrow AND no traffic!!)
It takes that long to get down Academy in COS for gosh sakes!!
I leave my house here in Canon to go to the airport in the Springs and it takes about 50 minutes.....hardly day trips to visit either!!
A ton of DOC employees commute daily from COS or Pueblo, to work in Canon!! My sister-in-law did for 6 years.
As far as clothing stores, yes, it is limited for sure. I just take a quick drive out of town.
We have Home Depot, Walmart, Office Depot, Alco, City Market, Safeway, Hilltop Market, tons of restaurants, auto stores, etc.
We have many parks and trails (including the new WKRP) it's on the Arkansas River...its for kayaking and river rafting and wading without being carried away!!
The neighborhoods are very different here and are n't too cookie cutter.
I live in the East side along a cliff/hogback. It is a more expensive part of Canon and, even that being said, the house at the end of my cul de sac has 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, 3 fireplaces, and indoor pool with a walkway/jogging thingy around the top looking onto the pool...indoor barbeque grill, sauna, 3 living rooms tons of other things with acreage and it is only 299,900!!! You can well imagine what one can get for their money (for now anyway!)
The views are amazing being very green and surrounded by mountains.
It's just really cool living here!! And I grew up in Denver so, I do like a city and would go crazy if it took me forever to get to one!!!

[Ziasforever]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I drove this piece of road just recently. It's way more than a "few miles of open fields". Also, I didn't say CC was rural, just isolated. Some may disagree, but those were the words I used.

Sorry for the misquote but I don't think CC is isolated. Lake City, that's isolation. Furthermore CC is less than 20 miles from the sprawl of Pueblo West which is basically in the Pueblo 'Metro' area. I know because I was CC in February and was shocked (although I shouldn't be because it's Colorado) with the build out so far west of I25.