where to live? (Denver, Fort Collins, Grand Junction: apartment, condo, construction) - Colorado (CO) - City-Data Forum

onthamove · 07-21-2007, 07:52 PM

I have posted that for the longest time i wanted to live in Evergreen but where would the cheaper place be Evergreen or say Dillon, Breckridge or say silverthorne? I am also only 18 and get the feeling Evergreen has more older people but am i right? i realize all the formentioned are ski towns excpet for Evergreen but which of all these would you choose to live in if you were an 18 yr old making about 12-13k a year? also keep in mind once i become an instate resident i am going to start college, evergreen has no nearby community colleges except for RRCC whereas Breckinridge has the colorado mountian college. One thing is for sure i am itching to get to the high country of colorado!!!

tfox · 07-21-2007, 08:00 PM

Evergreen is mostly commuters, not necessarily retirees. So, you're most likely to see families there. It's not a hotspot for the single life.

Summit County (including Silverthorne) is really, really expensive. I don't know how you'd make it on 12-13k a year. Being young and single is a plus. If you're determined to do it, try to share a 2br apartment with a 3 roommates. That's a way to cut down on costs. That's how people are able to pay the bills in expensive places. Fortunately, you can make a fair bit of money from tips working at restaurants in Summit County (much more than 12-13k at least) -- not nearly enough to settle down there, but enough to scrape by in a roommate situation.

onthamove · 07-21-2007, 08:10 PM

thanks tfox here in kentucky living is darn cheap and i also know getting a roomate is something i planned on doing reguardless. but i'd imagine if the cost of living is higher perhaps people get paid better. also i have always wanted to sort of get into construction does the weather make that a tough way to make money there in summit county? ( i mean 300 inches of snow a winter isnt exactly ideal builing conditions is it?)

Fuzz · 07-21-2007, 08:32 PM

Go to Summit County, stay in Dillon Valley East (cheap area), get a roommate. It's doable. Check out the TGR hook-ups forum.

onthamove · 07-21-2007, 09:58 PM

thanks for the help guys

High Altitude · 07-23-2007, 03:20 AM

You could make it work. Work at one of the ski areas during the winter, construction in the off season (lots of building in summit county) shack up with all the other young people doing the same thing etc.....

Enjoy!

onthamove · 07-23-2007, 11:50 AM

i figure if i am gonna move to the Centennial State i am gonna live high up there where i wanna live, yes with roomates i know i can make it work!!! MY GOSH! i can not wait to get to the high country!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jazzlover · 07-23-2007, 04:11 PM

onthamove,

Not to pour cold water on your dream, but you need to realize that you are moving to a VERY high cost area with keen competition for jobs that pay relatively low wages. Unless you have some specialized skill that is in demand (and, quite honestly, most 18 year olds don't these days), you will likely be competing for those jobs with aliens (many illegal) who are willing to live with up to 12 people in a 1 or 2 bedroom condo in order to make it. You will also find that you will probably have to work 60-80 hours a week, just to make ends meet--which means your ability to enjoy the high country will be severely compromised because you won't have the time. Thousands and thousands before you have had the same dream. It usually lasts a few months or maybe a year, and then they move on. I've watched it for over 40 years.

My advice is to try to get a better than minimum wage job in one of the towns/cities close to the mountains (Denver, C. Springs, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, etc.) and use your time off to go to the hills. They are also crying for workers for the gas fields in both Colorado and Wyoming. Those jobs are very hard work, but pay fairly well. Many have on/off work schedules (example: 8 10-hour days, then 4 days off) that make it possible to enjoy some things.

For a young person, anyplace but the metro areas of Colorado can be a very hard place to make a living. That's why even the kids who grow up in those rural and resort Colorado towns generally wind up leaving--there is no way they can hope to make a living there.

Fuzz · 07-23-2007, 04:22 PM

I was wondering when jazzlover would show up and share his sage advice.

Colomonter · 07-23-2007, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I was wondering when jazzlover would show up and share his sage advice.

Yeah, don't you just hate it when someone actually points out the reality of any given place instead of just spewing the Chamber of Commerce propaganda.