moving from PR..... (Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins: crime, daycare, find a job)

[junZ]

hello all! i just had to look for assistance from the interwebz to make this happen. i'm possibly moving to the US from PR; long story short: things here are pretty bad.

I had my eyes set on CO for a while. I totally hate the city-busy life, traffic jams, annoying people honking the horns, (don't we all?) and so on... Im on the lookout for a quiet place to live, with lots of family activities to engage in.

I am a husband and father of a 3 yr old girl. I'm also looking for a place with good schools, daycare options and a mid-range cost of living. I would dare to say I have no problem with the language, written, read or spoken. Nor does my wife. I'm a certified network technician, with more than 15 years of experience. I plan to continue my studies and become a prominent network engineer one day, also... i'm going to keep certifying (possibly concentrating on cisco and Microsoft - hmm maybe security?)

my wife has a B.A. already and she's going for the MBA in accounting (she loves numbers)

So I wouldn't say we're not entirely unprepared, but still.... I feel I should seek out some kind of advice or help from the locals? Maybe you guys can point me to the right direction in case I need some more info on the web, or should be prepared for additional stuff in the states that I didn't have here.

For example, I'm new to all this federal tax collection thing (IRS?)
Also... If anyone here would be so kind enough to tell me if this is a good place in terms of jobs in my field?? crime incidents?
is it a good place to raise a family? personal and professional growth?

thank you in advance!

[junZ]

oh... kay.....

maybe i picked the wrong section of the forum? O_o

[brightdoglover]

Dunno why you have lacked responses, but I'll pipe in with what I think a regular would say. In a word, Colorado Springs.
Hope someone expands on that.
I don't know how "quiet" an area will be if it has jobs and more training for an MBA and network person. Of course, "busy" is quite relative.

[junZ]

i thank you for your response.....

yeah well, quiet as in "normal" i would guess.

not a dessert-type quietness, but more like a place i can take care of the family, watch my daughter grow, and keep her and her mother safe.

all I want is a better life for them.

specially for my kid.... that's why i'm empathizing in good-schools/day-care areas.

[jim9251]

Look at Montrose. Large enough to have everything you'll need, but small enough to be quiet and safe. The mountains, lakes, etc etc are close by. Now about employment...good luck with that. I would recommend coming here to visit first. Coming from PR I imagine the winter will be quite the shock.

[junZ]

Originally Posted by jim9251

Look at Montrose. Large enough to have everything you'll need, but small enough to be quiet and safe. The mountains, lakes, etc etc are close by. Now about employment...good luck with that. I would recommend coming here to visit first. Coming from PR I imagine the winter will be quite the shock.

indeed.

i should be about 60-70 degrees in here (with the A/C on high @ work) and i'm freezing my ass like.... i can't feel my fingers anymore.

[Mike from back east]

Jobs of the OP's type are found in larger areas, for the most part. That's COLO SPGS, the Denver Metro Area (DMA), Fort Collins, Boulder area (but not Boulder city proper due to cost). Lots of Tech work in the Boulder area and in the Denver Tech Center south of Denver.

I don't think that even Denver has the NYC type of traffic that he describes; though there is traffic in a metro area of 3M.

More educational opps for the wife in DMA.

Anywhere you can find a job is where you want to be.

[junZ]

thank you Mike!

if you currently live in CO right now (and I suppose you do) - how do you see the job opportunities for tech-savvy people? Also, i'd like to continue studies myself, so a place with some tech colleges and or certification academies would be awesome.

[Mike from back east]

I'm in COLO SPGS. I'd hazard a guess that DMA is best locale, since most jobs in COLO SPGS require a security clearance for military work. Good technical educations can be had in any of the Front Range cities.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by junZ

i'm possibly moving to the US from PR;

I'm a certified network technician, with more than 15 years of experience. I plan to continue my studies and become a prominent network engineer one day, also... i'm going to keep certifying (possibly concentrating on cisco and Microsoft - hmm maybe security?)

my wife has a B.A. already and she's going for the MBA in accounting (she loves numbers)

Puerto Rico is part of the US.

With your situation you might also want to consider Northern Virginia as there are quite a few government IT services contractors operating there who employ network services folks. One I can think of off hand is Harris Corporation in Herndon. If you can get into cyber-security that's a hot area right now and into the foreseeable future. Many of these contractors will hire you, get you an interim clearance initially and then a final clearance which will open up a lot more career possibilities. Your wife would also have a relatively easy time finding work there in accounting.

Why are you worried about figuring out taxes? Your accountant wife can do that.