About to finally do it! Tryingto narrow it down..

[otterprods]

I going to be cursing the sun like in Tucson, AZ, or will we be enjoying a fair amount of cloudy, mild days?
It's often cloudy in the summer but not all day. We have thunderstorms, a sort of monsoon season. Winter days are usually sunny whenever it's not actively snowing or about to. It will be a lot colder than in Tucson.
is there a lot of dirt kicked up out there?
Where I live yes, but we're a lot higher and surrounded by a lot more open space compares to Denver or COS
Does Colorado have a dry, dusty feel, or can we find lush with rivers and shade, too?
Dry, but not dusty like SW AZ. Not so lush though. There will be shade under trees and next to buildings.
Are there any safe and affordable areas to live near or in a city?
What do you consider safe? What do you consider affordable?
Is there a historical district?
Yes
What would be a good hospital for labor and delivery? What is the best hospital in Denver or Co Springs?
'Best Hospital' is very subjective. There are several good ones, but opinions will vary. If it's for work, the best one is one you like that offers you a job. If it's for use then one that's close and takes your insurance is probably best.
Is Denver or Co Springs okay with backyard chickens or goats, or a yard food garden?
It depends on the area and the neighborhood. Mostly not in the bigger cities and upscale suburbs.
If not, could you direct me to a town nearby the city that would allow that sort of thing?
Try Limon or Franktown if you don't mind lots of wind.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Hipchik

In a thread you started in Dec. 2012 you said you wanted to live closer to sea level...
About to finally do it! Tryingto narrow it down..

Great catch, thanks for noticing; I've merged it all into one thread now.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Denver and Colorado Springs are on the plains, although Colorado Springs is closer to the mountains. However, if you want lush with rivers and shade, you'll have to go into the foothills (or Missouri). I think that even in the mountains Colorado will be much drier than you remember it to be.

Yes, there are historical districts in Denver, but you won't find larger yards and probably hard to find 4-5 bedrooms. Hopefully the realtors on here can help out there.

Denver, Colorado Springs, and the many many suburbs all have their own codes regarding chickens, although they are becoming more common. I just did a quick Google search and easily found Denver's codes regarding numbers of chickens, where they have to be located, etc. And apparently they allow two dwarf goats.

[famlife]

Thanks guys, and wow, I forgot about that ancient post! As you can see, I'm still trying to find my place. When I said closer to sea level , I meant closer than 8,000 ft, which I'm assuming can be found out there.
Still not so sure I'd want to live in another parched state.
Thanks for the replies.

[lurtsman]

Hey Famlife,

Colorado Springs is 6000 to 7000 feet, depending on where you are in the city. That may be too close to your cap of 8000. If you want to drive up into the mountains for anything, you are definitely going over 8000 feet.

It is very dry here. In the summer, we have rains, however, the humidity is still low relative to coastal areas because the atmospheric pressure is too low to allow the air to hold a large amount of water. The air molecules are more spread out, which means they can not hold as much of anything.

If you want some proximity to mountains without elevation you might consider the Ozarks range, or you could consider Knoxville or Pittsburgh. How do you feel about some cold? Washington's education policies offering free college would be excellent to your kids. Seattle offers tons of "not dry", and Spokane offers a relatively dry climate that is still far more humid than the cities in Colorado because of lower elevation (under 2k) while still being close in proximity to mountains.

PS. Houston has very few restrictions on land and quite affordable housing. The elevation is low, and it is anything but dry.

[famlife]

That's so funny, lurtzman! Missouri and Houston are the other places we are looking into! We are leaving in a month to go check out Houston... While there's no mountains, being near the gulf may be a fair trade

[lurtsman]

Sounds like you're doing good research then. It's always a good sign when the potential mover's city list matches up with the one I created based off their stated desires. It means their actual goals in choosing a city align with their stated goals. The saddest thing is when someone is in denial about why they are moving Grats to you on being well prepared.