affordable safe warmer areas of colorado (Colorado Springs, Pueblo: 2015, apartment, rent)

[outofaz2015]

Hi there

I currently live in arizona and cannot stand it due to it being so conservative and i miss some water big time. I am strongly considering Colorado but it seems that all the nice areas that are more progressive (Boulder) are very expensive for someone on a fixed income and I dont like bitter cold (originally from NY) and would love to be in some of the warmer parts of CO (I also love sunshine!!! but hear Pueblo is very unsafe.

I am very spiritual and progressive/ liberal in my thinking and am looking for a medium sized town with lots of amenities where i can also be around nature (water, river, mountains, etc) and not in the coldest part of CO (and safe...i am a single middle aged female)...work is not a problem as I can work anywhere.

Any suggestions would be great...i dont want to live directly in a huge city but i also dont want to be secluded as well...somewhere in the middle would be great

My budget is around $700 for a studio..i know not much...i live where i do because of the low cost of living, period, but am miserable here but am starting to feel colorado is too expensive for me as i am looking into other states as well but i want to be close by AZ as i have close friends here.

Thank u immensely.

[parfleche]

All the really good parts of Colorado with reasonable rent are Conservative maybe some other state would be better.Hope you had a happy Columbus Day

[outofaz2015]

thank u for your honesty...i truly wish that wasnt the case ;(

[NW Crow]

Does "somewhere in the middle" reach below 5,000 population? Or is the lower limit 10,000, 25,000, higher or much higher?

[NW Crow]

Columbine and Littleton appear to have average studio prices within your budget. Can you handle 70 inches of snow and average winter highs in the low 40s? Slightly left of center voting and probably a bit more so culturally. Several reservoirs and a river nearby and a couple ways into the hills / mountains. Columbine pushing 30,000 people. Littleton several times that but might still qualify as mid-sized to some. Apart for one case Columbine has a very low crime rate. Littleton near average.

Loveland is in something of a snow-shadow and averages only about half the snow of Littleton. Appears to meet your criteria, unless it is too big, city or metro.

[rogers719]

Pueblo isn't that bad compared to any other major city in any other state. Some neighborhoods are better than others but I wouldn't be scared to live there.

For middle of the road, in pricing, temperature, and snowfall check out Fremont county. We are 30 - 45 minutes from Colorado Springs, about the same from Pueblo, and have more than enough local amenities for daily life. The only thing I will say is do not expect much of a nightlife beyond a few bars and a bowling alley.

They tell me the area is conservative, but its hasn't effected me in any negative way. Conservatives here seem to apply common sense and public opinions to political issues unlike the more radical conservatives of the South.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

OP, you say that you miss water "big time". Do you mean lakes, rivers, or the ocean? Obviously Colorado doesn't have an ocean, but it doesn't have very many large lakes either.

Despite the fact that you said you want to be close to AZ because of friends, I was thinking that maybe you'd find what you are looking for in Oregon. I can't really recommend anyplace specific; I love Portland but don't know what the COL is there.

[Indigo Cardinal]

Something to consider is if you are on a fixed income, once you leave Arizona, are you realistically going to be able to travel back to see your friends, regardless of where you end up? Colorado might be closest, but could still be a hike (you don't say where in Arizona you are) that could eat at your budget.

Is a more liberal climate and more water going to be worth the trade-off of not being near your friends, and possibly years going by before you see them again?

If you really want more water, I don't know that Colorado will be much of a step up over Arizona--granted, I am speaking as somebody who is from Missouri originally, so I tend to see Colorado as not having much water in comparison. If you really want a lot of water, you're going to have to go a lot further east or to the PNW.

[Sunderpig2]

Originally Posted by outofaz2015

I currently live in arizona and cannot stand it ... i miss some water big time. My budget is around $700 for a studio..i know not much...i live where i do because of the low cost of living, period

Those two factors (cost of living / budget, and wanting water "big time") seem to completely rule out Colorado. Maybe Florida or Virginia? There are even parts of Texas - believe it or not - that fit those criteria. Places like Galveston are fairly open-minded and laidback.

[1B3H]

You may want to reconsider Pueblo, based on your criteria and budget Pueblo is the only city that comes to mind. I've personally never felt unsafe in Pueblo.

For $475 you can get a studio apartment with all utilities included. Something like this: Studio Apartment, all utilities paid-Pueblo

Water: there's Lake Pueblo, the Arkansas River (Whitewater Park), & the River Walk. Note, Pueblo itself is very arid. Pueblo definitely has the sunshine & warmth.

Outdoors: Lake Pueblo State Park, Pueblo Mountain Park (Beulah), & the Greenhorn Mountain area (Rye).