Best Ski Town to Live In? (Steamboat Springs, Aspen: apartments, condos, income)

[stuff and things]

I am thinking of moving to Colorado after I graduate college for one winter to live and work in a ski town like Keystone, Steamboat, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, etc. I grew up in Lake Arrowhead, Ca, so I am definitely used to cold weather and snow in the winter, admittedly not as cold or nearly as much snow as most parts of Colorado, but I do know what its like to live in the mountains, and how to drive in the snow (unlike 99.5% of people from Southern California). I have always been in love with snow and skiing and I can never get enough of it, and that's why I would love to move to a "Perfect mountain town." I would like to live within walking or short driving distance (less than 15 min) to the ski resort and potentially work at the ski resort itself. It would be nice if other ski resorts were within 30 minutes so I could get some more variety every once in a while. I am looking for a small town with friendly people that doesn't get too busy on the holidays (places like Vail and Aspen might be a bit to crowded and expensive for my taste). I want to look out my window every morning and see snow on the ground.

I have never been to Colorado before, so any info would be greatly appreciated. I would like to know how much it costs to rent small apartments or houses in these places and how easy it is to get jobs as well. I would prefer opinions from people who actually have lived in these towns or worked at one of the ski resorts, but any advice is welcome. Who knows, if I like it there, I might just decide to stay.

[onthamove]

live in leadville and work in breckenridge you can live cheap in leadville and at the same time be in commuting distance of the resort areas idk though i hear leadville is a little deserted and depressed....

[stuff and things]

Originally Posted by onthamove

live in leadville and work in breckenridge you can live cheap in leadville and at the same time be in commuting distance of the resort areas idk though i hear leadville is a little deserted and depressed....

How much cheaper is Leadville than Breckenridge? Also, on google maps, it said that the drive from Leadville is 53 minutes to Breckenridege and 27 minutes to Copper Mountain. I am assuming it takes a lot longer if there is snow on the roads. That is longer than I really want to drive.

[stuff and things]

I would also be interested to hear from anyone who lives or has lived in Silverthorne, Frisco, and the other surrounding towns as this appears to be a central location in-between Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone and Aprahoe Basin.

[golfgod]

Although I've never lived in a ski town, I always felt that Steamboat Springs had more of a "town" feel to it. Although it's gotten more touristy feel lately. I think there is a thread on here from a couple of months back that has a couple that moved to SS in the last year or so.

I think you'll find that "close to ski area" and "inexpensive living" are terms not usually found together, kind of like "V-8 pick-up truck" and "good gas mileage".

golfgod

[Katiana]

I think you'll find that "close to ski area" and "inexpensive living" are terms not usually found together, kind of like "V-8 pick-up truck" and "good gas mileage".

Agree. It's best to go into this with eyes open.

[Fuzz]

I live in Silverthorne.

In terms of housing affordability, the cheapest are Silverthorne and Dillon (especially the Dillon Valley East area), followed by Keystone, Breck, and Frisco. You could conceivably live by yourself in Silverthorne, Dillon, or even Keystone. Living in Frisco or Breck will probably require you to have roommates.

Silverthorne is the most "residential" of the towns, with 75% of residents being year-rounders. Many single-family homes. The Wildernest area is popular for seasonal employees, with lots of condos. Dillon contains mainly condos, townhomes, and apartments. Dillon Valley East is the lowest-rent area in the county. LOTS of ski bums there.

Keystone, Breck, and Frisco are all going to be expensive, but not impossible, especially with roommates. Breck is a party town. If you want the party scene, that's where you want to be -- plus it is a nice real mountain town. Frisco is a nice town as well with bars and clubs but not as wild as Breck. Keystone is mostly the ski resort without a real town. The Summit Cove area has some apartments. Copper, like Keystone, is the ski resort mainly -- you'll have to come to Frisco/Silverthorne/Dillon for most town activities and events (e.g. grocery shopping).

If you want to walk to the ski resorts, stay in Keystone, Breck (parts of it), or Copper. The free Summit Stage bus service connects all the towns I mentioned, so you can take that as well (although it can take up to 45 minutes to get from Silverthorne to Breck, with all the stops and transfers). If you drive yourself, the ski areas all about 15-20 minutes of each other.

You can live in Leadville too. It is somewhat far from the ski areas (Cooper is a small area close by, but if you want ski bum for a season, you want to spend your time at the bigger areas) -- Copper will be the closest at about 35 minutes. But most of the Summit County ski areas run shuttle buses for employees living in Leadville.

I have ski bum/instructor buddies who in live in Silverthorne, Dillon, Keystone, Frisco, Breck, Copper, and Leadville -- so really, people live everywhere.

To get an idea of housing costs, check out the local paper, the Summit Daily News.

To get more ideas from locals (especially ski bums), check out the TGR forums. You can get more "local" info there than here.

[Fuzz]

About jobs, there are jobs that are more or less conducive to skiing as much as possible.

Avoid jobs like being a lifty or a retail salesperson -- you have to work during the day and miss all the skiing.

Working the evening shifts at restaurants or bars is much better since you have your days free to ski.

Work during the day on weekends and holidays -- the slopes will be so crowded, you won't want to ski at those times anyway.

Or you could be like some ski bums who work their butts off during the summer to save up money, and don't work at all during the winter, just ski all the time.

And if you do get a more permanent, regular day/desk job somewhere, try to work flex time, and see if they have a powder clause.

[sunsprit]

I'd point out that any and all of the ski resort areas and towns will be crowded on holidays. You simply will not escape the influx of absentee owners, tourists, etc. All of the areas are essentially booked up at these busy times.

While the Dillon/Frisco area is "close" to Keystone, Breck, Copper ... it's still a commute to the slopes, and more than "15 minutes" away. Even if you're on the local bus system, it takes awhile to get to the slopes.

I think you might yet want to take a look at Vail. It's possible to get a shared living situation and truly be within minutes of walking distance to the lifts, or find housing in East or West Vail and have a minimal bus ride to the town's transport center, which is a short walk up to the main base lifts.

You'll find that the "ski bum" life is pretty much a close to the vest financial experience wherever you go. The places that seem "less expensive" to live in also have a lower income associated with them; ie, if you work for tips in Silverthorne, you'll make less money than working for tips in Vail ... and you'll wind up with about the same net financial situation when all is said and done after rent and your other expenses. It's mostly a bare-bones economic survival situation either way, you won't get rich "ski-bumming" in either ski area location.

IMO, it will come down to which area appeals to you for the skiing it offers, and for the job(s) opportunities that meet your needs. If you can get a full-time job and housing in a ski town/resort that lets you do the skiing you want, than that's the place to be.

Don't do the Leadville commute to a ski resort area. You're looking at a lot of your time spent commuting to work, and minimal time will be left available to ski unless you have full days off and want to do the big commute that day to go skiing.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

While the Dillon/Frisco area is "close" to Keystone, Breck, Copper ... it's still a commute to the slopes, and more than "15 minutes" away.

Yeah, you know, 'cos I live/work/ski/bike/hike here, but don't know how long it takes to drive around here.