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You'll have to go ahead and accept at your level of income there will be an adjustment to your standard of living. There is no other way around it. From getting your car fixed to going to the dentist to buying a cup of coffee, there is a premium price to pay in the mountains, even in the towns mentioned.
The issue you'll have to consider is you might be able to find a small home that is remote for rent but then what do you do about a high speed internet connection for work? If you are tethered to a high speed connection, that is something you'll have to factor into your decision and make sure that you'll be able to get the connection you need in a rural area.
Of the three towns, BV would be my pick. It is at a good elevation with a great view of the mountains. Salida is not as attractive to me and Leadville is cold year round and it's too much winter.
The other thing I would consider is getting a part time job to augment your income, especially in the summer season.
Thanks for the response!
Yes, I'm prepared to have a tighter budget and less spending money for the privilege of living in the mountains. Over the last few months I've been carefully looking over various cost of living comparisons between where I'm at (Terre Haute, Indiana) and the various towns and cities that I'm considering. Charts and numbers don't always correlate with real-life experiences, though, hence why I'm turning here for advice.
As far as internet goes, my requirements aren't too terribly high, I just need a stable 3Mbps internet connection. Anything above that is preferable, but certainly not necessary for my work or personal needs. I realize that the more rural I go the less likely that this type of connection is, but I certainly wouldn't commit to a lease before verifying available internet packages.
As far as a supplemental part time job goes, it's unlikely I would find one that pays higher than what my OT pays. My job is not salaried, but hourly, and I am able to sign up for unlimited OT whenever I like (it's a nice perk). With OT I make roughly $22/hr, so I doubt that a part time job would pay anywhere near that.
I've spent a lot of time the last week investigating Salida, so I'll focus on what all BV offers now. I never made it further south than Twin Lakes on highway 24, so I'll definitely be visiting both towns on my next trip out there.
I really appreciate the thoughtful response! Thank you!
As far as a supplemental part time job goes, it's unlikely I would find one that pays higher than what my OT pays. My job is not salaried, but hourly, and I am able to sign up for unlimited OT whenever I like (it's a nice perk). With OT I make roughly $22/hr, so I doubt that a part time job would pay anywhere near that.
I've spent a lot of time the last week investigating Salida, so I'll focus on what all BV offers now. I never made it further south than Twin Lakes on highway 24, so I'll definitely be visiting both towns on my next trip out there.
I really appreciate the thoughtful response! Thank you!
Correct. Locally, you'll be offered around $10 per hour so it makes sense to keep your current job. Once you establish yourself here, you might look at IT jobs based out of Denver. I'm in BV and it's much smaller than Salida so it just depends what you want as both towns are great for outdoor recreation. You will be able to make it on $31k. The younger community here is pretty transient. They usually work as rafters in the summer and for the ski resorts in the winter. I used to have rental properties and disliked the high turnover rate. Make sure your landlord knows that you work in IT as that will give you an advantage.
I went to Purdue. The winters here will seem milder to you than IN and the climate in general is an upgrade. Both towns have reputations as being dude ranches. You might consider Gunnison as the Uni there provides a younger demographic.
Good luck.
I definitely suggest looking at Gunnison, Crested Butte, and perhaps Ridgway and maybe even Glenwood Springs(although your income may be a sticking point for the latter). I spent almost 4 years in Fairplay working for the Forest Service after I graduated college. I wasn't single and my then boyfriend (now my husband) moved up there with me to work for them as well. It would definitely have been more difficult to live in that small of a town as a single person (if you are interested in dating at all, that is). We spent quite a bit of time in both BV and Salida, and I've often wanted to move back to that area, to one of those towns specifically, but the lack of jobs keeps us away, for now.
When I lived up there (1999-2002), the Internet was basically dial up, but I'm sure that's changed for some areas. I would image both BV and Salida are probably ok. I don't know about Leadville. Personally, I wouldn't want to live in Leadville because of the combination of weather and the superfund sites. But that's just me. I actually had several friends who have lived in Leadville over the years and they liked it for a while.
I went to Purdue. The winters here will seem milder to you than IN and the climate in general is an upgrade. Both towns have reputations as being dude ranches. You might consider Gunnison as the Uni there provides a younger demographic.
Good luck.
Can't wait to get out there and start enjoying it! I'll look into Gunnison, too - I hadn't really considered demographics, as much. Thanks for the info and well wishes.
I definitely suggest looking at Gunnison, Crested Butte, and perhaps Ridgway and maybe even Glenwood Springs(although your income may be a sticking point for the latter). I spent almost 4 years in Fairplay working for the Forest Service after I graduated college. I wasn't single and my then boyfriend (now my husband) moved up there with me to work for them as well. It would definitely have been more difficult to live in that small of a town as a single person (if you are interested in dating at all, that is). We spent quite a bit of time in both BV and Salida, and I've often wanted to move back to that area, to one of those towns specifically, but the lack of jobs keeps us away, for now.
Dating is a pretty low priority, so a younger crowd is not as important as other factors, but I figured that the smaller towns there would be harder to meet other single people in, but growing up in a small town myself this isn't much of a surprise.
I've looked into Glenwood Springs, but as you mentioned the high cost of living seems to place it out of reach for me for the time being. I haven't heard much about Crested Butte or Ridgway, but I'll check them out, too.
I got a coffee in Fairplay while I was out there in October. It seemed like a nice little town and the people were friendly. It's probably a bit smaller than what I'm looking for at the moment, but I certainly won't rule it out entirely.
Thanks!
Last edited by interloper1138; 01-13-2014 at 02:30 PM..
Yes, I'm prepared to have a tighter budget and less spending money for the privilege of living in the mountains. Over the last few months I've been carefully looking over various cost of living comparisons between where I'm at (Terre Haute, Indiana) and the various towns and cities that I'm considering. Charts and numbers don't always correlate with real-life experiences, though, hence why I'm turning here for advice.
As far as internet goes, my requirements aren't too terribly high, I just need a stable 3Mbps internet connection. Anything above that is preferable, but certainly not necessary for my work or personal needs. I realize that the more rural I go the less likely that this type of connection is, but I certainly wouldn't commit to a lease before verifying available internet packages.
As far as a supplemental part time job goes, it's unlikely I would find one that pays higher than what my OT pays. My job is not salaried, but hourly, and I am able to sign up for unlimited OT whenever I like (it's a nice perk). With OT I make roughly $22/hr, so I doubt that a part time job would pay anywhere near that.
I've spent a lot of time the last week investigating Salida, so I'll focus on what all BV offers now. I never made it further south than Twin Lakes on highway 24, so I'll definitely be visiting both towns on my next trip out there.
I really appreciate the thoughtful response! Thank you!
In regards to the cost of living, with these towns, I think it would be hard to find exact numbers on paper, but visiting Indiana several times a year on business I can say that Indiana is dirt cheap compared to what's up in the Colorado mountains.
Where a part time job would come into play would be getting you out of the house, making local contacts and doing something different, possibly outside. The main season is summer in those communities.
BV is a bit lower than Twin Lakes and especially Leadville. I think it's a good mix. I don't find Salida as attractive, never have, never will, but that is my preference. I think BV is a better looking town too.
In regards to dating, mostly I would expect a [ gay scene ]. Especially with the younger crowd there is a lot of transients and that doesn't promote long term relationships. Young women are in high demand, they know that so play their cards accordingly. A lot of these ski and rafting jobs tend to attract more men than women.
Last edited by Mike from back east; 01-13-2014 at 06:29 PM..
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,744 posts, read 58,102,528 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wanneroo
You'll have to go ahead and accept at your level of income there will be an adjustment to your standard of living. There is no other way around it. From getting your car fixed to going to the dentist to buying a cup of coffee, there is a premium price to pay in the mountains, even in the towns mentioned.
Of the three towns, BV would be my pick. ..
The other thing I would consider is getting a part time job to augment your income, especially in the summer season.
I concur. BV is better in my view and very accessible to get IN and OUT. Do some serious career research to see if there is any work in a Mtn Town that can keep you there on a decent salary. Can be tough.
You might need to find a seasonal / temp HIGH pay career that you can go away for a few months, then come back and enjoy a few months at home.
Your stature may exclude the typical high pay seasonal careers (Energy / fishing / wildland firefighting). so... I guess you will have to become a manager! or an IT guru.
or... some 'non-wage' income might be in order. That will serve you better into the future anyway. I bought my first Colorado House at age 19. It was scary on $1.65/hr. 30+ properties later (more than 30+ yrs)... it is still scary
I will just add a couple of thoughts. It will be tempting when you first get here to spend money exploring, trying the new restaurants, and so forth. Restraint is in order, though. Try not to go into debt getting established. Second, when internet is so important, investigate getting multiple connections as back-up to bad weather and lesser levels of local support. It will be a long time before a good backbone is built through the mountains and beyond.
BV has a "tech" company, web/app design and database programming I believe...nice group. Telecommuting offers a huge advantage to blend the work & lifestyle selection, I have been living (surviving) in Colorado the past 4 years like this.
You can do it on your budget, an extra $5G's a year would be a bonus. Just remember, your typical "travel budget" goes away because you will not want to go anywhere. And, when your friends & family come to visit they darn well better buy you dinner! Sierra Trading Post has good sales to get yourself stocked up with quality layers for the outdoor environment (ice breaker & wool socks).
I have been through this process, albeit later in life, sampled different areas (Ridgway to Denver and in between). You obviously are a nature/outdoor seeker, so the mountain town environment is the place to be if you can make it happen. If you want the outdoors avoid the high plains/front range suburbia, it sucks. If you didn't see foothills & mountains to the West you could be in anywhere America. But, some people still need a "scene" and shopping options, so they work hard to get into the nature to find peace & quiet...it is really can be work to get there!
PM me if you have specific questions about Ridgway or the Arkansas Valley. Fairplay, and the like, are BIG & LONG winters, better place to visit for a coffee I'd say.
BV has a "tech" company, web/app design and database programming I believe...nice group. Telecommuting offers a huge advantage to blend the work & lifestyle selection, I have been living (surviving) in Colorado the past 4 years like this.
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Mountain Wizards. They are across the street from the Evergreen cafe. They will start techs at slightly over minimum wage because that's the going rate. Poverty is a lifestyle choice up here.
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