Want to enjoy legal herb - where to move, what are prices like? (Denver: renting, HOA)

[delta07]

Originally Posted by jauburn

Well I do not know anything about the cities in Colorado. I was in Denver once on business, but that is it. Guess I was just looking for some suggestions from locals. Would be nice to find a laid back artsy town with easy access to weed shops and not too far from a major city like Denver. I like hiking, too, so someplace close to the trails would be great.

I will check out Pueblo.

I know Josseppie loves Pueblo, and there are some nice things about it, but it's not really my cup of tea (however, it has been a long time since I've spent any time there, so things may have changed). I don't know what your budget is, so that may help when advising cities to look at. Generally speaking though, if you want a place close to the trails and not too far (whatever that means to you) from a major city, you'll want to focus on places west of I-25. Boulder fits the bill for laid back and artsy, but not for living cheaply. You could look at Fort Collins or Loveland (don't know about the pot shop status) too, since they both have thriving downtowns (the former is better, IMO) and close to many trails. You might also like some of the mountain towns, but not sure again about pot shop status and proximity to the city. They can also be quite expensive, especially if they are close to any of the major ski resorts.

[bartonizer]

In general I got a little tired of the chaos living in the middle of Denver (Cap Hill) but if I had to move back to the Front Range, I would consider western suburbs and foothills towns within an hour. Conifer, Evergreen, Golden, Morrison, Idaho Springs, and maybe even Nederland. The problem is actually finding something that fits your criteria- there aren't that many condos in the hills unless you're near ski areas, though there are a quite a few in Genesee and Evergreen. But it would be worth it to find something to the west of town IMO, because living in the hills is way more chill than living in the city. Especially if I was retired, I'd personally rather look at mountains around me than off in the distance. Regarding cannabis, a lot of municipalities in the state don't allow medical or recreational sales, but if you're near the Denver Metro access will be easy. If you have a reason for medical, get it. It's like a VIP card to more variety at much lower prices. Here's a map for what's available in the area.... https://weedmaps.com/?ss=dispensary

[Miss Hepburn]

Condos, not in ski towns? Under $100k...even 70k.

Pot $100- 400 an ounce.
Friends that grow it? That's where it's $100-180.

[highplainsrus]

Pueblo West has condos under $200k (see realtor.com) and is very cannabis-friendly, with several medical mj shops and at least four of them have opened their recreational mj sides.
More are on the way. When spring arrives, there may even be some indoor/outdoor mj "coffee shop" clubs open. You can live anywhere, though, and drive to the shops, buy the bud, and take it home to use at will or grow your own (if your condo assoc lets you). More and more shops will open across Colorado as the year goes by.

[lurtsman]

I think I like your style Jauburn.

You'll find Pueblo to be the spot in Colorado for low priced condos and friendly pot laws. You can get really good deal there. Clearly, it would be stupid to spend far more on a house, if you can get what you want for less. Colorado Springs may become more pot friendly when they see how much revenue the other cities are bringing in, but Condos are more expensive than Pueblo, even though they are inexpensive by most standards.

In Colorado Springs you can get a really nice Condo for about 125k. (2 to 3 bed, 2 bath, a garage, nice views, and in a reasonably nice neighborhood) You'll find it for less in Pueblo, though I don't know the specifics of their market as well.

PS. You can get one that doesn't suck, but isn't as nice, for around 90 to 100k. If you look hard enough, you can get one with reasonable amenities for around 80, but it will be near some not so nice housing.

[Sonic_Spork]

Pueblo is artsy, I've never spent time there but I hear things about efforts to encourage arts and culture. The riverwalk looks cool. The Chamber of Commerce has this page with some info about arts establishments in the city:

Arts & Culture in Pueblo, CO |* Pueblo Chamber of CommercePueblo Chamber of Commerce

The one caution I mention about Pueblo is that I hear about dust storms down there more often than other places like Colorado Springs where I'm at. Also it's a bit further from the mountains, so if you're after like mountain trails and mountain views, you might be out of luck down there.

North of there you have Colorado Springs. We don't have recreational shops here at this time, that may or may not change. I think it's too soon in the "Colorado Experiment" to make accurate predictions...the whole thing could get shut down (I hope not) or more cities could jump on board for the revenue. But the moratorium on shops in nearby Manitou Springs expired and they voted to OK 2 shops up there, which may open as soon as April or May. You do not get more funky, artsy, mountain trails and such, than Manitou. As for an affordable condo...well it's very hit or miss. I've seen some decent little places pop up but it's a small place and there are no guarantees. If you got your heart set on Manitou (which honestly, I could see feeling that way myself, I'd love to retire there, it's a cool spot)...the plan I'd advise would be to save up money, move into a rental property in the overall Colorado Springs or Manitou area, then watch listings daily until the right property came up for a long term thing. Also everyone recommends newcomers rent for a year at least anyhow, it gives you a chance to decide what you want and where to be.

Then there is the Denver and Boulder metro areas further to the North. Boulder is a college town and while it is somewhat "artsy" I think it's also costly for what you're looking for. I also hear that parking can be a pain up there, but if you're into biking everywhere you go, it might work better than elsewhere. I don't know, but that's what I hear. Also in favor of Denver, they've got a new Voodoo Doughnut location and well, if you smoke and have money to spend on weird doughnuts, it might be worth your time to check that out. Not sure I'd pick either place to live long term. Don't know about trails, but I'm sure there are some up there. Also I believe more distance between Boulder/Denver and mountain views, I am not sure you can beat Colorado Springs for that. But I believe it's a more convenient trek by vehicle to actual skiing and other mountain STUFF from Denver. If you want big sports arenas and concert venues, then Denver/Boulder is your best bet.

I have NO idea about whether there are recreational shops up further in places like Fort Collins, but that is a cool little town. I've visited once and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Not very mountain-y though, if I recall.

And then there's the fact that you'd be better off growing a few plants yourself, if you want to be economical and have a longterm solution as a smoker. I believe you can currently grow up to three adult plants and three immature plants for personal use. That would free you up to live practically anywhere. There are only very few towns in the state where the cops hate the new pot laws enough that they still want to try and fight the war on drugs...for the most part it's not a big deal.

If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask. We're here to help!

[jauburn]

Thanks, everyone, for the tips. You all are very helpful!!

Going to fly out to Denver in late August, head right for a couple of the weed shops I have read about, stock up on the best bud, hash, and hash oil, and then spend some nice time checking things out. Have bookmarked this thread and will come back to it for reference.

Colorado did a smart thing legalizing pot. They have someone like me interested in moving there, after all, cuz I like my freedom, like any true American should. Shame on the legions of dictatorial idiots that have spewed lies about the stuff for decades, spent billions if not trillions of our tax dollars prosecuting and jailing harmless people...all the while allowing truly harmful substances like alcohol and tobacco to destroy families and lives. Makes me so angry I could strangle the bastards. The true criminals are the likes of nixon, reagan, bush, and ******** who created this stupid no-win "war."

So Colorado gets the enlightened as a reward. These folks tend not to be bad on the economy. I know I won't be.

[headingtoDenver]

Just my two cents. Be careful about buying a condo. From what I heard, a lot of condo HOAs are preventing the smoking of pot.

[jauburn]

Originally Posted by headingtoDenver

Just my two cents. Be careful about buying a condo. From what I heard, a lot of condo HOAs are preventing the smoking of pot.

How in the world can anyone "prevent the smoking of pot"? What a bunch of rubbish. I can see there's still a ways to go on the attitude front.

[skytop]

Originally Posted by jauburn

How in the world can anyone "prevent the smoking of pot"? What a bunch of rubbish. I can see there's still a ways to go on the attitude front.

Yep be careful. Some condo communities are rule crazy. You could also face complaints fron neighboors because of the smell.