What is Trinidad like? (Last thread is 2008) (Boulder, Frederick: houses, neighborhoods)

[debbie at bouontiful]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Y


Retirees are great to have move to an area, they bring money and spend it locally. They don't need jobs. They don't burden the school system. They don't clog the roads at rush hour. And by the time people are retirees they've settled down and aren't racing around your streets like Justin Beeper and his ilk.

That is what I thought too.

We'd probably do okay in Trinidad because where I am at now I have to drive 30 minutes for milk and if I want a city it is 2 plus hours to the closest city. My husband gets upset when cars use our road so he is a rural person even though we both grew up in S. California we do not like cities. Although, my favorite city is Santa Fe just because we love the history and we spend a lot of time in Chama just north of Santa Fe. Trinidad seems to be within a few hours of everything.

Very nervous about them losing Amtrak though. It is my understanding that Amtrak is thinking of giving up Trinidad if they do not get so much money to keep it going. On the website of the Santa Fe Trail Subdivision on the Raton Pass I notice there is a lot of talk about that subject.

[jazzlover]

^Two things.

Retired or not, residents in Colorado's 35-acre "ranchette" subdivisions use more dollars of public services than they contribute in property taxes. That has been documented in a couple of fiscal studies. It is one reason a lot of rural counties festooned with those subdivisions (which they can't prevent, because divisions of 35 acres or more are exempt from county subdivision regulations) are in fiscal trouble.

Second, much as I hate to see it, I think the chances of Amtrak's Southwest Chief staying on its current routing through Colorado are very low. For it to do so, Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico will be each be required to put up tens of millions of dollars for track upgrades along the route. New Mexico seems inclined to do so. Kansas and Colorado, though, both beset with severe fiscal problems, are not likely to. The Chief's route currently serves only rural communities in Colorado, and Colorado's metropolitan-dominated political machine has demonstrated most vividly over the last few years that is doesn't give a crap about rural Colorado. There has been talk of retaining the Chief's route through Colorado by routing it through Pueblo, but Joss' over the top ranting about Pueblo being the second great point in the Universe in Colorado doesn't change the reality that Pueblo has little more political power compared to the Front Range metroplexes to the north than does rural Colorado. Bottom line: unless all three states put up the dough, the Southwest Chief is going to get rerouted through the Texas Panhandle.

[debbie at bouontiful]

Thats not good! Love that Amtrak. Thanks for the information jazzlover.

[ocean2026]

Hard to know what to believe. A real estate agent told me there is brisk demand for apartments, everyone else talks about all the vacant commercial buildings in town.

[debbie at bouontiful]

I will be up there soon. I thought I would in May but going to Santa Fe in May so I'll make my reservations at the Tarabino for the last week of September before we go to a cabin in Chama (we go every year). I can't believe it is worst than last year but we'll see. I had heard someone was restoring the brewery. Hope so. The train area is very nice and would hate to see that go.

[ocean2026]

I spent a week in Trinidad and liked it . The people were especially friendly . Most of the commercial buildings are either vacant or for sale or both. The prices are low compared to other places but the return on leasing them might be horrid.

Great place to walk and drive around and there is a big Safeway.
Debbie are you going up there soon?

[debbie at bouontiful]

I was there last fall but will be back in the area this fall. I was going there last week but instead we went to Santa Fe. Got back last night. We spend our vacations between Trinidad/Chama or Santa Fe/Chama at least twice a year.

I too like Trinidad and there seems so much to do around the area. Hate to see commercial buildings vacant. I hope the town comes back. I've noticed some of the lots I had looked at are still up for sale on the Santa Fe Trail Subdivision on the Raton Pass. The B & B we really like is up for sale to which is heartbreaking, the Tarabino on second street.

Where and what did you do there Ocean??

[ocean2026]

We just wandered around - looked at some buildings and land. Very friendly and helpful people.

[debbie at bouontiful]

What land did you look at? I am looking at some lots on the Santa Fe Trail. If you get on their website, you'll find quite few retirees living on the trail and they seem to get together for events quite a bit. Now, my husband likes the Victorian Homes on 2nd street with the brick streets.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

I'm interested in the area between Trinidad and the KS border. I realize there are only a few small towns there. I would imagine land costs are quite reasonable. Anyone with experience from that area of the state?