Where did YOU move? (Denver, Colorado Springs: relocate, real estate, mcmansions)

[rkb0305]

Don't let the door hit you...

[CosmicWizard]

ditto wrote:

Once the remainder of Californians fill up this place, I'm outta here. Denver and surrounding areas are quickly becoming the same place I left.

Sooner or later the same thing is likely to happen at the next place you move to. At some point in your life you might get tired of moving from place to place and decide to accept growth and put down roots anyway. Best wishes on you next move,

blessings...Franco

[ditto]

I know what you're saying, Franco, but my gripe is with the out-of-control growth here in CO, not reasonable growth - this I can deal with.

[CosmicWizard]

To those who are benefitting financially from the out-of-control growth, it probably seems very reasonable, even though it diminishes the quality of life for the rest of us.

Do you know of anyplace, where reasonable growth ( as you define it ) is ocurring? It seems like the out-of-control variety is ocurring in all desirable locations everywhere in the US, not just in Denver or the Colorado mountain towns.

blessings....Franco

[Mike from back east]

...defining "what is" out of control growth. Definitions seem to change over time. Beauty being in the eye/ear of the beholders, each of us have a different opinion about the same communities, art, music, food, coffee, drinks, sports, cars, etc.

I'm sure that somewhere there is a discussion board that focuses totally on the issues of growth, both the out of control type and the smart type and whatever types there are. We here are certainly welcome to play with the topic all we want, but most of us are total laypersons on the topic, though some do have more insight or learning than others.

Further, valid descriptions of what is good growth, bad growth, smart growth, stupid growth probably changes from city to city or region to region or for specific situations. I'm sure that growth needs to be tailored to fit just right, and there's probably an art to it, possibly more political art as much as anything else.

Part of the problem goes back to my comments in the driving-rant thread, about how we Americans like to think we're all unique, rugged individualists. Every land owner or developer feels they have the inalienable right to do whatever they want to do with a plot of land they own, be it ten acres or ten thousand. When governments try to impose smart restraints they often end up in court and it often ends up in the ballot box too. Government takes it in the ear, on both sides, in one ear they get it from those wanting smart growth, in the other ear they get it from land owners who want to exercise their "right" as capitalists in a "free country" to do what they want with what they own.

Back in Loudoun County, VA, they just voted out all but one max-growth type on the county council. A few years before, Loudoun had a no-growth county council who imposed a minimum 50-acre per house rule, which pushed homebuilding out to WV - for a while. The no-growth types lost their seats to pro growth types who were backed by developer money. Now its back to slow/no growth. As you can imagine, Loudoun County is bollixed up with traffic and sprawl issues.

To draw again on my Germany example from Cold War days, they were a nation of 55 million in a land area the size of Oregon. You'd better believe that land use was tightly controlled. Had to be. Most towns ended at clear cut off points and immediately across the street began the farms that supported the nation's food production. No McMansions or mini-estates. No sprawling sub-divisions. Lots of mid and high rise apartment or condo blocks. For the most part, people lived in tight towns and walked or took the bus, trolley or subway to get around. It was marvelous. For those who wanted to plant a veggie garden, there were town plots of land set aside and people would get a 20x20 square to raise veggies. Some of these plots had what we would call a lawn shed, and some spent their weekends in these tiny places to 'camp out' and get away from the house. Most towns had a public sports hall with a pool and a town soccer team and field. Amazing stuff. Very civilized, a far cry from our "home is my castle" attitude of entitlement here.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

.

Further, valid descriptions of what is good growth, bad growth, smart growth, stupid growth probably changes from city to city or region to region or for specific situations. I'm sure that growth needs to be tailored to fit just right, and there's probably an art to it, possibly more political art as much as anything else.

.

Very well said.
And yes, the situation is the same everywhere, but just a wee bit different in each spot, according to the land itself and the local culture.

I lived in Observatory Park, southeast Denver, central Denver (what is now called West Wash Park), Ft Collins, Boulder, and North Country Club.
Out of all of them, I probably liked Ft Collins the best, with North Country Club a close second.

[b.adams]

Spent 10 years in Boulder (about 5-6 miles outside of town), then 5 years in Fort Collins (loved it, but no jobs), then 2 in lakewood (felt out of place), 2 in Glendale (fun for a bachelor) then 9 years in Highlands Ranch (settling down, great place to start a family) ... and now 2 years in Castle Rock (feels small still, love the mtns and climate ... some growing pains).

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by NewAgeRedneck

To those who are benefitting financially from the out-of-control growth, it probably seems very reasonable, even though it diminishes the quality of life for the rest of us.

Do you know of anyplace, where reasonable growth ( as you define it ) is ocurring? It seems like the out-of-control variety is ocurring in all desirable locations everywhere in the US, not just in Denver or the Colorado mountain towns.

blessings....Franco

The metro areas in Minnesota and Iowa have moderate amounts of growth with some suburban sprawl issues. I consider these areas desirable because I can easily deal with the winters there.

[b.adams]

But the winters in MN and IA are a lot more harsh (on avg.) than Colorado, IMHO.

I like MN a lot myself, but my wife says if we ever move, its South and not North.

[greatmuta]

I've lived in CO almost 10 years. I've lived in Colorado Springs the whole time and I've always liked it here. The only other city I'd consider moving to in CO would be Denver. I like both cities very much