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Old 03-04-2015, 12:34 PM
 
Location: CO/UT/AZ/NM Catch me if you can!
6,926 posts, read 6,887,431 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunsprit View Post
getting a real chuckle out of this thread ...

as a poster on C-D for many years now, I'd cautioned folk about the vast differences between what presented in Colorado vs what they imagined might actually be here, and advised them to come visit before making a decision about relocating here. I asked a lot of very pointed questions about what folk thought they were going to get here compared to where they were coming from, and was frequently taken to task by many posters that Colorado was the panacea to everybody's possible wants/needs in life.

Yet the reality is that Colorado isn't for everybody due to a wide variety of issues. The biggest fallacy for many was that Denver is not in the mountains, but it is where most of their jobs and residences were located. Having ready access to the mountain living generally meant owning a 2nd home or just visiting when possible on weekends.

In almost 50 years here, I've seen many people come here and discover that for themselves, leaving after a fairly short time in the area.

The bottom line is that if it isn't what folk expected, needed, or wanted, then there's nothing wrong with moving on to try another place or heading "back home" to what they realize was in their comfort zone. If the OP isn't happy in Colorado and the arid climate, so be it. Riparian climate zones and lower altitudes have their charms, or access to the seashore, or whatever is important to folk from those areas is what counts.
Yeah, I've gotten plenty of negative feedback when I've posted that Colorado is not fantasy land whatever it might have been back in the day many years ago. People come and go so often in the Cortez area that we make jokes about them on the local radio station. Folks often don't know what they're in for when they move here or somewhere on the Front Range. If only people would do a little more research before moving, they might save themselves quite a bit of grief. Those telephoto shots are very popular. They make the SLV look as though its right next to the looming Sangre de Christo range - SLV in not - it's a semi-desert of sage and salt bush with the Sangre's quite some distance away away. The catalog for CU Boulder used to feature telephotoshots of the Flat Irons, giving the impression that the Flat Irons were imposing geologic formations, practically right in downtown Boulder. And of course, there's all those photoshopped views of Denver. I think the people who are happiest in Denver moved there from another urban area, so the congestion, etc. are old hat to them, or else they've lived in Colorado a long time and were able to purchase land or a house here ina desirable location when real estate was still a bargain. Finally, there are those with a comfy retirement income which allows them to live most anywhere and those who have the money to buy a second home in the mountains. Everyone else, forget it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bridgerider View Post
Chloe333, I can relate to your post almost word for word. I was born and raised in Colorado and moved to the northeast as a very young adult. What you dislike about CO is precisely what I don't miss; and what you miss about the east is exactly what I love! I don't think most would take offense at what you've written - there really is something for everybody in this country. (At least I'd like to think so). You never would have known it wasn't for you if you didn't give it a go, so that's a plus in my book. I will say, when I do come to CO (frequently), I find myself appreciating more &*more the unique beauty that is CO. But for me, that uniqueness is found on the Western slope and in the southwestern portion of the state - and I wouldn't have made the income to enjoy the area. And every time I get back to my home out east, I realize it's where I belong.

Before you head back or move anywhere else (if you move at all)...promise yourself to explore the lesser traveled portions of the state. Sometimes you have to stand back to see how good you've got it - or had it - before you can really decide if "IT" is right for you.
The Western Slope has its own unique set of problems ranging from lack of decent paying jobs to lack of affordable housing. For example, I was just was listening to a show on Colorado Public Radio where they were talking about workers living in Montrose and communting to jobs in Telluride, CPR claimed that the drive takes an hour and a half. I've made that same drive more than once, and there are winters when the drive to Telluride can take 2 hours or more and that's if the road hasn't been closed due to heavy snow. And that's just one example out of many of what folks must go thru to earn a living out here. Do visit in the summer when it's spectacular out here, but don't relocate here unless you have a profession that's in great demand and/or pockets lined with gold.



Quote:
elvira310] Like you, I hate snow. Maybe I don't hate it as much as you do, but I HATE it. Having not grown up with it, it seems so foreign and "not normal." I theorize that those who grew up with it have these memories of playing in the snow as kids, snow days, and so forth. Well I have none of those! All I have is scraping ice off of windshields and worrying about skidding on the freeway. None of the good, all of the bad.

Nowadays I dread snow, but an old friend has a saying, "You can get used to hanging, if you hang long enough." I've gotten so numb to it, that as long as it's hovering at or above 32 degrees, as long as I can still drive on the roads without worrying about skidding, as long as I don't feel too miserable cold, I can deal with it. So that's why I think the snow in Colorado will be okay. At worst, it would be a lateral move (no worse than where I am now) and very likely, it would be an improvement (I have been told). And the kind of work I do (a lot of it at home) means that often I don't have to go out if the weather is too harsh.

I do bitterly resent having months of not being able to be fully free to go out and about, due to horrible winter weather. I realize that Colorado will have some of that, but especially on the Western Slope (so I've been told) the snow usually doesn't stick too long. Sounds good to me.
The Western Slope is hugely variable when it comes to weather. True enough, Grand Junction and Southwest Colorado tend to have less snow (SW Colorado is in the grip of drought). But other places get all the snow you can imagine in your worst nightmares. For example, Highway 550 between Durango and Ouray gets closed by heavy snow and/or avalanches fairly often; the same can be true of Wolf Creek Pass on Highway 160 between Durango and South Fork. When I lived in Durango, we sometimes got avalanched in with both 550 and 160 closed due to heavy snows making both these highways impassible. To get out of town, you had to drive all the way down to Santa Fe and catch I-25 from there. Never believe that the Western Slope is a snow free mecca.

As for your friend's saying, "You can get used to hanging, if you hang long enough," I could not disagree more. If hanging is your only choice, well then maybe. Otherwise, why put yourself through such unhappiness if you don't have to? Back in the day, I signed a one year contract to work for the University of Idaho in Idaho's northern panhandle. In less than 3 months I realized that I had made a MAJOR mistake. I hated the constant clouds and freezing fog and rain which lasted from the beginning of October all the way to June. This weather was relentless the entire time I was there. You never saw anyone drive so fast to get out of town as I did once my contract was up. Some folks love northern Idaho. I loathe it and would never willing set my foot in it ever again. Colorado is the same. Some hate it; some love it. If OP really hates Colorado, my advice to the OP is to do what I did in Idaho and get the hell out of Dodge.

Last edited by Colorado Rambler; 03-04-2015 at 12:48 PM..
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Old 03-04-2015, 02:43 PM
 
2,418 posts, read 2,014,915 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler View Post



The Western Slope has its own unique set of problems ranging from lack of decent paying jobs to lack of affordable housing. For example, I was just was listening to a show on Colorado Public Radio where they were talking about workers living in Montrose and communting to jobs in Telluride, CPR claimed that the drive takes an hour and a half. I've made that same drive more than once, and there are winters when the drive to Telluride can take 2 hours or more and that's if the road hasn't been closed due to heavy snow. And that's just one example out of many of what folks must go thru to earn a living out here. Do visit in the summer when it's spectacular out here, but don't relocate here unless you have a profession that's in great demand and/or pockets lined with gold.


Yes, I don't think there's a perfect utopia anywhere. Since I was too far from retirement back then (still am now)...moving to one of my favorite areas in Colorado was out of the question. I do take advantage of my visits when I come back - roughly every 4 months. It's often enough to appreciate both the beauty of CO that I left behind, as well as see the positive in where I live now.
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Old 03-04-2015, 04:30 PM
 
Location: Arvada, CO
13,824 posts, read 29,776,012 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jim9251 View Post
Exactly! When I first visited driving in on I-70, and saw the Colorado sign I kept wondering where the mountains were. Felt like I was in west Kansas. Driving into Denver, I kept saying to myself "EW".
We had a visitor from West Virginia once remark, "OMG, it is so freaking ugly here".
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Old 03-04-2015, 05:00 PM
 
473 posts, read 844,687 times
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Quote:
We live in Broomfield for now and are renting, but are thinking about either Boulder or Denver next year. We are making good money out here. I like the mountains, but everything seems very crowded in summer and fall to go hiking. Everyone flocks to it. Skiing is expensive and crowded too.
That's a fair assessment. I've changed over the years to limit the times I do weekend day trips to the mountains because of traffic and crowds. One day weekends don't allow you to get far enough away (summer and winter - hiking/camping and skiing) and can be way too stressful with driving. If able (big caveat) try and do 3-4 day trips. You can get farther away (Southwest Colorado, Wyoming, Moab, central valley area) to have more "space" to yourself; campsites, open roads and wide open spaces. Skiing at Wolf Creek or Crested Butte, camping in northern New Mexico, driving through the San Luis Valley or Medicine Bow Nat'l Park is very different than skiing and camping off I-70.

There's plenty of great things to do in the city (biking, cultural events, festivals, music, getting together with friends) that you can stay busy and active on weekends, and make mini vacations to the mountains. You'll go less often, but the times you do go will be more enjoyable and rewarding, and you'll go places the typical front ranger doesn't get to often.
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Old 03-04-2015, 07:52 PM
 
74 posts, read 98,200 times
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OMG...I totally agree with you. I came here from the suburbs of DC and I so miss greenery. The spring here is nothing. On the east coast, flowers and trees bloom, the grass is green, and everything looks fresh. Here everything stays brown for the most part. I also miss being near the ocean. I live in Colorado Springs. I also think this is one of the most boring places that I have ever lived but it is the best cost of living. In the summer, when my daughter finishes school, we are out! We are heading to the Tampa Bay area. I can't wait to walk along the beach.
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Old 03-04-2015, 09:45 PM
 
Location: mancos
7,785 posts, read 7,988,114 times
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I love SW Colorado but could never move here if I didn't already as I could never afford it.Place has gone crazy with housing prices and low paying jobs.I live in the foothills of the SanJuans and 15 mins from Jeeping;fishing,hunting and getting lost.and no traffic ever. But both my children had to move away for jobs so sad but I actually encouraged them as Mancos has no jobs and Durango is unaffordable for most natives.Old wore out Carpenter here who can live working 6 mos a year as my mortgage is less than you can rent a room for.feel bad for the younger folks but seems to be the scene everywhere.
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Old 03-05-2015, 03:26 AM
 
1,416 posts, read 1,084,820 times
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There's not enough population centers in Colorado, that's why it feels crowded especially with the outdated Federal infrastructure ie I-25 that should be 3 lanes in each direction at least from the New Mexico state line all the way up to Wyoming, and the same for I-70 throughout the state.

If Colorado invested in developing its own high speed rail network to connect cities like Pueblo or Grand Junction to Denver, Denver wouldn't continue to become soo crowded and expensive when people can have the choice of living in GJ and commuting by rail to Denver in about 2 hours or less. Then the Feds can link their high speed rail network to Colorado's so it'd be a viable option to travel to Vegas or LA or Chicago or El Paso by high speed rail from Denver instead of flying out of DIA.
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Old 03-05-2015, 09:41 AM
 
3,490 posts, read 6,068,149 times
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I love how Colorado Springs is "boring". Generally the things people would find "exciting" are the kind of things I don't want to subsidize. I have never had issues with being bored here. We have some great restaurants, we have a great library system (read a ... book), we have a beautiful outdoors and great weather to enjoy it.

For people that just don't enjoy the entire state of Colorado because of the weather, I understand. I love the weather here, but I've lived in places with very different weather and I knew the weather was wrong for me. Like others have missed the rolling green hills, I knew those rolling green hills or the corn-infested flat lands were not right for me.

It's just a case of needing to find what is right for you. Denver is crowded, by definitions. Those hiking trails are crowded because so many people wanted to be out in the mountains. I wanted less traffic and more open nature. For me, Colorado Springs is absolutely wonderful. It isn't that way for everyone. The more people are open and honest with themselves and do research based off what things they actually need in a location, the more likely it is that they will end up in a location that fits them very well.
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Old 03-05-2015, 12:03 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
20,207 posts, read 14,434,494 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunshine809 View Post
OMG...I totally agree with you. I came here from the suburbs of DC and I so miss greenery. The spring here is nothing. On the east coast, flowers and trees bloom, the grass is green, and everything looks fresh. Here everything stays brown for the most part. I also miss being near the ocean. I live in Colorado Springs. I also think this is one of the most boring places that I have ever lived but it is the best cost of living. In the summer, when my daughter finishes school, we are out! We are heading to the Tampa Bay area. I can't wait to walk along the beach.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lurtsman View Post
I love how Colorado Springs is "boring". Generally the things people would find "exciting" are the kind of things I don't want to subsidize. I have never had issues with being bored here. We have some great restaurants, we have a great library system (read a ... book), we have a beautiful outdoors and great weather to enjoy it.

For people that just don't enjoy the entire state of Colorado because of the weather, I understand. I love the weather here, but I've lived in places with very different weather and I knew the weather was wrong for me. Like others have missed the rolling green hills, I knew those rolling green hills or the corn-infested flat lands were not right for me.

It's just a case of needing to find what is right for you. Denver is crowded, by definitions. Those hiking trails are crowded because so many people wanted to be out in the mountains. I wanted less traffic and more open nature. For me, Colorado Springs is absolutely wonderful. It isn't that way for everyone. The more people are open and honest with themselves and do research based off what things they actually need in a location, the more likely it is that they will end up in a location that fits them very well.
HAHAHAHAHA...ha.. lurtsman and I know what boring is about, now don't we!?

If you think it's boring here, stay out of the midwest! A new internet acquaintance once asked me what we did for fun, in Des Moines, Iowa. I told him, "We get in our cars and drive elsewhere!"

I find plenty to do, mostly because I've made a pile of great friends since coming here. But yeah, I miss the green and the proximity to the Outer Banks where I used to vacation, too. Florida is too hot and buggy for me.

But I tell ya, I think I have to revise my opinions about Missouri possibly having the worst road conditions (not weather, but actual pavement maintenance)...these potholes are something else!!
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Old 03-05-2015, 12:13 PM
 
473 posts, read 844,687 times
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Quote:
I love how Colorado Springs is "boring". Generally the things people would find "exciting" are the kind of things I don't want to subsidize
Exactly -- like parks and museums.

Colorado Springs' Do-It-Yourself Government
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