Where should I live in Colorado? (Crested Butte, Louisville, etc). (Denver: low crime, places to live)

[icypenguin17]

Hi everyone!

I was thinking about a move to Colorado, but I still don't know exactly what city I should live in. I have some ideas, like Crested Butte and Louiseville, but I'm still not exactly sure.

Some things I'd prefer -

Low Crime Rates

Close-knit Type of City, where everyone knows everyone, etc.

Medical Jobs

Scenery

Enough Grocery Stores and Shops to Get By, but not a lot.

Precipitation! I really love Snow and Rain (ESPECIALLY Snow)

Cold weather. It's fine if there's some heat, but I don't like it very much.

Fun with lots of activities!

I'll just settle with these for now. Thanks in advance for answering!

[NW Crow]

Close knit towns are towns of 2,000 or 500 or maybe 5,000 if you stretch it. What sized towns have you lived in?

Crested Butte is not really a great choice for those tight on funds. There are a couple of small clinics and private medical offices but most the medical jobs will be 30 miles to the south in Gunnison. Are you qualified, well qualified for jobs many are seeking?

You want cold, CB and Gunnison are very cold in winter, among the coldest in lower 48. What is the coldest place you've lived in?

Louisville is a good choice of an entry city into CO. If you want to go more remote, you can do that as a second hop after managing the first one and scouting the second from the first.

It is possible you might like Meeker, Pagosa Springs, Buena Vista, Durango, etc. Have you visited? Better to do that than move on a guess.

The more specific you are about town size, the better targeted the advice can be.

In small towns, most of the "activities" are self-generated. Don't expect much pre-packaged above a few basics.

[icypenguin17]

Thanks for the reply! I'd probably like a town with a maximum population of 5000, but I'm willing to go higher if most of the other qualifications fit.

I haven't visited Colorado yet, but I'm planning to in the near future.

I've lived only in Texas, but it's too hot for me here even in the Winter. There's barely any snow!

How's the scenery in Louisville? Is it more rural or urban?

Hopefully this is enough information to get me started. Thanks again!

[NW Crow]

Louisville is flat but there are some mountains in the distance views, a creek on the south side, some small lakes and an urban area with planted trees and parks.

Coming from Texas you'll enjoy the mountain access in 20-30 minutes instead of a long haul by car or plane. Might want to try the front range climate first before going to CB/Gunnison where way below zero is to be expected in a long winter. (Crested Butte avgs. 72 lows below zero per year, has gotten below zero in 8 months of the year with a record low of -47.)

Finding a place on the outskirts of Louisville might be a good balance for you. You'd have access to the outdoors and a ton of city activities. Look around on Craigslist or contact property management companies when you are ready. You can virtual visit using streetview in google maps. Try it, it will give a good initial impression until you can visit.

If Louisville is too big or too close to Denver or you want to be closer to the mountains, then look at places like Bergen Park, Nederland or Lyons.


Good luck with the decision-making and planning.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

I suggest that the first thing you do is to look at where jobs in your field are currently available. Many of the small towns won't have a large medical facility, so finding where there is work available may help narrow down finding the ideal community to live in. Maybe once you locate areas with jobs in your field, we can help you find a nearby small community to live in.

[icypenguin17]

Hi, thanks for giving more feedback!

I checked the job listings in Louisville, and there actually are some jobs that would work well for me. Crested Butte doesn't have any that would fit, though. i was also researching on Estes Park, and it has some opportunities for me as well. Along with all these cities, Paonia also has some jobs, but the WEATHER! It's even higher then where I live right now!

I looked at some towns near Louisville, but I'm not sure which one is the best/whether I should move to one of them or not. I'll be doing a lot of traveling the day I visit Colorado!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

Louisville is flat but there are some mountains in the distance views, a creek on the south side, some small lakes and an urban area with planted trees and parks.

Coming from Texas you'll enjoy the mountain access in 20-30 minutes instead of a long haul by car or plane. Might want to try the front range climate first before going to CB/Gunnison where way below zero is to be expected in a long winter. (Crested Butte avgs. 72 lows below zero per year, has gotten below zero in 8 months of the year with a record low of -47.)

Finding a place on the outskirts of Louisville might be a good balance for you. You'd have access to the outdoors and a ton of city activities. Look around on Craigslist or contact property management companies when you are ready. You can virtual visit using streetview in google maps. Try it, it will give a good initial impression until you can visit.

If Louisville is too big or too close to Denver or you want to be closer to the mountains, then look at places like Bergen Park, Nederland or Lyons.


Good luck with the decision-making and planning.

Actually, Louisville is not all flat. The north part of town is on top of a hill, Davidson Mesa.

[Count David]

The bigger question for me is why OP is even looking at Louisville. It has nothing in common with Crested Butte besides the fact that they are in the same state.

OP, Louisville is not for you unless you want to live in an urban area suburb.

[NW Crow]

Ok, thanks for the information. So mostly flat. Didn't know about Davidson Mesa. And this trail on it LocalHikes - Davidson Mesa loop with a 67 foot elevation gain.

When I was younger and lived near a big metro, I preferred to live in a quieter, less dense suburb and just go into the big city occasionally. That's not everybody's taste but it is mine... and my guess about the OP, since he / she targetted it.

[icypenguin17]

David Aguilar - Yeah, I know both of them aren't similar to one another, but they both sounded like good places to live. I was aiming more towards Crested Butte, since I like the idea of Mountai Towns and not a big population, but I wanted to see Louisville too.

NW Crow - Your guess is correct! I live right next to a big city, and I've always wanted to live somewhere with more nature and less people, probably in Colorado.