Trinidad is thriving! (Denver, Pueblo, Breckenridge: for sale, 2015, casinos)

[elisinko]

All these messages about Trinidad are out of date. Trinidad is thriving. The marijuana business has brought cash into town and we have new restaurants, a state-sponsored Space to Create art program, two first-class museums, and a lively downtown. We have sidewalk cafes, a river walk, and a pretty valley nestled between two peaks. Jobs except in the mj industry are scarce. This is a retirement town now, with some money and some class. Come check it out. Summer is our season. Camping and fishing at the beautiful Trinidad Lake State Park. We're equal distance between Santa Fe and Denver on I-25, which "runs right by my baby's door."

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by elisinko

Jobs except in the mj industry are scarce.

Guess your definition of thriving is different than many others.

[davebarnes]

Population
1940 13,223
2015 8,153

[Mike from back east]

Trinidad would have awesome potential if they could just remove about ten miles of I-25 that utterly destroys the heart of the city. The locals should politick to have ColDOT build a bypass around the city and rip out I-25 through town.

[debbie at bouontiful]

I agree with Mike from back east about I-25 dividing such a historic town. . I visit Trinidad at least once to twice a year. I do not think the marijuana is a plus to that town. I saw lots more homeless than previous years.

Camping, hiking and outdoor is wonderful. Last time I was there which was Oct. 2016 saw many businesses out of business. Yes, many marijuana shops but like I said that is a negative to me. I'll be back next month staying at Trinidad Lake for a good week. Like I said it is a great place and I've always admired the 35 area lots on the Raton Pass. Although, I hate seeing the same lots for sale in the last many years.

[Josseppie]

Marijuana made the difference. For a better comparisiom compare the economy now to the economy 3-5 years ago in Trinadad.

[smdensbcs]

Its a tough issue, whether it's better to turn a historic but dwindling town or city over to some form of commercial vice in the absence of any other obvious options. A place like Breckenridge was able to transform itself into something entirely new with skiing over a 30-50 year period. Cripple Creek and Central City, not so much as there was no skiing option. Enter legalized gambling and those places are now "thriving?" Quotes and question mark because yes the casinos and gambling money can provide a veneer of "thriving" but are they really thriving? I don't know. Maybe. I don't know anybody who goes to those places as I don't know people who like to gamble. I personally steer clear. We all have a vice or three but for those of us who don't gamble it seems a bit creepy all those tour buses driving up the hill to drop off the gamblers for a day of pulling slots or whatever they do. Not a place I'm going to take the family. Now we hear the "marijuana boom" is hitting towns and smaller cities like Pueblo and Trinidad. Uh ... O ... Kay. Better than dwindling down to nothing I suppose. Just not sure industrial-scale addiction-feeding is really the ideal industry for long-term sustainable healthy growth. I'm moralizing here I know, and that's embarrassing, but I just can't help but wonder if feeding and celebrating destructive addictions ("legal" or not) are the best way to build or rebuild a local economy. Should we legalize prostitution next so our small rural towns can be celebrated as the "prostitute capital of the West!!!?" Why should Las Vegas get all the international prostitution-tourist business, right?

[debbie at bouontiful]

Originally Posted by smdensbcs

Its a tough issue, whether it's better to turn a historic but dwindling town or city over to some form of commercial vice in the absence of any other obvious options.

I agree with entire post!

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by smdensbcs

Its a tough issue, whether it's better to turn a historic but dwindling town or city over to some form of commercial vice in the absence of any other obvious options. A place like Breckenridge was able to transform itself into something entirely new with skiing over a 30-50 year period. Cripple Creek and Central City, not so much as there was no skiing option. Enter legalized gambling and those places are now "thriving?" Quotes and question mark because yes the casinos and gambling money can provide a veneer of "thriving" but are they really thriving? I don't know. Maybe. I don't know anybody who goes to those places as I don't know people who like to gamble. I personally steer clear. We all have a vice or three but for those of us who don't gamble it seems a bit creepy all those tour buses driving up the hill to drop off the gamblers for a day of pulling slots or whatever they do. Not a place I'm going to take the family. Now we hear the "marijuana boom" is hitting towns and smaller cities like Pueblo and Trinidad. Uh ... O ... Kay. Better than dwindling down to nothing I suppose. Just not sure industrial-scale addiction-feeding is really the ideal industry for long-term sustainable healthy growth. I'm moralizing here I know, and that's embarrassing, but I just can't help but wonder if feeding and celebrating destructive addictions ("legal" or not) are the best way to build or rebuild a local economy. Should we legalize prostitution next so our small rural towns can be celebrated as the "prostitute capital of the West!!!?" Why should Las Vegas get all the international prostitution-tourist business, right?

Look at the politicians running Trinidad, they're probably all backwards and think it's still the early 1930s there. It's a dying historic mining town. I recommend legalizing gambling there.

[Raddo]

Originally Posted by smdensbcs

Just not sure industrial-scale addiction-feeding is really the ideal industry for long-term sustainable healthy growth. I'm moralizing here I know, and that's embarrassing, but I just can't help but wonder if feeding and celebrating destructive addictions ("legal" or not) are the best way to build or rebuild a local economy.

If you think that industrial-scale addiction-feeding is what the legalization movement is all about, then you have a very narrow view of it. I don't mean that in a hurtful way, it is very common for folks who have no experience to think that way.

Nothing could be further from the truth.