Please help us pick a spot in Colorado (Denver, Colorado Springs: transplants, house)

[Brianz72]

Hi, my family and I are interested in leaving Idaho and moving to Colorado. Our primary criteria:

1) We want a metro area of 25-50,000+, whether in the town or clustered with other nearby, easily accessible towns/cities.

2) We want as relaxed marijuana laws as possible. Recreational dispensaries are a must, in town or in a neighboring town less than a half hour away.

3) Outdoor rec is key - we want easy access to mountain biking and hiking trails. We don’t ski though. Some things are just too scary to start at age 45... periodic bike crashes are enough for me.

4) We want a place where people are nice, welcoming, tolerant, not church-obsessed, and NOT rural/Trumpy/right wing/religious. I am not looking to debate anything with anybody. This is just our preference.

5) Our 10 year old daughter is in “gifted” programs so we need a good school system for her.

6) We want a town that’s growing with a diversifying economic base and well-educated, reasonably successful/affluent people. Not elitist or exclusionary. A local large university always helps.

Professionally I’m in a position where I want to purchase a $500,000 house with all cash and then figure out the rest. I’d like to try something entrepreneurial after being a well-paid but demoralized corporate slave for 20 years. I’m leaning toward launching a cannabis oriented business (I’m already well-connected and invested in some for a few years) or just buying a fun local business of any kind and running it. I can be a photographer too. That’s why I want a growing/booming city with a diversified economic base.

We are leaning heavily against Denver/Boulder since it’s just way too big and pricey now. We’ve also ruled out Colorado Springs for social compatibility reasons. We’re intrigued by Fort Collins and Grand Junction but haven’t visited. Any thoughts? Thanks all!!

[BabyBoomers2]

You may think Denver is too big for you, but basically, most-to-everything you want, spells out "Denver". One thing for sure, Denver and it's metro neighbor, Aurora, are the two most diverse areas of anywhere in Colorado. Denver would most likely be a very profitable place to have a mj business.

[Thoreau424]

Originally Posted by Brianz72

4) We want a place where people are nice, welcoming, tolerant, not church-obsessed, and NOT rural/Trumpy/right wing/religious. I am not looking to debate anything with anybody. This is just our preference.

You probably won't have to worry about church-obsessed, or debate-happy fever. But the Trump-eters are everywhere, and more dense in percentage in smaller areas (like what you seem to want).

Nice and welcoming is subjective. Many here think they are that way, but I've found a lot of dislike and unwelcoming from natives towards those from other states (i.e. lots of anti-transplant mentality and attitude). What you experience will depend on where you are from, and where you might go here.

[BabyBoomers2]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

You probably won't have to worry about church-obsessed, or debate-happy fever. But the Trump-eters are everywhere, and more dense in percentage in smaller areas (like what you seemed to want). Nice and welcoming is subjective. Many here think they are that way, but I've found a lot of dislike and unwelcoming from natives towards those from other states (i.e. lots of anti-transplant mentality and attitude). What you experience will depend on where you are from, and where you might go here.

Yes, I think if a person doesn't have the Colorado look of "country" or "cowboy", it can be a problem. A lot of Colorado is both. We have never had to worry about it, because we have Wrangler jeans, boots and cowboy hats. Actually, I'm a former Team Roper in pro-rodeo. Like I said, have never had a problem looking like a trans-plant.

[Thoreau424]

Originally Posted by LoveBoating

Yes, I think if a person doesn't have the Colorado look of "country" or "cowboy", it can be a problem. A lot of Colorado is both. We have never had to worry about it, because we have Wrangler jeans, boots and cowboy hats. Actually, I'm a former Team Roper in pro-rodeo. Like I said, have never had a problem looking like a trans-plant.

I'm not talking about clothing and dress code. I'm talking about reactions to differing interests, accents, regional choice of words, body language, etc. There's very little variety here, and when others ("intruders") enter the picture and stray from that, it brings on irritation and passive-aggressiveness from natives.

[BabyBoomers2]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

I'm not talking about clothing and dress code. I'm talking about reactions to differing interests, accents, regional choice of words, body language, etc. There's very little variety here, and when others ("intruders") come on the scene and stray from that, it brings on irritation and passive-aggressiveness from natives.

Sorry, but “Country” and “cowboy” isn’t a dress code, unless going in a Country-Western nightclub there. It is a lifestyle for many though.

All of those things you mention are Denver and Aurora related. Unless it’s changed since we lived in Parker, Denver metro has a lot of “variety”.

[Thoreau424]

Originally Posted by LoveBoating

Unless it’s changed since we lived in Parker

Welcome to Colorado, circa 2018.

[COcheesehead]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

You probably won't have to worry about church-obsessed, or debate-happy fever. But the Trump-eters are everywhere, and more dense in percentage in smaller areas (like what you seem to want).

Nice and welcoming is subjective. Many here think they are that way, but I've found a lot of dislike and unwelcoming from natives towards those from other states (i.e. lots of anti-transplant mentality and attitude). What you experience will depend on where you are from, and where you might go here.

The number of "natives" is now outnumbered by the transplants. I have rarely seen any dislike of transplants and when I did it was from old farts in the hills towards folks from Texas.

[COcheesehead]

Originally Posted by Brianz72

Hi, my family and I are interested in leaving Idaho and moving to Colorado. Our primary criteria:

1) We want a metro area of 25-50,000+, whether in the town or clustered with other nearby, easily accessible towns/cities.

2) We want as relaxed marijuana laws as possible. Recreational dispensaries are a must, in town or in a neighboring town less than a half hour away.

3) Outdoor rec is key - we want easy access to mountain biking and hiking trails. We don’t ski though. Some things are just too scary to start at age 45... periodic bike crashes are enough for me.

4) We want a place where people are nice, welcoming, tolerant, not church-obsessed, and NOT rural/Trumpy/right wing/religious. I am not looking to debate anything with anybody. This is just our preference.

5) Our 10 year old daughter is in “gifted” programs so we need a good school system for her.

6) We want a town that’s growing with a diversifying economic base and well-educated, reasonably successful/affluent people. Not elitist or exclusionary. A local large university always helps.

Professionally I’m in a position where I want to purchase a $500,000 house with all cash and then figure out the rest. I’d like to try something entrepreneurial after being a well-paid but demoralized corporate slave for 20 years. I’m leaning toward launching a cannabis oriented business (I’m already well-connected and invested in some for a few years) or just buying a fun local business of any kind and running it. I can be a photographer too. That’s why I want a growing/booming city with a diversified economic base.

We are leaning heavily against Denver/Boulder since it’s just way too big and pricey now. We’ve also ruled out Colorado Springs for social compatibility reasons. We’re intrigued by Fort Collins and Grand Junction but haven’t visited. Any thoughts? Thanks all!!

Your list is challenging because of the school requirement. Everything else is found in many places, but Colorado has a tendency to underspend on schools. I would also caution your temperament towards politics. Colorado is a purple state. You'll run into both lefties and righties and we all seem to get along. Just don't come into the state with preconceived notions about certain towns. Boulder isn't all liberal and Colorado Springs isn't all conservative.

[BabyBoomers2]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

Welcome to Colorado, circa 2018.

But we aren’t looking at Denver or Aurora. We are looking at Loveland, which is much smaller and definitely friendly. I’ve already talked to some resident on this forum, told them we had already lived in Colorado for 5 1/2 years and what we liked. All said, “you’ll love it here and fit-in as well.”

We’ll see when we get there.

Now, back to what the OP wants.