What is the absolutely best/worst place in CO? (Denver: job market, schools)

[sunsprit]

Hilarious! and spot on, too.

You forgot all the folks driving high end luxo or sport cars that drive them 20 mph everywhere so you can get a better chance to see them flaunt their dough. Or the soccer moms who drive 5-10 under the speed limit in their SUV just to prove how much more environmentally aware they are, making sure they block you if you try to pass.

Boulder's been that way since at least 1965 when it started with the limited growth attitude for exclusivity.

And, I don't find it that great a place to go to school back then, either.

Maybe I just couldn't warm up to all the ultra-liberal faculty and potheads (that's redundant), or the smack freaks, or the psycedelic experiences, or the vegans and the eastern religious cults, or the street people/bums.

I wanted an education, but not all the baggage that came with boulder.

Beautiful countryside, but that was all. Couldn't wait to get out of there. It was cheaper to finish up by living in Denver and commuting to Boulder than it was to live in Boulder ....

[trailrunner1516]

I love: Colorado Springs (the north end), Durango, Ft. Collins, Estes Park.
(One mid-city, one recreation city, one college town, and one mountain town).

I don't love: Craig & surrounding area (too darn cold & no economy)
Buena Vista (what is up with this place?!?)
Pueblo & south (just not a lot to offer) or
Anyplace east of the front range

[McGowdog]

I Love: anything south of MM 120 on I-25 south to the New Mexico border, anyplace east of the front range including: Fowler, Swink, Manzanola, LaJunta, Las Animas, Haswell, McClave, Hasty, Wiley, Lamar, Eads, Kit Carson, Springfield, Boone, Holly, Granada, Chivington, Arapahoe, Cheyenne Wells, Brandon, Burlington, Bethune, Stratton, Vona, Sebert, Joes, etc. Good people out there. Those ark valley folks are the recipients of your crappy polluted water, Colorado Springs! Nice contribution to a fine state.

I don't love: Denver North to Denver South. That would be the Megalopolis that is Ft Collins to Colorado Springs.

[mrkool]

And travelled around quite a bit in my job.
Don't care for Denver or Colorado Springs metro areas (too big and congested for me), Pueblo (flat, plain area and crime), and Greeley (smelly and crime). Also thought Trinidad seemed pretty crummy though I never stayed overnight or got an in-depth look at it.
Did like Leadville (I'm sure many will disagree), Durango, and to some extent Montrose and Grand Junction on the western slope.

[mrkool]

Almost forgot... a couple of other places I always liked were Monte Vista and Del Norte, at the west end of the San Luis Valley.

[skigirl]

Originally Posted by Nomad123

Worst: Boulder/Grand Junction (Way too many liberals for me)

Best: Durango
Castle Rock
Colorado Springs

I know this was posted a while ago, but Grand Junction liberal?? Haha...no offense but Grand Junction is one of the most conservative areas in Colorado. There is a college there but it's small and a much larger portion of the population is retirees.

[twilight]

I live in a town much like Durango, but an hour from NYC, philly, Atlantic city.Durango, Telleride, Rico and Gunnison - South West areas are my QUESTION:
where do you live close (not over an hr.) to an airport, hospital, local college, sking of coaurse. Boating a plus?

[tfox]

Originally Posted by twilight

I live in a town much like Durango, but an hour from NYC, philly, Atlantic city.Durango, Telleride, Rico and Gunnison - South West areas are my QUESTION:
where do you live close (not over an hr.) to an airport, hospital, local college, sking of coaurse. Boating a plus?

Unfortunately, being near an airport really limits you. DIA is by far the largest airport in the state -- but you'd really have to be in the metro area to stay within your 1-hour limitation-- that would make it hard to be close to skiing too. Your best bet here is living on the west side of the metro area. Denver does have a fair number of colleges and universities in the area

Colorado Springs has a smaller airport that will get you anywhere you want to go with one-stop service. One hour from this airport probably includes anything around the Springs including Pueblo and Canon City area. Colorado Springs (CC, UCCS), and Pueblo (CSU-Pueblo) both have campuses in their area.

The ski towns do have airports that are quite small. The largest of the bunch is actually the Steamboat Springs/Hayden airport, which operates year round and has large jets landing. The only college here is the tiny Colorado Mountain College, though. Eagle County (near vail) has mostly puddle-jumper planes and with fairly limited service. Aspen even more so. Eagle County and Aspen only also have Colorado Mountain College as well. I believe that Grand Junction and the 4-corners area have their own airports, but all of them are very small as well. They do have colleges (Mesa State and Fort Lewis, respectively).

So, I guess what I'm saying is that you're going to have a tough time finding what you want. You probably need to decide whether to live in Denver Metro, Colorado Springs/Pueblo/Canon City, or near one of the mountain or western slope airports, and then go from there.

[sunsprit]

Evergreen, CO, will put you within reasonable time to Denver's education and business center, and close to skiing Loveland, Keystone, Winter Park, and Copper Mtn. Close to Dillon for boating (sailing, small power boat fishing).

[I_LUVNM]

Originally Posted by twilight

I live in a town much like Durango, but an hour from NYC, philly, Atlantic city.Durango, Telleride, Rico and Gunnison - South West areas are my QUESTION:
where do you live close (not over an hr.) to an airport, hospital, local college, sking of coaurse. Boating a plus?

Farmington, NM has a pretty good size airport and is an hour away from Durango and Durango has an airport too. It has regular flights non stop to Phoenix, Albuquerque and Denver as well as other cities. Farmington has even more non stop flights out to other cities. Telluride, I think you would use the airport in Montrose but I dont know much about it. Gunnison is pretty islolated I am not sure on that one.