Looking for a great city (Denver, Boulder: appointed, for rent, student loans)

[cheese_procedure]

We are a mid-twenties couple who are looking for a place to live in Colorado. We are very laid back and quiet, but we enjoy large cities. We enjoy art and music, and are very hippy-like in our lifestyle. We are not big party people, and tend to not like "party cities". We want to live somewhere with a diverse cultural atmosphere. Open minded, friendly citizens are also a plus. Any advice on where a great city would be?

We plan on renting, and are looking for something with low prices for the area, but not something in a bad neighborhood. We have a small dog and a cat also.

We have no college education, but plan on getting some sort of training before we move, so I cannot give you a income to go by. We're pretty good at living cheap though.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by cheese_procedure

We are a mid-twenties couple who are looking for a place to live in Colorado. We are very laid back and quiet, but we enjoy large cities. We enjoy art and music, and are very hippy-like in our lifestyle. We are not big party people, and tend to not like "party cities". We want to live somewhere with a diverse cultural atmosphere. Open minded, friendly citizens are also a plus. Any advice on where a great city would be?

We plan on renting, and are looking for something with low prices for the area, but not something in a bad neighborhood. We have a small dog and a cat also.

We have no college education, but plan on getting some sort of training before we move, so I cannot give you a income to go by. We're pretty good at living cheap though.

What is your budget?
Where are you (two) going to work?

[Katarina Witt]

I have said this befoe and it's worth repeating: If you are coming to Colorado for some sort of laid-back lifestyle, you are going to be disappointed. Just like anywhere else, it's mostly eat, work, sleep. There is a lot you can do in your spare time, both of an athletic nature and culturally. There are no jobs I know of where you can just up and not show up because something has caught your fancy. Of course, I work in health care. It seems a little different in IT, my DH's profession. His jobs have always been more flexible, but not laid back in the sense of "oh, just get it done any time", etc.

[cheese_procedure]

Our budget is as cheap as we can get. We are night people, and have always worked night jobs, but we will take morning as well. We can work almost any job that there is, we aren't picky. I am considering esthetician training, and my fiancee is considering massage therapy training before we move.

We do want to live in a very large city.

We are basically asking this question: We are a couple that is considered "alternative". People tend to stare and comment rudely at us in the Midwest (where we live and grew up) We have gauged out ears, a couple tattoos, and we don't follow that fashion world. But we aren't like what tv wants people to believe, we aren't 'freaks' or 'criminals' We are extremely nice, and just want to get along with everyone. We consider ourselves hippies. We like happy, peaceful, caring people, and a town that reflects that. Surely there is at least one city in Colorado like that?



And, I am sorry, but I must have put out the wrong idea on our lifestyle. We are working now, and I am a former healthcare worker, we both are hard workers. We know what it's like to work our lives away. My fiancee just got done working a job for 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. He didn't like it, so he found another job, and we are doing just fine. I have always said, I would rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable. We grew up poor, so we grew up thinking that $25,000 a year was a ton of money to make. It really still is to us.

We just have a laid back state of mind. That's what is important to us. It doesn't matter how hard we work, we know that when we get home, we like to enjoy ourselves, when we have a day off, we don't spend it "working" like people tend to do nowdays. And I guess, to us, a peaceful balance in our life is very important. Like I said, we are not like other people, and that is why we are looking for a good place to live.

So, if you can help, thanks!

[Chaffeetrekker]

To be succinct, you are tailor made for Crestone, Colorado.....

Good Luck.......

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

I have said this befoe and it's worth repeating: If you are coming to Colorado for some sort of laid-back lifestyle, you are going to be disappointed. Just like anywhere else, it's mostly eat, work, sleep. There is a lot you can do in your spare time, both of an athletic nature and culturally. There are no jobs I know of where you can just up and not show up because something has caught your fancy. Of course, I work in health care. It seems a little different in IT, my DH's profession. His jobs have always been more flexible, but not laid back in the sense of "oh, just get it done any time", etc.

tsk, tsk, tsk, shhhhhh, a nice nurse lady saying all this. You are getting old pittnurse. Yes, you can have a livestyle where you can "just up and not show up"....."it's mostly eat, work, sleep" NO, NO, NO.

I have learned that "you can have it all, if you do not want it all"--that pretty good, I just made that up.. The trick is live simply--as simply as I can say it--oh, I am even getting better.

Believe me, I am no beatnik, hippie living a care-free lifestyle--as you know from all my posts. Simple pleasure, simple wants became simple needs in my life and I am able to live on much less then all the people I know. I was taught thrift and economy from my parents--the best gift they could give me. When I suddenly became ill and lost my job--I was able to survive.

Many people of my generation and yours--we are from the 50s-60s, strived to live the simple life and failed because they created wants and needs in their lives. So, if one more young, fancy free, ear gauging (whatever that means) couple wants to try--then let them--they will learn their own lessons or maybe succeed.

To say that life is mostly "eat, work and sleep" that is not a goal that once achieved, is to be proud. Life is more than that, and I know, that you know that. We all try to reach a certain place, by different paths, where we can
Livecontent

[Katarina Witt]

Mea culpa! I will acknowledge I was a bit harsh in my post, was going to say that even before livecontent responded. However, I sometimes think if I read one more post about wanting to come to Colorado for the laid-back life I will scream! You don't need to come to Colorado for that, you can have that anywhere.

livecontent, you are retired. I am not. Sometimes my life seems very much like eat, work, sleep. I know of no jobs where you don't have to show up at work on the days you are assigned to work. Collectively, I have paid for six years of college since 2002 (two kids). Still have two years to go, and the oldest is in grad school and we are helping her a little to supplement her student loans. I'm not doing much else right now besides working.

I, too, live a fairly simple life. The last car we bought was four years ago, probably won't buy another one for a while. I spent this afternoon making drapes for my family room. But I am getting defensive.

I have no problem with someone wanting to come here and do anything. Other than a change of scenery, which is what young people like to do, I don't know why you'd come here vs just staying where you are or going somewhere else.

[cheese_procedure]

*laugh* I am sorry for stirring up dust. We are just trying to find our place in this country. We are just tried of moving places we don't like..but that doesn't get us down, we just move to a new place. Hey, life is long, and we want to see it all.
I just wanted to check with people that actually live there, rather than just asking around to people that vacationed there. I think Colorado is beautiful as well.

We grew up in very small town Iowa, and both realized we had bigger dreams than that could offer us. We have been 'different' since we were born. Just always have been the ones to go a different way from the 'crowd'. We grew up in an area where people discriminated against us because we looked differet, acted different, and chose to not follow the flock. (mostly redneck types)
We just recently moved to the Omaha area, and found that it is just the same, but bigger. We like culture, art, music etc. We like experiencing new ideas and things. We like experiencing life. There are cities that are good for that. And we are looking for them. And not to offend anyone, we are not Christian. (another thing that people tend to look down on us for)
We just want to coexist. That's all.

And ear gauging (stretching) is an ancient form of body modification in which one stretches a hole in the skin to wear a particular size of body jewelry. Some people find it repulsive, but it is actually very beautiful to me. There are some beautiful pieces of jewelry available too. If you have seen the movie "Apocalypto" you will notice that most of the charaters have ears like this. Needless to say, folks in small towns think this is 'freaky'

[Charles]

Originally Posted by cheese_procedure

Our budget is as cheap as we can get.

We have been 'different' since we were born.

We like happy, peaceful, caring people

we aren't 'freaks' or 'criminals'

We are extremely nice,

we are not Christian

[We] just want to get along with everyone.

We like experiencing new ideas and things.

We enjoy art and music, and are very hippy-like in our lifestyle.

We like experiencing life.

We like culture, art, music etc

[We] chose to not follow the flock


we are not like other people...

Actually, you are just like other people. You need to provide more information other than what your hair style is like before people can provide recommendations to you.

Do you have a time frame?
What would you envision your maximum housing budget to be? $1000/mo? $1500/mo? Something like that?
Where/When are you going to take this training? (Where you live now? In Colorado?)

What is your living situation like now? How much do you pay for rent or do you own? Are you both working? Do you expect the cost of living to be higher or lower once you move?

The forum needs concrete data to analyze, otherwise people will spray paint responses all over the place which won't do you much good.

So, how about some basic information or assumptions? People on this forum really love to give good information.

[Katarina Witt]

I think your appearance would cause little comment in Denver, Boulder, Manitou Springs, probably some other places. Nor would your non-Christian beliefs.