Fort Morgan, CO (Denver, Greeley, Commerce City: houses, construction, high school)

[zips666]

Hello! We are from the UK and are hoping to move to the US and Colorado has stood out to us as somewhere we might want to go. We had done a lot of research and have even booked a trip for the end of the month to come take a look around. We had found what we thought was a nice little town, Fort Morgan. But after browsing this forum we have found some horrible things being said about Fort Morgan such as a meth problem, bad schools, stinking factories, and unfriendly people. Can anyone give me their opinions or any other areas around Denver that are better or any other states for that matter? Thanks!

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by zips666

Hello! We are from the UK and are hoping to move to the US and Colorado has stood out to us as somewhere we might want to go. We had done a lot of research and have even booked a trip for the end of the month to come take a look around. We had found what we thought was a nice little town, Fort Morgan. But after browsing this forum we have found some horrible things being said about Fort Morgan such as a meth problem, bad schools, stinking factories, and unfriendly people. Can anyone give me their opinions or any other areas around Denver that are better or any other states for that matter? Thanks!

I can't say whether or not Fort Morgan has the problems you mentioned, seeing as how I've only driven through the place and not stopped. But, from the freeway, it is a small town between expanses of dry deserty grassland.

I recently took a trip up the I-76 corridor, and found the towns of Sterling and Holyoke (quite a bit off I-76), to be decent small towns, (Holyoke being very small).

Back to Fort Morgan, you can either read into the hearsay and opinions, or choose not to. I'm sure a family can live a life there without any of these "horrible things" affecting them.

Fort Morgan isn't exactly "near Denver". Anybody making that trip daily for work purposes would have to be slightly insane.

What exactly are you looking for in a town? Size, climate, jobs, recreation, price range, etc.?

There are tons of nice places in Colorado, but it all depends on what you are looking for. There are 49 other states, and they all could be recommended for some reason or another.

[zips666]

Thanks for the reply. We are looking for somewhere a lot warmer and a lot dryer than England. We know that Colorado has proper winters but you also have proper summers as well! We would like to live somewhere with about 10-20 thousand people. A bit quieter and a bit slower than England we are hoping. We would like to be east of the mountains. Just somewhere friendly and nice and good schools for a nine year old girl. We'll be in Colorado in 10 days so if anyone has any advice, we'd really appreciate it!!

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by zips666

Thanks for the reply. We are looking for somewhere a lot warmer and a lot dryer than England. We know that Colorado has proper winters but you also have proper summers as well! We would like to live somewhere with about 10-20 thousand people. A bit quieter and a bit slower than England we are hoping. We would like to be east of the mountains. Just somewhere friendly and nice and good schools for a nine year old girl. We'll be in Colorado in 10 days so if anyone has any advice, we'd really appreciate it!!

Personally, I like Fort Morgan. There are some things that you need to know about it, though. First, it has a sizable Hispanic population--a mixture of long-term natives, and recent immigrants--some of those legal and some not. It is still basically an agricultural community, with the things (including some smells, sometimes) that are associated with that. It does on some occasions get smog from the Denver metro area--the smog drifts down the South Platte River valley when the wind is right. It can be somewhat obnoxious because some of Denver's worst stationary pollution sources (oil refineries, in particular) are located in Commerce City at the northeastern edge of Denver metro, not that far from Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan is also close enough to Denver and Greeley that it doesn't offer all of the services, etc. that a town its size normally might. It's just too close to the metro areas.

If I had to choose a town out that area of northeastern Colorado, I would probably pick Sterling. It's far enough away from Denver that it is somewhat out of its sphere of influence, but is close enough that one can get there pretty readily if one needs to. I have several friends who live in Sterling. A couple of them grew up there and left--but returned because they liked it there so well.

One thing that will probably shock your British sensibilities in Colorado, though, just about anywhere is that--by British Isle standards--Colorado is NOT green. You will either like that or you won't. Also, "proper summer" in Colorado anywhere east of the mountains and below 5,000 ft. elevation means it can get hotter than hell on occasion (over 100° F.), and violent thunderstorms with destructive hail are quite common.

[DOUBLE H]

I like the Fort Morgan-Brush area. I worked at the power plant there for 3 years under PSC's main contractor, as it has been many years ago. I live in the west part of the state, but if I had to move back to the front range, i would pick that area first. Jazzlover is right on his comments. Come July and August they DO have bad thunderstorms. Plus in the winter it probably gets 10 degrees colder than Denver, especially January and February. They've grown a little, but manageable. They have a community college that is off Barlow Road. I still have construction friends I visit there a couple times a year. Their grandkids go to the college and like it. Jackson and Prewitt Reservoirs are nearby and are decent fishing spots.

[corunner]

Hello, I lived in Sterling for 25 years. It's about a 45 minute drive from Ft. Morgan. I also spent 1 yr studying in Leicester, England.

You may find this area suitable if you are really looking for a place with only 1 month of rain. In addition you should be prepared for 4-5 months of very hot and dry summer, and 3-4 months of cold, snow, and wind in the winter.

As Jazz said, it is not very green except for maybe a month or two in the spring when the big thunderstorms hit. I was more than willing to trade our hot summers and cold winters for the seemingly endless rain in England.

Schools in the area I suppose are adequate. If you are expecting high performance academically from your daughter you may not agree with the somewhat relaxed education standards in the area.

She may also eventually have troubles finding things to do unless she gets involved in an after-school sport. You'll have some years to prepare for this problem but there are no pubs, no night clubs, and "soccer" is frowned upon. American football and cheerleading are the two generally accepted activities.

The stench in Fort Morgan was due to a sewage treatment facility near the highway. Most travellers who have been through the area have bad impressions because of that. Meth and other drug use is a problem in many small towns all across the state.

It's my own opinion that people on the plains of Colorado are often bored of everyday life and would welcome your accents and your stories.

[zips666]

Thanks for the posts and insights. I've been reading a lot on this forum and we are starting to get a little turned off by Fort Morgan, but one can't really know until they've been there themselves . . . which is what we plan to do! Finally, can anyone tell me about the water contamination in Sterling? Can't seem to find much info on the internet and can't open the files on the City of Sterling page. Has it been a serious problem? We would hate to move to an Erin Brokovich situation!! Thanks!

[Plain Jane 3953]

The US is sort of a third world country compared to the UK, but good luck. Hope you like the color brown and dying trees. Oh and bring a ton of money with you to pay for any health care you might need.

Cheers.

[Sockeye]

Originally Posted by Plain Jane 3953

The US is sort of a third world country compared to the UK, but good luck. Hope you like the color brown and dying trees. Oh and bring a ton of money with you to pay for any health care you might need.

Cheers.

Cheer up! Europe's a heckuva lot closer to living under Sharia Law than we are. The U.S. is probably the last hope for western civilization.

[corunner]

Sterling water is really bad, making the it the object of many jokes just like the stench in "Fart Morgan." It can be worked around though. Most houses use a water softener (a salt tank) for bathwater and dishes. I also installed a reverse-osmosis system from Culligan for drinking water. There's still nothing quite like the clean, fresh water in the mountains though.

If you drive through Sterling, take a look at the recreation center near the high school. It has recently been upgraded and has bargain prices. Swimming is a competitive sport at the high school level and would be a good choice for an after-school activity.