Wanting to move to a smaller town in CO (Denver: salons, real estate)

[roywc]

I am a Californian (please read the rest of the post before rolling your eyes and making a sound of disgust ) thinking about moving to Colorado with my fiancee in a few years after I get out of school. I'm getting tired of the influx of out-of-staters (CO isn't the only state suffering from this) that are rapidly increasing the already high population. I also don't want to raise children in the "I have more stuff than you do" mentality that is prevalent here in SoCal. We have been looking at places like Evergreen to relocate to. I'm wondering if there are places like Evergreen that are also nice to live. We want somewhere that is out of town but close enough to a city for things like sporting events and museums, shopping, etc. I will be a pharmacist and my fiancee is a teacher so we should be able to live in any part of the state and find work. We would also like to be in the mountains and not in the plains area of the eastern part of the state. Any suggestions (other than stay out!) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Charles]

Have you analyzed the prospects for employment? Is there more than one place you could get a job (in case the first job didn't work out)?

[Katiana]

Charles has a good point. Granted, health care workers and teachers are needed everywhere, but that doesn't translate to "instant job" status. I don't know how many pharmacists are employed in Evergreeen or nearby (ie, that you wouldn't have to drive to metro Denver); ditto teachers. There is no hospital in Evergreen; the nearest is in Wheat Ridge. There are some grocery store chains that probably have pharmacies. Evergreen is part of the Jefferson County school system, the largest in Colorado. One could get hired by them and assigned anywhere in the county, which is huge, geographically. Teaching jobs are competitive in Colorado. Evergreen really is suburban Denver and a fairly high-end suburb. My suggestion is to start doing your research; come out for a visit and look around.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by roywc

I am a Californian (please read the rest of the post before rolling your eyes and making a sound of disgust ) thinking about moving to Colorado with my fiancee in a few years after I get out of school. I'm getting tired of the influx of out-of-staters (CO isn't the only state suffering from this) that are rapidly increasing the already high population. I also don't want to raise children in the "I have more stuff than you do" mentality that is prevalent here in SoCal. We have been looking at places like Evergreen to relocate to. I'm wondering if there are places like Evergreen that are also nice to live. We want somewhere that is out of town but close enough to a city for things like sporting events and museums, shopping, etc. I will be a pharmacist and my fiancee is a teacher so we should be able to live in any part of the state and find work. We would also like to be in the mountains and not in the plains area of the eastern part of the state. Any suggestions (other than stay out!) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Here's the good news/bad news. The good: You are entering a profession (pharmacist) that is in demand just about everywhere--and at a fairly decent salary (though probably not at California standards). Now the bad news: That materialistic-hedonistic mentality so prevalent in California is every bit as prevalent here--especially in the metro areas AND ESPECIALLY in the resort towns and "mountain suburbia." If anything, is it often worse in the nicer mountain areas because those places just seem to attract the PWM's (People With Money) who embrace that lifestyle. So, you will find few if any places in the "mountain" areas of Colorado where you will be away from the hedonists. The only places you will tend to get away from that are in the places that you already have ruled out--the Eastern Plains. There are a few towns in the west-central valleys of Colorado (Montrose, Delta, etc.) that have not yet been totally overrun by the spoiled materialistic brats, but that is changing for the worse every day. The Canon City/Florence area is also pretty nice (and close to Pueblo and Colorado Springs)--but its major "industry" is over a dozen state prison facilities and the federal "Supermax" prison. That makes the economy there pretty stable, but freaks a lot of people out. The other area you might consider is the San Luis Valley, but be ready for the extremely cold winters and some real culture shock there. None of the areas that I just mentioned (except Canon City/Florence) are close to the "big city," either--a huge plus in my book, but probably not for you. You will have to choose which is more important to you--being close to a big city and dealing with the stuff you say you hate about California, or moving to a smaller town away from the resort and metro areas--and dealing with the "isolation," lower income, and fewer jobs there. Truth is, Colorado is doing its damnedest to emulate California in all the bad ways--despite the efforts of many Colorado natives and long-time residents like me to try to stop it.

I have posted plenty on the potential difficulties for new non-local teachers to find employment in the rural areas of Colorado--do a search for that.

[vegaspilgrim]

Common theme I've noticed dozens of times here on this forum:

Californian/Texan/Chicago/NYC/DC wants to move to Colorado.
They begin their post by complaining about their current residence and all the problems they think they have.
They make a feeble attempt to say "I'm not one of those people."
The Front Range isn't acceptible to them.
Been there, done that.
They say they want to move to a "small town."
But the eastern plains isn't good enough for them.
But whether they admit it or not, they want to live near Denver (and likely commute there every day).
They say they want to move to a place like Evergreen or Conifer (mountain suburbia/exurbia is a good way to put it).
They don't even know the true definition of a "small town."
Somehow they think this whole plan is their own original idea.

[cheeko]

I dislike Cali people coming to rurals and then expecting to change it. They want a Walmart and spas and salons etc. etc. I do not like to sterotype people but man, thats all I see up here, lookers (californians..and lots of texans too).) I live high up in the bush.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Common theme I've noticed dozens of times here on this forum:

Californian/Texan/Chicago/NYC/DC wants to move to Colorado.
They begin their post by complaining about their current residence and all the problems they think they have.
They make a feeble attempt to say "I'm not one of those people."
The Front Range isn't acceptible to them.
Been there, done that.
They say they want to move to a "small town."
But the eastern plains isn't good enough for them.
But whether they admit it or not, they want to live near Denver (and likely commute there every day).
They say they want to move to a place like Evergreen or Conifer (mountain suburbia/exurbia is a good way to put it).
They don't even know the true definition of a "small town."
Somehow they think this whole plan is their own original idea.

Couldn't have said it better, vegas. That's why so many formerly nice Colorado small towns increasingly look and feel like suburbia--sprawled McMansion subdivisions or McRanchettes, chain stores and restaurants identical to those in any suburb in America, increasingly pedestrian-unfriendly commercial areas, dying Main Streets, and real estate prices higher than most working locals can afford. And the people moving in wonder why the locals aren't just ecstatic about the influx. Duhhh!

[PokerMunkee]

We love Woodland Park. 15 miles up the mountain from Colorado Springs, just under Pikes Peak. Town sits at 8500' elevation and has a population of ~7000. Has a very small 2 screen movie theater, Walgreens, Walmart, Safeway, and City Market. All the popular fast food places (McDs, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Burger King, Sonic) and a couple local restaurants. There is also a 15 bed hospital that opened a little over a year ago, where my wife works as a RN in the ER.

Town has a wonderful feel, and doesn't grow much due to limited water taps, so there is only a couple areas where new homes are being built. 1.5hrs to Breckenridge and 30 minutes to 11 Mile Reservoir. 30 minutes to about anywhere in Colorado Springs. 30 minutes to Cripple Creek if you like to gamble.

[Josseppie]

California people are more then welcome to come to Pueblo, we are a small enough city that we do not have the problems you see in bigger cities but big enough that we have "city" things to do....

[jazzlover]

What I said:

That's why so many formerly nice Colorado small towns increasingly look and feel like suburbia--sprawled McMansion subdivisions or McRanchettes, chain stores and restaurants identical to those in any suburb in America, increasingly pedestrian-unfriendly commercial areas . . .

What TheEricHarris said--my emphasis added:

Originally Posted by TheEricHarris

[color=black][font=Verdana]We love Woodland Park. 15 miles up the mountain from Colorado Springs, just under Pikes Peak. Town sits at 8500' elevation and has a population of ~7000. Has a very small 2 screen movie theater, Walgreens, Walmart, Safeway, and City Market. All the popular fast food places (McDs, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Burger King, Sonic) and a couple local restaurants.

I rest my case.