Just Another "I love the Mountains" thread\obsession. Get me a napkin! so I can stop drooling (Denver: house, living in)

[Kelfly1]

The mountains do have a sense of serenity. We lived in the foothills for several years, and as soon as we moved there, I felt a sudden peace with everything, and I felt as if that is where I was truly meant to be (unfortunately I had to move out of state recently!). Driving home up the mountain each evening from working in Denver was the most spectacular experience and made working tolerable, knowing I could go home and sit on one of the decks enjoying the beauty. I miss it terribly, but hopefully we can one day buy a piece of Colorado mountain property and build our retirement home!

[jazzlover]

Ah, yes, the "Paradise Syndrome" lives. Of course, there would be 10 million people living in Colorado if it came true for everybody--but it doesn't. Maybe 1% manage to move here for awhile. Of those, only a small fraction wind up staying here for longer than a few years.

Why? Because it can be an expensive place to live, and--for many--decent-paying jobs can be very hard to find. In truth, the only areas of the state that really have decent-paying jobs in any quantity are the metro areas--which are pretty much like any suburban/metro blob in the US. Outside of the metro areas--read the areas of the state that are like what the OP posts about--decent jobs are very scarce, and living costs--especially in the resort areas--can be astronomical. In those areas, the main way people live there is a) make a ****load of money someplace else before they move there (a seven-figure-plus net worth really helps); b) moved there 30 years ago or more when things actually were fairly cheap and lived frugally ever since (old car, no upgraded house, etc.); c) work in one of the few decent-paying professional-type jobs that exist in those places (and be willing to likely take a lower salary than one would make doing the same work elsewhere); or d) live a subsistence existence in "paradise" for a few years--until one's savings, trust fund, etc. depletes--then move somewhere else and talk about your "wonderful," but temporary, residency in Colorado.

I've watched those scenarios play out time after time more times than I can count (over 40 years worth). About the last 15 years of speculative bubbles allowed a lot more "hangers-on" to stay around for a little longer, but that is ending, and Colorado is starting to act a lot more like it did for a number of decades before that.

The OP has a nice little dream, but--without a lot more foresight, planning, and understanding Colorado for what it really is--it will remain just that--a dream, with not a lot of chance of long-term success.

[breaksraver13]

Originally Posted by parafly

Sounds like the ocean to me.

To each his/her own.

I could say the same about the flat boring ocean

[breaksraver13]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Ah, yes, the "Paradise Syndrome" lives. Of course, there would be 10 million people living in Colorado if it came true for everybody--but it doesn't. Maybe 1% manage to move here for awhile. Of those, only a small fraction wind up staying here for longer than a few years.

Why? Because it can be an expensive place to live, and--for many--decent-paying jobs can be very hard to find. In truth, the only areas of the state that really have decent-paying jobs in any quantity are the metro areas--which are pretty much like any suburban/metro blob in the US. Outside of the metro areas--read the areas of the state that are like what the OP posts about--decent jobs are very scarce, and living costs--especially in the resort areas--can be astronomical. In those areas, the main way people live there is a) make a ****load of money someplace else before they move there (a seven-figure-plus net worth really helps); b) moved there 30 years ago or more when things actually were fairly cheap and lived frugally ever since (old car, no upgraded house, etc.); c) work in one of the few decent-paying professional-type jobs that exist in those places (and be willing to likely take a lower salary than one would make doing the same work elsewhere); or d) live a subsistence existence in "paradise" for a few years--until one's savings, trust fund, etc. depletes--then move somewhere else and talk about your "wonderful," but temporary, residency in Colorado.

I've watched those scenarios play out time after time more times than I can count (over 40 years worth). About the last 15 years of speculative bubbles allowed a lot more "hangers-on" to stay around for a little longer, but that is ending, and Colorado is starting to act a lot more like it did for a number of decades before that.

The OP has a nice little dream, but--without a lot more foresight, planning, and understanding Colorado for what it really is--it will remain just that--a dream, with not a lot of chance of long-term success.

Maybe I just don't get it, but I really don't find it very hard to live/work in the mountains.......I have actually done much better here than I did when I lived in the south.

[watcher66]

Here is a couple reasons I love living in CO.

[vegaspilgrim]

This is a more realistic picture of what Colorado really looks like:



Notice how many trees have been dying?

This is more typical of what the landscape looks like in most places year round than the above picture with the lush greenery:

[Coloradohh]

Jazz,
Thank you for the reply and wake up call…. Looks like my condition actually has a name to it? Paradise Syndrome. I will admit I read and read and re-read your post and I thought to myself, is this true? Is he correct? But in reality no this is not a syndrome for me! Its part dream and part destiny if you want to call it that… After visiting Colorado last year I fell in love with your state. I have been wanting to move there, I have had this passion building up for Colorado, I was obsessed, I was online looking for, I’d rather be in Colorado stickers, hats, coats, anything that even had the flag colors was fine by me… Actually if your theory is correct about the 10million people, I should just start my own side business selling Colorado memorabilia. Currently I cannot move due to the job market, things are very bad right now, jumping ship to find another job would be career suicide right now for me, I have to hang in there until the job market picks up again. Colorado is not doing that well either… I think I will be ready in 3 years once my time is up I will be making the move… The wife lived in Colorado before so its not so hard selling this dream to her, she actually wants to move to California but I don’t because I know the reality of it over there. In the end Jazz, I will continue to enjoy my time visiting your state, I already have plans to go this summer again, this time I am going to get me a tube and go down that river in Golden, I saw a bunch of people coming down some river in tubes, that seemed fun! I took a ton of video, I even went as far as setting my High Definition camera down on the dashboard while I drove through Colorado… Are we able to post videos to city data or do we just post links to youtube? In the end Jazz, I know I will live there, it’s a dream and I know I am part of a crowd of people who fall into a category called Paradise Syndrome but for me, I feel alive when I am in your state, nothing matters anymore, I am free from Corporate America, I am free of the cubicle farms….


Watcher66 those were some beautiful pictures of Colorado, that is exactly what I am talking about! Hard day at the office, don’t matter because once Friday hits, I’m off to the mountains to cure my soul and be awaken!.....

[80skeys]

VegasPilgrim:

1. Actually those pics look pretty cool
2. Just an FYI, those trees dying is due to bark beetle infestation, an occurrence throughout the West in the past decade

[CosmicWizard]

Jazzlover wrote:

Ah, yes, the "Paradise Syndrome" lives. Of course, there would be 10 million people living in Colorado if it came true for everybody--but it doesn't. Maybe 1% manage to move here for awhile. Of those, only a small fraction wind up staying here for longer than a few years.

I wonder if the the "Paradise Syndrome" is actually as widespread as you believe it is? Based on my experience living in eastern states at different times in my life, I'd say that it is NOT. At least among the people with whom I had contact, the vast majority of them have no desire whatsoever to live in the mountains. This includes the smaller mountains of the eastern states, and the more well know Rockies, Sierras, and Cascades of the west. Most of them thought that I was somewhat crazy to even consider moving to Colorado again. Even with an offer of free lodging in my Grand Junction home, none of my east coast friends or family members ( except for my 83 yr old dad ) has taken me up on the offer to come for a visit. They all appear content to live their lives of quiet desperation ( my perception ), without the annoyance of adventure interfering with their routines. On the other hand, my California friends are a differnt lot indeed. They love visiting Colorado, but they are always glad to return home to California. None of them has expressed a desire to live in Colorado.


Coloradohh wrote:

I feel alive when I am in your state, nothing matters anymore, I am free from Corporate America, I am free of the cubicle farms….

I'm glad that Colorado has such a powerful positive impact on you, and I wish you well on your dream to live here. However, don't fool yourself into believing that you will be free of Corporate america. The corporate bailout will impact your wallet just like the rest of us. Remember that the USA is a country OF the corporation, BY the corporation, and FOR the corporation. We-the-people are second class citizens....in EVERY state.

[treedonkey]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

I wonder if the the "Paradise Syndrome" is actually as widespread as you believe it is? Based on my experience living in eastern states at different times in my life, I'd say that it is NOT. At least among the people with whom I had contact, the vast majority of them have no desire whatsoever to live in the mountains. This includes the smaller mountains of the eastern states, and the more well know Rockies, Sierras, and Cascades of the west. Most of them thought that I was somewhat crazy to even consider moving to Colorado again.

I'd have to agree with that. Back in CA, most folks are certain that I live in the arctic and that I spend hours navigating windy mountain roads every time I need to pick up a carton of milk. It almost seems like some of them are rooting for me to come back frozen and disheveled, tail between my legs, and say, 'you were right, variable weather and country roads are pure misery'.

They mean well, but it's just human nature for people to exaggerate the downfalls of places they don't choose to live... Just visit the city vs. city forum sometime if you don't believe me.