Moving To Colorado (Denver, Colorado Springs, Golden: relocating, house, rent)

[snowcrash]

My husband and I are moving to the Colorado area In February and i am trying to get as much research done as I can about the area We are visiting in November, to see how we like it, but i though I'd get some "expert" opinions beforehand.
Anyone have any opinions on certain areas? i know thats a broad statement! We live in Florida right now...originally we are from Alaska. I love Alaska, but its very remote to live (for me at least!) So we are looking to get back to that "mountain feel". The heat and unfreindliness of people here are driving us away, and we long for the "4 seasons" again. We are pretty much looking for a quiet to semi-quiet neighborhood, one where we can feel reasonably safe. We dont mind a commute to city life (i have a 45 min-out of season- to almost 2 hour-in season- commute here in FL) . We would just like to live someplace where we can take walks (a kind of walkable neighborhood), near someplace to go snowboarding and hiking. We are very outdoor people.
I also have 2 little Corgis and am also looking for a very dog-friendly area.
We will be renting when we get there, so any tips to good renting areas (not too expensive) will be appreciated
I am a CAD drafter, so i will probably have to work in the city areas. I'd like to stick closer to Denver area or outlying cities. My best freind lives in Colorado Springs, so i my consider that as well.
Mainly im just looking for specific places to see when i visit in November.
Any and all comments would be terrific!! Thanks so much!!

[yourbbynicciaprilia]

Originally Posted by snowcrash

My husband and I are moving to the Colorado area In February and i am trying to get as much research done as I can about the area We are visiting in November, to see how we like it, but i though I'd get some "expert" opinions beforehand.
Anyone have any opinions on certain areas? i know thats a broad statement! We live in Florida right now...originally we are from Alaska. I love Alaska, but its very remote to live (for me at least!) So we are looking to get back to that "mountain feel". The heat and unfreindliness of people here are driving us away, and we long for the "4 seasons" again. We are pretty much looking for a quiet to semi-quiet neighborhood, one where we can feel reasonably safe. We dont mind a commute to city life (i have a 45 min-out of season- to almost 2 hour-in season- commute here in FL) . We would just like to live someplace where we can take walks (a kind of walkable neighborhood), near someplace to go snowboarding and hiking. We are very outdoor people.
I also have 2 little Corgis and am also looking for a very dog-friendly area.
We will be renting when we get there, so any tips to good renting areas (not too expensive) will be appreciated
I am a CAD drafter, so i will probably have to work in the city areas. I'd like to stick closer to Denver area or outlying cities. My best freind lives in Colorado Springs, so i my consider that as well.
Mainly im just looking for specific places to see when i visit in November.
Any and all comments would be terrific!! Thanks so much!!

With Evergreen and Conifer you and your husband would be about an hour away from Denver. but Winter Park might take you a little longer depending on the weather and the 70 corridor which comes down thru Winter Park then Evergreen and then Golden. Because you're from Alaska then you know how to drive in extreme conditions, but the commute is pretty quick down to the city.

[snowcrash]

Thanks for the advice! I will have to add those to my to-see list then. We wouldnt mind a commute so much if it meant we had a nice town/city to live in.

[yourbbynicciaprilia]

Originally Posted by snowcrash

Thanks for the advice! I will have to add those to my to-see list then. We wouldnt mind a commute so much if it meant we had a nice town/city to live in.

You're welcome! But since you mentioned you would like a nice town, you might want to look closer at Evergreen North where we have one of our homes, but it can be very pricey! Evergreen South is a little more reasonable and just as beautiful, plus you're right down from Confier or Evergreen North. Conifer can be a little cowboyish but still a great place! So is Aspen Park (also in Conifer) or you could head further up to Pine or Pine Junction or maybe Bailey but your commute will be longer than if you were coming down from Winter Park, which by the way is very beautiful! But it can also become snowed-in because its on the Continental Divide quicker than most mountain communities. Evergreen usually doesn't get as whacked with snow like Winter Park does but if it does, it will usually meltoff much quicker. So there's a few more suggestions for you guys and we wish you well with whatever your decision might end up being! Good Luck!

[dennis s]

I'm really curious.What does that mean "a little cowboyish"? Does that mean they are oeple who like horses or does it mean they live in trailors like Bud and Sissy in Urban Cowboy.

This is a serious question. (well sort of)

[blue_hyacinth]

Hi! I would also like to know what you mean by "a little cowboyish," especially since you follow up with "but..." It sounds like "cowboyish" is a negative thing in your description. I'm not trying to be critical in any way, I just wonder what that means. We're thinking of relocating to Colorado, and I've been told that Cortez is a "cowboy" kind of town. What would a "cowboyish" town feel like to someone from the California coast?

Do you mean most people there know how to ride and groom horses?
Do you mean people make great chili and haven't tried Thai food?
Do you mean they wear wide-brimmed hats a lot?
Do you mean they think there are only two types of music, country and western?
Do you mean denim and Pendleton shirts are okay for any occasion?
Do you mean people have independent spirits and a love of freedom?

Anybody want to help explain this term, as used in Colorado?

Thanks,

Blue

[BenWolfe]

I totally agree that Evergreen and Conifer are worth considering. You may also want to look at Perry Park and Larkspur. It is about halfway between Denver and Colorado Springs. The commute to the Denver Tech Center is very reasonable only about 30 minutes. This area has the towering pines found in the mountains and much of the topography, but it is a slightly lower elevation and the roads are much more manageable in the snow.

When we moved here we rented for six months first and it allowed us to really explore all of the different areas without the stress of having to find a house. If you do rent try to find a month to month lease. We rented in Bailey because like you, we wanted to be in the mountains, but we soon discovered that Bailey was too remote and not a good fit for our lifestyle.

[coltoncity]

I understand why people get upset about the new people coming to their state. Making a joke about how 'cowboy' or 'country' people are in a certain town? Maybe before you move to a state and bless it with your presence you might consider that you are coming to them to enjoy their home and make it your own. Laughing at the fact someone might live in a trailer is the attitude that makes people in Colorado hate the people moving in.

[Crackerjack]

I've been told that Cortez is a "cowboy" kind of town. What would a "cowboyish" town feel like to someone from the California coast? by blue_hyacinth

Hi Blue_hyacinth,
Cortez has a lot of ranches with horses and real cowboys. You will see cattle right in people's yards in places. Pickups are more common than fancy SUVs. Jeans are the staple clothing. Women often wear turquoise and cowboy boots instead of diamonds and Gucci. Cowboy hats or baseball caps are quite common, but not everyone is going around with cowboy hats. If they do, they are genuine. When they wear a cowboy hat, they are a cowboy. As I am sure you are well aware of, when someone from Beverly Hills wears a cowboy hat on Rodeo, he is a cowboy wannabe. The people are kind and friendly and will stop and "shoot the bull" or just talk about what is going on, even if you are a stranger. Neighbors watch other neighbors's homes when they are away and even mow their lawns for them. A popular dance won't be the ballroom dance tango, but a square dance. That is what a cowboy town is all about. I would think a cowboyish town would be the same thing, but maybe not a total western cowboy town or having a mix of other people, so not completely a cowboy town.

[blue_hyacinth]

coltoncity, I absolutely understand what you mean, and I agree. I wouldn't assume anything negative about someone because they live in a trailer or because they live in a mansion. Also, when one is a visitor or new resident, one should be especially aware of arriving with an attitude of politeness and courtesy and respect for local tradition. Why go somewhere and then ruin the very character of the place that made it so attractive? I would never want to see Colorado become California.

Crackerjack, thank you for your full and interesting reply to my query. The description you give is reassuring and what I would hope for. The cowboy is an icon of America, and as such has the potential to represent the best of American values and character: honesty, courage, "grit," generousity, and love of our open spaces. I don't want that to be part of a vanished land, a lost legacy. I want that American spirit to be a living, breathing truth. I hope it's still out there in Colorado.

Authenticity is such a wonderful thing, and sadly lacking when one is Hollywood-adjacent, as you so rightly point out. I drove a little red pick-up truck myself, in my 20s, and used it to haul things. Made sense. The luxury 4x4 SUVs around here that only go to the grocery store don't seem to make sense to me, any more than the stiletto-heel hiking boots (I'm not kidding) that girls were wearing here a couple of years ago, and which are probably now in landfills. For some people, novelty and fashion are the thrill that keep them stimulated. I'd prefer something real, honest, and practical. I think I'd enjoy life in those towns that some people might write off as "cowboyish."

(The only problem is, if people truly have cows in their yards, it would be very hard for me not to pull over and try talk to the livestock. I love animals so much, and it's very hard to find a cow in Los Angeles. Cows have such pretty eyes, and warm breath, and it's fun to pat them. They're so solid, like a wall of beef. Would someone think I was crazy/out-of-line/intrusive if I tried to pat their cow, the way you'd pat someone's dog when you were walking by their front yard? Yes, my husband think's I'm weird, too.)