Anyone live in both OR and CO? (Denver, Colorado Springs: schools, college)

[Shorty77]

I am currently living in Corvallis, OR, am married with 2 kids under 5. I am going to be moving to CO within the next month but neither of us have been there before. I am hoping someone who has lived in OR can give us a comparable rundown of areas in CO to OR so we can get an idea of where to go. I am not necessarily looking to move to another Corvallis-type area as we don't have the $$ for that.
I have already read that we should avoid Colorado Springs, and Boulder is expensive...
Thanks in advance for any angry replies I get about how CO isn't an idyllic wonderland and that I should read every other post first.

[wanneroo]

Yes this type of posting has been well covered before.

I would have a job lined up and visit before you move. Sounds like you are just pushing a stick pin in any random place on the map. I'd visit as Colorado has several different parts and lifestyles to it.

[delta07]

I have lived in both Colorado and Oregon (I currently reside in Bend), so I will try to help, although I don't know as much about the western side of the Cascades in terms of reference. If you have been to Bend and enjoyed it, then Colorado will be a really good fit for you. Boulder is definitely similar to Bend in terms of cost of living, lifestyle, etc.

I grew up in Aurora, a suburb of Denver, went to college in Fort Collins, lived in the mountains (Fairplay, CO) and then most recently the western slope in Grand Junction. I personally do like Aurora and wouldn't recommend it unless you enjoy the suburbs. To me most of the suburbs around Denver are ugly. Fort Collins is a great town and probably pretty comparable to Corvallis (big Ag. College). I found Ft. Fun to be extremely bikeable/walkable, eco-consious, friendly, but without the cost of Boulder. However, I'm sure this has changed since it's been almost 8 years since I lived there. Grand Junction is quite different from the Front Range of Denver. It is more conservative for starters. The climate is generally mild in the winter and hot in the summer, although all of Colorado is a desert like environment.

Perhaps you can tell us more about what you're looking for to help people narrow their recommendations. Colorado is a big state like Oregon and some parts are vastly different from others.

[Shorty77]

That's helpful....I appreciate it. I am trying to avoid big city life, so am not opposed to suburbs. I like fairly small communities, but wouldn't mind a bigger town if it is still the kind of place where your kids could play outside. A mid-range cost of living, family-oriented community, lots of parks, decent schools. I read something about Aurora and being surrounded by airports, so it's noisy. Is that a problem, in your opinion?
I think the biggest challenge for me would be to adjust to the lack of greenery I keep reading about. Are there any areas that are more tree-populated than others?
Thanks for your help, Delta07

...In regards to the idea that we picked CO randomly, this is hardly a pin-in-the-map type of economy; nor do we have that kind of money to throw around. The reason I am on here is because we can't afford to just take a trip down there and sight-see. And we actually do have job-related reasons for picking Colorado over other states.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by Shorty77

That's helpful....I appreciate it. I am trying to avoid big city life, so am not opposed to suburbs. I like fairly small communities, but wouldn't mind a bigger town if it is still the kind of place where your kids could play outside. A mid-range cost of living, family-oriented community, lots of parks, decent schools. I read something about Aurora and being surrounded by airports, so it's noisy. Is that a problem, in your opinion?
I think the biggest challenge for me would be to adjust to the lack of greenery I keep reading about. Are there any areas that are more tree-populated than others?
Thanks for your help, Delta07

...In regards to the idea that we picked CO randomly, this is hardly a pin-in-the-map type of economy; nor do we have that kind of money to throw around. The reason I am on here is because we can't afford to just take a trip down there and sight-see. And we actually do have job-related reasons for picking Colorado over other states.

I don't know that Aurora is surrounded by airports, per se, but depending on where you're looking, airport noise can be a problem. Aurora is also either the first or second largest city in Colorado, so it's more like a big city with big city problems than a suburb anymore. It's also situated east of the mountains, in the plains, so lack of trees would probably concern you. I would google pictures of Aurora to see what I'm talking about.

Honestly, you might want to reconsider CoSprings, or areas closer to it (Monument comes to mind), because it is a bit greener than the Denver area. I also would still recommend Fort Collins. If I remember correctly, it has a tree city USA designation (not that it's anything like W. Oregon). There are many deciduous trees planted around the city, so you will experience a nice fall. It is good sized city, around 150-200K, that really fits what you're looking for.