Live and work in leadville (Denver, Vail: home, schools, quality of life)

[Marjolein]

I live in Florida, but there might be a nice job opportunity for me in Leadville. How would it be to live there for my 11 year old daughter? Are there things to do for kids and teenagers? Are the schools good? Are the people nice? Would I be able to use my Honda civic or do I have to have a 4 wheel drive?

[Dogmama50]

Leadville will be a shock to the system coming from sea level. It's the highest incorporated town in the US at just over 10,000 feet. It's a very small town, lots of great outdoor things to do but not much in the traditional sense for an 11 yr old. People are nice everywhere in Colorado. As long as your Honda has front wheel drive, you have great tires and you live and work in a place that is plowed you won't really need the clearance of a SUV. Leadville gets a lot of snow, many roads will be snowpacked all winter, you'll need to be comfortable driving in snow.

[jazzlover]

For most people, Leadville will be a considerable environmental and cultural shock. As others have noted, the climate is severe--the joke of the seasons being winter and 4th of July are not far off. Leadville is one of Colorado's most histroric towns, but that comes at a price, too. There are mine tailings and slag piles everywhere--still. Leadville is no stranger to Superfund sites. The mountains around Leadville are often quite pristine, but the area around Leadville itself was a very active mining area for a long time, and that legacy shows.

Culturally, Leadville has always been a blue-collar kind of town. It is now home to an increasing number of Hispanics, many of them recent immigrants--legal or otherwise--who work in the resorts but live in Leadville. If the molydenum mine up the hill at Climax reopens, Leadville will go back to being a mining town again, instead of a bedroom community for resort workers.

I'm a Colorado native and over half-century Colorado resident. I love visiting Leadville for the history of the place, but to live there?--nope.

[wanneroo]

Leadville I believe holds the US census record for the longest continual declining population in the USA. At one time, it was on it's way to rivaling Denver and was poised to become the capital but it never happened. So for a while it was sparkly and new back in 1880-1900, but now it is pretty run down and "rustic". Imagine for a moment all the McMansion housing developments and chain/franchise big box retail that has been built in the last decade and imagine what that would look like in 2120 without a lot of repair and you have an idea of what Leadville is like.

I would say the biggest change is the altitude and weather. Probably 10 months of the year, if not more the temps will be below freezing at night and you probably have a good 2 month summer with some shoulder months around that with variable weather. Also the altitude is an adjustment. Personally I could never live that high up, over 8500 ft bothers me and Leadville is 2000 feet higher.

You can probably use your Civic if you fit good snow tires on it for winter, but I think having a 4x4 or AWD vehicle is an advantage for dealing with unplowed streets or other times of high snowfall.

In terms of an experience, you will definitely have a real Colorado mountain town experience, no joke about that.

[Marjolein]

Thanks for every bodies reply! I love the outdoors and the job offer is good.
I actually signed up for the 50 mile ultra run in Leadville before i ever knew about this job.
I am concerned about it being a good place for my 11 year old daughter to grow up and go to school though. Also my boyfriend is a veterinarian. Any chances for a job for him in the area?
Thanks,
Marjolein

[Dogmama50]

You REALLY need to visit Leadville first.

I don't have kids, so schools are not in my radar, but I do know the demographic of Leadville and if I did have kids I wouldn't send them to school there and expect them to get a good education. Other than the jobs at Climax that seem to be popping up lately, there really isn't much if anything for jobs in the town. Many residents commute to Vail in order to make a living. For a better school system, quality of life, job for your boyfriend and in general things to do you would really need to live in the Vail Valley and commute to Leadville.

I'm a mountain girl and like the other posters have stated, I wouldn't live in Leadville either.

[PokerMunkee]

I wouldn't live there if they paid me $100,000 year. Now, if they paid me $200,00, I woulld live there for 5 years while stashing away as much as I could and then get the hell out of there.

[Dogmama50]

Google Street View does cover the main streets in Leadville, it will help a little in seeing what the town is like.

[Marjolein]

Is it really that bad there? What's the catch? Is it the bad economy or the elements?

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Marjolein

Thanks for every bodies reply! I love the outdoors and the job offer is good.
I actually signed up for the 50 mile ultra run in Leadville before i ever knew about this job.
I am concerned about it being a good place for my 11 year old daughter to grow up and go to school though. Also my boyfriend is a veterinarian. Any chances for a job for him in the area?
Thanks,
Marjolein

If the money is good and you like the rugged mountains with tons of winter, then sure I'd give it a go.

It's a small town and not much in the surrounding area within an hour radius, so I imagine opportunities for vets are limited, however you never know if that is not being catered to at the moment.

If you have not been there I would definitely visit first before making a decision.