Durango too small for Phoenix city kids? (Denver, Boulder: HOA, homes)

[Robinstyler]

Originally Posted by Chicoan

Those two are everywhere, you can ride a bike and skate in any city...

Yes, you can.

But, Durango has a skateboarding park, Bike trails, mountain bike trails and BMX tracks....

You don't ALWAYS find those in small towns. This is a thing you sometimes only find in larger communities and may be missed when a kid moves to a small town. Durango has them.

[80skeys]

Wow. "High end artists tour through Durango." You just made my point for me. If you wanna know what a real artistic community is, go live where the high end artists live. Not where they tour through.

Come on people, get real. You're trying to make it sound like a 16,000 population town is some sort of melting pot. It isn't. It doesn't convince me and it's not going to convince someone coming from a real city.

I'm sure there's a few scientists hanging around, but is it a scientific community - no. There is no major scientific employer anywhere in the area. There's a handful of galleries but does that make it an "artistic city" - no. There's a few Hispanics and Indians, but the town is mostly white/caucasian. There's a small college that quite frankly pales compared to UC Boulder, DU, or School of Mines. Under no circumstances can it be said Durango is a mix of professions, culture, and social opportunities. The opposite is true. It is predominantly a very small town with a few sprinkles of "culture" thrown in. It's the type of town that may impress you with its novelty when you first move there, but once you've been to the same venues repeatedly, you quickly realize how small it is.

THe original poster wants to know whether to move her kids there. If you want your kids growing up in an isolated town - both in location and mentality, a town that is unique due to being a "mountain town" with wealthy people who own the land and the rest of the people who provide services to them, then go for it. However if you want your kids to have a balanced, normal childhood existence with a reasonable amount of exposure to the outside world, then no.

By the way, do I hate or dislike Durango or the people who live there? No. Absolutely not. In fact I like the area a lot. It's very beautiful, clean and well kept, a nicely run little town in a spectacular location. But I wouldn't want to live or raise kids there because it's too remote and lacking in opportunities.

[tfox]

To the OP: For every person like you that has a great job offer in Durango, there's about twenty others who WISH they could earn a living wage there but can't. From that perspective you're incredibly fortunate.

On the other hand, Durango is a bit on the expensive side for such a small town. Compare it, for example, to another city on the New Mexico side of the border: Farmington. There will be a dramatic difference in cost of living. So, that's something to consider as well.

[Robinstyler]

80skeys:

You are entitled to your opinion. To your own admission, you have never lived in Durango so I'm confused about your judgment of it.

I can't even respectfully respond to the mention that Durango is not culturally mixed. A few hispanics and Indians? What?? The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is located in Ignacio. It is the only AAA rated tribe in the US. It thrives here. The Ute Mountain Indian tribe is also located here. Durango has a Spanish influence due to its history and though is not as heavily populated as Alamosa with Hispanics, it is part of the community.

If you want to live in the isolation of your own beliefs rather than the actual truth, you are allowed to do so. But, the history and present population of Durango will still prove you wrong.

On a different point:

There are many who live in big cities where their personal economic condition does not allow them to be a part of the community to which you refer. So, just because a city has these things, does not necessarily mean the child gets to enjoy them.

Since Durango is small and community minded, most kids get to experience most things offered here, should they choose to do so.

Honestly, I never EVER have heard a child say they are bored in Durango. I hear it from young adults that are accustomed to night-life and the night club scene. But I've NEVER heard it from a child.

I don't want to convince anyone that Durango is the best place in the world to live, because it isn't. We have snow and sometimes very tough winters. The economy can be difficult for some, especially those people who love big titles and wearing suits. The malls are tiny and the tourists get a little wearing sometimes. There is no Olive Garden or Outback, and some other popular chains, but Durango has no shortage of dining experiences.

You can't hide from your neighbor as easily here, so if you got someone mad...it follows you around. If you didn't get out of your sweatpants to go grocery shopping and you look like hell, you will likely run into someone you know.

I consider myself artistic as I was raised in music and enjoy working in the Arts. I don't really know what a "scientific" community would look like. I've lived in a lot of places, but never referred to any city as scientific. What does that mean? Do kids find scientific communities less boring?

I didn't just move here. I've lived in Durango since 1994 and moved here from DENVER, but was raised in a tiny tiny east coast town.

I was raised in a very very small town on 30 acres with no community hub or center. That was difficult in my teen years, but it worked out fine. Our town had NO artistic community and NO scientific people living there. I lived amongst farmers and mill workers. My parents afforded the kids travel and we enjoyed the culture when we did so.

Durango would have been a dream for me. However, even with my podunk small town upbringing, I consider my life a success. My childhood neighbor, whom I rode the bus with, is Dr. Heidi Cullens from the Weather Channel, my sister's friend DJ Mendel is a producer in LA and Erica Black is a punk rock star. Despite the isolated existence, the children succeeded. Some achieved more than others, but the small town didn't keep them from doing so.

So...your arguments against small town living don't make sense to me because even in my isolated upbringing, I have seen success.

As for the "typical mountain town" remark:

Durango is not Vail or Steamboat, Aspen, Telluride or Keystone. All of the ski towns in Colorado have their own quirkiness and can never be lumped in the same pile. Durango doesn't have the same obvious segregation of rich v. poor. It's there, as it is in cities and other towns, but it's not the same noticeable gap you find in Aspen, New York City, or LA.

The School of Mines and DU communities are both great for young adults and adults as well. I understood the OP was asking about school aged kids, not college aged or adults. If we're discussing college level kids, depending on the area of study and the personality of the kid, DU and SoM could be a better fit.

[Robinstyler]

Originally Posted by tfox

To the OP: For every person like you that has a great job offer in Durango, there's about twenty others who WISH they could earn a living wage there but can't. From that perspective you're incredibly fortunate.

On the other hand, Durango is a bit on the expensive side for such a small town. Compare it, for example, to another city on the New Mexico side of the border: Farmington. There will be a dramatic difference in cost of living. So, that's something to consider as well.

By the way, Farmington is suffering some heavy economic decline right now. For those looking to move and get work there, be very careful in your consideration.

[CAVA1990]

Did we ever establish if these are littler kids or older teens? The younger they are the less they'll have to adjust. I grew up in what was then a pretty sleepy beach town with probably less to do than you'd have in Durango but I had a great childhood. If the kids are younger they'll grow up doing what everyone around there does and will probably enjoy it greatly. Now if they are older teens (like 18) and they're used to clubbing downtown all the time that might be a different story.

When I was a teen, my parents took me to meet some of my cousins in Durango (my dad's family goes back several generations there) and even then I thought it was awesome. That was many many years ago and I'm sure there's a lot more going on there now for kids.

[gmm_24]

No 80's he would have done the same thing when we lived in town difference is there people would have called the cops.
He was very into taking apart things and loves making and destroying things.
Also what is so bad about a kid entertaining himself? Better than having the tv for a babysitter. Kids nowadays do not play outside like they did when I was a kid. I use to go out and spend all day with my friends and not come back till my mom yelled for dinner, ate fast and ran back outside. When we lived in a suburb I hardly saw kids outside, they wanted you to go over to their house or their moms set up play dates taking place indoors, what a yawn.
No my daughter loves roaming around, playing with the animals and both of them have had lots of friends over and still do. My son's friend has been here for 3 darn weeks! My daughter has sleep over as well and best friend comes over for days at a time.
They have quite number of friends, they both did sports, have been to Denver plently of times, Elitch's, skate parks, skiing and far far too many times to the Natural History museum courtesy of school and etc. So what if we live in the country and actually like it?

Will her kids like it? If she makes it fun enough and a positive move then why not? It is not like she is moving to a town of 5000 with nothing around. Then I could see her kids hating it coming from a large city.

[DOUBLE H]

Originally Posted by Robinstyler

By the way, Farmington is suffering some heavy economic decline right now. For those looking to move and get work there, be very careful in your consideration.

With all the layoffs in the oil field industry, Farmington has had cutbacks just like the Rifle/Parachute/Silt area.

[brightdoglover]

It sounds like the OP is coming from a megasuburb (Phoenix being a car-dependent area anyway) and not like the kids are used to anything like an urban environment. Now, they might be used to various sports or stuff that they must be driven to and from. I don't think suburban Phoenix is exactly a city environment, and most suburbs are segregated by income, anyway.

[CCCVDUR]

That's great that your offer is in Durango, and not in it's Arizona twin city of Flagstaff, AZ.

Durango has There's only 4.6% unemployment, and more outdoor enthusiasts per capita compared to Flagstaff (as measured by the number of bicycles!).

If you like the rural, small Western town flavor of Cave Creek / Carefree, or Apache Junction / Gold Canyon areas, of the Phoenix metro, then you will love the rural areas around Durango (no cacti in Durango!).