westminster or aurora co. (Alma: to rent, houses, transfer)

[wildwolves23]

i live in wisconsin and me and my boyfriend would like to move to colorado really soon. we've been talking about westminster or aurora but mainly westminster. winters in wisconsin hasnt been that bad the last many years like they used to be. how is it there? and where is there a decent place to rent that takes large dogs. have 2 of them. would like some advice before making a big move.

[2bindenver]

Depends on where you work and what type of commute is tolerable. I think there are nice places to live in both cities.

renting a place that takes a large dog...would be a house, with a private owner. check removed

removed for possibilities.

We get on average 55 inches of snow a season.

What are you looking for in a community? Where will you work? What do you do for fun, besides walking the dogs?

[wildwolves23]

right now we are mainly looking at westminster. my bf is looking for work but goes thru tek systems, and i work at home depot so would just transfer over. or whichever one i could get into.were looking for a decent community not in the dumps, but money here is tight, so basically take whats available. right now we dont really do anything for fun. nothing to do here. you can go camping, hiking, swimming. we get snow but lately these winters have been mild. my bf used to do extreme wheeling upper wis. at the pipeline but that got costly. hes into that. here you cant do much of anything. swimming is limited. lakes arent that great. alot of people have pools. gets very hot at times. houses are alright. population is about 70,000. we have alot of bars, and clubs. but nothing fansy. were both on and off for schooling. cant find a decent college. my bf would like to start his business there. basically moving to get out of wis. and start fresh and possibly looking for another dog. here people are rude, and no patience.

[2bindenver]

I'd say have bf get a job and then decide where to move. a commute to dtc from westminster is doable, but why waste your life & a in move to aurora the commute would bite if he works near I-25 & 120th or interlocken.

Even though T-Rex is open as of tomorrow, you are talking 45-90 minutes commuting one way.

[wildwolves23]

were looking at taking classes online thru university of phoenix online for school , so theres no commute for that. the bf is working with tek systems there for work, but most places wont take him cause he lives here at the moment. and my income isnt enough for anything. do they pay decent there? the commuting isnt that big of a deal cause we do it here all the time. were kist looking for any place thats not too populated and pays decent. but shopping is easy to go to like an everyday thing, say something u need, here its right down the street. we havent decided yet but still have time and not sure whens the best time to move.

[Baltic_Celt]

Wildwolves23 -

Just wanted to offer a bit of encouragement. Good luck in researching your move & coming to a decision. Keep searching & reading & you'll find just what you both need. I'm researching moving to CO w/in mos, from Boston, & have been on the board for just a week. I haven't posted questions yet as I haven't gotten thru all the previous posts. If you search onsite, many folks have been very forthcoming & kind to research/share experiences/taken the time to list a whole host of info Re: schools, economy, climate, regional pros & cons, traffic, culture, activities, cost of living, social differences/similarities to other cities, etc. In particular, please check out mikefrombackeast's posts. Well thought out, carefully researched info & non-judgemental opinions, I must say. And, when posts come from someone who appears to be genuinely happy with his life, they are more valuable to me. Many of the posters here are honest & kind to unselfishly share their knowledge also (sorry I don't remember many names, but thank you all, I have "upped" reputations often), so don't skip over info. You may find just what you want inbedded in a post.

What's great is that without asking any questions so far, most of my questions & some of yours, have already been answered. You'll feel much more comfortable if you take a day or 2 to sift thru them, trust me. Personally, I feel less frustrated & frantic (as moving can be simultaneously exciting & worrisome), if I do alot of the groundwork on my own, then seek advice/opinions. Oftentimes, I rule out an area based on what I need/want, while for others, what I ruled out is just what they are hoping to find. We're all searching for something different, I find, just by sifting thru posts. Some info/situations I can related to quite easily, others don't pertain to me, but I edit while info gathering & always consider the source.

I've lived all over the country in larger mega-metro areas, so best enjoy posts from those who are originally from/spent many years in large, congested eastcoast cities, in particular, as I have a frame of reference/understanding. It's all perspective. Perhaps you can relate more to others in your situation? A friend in a town of 40K thinks that her 10-min work commute is annoying or $300 car ins on a brand new car is expensive. To her it is. To me, I can't stop laughing. In L.A., Atlanta, D.C., NY & Boston (car ins over $1,200 in Boston on a 16-yr old car - no bad driving record here, just expensive rates), my normal commute was always over 1-1/2 hours long, IF I timed it right. You mentioned rude people in your town. There's rude people everywhere. There's lovely people everywhere. There's financially struggling people everywhere. Don't let a few unpleasant experiences/neighborhood/job/relationship sour you on an entire region. A CT friend who disliked her town, just moved 30-mi west & found country & a cowboy boyfriend to boot! Just what she wanted & she didn't have to move to NM to find it, as she'd planned. She's happy because she took the step, ventured out & asked for the best, so she found it. You may only need to move over a few towns in WI to find what you need.

2bindenver's given you some great advice. Also, run, don't walk, to get a copy of "Places Rated Almanac" & "Cities Ranked & Rated" at your local library, or for a few $ online at amazon. They are invaluable books that give you a breakdown/rating of major metropolitan areas & even some smaller ones (e.g. Asheville, NC with a 17K population or Wilkes-Barre, PA with a 53K population) & answer questions in many of the categories you're questioning.

Researching jobs will be something you can do best, for instance, by asking at either your current or CO Home Depot (if you are indeed, transferring) about CO wages. Moving with a job in place is always easier, I've found. Have your boyfriend call around to CO & info gather for himself. It's much easier to do it firsthand, as he knows what he's talking about/looking for & can more comfortably find his own answers. Check craigslist for jobs/apts/homes. Research all that you can before you jump.

As far as pet friendly homes, check out "rent dot net". Many larger complexes have pet restrictions on breed/#/size. For local newspapers visit "newsdirectory dot com" then click on "U.S.", then the state/city. There are tons of resources at your fingertips & figuring out what you want first is optimal. It's also always been easier when I've moved "to" something, not "away from" something. You take what's inside/surrounding you, with you, don't forget that. And, as others have said, there is no utopia in any city/state/job. We all love something, we all tolerate something, just pick what's important & the rest falls into place, everytime. But, your life is what you make it, no matter where you are. Best of luck to you both... Baltic_Celt