all transplants from ny metro area please help. relocating questions. (Loveland: to rent, home)

[oxtart]

hello all im 32 years old from long island and was thinking of moving out that way. my sis lives in boulder and i was thinking about the denver area. this change in location is due mainly to my love of snowboarding but also to get away from the stress of ny. dont get me wrong i love ny its my home but getting away once in awhile is nice. now what can i expect? ive lived in california and north carolina and found them very hard to adjust to. please give me some of your experiences moving here from ny. looking for area with similar quailities as long island. thank you

[Charles]

What are you going to do for work?
Buy a house? What price?
Rent? What can you afford?

[oxtart]

im a locksmith and in ny i make top dollar. i take home after taxes 1000 a week. now im sure denver isnt on the same pay scale as ny but i will prob make top dollar there also. so i figure the 700-750 take home. im looking to rent a 2 bedroom house. i dont want to live to close to the city or to far from boulder. wouldnt mind driving a half hour or so to denver for work. also has anyone noticed any locksmith vehicles that seem to be everywhere ie. from a big lock company.

[Katiana]

What was it about Cali and NC that you had a hard time adjusting to?

[oxtart]

the pace of life. the culture shock......no good pizza. in charlotte you get a sense of mistrust by people when they hear your ny accent. and the southern hospitality is overwhelming at times. sometimes you dont know where u stand with people. in carmel california i owned a business and although i met many very nice people its kinda snobish there. im not bashing these places at all they both had some seal nice things going for them (the weather in carmel is awsome). i know denver is probably going to have the same pace issue but the incredible snowboarding outweighs just about anything. how long are the resorts open for?

[tfox]

Originally Posted by oxtart

how long are the resorts open for?

A-basin and loveland are already open. They will also be some of the last to close -- they usually try to make it all the way to the 4th of July, but most years it doesn't last that long. Most of the larger resorts close down in May.

[oxtart]

so you get a solid 6 months of good conditions? man i cant even imagine.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by oxtart

so you get a solid 6 months of good conditions? man i cant even imagine.

6 months of Good conditions? No, more like 4-5 months of really good conditions. Personally, I don't bother riding until Thanksgiving -- before then too little of the ski area is open and conditions are icy and the few slopes that are open are too crowded. Plus there are a lot of rocks in October-November. On the other end, May (when the big resorts like Vail or Copper are closing) CAN be surprisingly good, particularly when there is fresh snow, but it is very much dependent on getting fresh snow. Even the last day of the season can sometimes have great conditions.

June's conditions at A-basin or Loveland (the only ones open in June) are not great but sometimes riding the melting "popcorn" and skipping over big puddles in 55-60 degree sun is kind of fun in its own right. Lots of people out in June in their swimsuits on the slopes; quite a sight. Occasionally the base does make it to the fourth of july in a good snow year.

[oberon]

tfox is absolutely correct. While seasons at some ski areas (particularly Loveland and A-Basin) can last 7-8 months, generally only 4-5 will have especially good conditions. That's why early and late season lift tickets are cheaper.. 'cause only the truly dedicated bother to go if the conditions aren't perfect or close to it, so demand is lower. That's also why most ski areas don't bother opening until November and most close in May.

[oxtart]

so where is a good location to live thats a halfhour maybe 45 minutes away from denver but still not very far from loveland? somewhere in between.