Most affordable Area to raise a family... ? Some Q's! (Denver: rent, crime)

[famlife]

I have a few questions:

How is the air and water quality in FC, Loveland and Greeley?

is the smell and crime in Greeley really bad enough to not move there? We do want a safe and clean area to raise the kids and we're not sure what's hype and what we should be concerned about. Rent is cheap in Greeley!

Are there any affordable mtn towns near FC area? (Rent under $1500/mo for a 4+ bedroom)

How realistic is a twice-weekly commute to Denver from the FC area? Traffic, etc

where in the area has the most offerings for kids and teens? (skate park, playground parks, fun classes, bike-able, theaters, u know, kid stuff)

What areas have a pleasant community feel?

Would you personally prefer this area to other similarly sized cities in co? Why?


Thanks for the answers to any of these questions. Any insight would be great. We're optimistic and hoping that we can find the best place in CO to settle (that we can afford)

Thank you!

[nevada1427]

Fort Collins is expensive, but has everything your looking for ( parks, stuff for kids, SAFE) Loveland is a little less expensive. A commute to denver only twice a week might be ok...but be ready to spend a couple hrs in the car.

[Mike Weber]

Originally Posted by famlife

I have a few questions:

How is the air and water quality in FC, Loveland and Greeley?

Overall the air quality is good here, especially in comparison to major metropolitan areas. However, we do have some winter days in which there is a temperature inversion trapping an ugly brown cloud close to the ground. Automobile emission standards and testing are being re-started soon, after several years of no testing.

Originally Posted by famlife

is the smell and crime in Greeley really bad enough to not move there? We do want a safe and clean area to raise the kids and we're not sure what's hype and what we should be concerned about. Rent is cheap in Greeley!

My wife's brother and his wife live in Greeley and are raising their middle school son there. They do not run into issues with crime very often, and do not complain of odors. As with many towns, there are good and bad areas and many problems can be avoided by choosing location.

Originally Posted by famlife

Are there any affordable mtn towns near FC area? (Rent under $1500/mo for a 4+ bedroom)

There are few mountain towns around Fort Collins at all. There are some small communities in the foothills and mountains, but they are mostly groups of second homes and cabins with few nearby services. If that is the way you are leaning, consider Poudre Canyon, Bellvue, Red Feather Lakes, Masonville, and Drake. If you are going to be in the mountains, be sure to add a significant amount of time to the Denver commute.

Originally Posted by famlife

How realistic is a twice-weekly commute to Denver from the FC area? Traffic, etc

There are folks who commute daily to Denver. The ease of the commute will be very dependent upon the weather. Also, if you are commuting from Fort Collins, it would be best to live on the east side of town, as the trek across town to the interstate will add 20-25 minutes each way to the commute. There are ride sharing programs here.

Originally Posted by famlife

where in the area has the most offerings for kids and teens? (skate park, playground parks, fun classes, bike-able, theaters, u know, kid stuff)

Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley all have many kids activities. Fort Collins planners require parks in every square mile fo town, so parks are abundant. There are a couple of the larger parks with skate parks (Edora & Northside Azatlan) in FC. The Fort Collins website City of Fort Collins, Colorado Official Website has pages for the parks and for the recreation centers. If you look at the Recreator, you can see many classes and activities offered.

Originally Posted by famlife

What areas have a pleasant community feel?

You can find these in all three cities, depending on the neighborhood. People are friendly here.

Originally Posted by famlife

Would you personally prefer this area to other similarly sized cities in co? Why?

I grew up here and returned after a 7 year absence to raise my kids here because of the school district, the relative safety of the community, the family and outdoor activities, and the weather. I prefer this area to the western slope because of the proximity to Denver and for the weather. I prefer the front range to Eastern Colorado because our family's life style involves many outdoor activities in the mountains.

Originally Posted by famlife

Thanks for the answers to any of these questions. Any insight would be great. We're optimistic and hoping that we can find the best place in CO to settle (that we can afford)

Thank you!

Good luck with your move!

Mike Weber

[Julia Garbus]

I've lived in Greeley for 8 years and am considering moving to FtC. But I think Greeley is an okay place to live. I'd say it smells bad here 3 days a week. Sometimes it's manure smell from the feedlots. Sometimes it smells like something's frying...must be from the meatpacking plant, don't want to think about what it is...Sometimes it smells kind of like ashes. It's bearable, IMHO, but irritating.Water quality in Greeley is good. As for crime, it depends on the area. Most parts of town seem safe, but the low-income areas not so much. We live in Cranford, an area with pleasant older homes near town center; we had a drunk guy crash his car into a tree in the front yard but nothing else. We like our son's elementary school, even though district funding amount for schools is one of the lowest in the state. There are 2 good rec centers, lots of sports leagues for kids, some nice parks. 2 not very good skate parks. There's only one bike/jog trail and it's 10 miles from town center, which is a drag. FtC, on the other hand, has awesome trails. Greeley has one excellent library and 2 decent ones. I haven't found it the easiest place to make friends, but that may be a NoCo thing--I moved from Austin TX, where it was super easy. Becoming active in a church has helped a lot. This is a religious town, with a lot of activity linked to churches. Classical/jazz music is excellent here, because the University of Northern Colorado has a good music program. What's missing: good restaurants, closeness to the hills, and a lot of people like me (too much education, very liberal). Not that I want a whole town like me, goodness knows, but a critical mass would be nice.

[Julia Garbus]

Let me qualify that totally snotty last statement! I miss being around people like me. Because we all want to be around kindred spirits, I think. But I'm not saying that a town needs lots of hyper-educated liberals to be a good town!