Back from Boulder/Fort Collins Trip (Longmont, Loveland: foreclosure, rent, houses)

[nostress13]

Hi everyone,
We are looking into Ft. Collins, however in response to an earlier thread regarding conservative/liberal political views, I want to make sure we choose the locale that will best suit us. My husband and I both favor middle of the road type politics (I lean a tad to the left) and we have children, so family values are important. I will be a continuing college student and my husband will commute out of state via flight to do business. Does Boulder sound better for us than Fort Collins? If we choose Fort Collins, is the downtown or Old Town area family friendly? Thanks for any info or opinions.

[4acadia]

Hi Nostress13,
I, of course, don't live in CO yet, so may not be able to give you the best info, but thought I'd share what I found. Fort Collins seemed a very family friendly, family-oriented town. I have no idea what the politics are like. Boulder is very obviously liberal. As for the downtowns...Fort Collins' Old Town felt very safe and family-friendly, but seemed small to me. Boulder's downtown was very large - stretched for several blocks in all directions. That was one of the winning features to us. We spent 3 hours there our first day, just walking around, playing, having dinner, going to bookstores and shops. Both downtowns do have a great toy store...Boulder just seems to have more. Now, I will say...I'm not sure how much this matters to you...Boulder seemed much more diverse downtown. There ARE more homeless, more tatoos and piercings, more young people hanging around. I felt very safe and wasn't bothered by any of it, but I did just want to mention it, in case it would be a factor for you.

[nostress13]

Thanks 4acadia for your insight. The tattos/piercings, etc.. don't bother me really. I am more concerned about feeling out of place with my brood. We have 4 children age 13 and under and evidently will be happy where there are a lot of children. I want them to be able to be children. Sounds like Fort Collins offers just that.
Thanks again!

[4acadia]

Hi NoStress,
Yes, Fort Collins seemed very kid-friendly. But just to say...so did Boulder - I even commented when we were there about how many young children I saw - everywhere! We have a 2 year old, so that is very important to me as well. They were downtown, in the toy store, playing on the boulder sculptures, listening to music, in the coffee shops and restaurants and I'd say at least half the people I saw on biking/hiking trails had strollers with them. And the kids all looked so outdoorsy. Also, the realtor we worked with while there said she'd been there 28 years and though she'd move back to NY in a heartbeat if it was just her...she said..."CO is where you raise your kids, and there's no better than the Boulder County schools." Now...Fort Collins, I hear, has great schools too. I only tell you that as a testimony to CO in general.

Good luck and let us know where you land. Take care.

[elemental]

My cousin lives in the Table Mesa section of Boulder and absolutely loves it. In areas where the housing is considered overpriced relative to outlying areas, you will hear the term "great bones" bandied about. This means a solid structure in need of renovation. She bought a home like this which is across from a park and directly facing the flatirons. The view is unbeatable and her intention is to make the place exactly what she is looking for over time. She has two children and the level of parental involvement in the schools is unrivaled. In fact, I've never seen anything like it. There are lots of stay-at-home-moms, so much so, that it seems like a trend. Children are definitely the focus there.

We would have chosen Boulder as well if we weren't trying to escape overpriced housing. Boulder has many things going for it- diversity, education levels, very high concentration of conscienctious conservationists, culture and proximity to the mountains. We are comfortable being a few miles out and having access to it while getting more home value for the dollar.

I can tell you that much of our time will be spent there, so if you can afford it, give it a go!

[Zelia]

Boulder is Santa Cruz, California without the ocean. Boulder is very expensive, and politically liberal.

I would imagine you didn't see as many smiles in Boulder because:

1. The $4000 mortgage payment was due at the first of the month..

2. The psychotherapy session didn't go well.

3. The Ph.D thesis was due next week.


The only criteria to rate a city these days is the number of Starbucks per square mile.

Z

[konijn]

Hi 4acadia- Thank you for sharing your adventure in COlorado. This helps us a lot since we are thinking of moving there too. I love it when people do this-share their trips! - Best of luck to you and safe travels!

[where_to_move]

what airport will he be flying out of? That could dictate where you live?!

[lagunatic]

I love the comment that Boulder is like Santa Cruz with out the ocean. A CA native who spent my winters in San Jose and my summers in Santa Cruz, this comment is very true (no earthquakes either.) In another comparison, Boulder is like Los Gatos without San Jose. I live in Boulder and have no compaints except that I miss the ocean and the City; San Francisco.

[Minz]

Hello Nostress13,
I thought I would also give my two cents worth. I have to say I don't live in CO but my plans are to eventually settle in the Boulder area. I have never been to Fort Collins so I can't compare it to Boulder. But as part of my research as to where to move...I spent a week in Boulder with my Mom this past September. I remember thinking what a great place this would be to raise children...people were very health conscious, active, open-minded and seemed to be very accepting overall...not to mention I felt very safe there. I very much appreciated Boulder and eventually want to make my permanent home there. My mother even said she would like to retire to the area eventually. In the mean-time I will probably transfer to my company's office in Colorado Springs as a stepping stone to get to the Boulder area. Best of luck to you!