Estes Park

[Idunn]

In answer:

Is the commute in the snow really bad?

No. But it would be advisable to not commute from or to Estes Park, although possible.

Is the snow in general bad there?

No. Estes Park is in the rain shadow of the high mountains directly west of it, and receives relatively light snowfalls, often less than Denver, CO. Nevertheless, you are in the mountains and should expect cold and snow come winter.

What are the schools like for kids? I saw some information on high schoolers that have meth labs and I do not want to raise children in that environment.

I don't know. Chances are the kids will be fine, with a better chance in Estes Park than most anywhere else, if not the broadening influence of urban areas.

Are there a lot of outdoor activities in these areas?

The town of Estes Park seems to sponsor a fair number of activities, particularly tourist related in the summer. The National Park Service offers various programs. Options such as hiking, biking, boating, etc., exist. Besides which, if you are content to entertain yourself, you would be directly adjacent to one of the premier national parks in America. So, yes.

Are either of these towns "up and coming" or going to be large cities in the next decade?

Estes Park and, who? Colorado's population is projected to increase from 5 million today to 10 million in 2050, with most of that increase along the front range. In that context 'up and coming' can have a very negative connotation. Like much of the region Estes Park has grown fairly rapidly of late, with many ill-advised condo projects for one. It enjoys a superlative setting, but has yet to prove that it deserves it. Expect a fair amount of change in the coming years, which will not always be good.

Is there a hospital in town?

Yes, a fairly substantial one. I do not otherwise know its quality.

Are there jobs in the area or do you have to go to the closest city to get one?

Many of the jobs will be tourist related, with most of any substance retained by business owners. Others work for the town or national park service, but these fairly limited. So yes, but generally one would need to depend on income form outside the area. Much of the serious money in town is held by the retired, who made their money elsewhere.

Are there any good apartment complexes or realtors around? (we want to rent for a month before buying).

There are any number of realtors in town, and several apartment complexes. In the off season some hotels offer good rates (long term or not). Otherwise a good bet is to contact one of the realtors who deal in rentals as well as sales. If you can afford to buy, chances are you'll be happiest with what they can provide you.

Since your questions imply an unfamiliarity with area, it would certainly be wise to do some reconnaissance. Estes Park enjoys one of the most lovely locations in the world, but it wouldn't be for everyone. Many of the pluses, such as the beauty and easy access to Rocky Mountain National Park, are self-evident. It is also a relatively small town. It is also a relatively small town. Not everyone is going to appreciate the relative isolation, possibly preferring the greater options and amenities of a town such as Ft. Collins. It is also very much in the mountains, which can be a plus or minus, depending. The cost of living will also be higher, primarily due real estate costs, than most other areas of Colorado. Then also it is very much a tourist town and mecca. Come summer the place is overrun with them, which can be an adjustment if one is not used to resort areas. The upside can be found in such things as better restaurants than otherwise likely, better shopping (if often tourist related). The negative in you might long for the quiet of winter at times.

All in all, there are a lot of positives to Estes Park, with more people probably living there if they could afford to. If you have to make a living it could prove a challenge. Something you will encounter occasionally if living there will be elk grazing about town, perhaps even in your yard. One doesn't experience that just anywhere.

['M']

Originally Posted by chilaili

Well, there's no Target up there. That might be a downer. The nearest is probably in Loveland (30 miles straight down Big Thompson Canyon/Hwy 34). There is one large supermarket and I'm sure there are shops other than the touristy ones that the locals know about but keep secret from us visitors from the "lowlands" . Check out http://www.estesparkresort.com/activities.asp (broken link) for more information on what Estes has to offer. And yes, in the Summer, the town does get horrendously busy with people going in and out of the Rocky Mountain National Park, but undoubtedly you can enjoy the smug satisfaction of knowing that you're a LOCAL .

Estes Park is beautiful, no doubt, and there are some strong downsides to living here...

First is the wind...we are in a wind zone, I forget the scientific term, but we do experience very high winds that make being outdoors very annoying.

Yes, we have Safeway here...it is one of the highest-grossing stores due to the tourist traffic in the summer as well as the very high prices they gouge us locals with up here. Many find it less expensive to pay for gas to drive the 80+ miles roundtrip down-to-the-valley and shop there.

The huge influx of summer tourist traffic makes shopping at the local Safeway almost impossible...if you are a working person, standing behind ma and pa tourist...who are taking their time and holding 5-10 minute conversations with the checker...this is really not acceptable. Not to mention how crowded the store gets...there is barely room to walk down the aisles. Very annoying for us locals who just want to slip in and out of the store to grocery-up for the week. So, you learn to shop extra-early or extra-late to avoid all of this. It takes some personal adjustments...and a very open mind

There are very few stores that locals shop in...even though there are some stores that have nice merchandise, their prices are much higher than down in the valley. Locals learn to do all their shopping in one day in Boulder, Fort Collins, etc at the big box stores...or in the grocery stores there that don't jack the prices way up as they do in Estes. It's also inconvenient to spend all day shopping down in the valley...so some of us go ahead and pay the high prices up here so we don't need to spend all day in the car...

Am I playing devil's advocate? Maybe. I have met people who live here seasonally, and these are their biggest gripes...the high prices compared to where they live, and the crowdedness from the tourists. And, they do not appreciate driving all the way down to Boulder or Fort Collins when they need to shop...shopping should take an hour, and you're done. Not here.

['M']

Originally Posted by Idunn

In answer:

Is there a hospital in town?

Yes, a fairly substantial one. I do not otherwise know its quality.

Yes, there is Estes Park Medical Center...the quality of which depends upon who you talk to.

Are there jobs in the area or do you have to go to the closest city to get one?

Many of the jobs will be tourist related, with most of any substance retained by business owners. Others work for the town or national park service, but these fairly limited. So yes, but generally one would need to depend on income form outside the area. Much of the serious money in town is held by the retired, who made their money elsewhere.

Employment in Estes Park is tricky. The majority of "good jobs" here pay $8-$12/hour!!!! There are people who work for major corporations who are able to work here, at home. There are the younger set who don't mind a daily commute to Boulder, Fort Collins, and even Denver. But if you need to work, you'd be very wise to have a reliable job lined up BEFORE you decide to move here. Get your priorities straight: if you must, are you willing to commute daily for at least an hour, one way, for a good job? That very likely could be your reality here in Estes.

Since Estes is a tourist town, the pay is extremely low and not what you need to be able to live comfortably on. As long as you are prepared for that, you won't be disappointed when reality sets in.

Since your questions imply an unfamiliarity with area, it would certainly be wise to do some reconnaissance. Estes Park enjoys one of the most lovely locations in the world, but it wouldn't be for everyone. Many of the pluses, such as the beauty and easy access to Rocky Mountain National Park, are self-evident. It is also a relatively small town. It is also a relatively small town. Not everyone is going to appreciate the relative isolation, possibly preferring the greater options and amenities of a town such as Ft. Collins. It is also very much in the mountains, which can be a plus or minus, depending. The cost of living will also be higher, primarily due real estate costs, than most other areas of Colorado. Then also it is very much a tourist town and mecca. Come summer the place is overrun with them, which can be an adjustment if one is not used to resort areas. The upside can be found in such things as better restaurants than otherwise likely, better shopping (if often tourist related). The negative in you might long for the quiet of winter at times.

All in all, there are a lot of positives to Estes Park, with more people probably living there if they could afford to. If you have to make a living it could prove a challenge. Something you will encounter occasionally if living there will be elk grazing about town, perhaps even in your yard. One doesn't experience that just anywhere.

Yes, the above is very good advice. Estes Park looks very, very good. It is a wonderful place that offers quality of life. The reality is: sometimes you need to be very creative to live here.