Moving to Wellington (Denver, Fort Collins, Pagosa Springs: new house, neighborhood, to buy)

[Mike from back east]

Bedroom community is a term describing an area where people live, yet they commute to work in another town, thus they live (sleep) in a bedroom communtity of city X.

Bedroom communities form a ring around most major cities... generic suburbs... a few fast food joints or chains... a few big box stores and strip malls to support the people that live there... that sort of thing. Urban sprawl in many cases.... live here.... work there.... commute.

I think Colorado Springs has few true bedroom communities, since we never developed that dense, high-rise downtown like bigger cities. Many of our larger employers are spread out, with affordable housing nearby for most folks.

Classic big cities like NYC, Boston, DC, Phila, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, LA, SF, Seattle, even Denver are very expensive to live in, so people live in bedroom communities and commute, which is a huge headache for millions each day. Not here in Colorado Springs, unless you choose to live up in the mountains or out on the prairie and commute. That's why we picked here to live, after living in that nightmare back in the DC area called Fairfax County, VA.

You're gonna love Colorado.

s/Mike from back east

[sunsprit]

Except for gasoline at the local gas stations/c-stores just off I25, you'll do all of your shopping, etc ... in Ft Collins. The distance is close by Colorado standards and it's an open commute down I25 ... virtually no traffic.

That's the good and the bad of the area, depending upon what you seek in a "nice area to live in".

If you want a quiet inexpensive bit of acreage with room for your horses and elbow room to your neighbors and don't want to deal with a lot of landscaping, this could be a good area for you. If you don't mind a fairly dry and harsh climate. I think there's a veterinary doc in Wellington, if that helps.

If you have children and want them to be able to walk to a neighborhood school, this won't work. Or, if you want lots of restaurant choices, box stores, window shopping, dr's, medical services, grocery and big box shopping within a couple of minutes of home, it's not here .... it's all down in FC.

My sister says she'd die if she wasn't within 5 minutes of Nordstrom's, so she lives in the most expensive section of Seattle. I, OTOH, haven't set foot in a Nordstrom's and could care less, unless they're planning on a blow-out sale on Carhartts.

What's your pleasure?

[StealthRabbit]

Wellington has been the dstination of several of my friends who wanted / needed to live in Ft Collins, but it was out of their price range. It is a pretty good spot (and it is 'Downwind' to Ft Collins, just pop your 'boot (trunk) and stick it in neutral, and you will be there in no time. There is a large collection of factory stores at the Loveland (hwy 34) for your shopping needs, but everything you will need is within 30 minutes, 20 minutes for most things. I assume Wellington will grow a bit, as the majority of I-25 traffic at that point is WY shoppers. It is dry and windy and more exposed than Ft Collins. If you want to venture out a bit further, there is Nunn and Carr, (or Hereford or Grover!!) now those are small towns... Wellington is pretty upscale compared to those. My choices are Estes Park (to Live there in the winter... own a dude ranch and lease out the operation during the summer, and 'get-out-of-town') It is a nice 'slow' winter town. Next is Loveland, for towns, it's pretty nice, and slightly better weather than Ft Collins, smaller and friendlier (little more laid back). Might try the area NW of Ft Collins, tho the prices climb when you head to the hills. There are some nice horse spots around Livermore, and you are close to some beautiful 'outback'. The area around 'Stateline' on HWY 287 is very interesting (geology) and quite pretty in it's special way. But that ends up being quite a jaunt to Ft Collins (Laramie is closer, unless a strong wind is blowing (as usual)). If up that way have someone tell you the story about "haystack RocK", (not the one in Oreogon...) this one is visible from HWY 287, and about the shape of a haystack, and as I'm told... was sold to the US cavalry, more than once, as feed...

[cookiedough]

I really do hate to say that, because I think you can make anyplace "home." But I spend two hours or more a day in the car with my 2-year-old driving kids to and from school. Nearly everything I need is in Fort Collins, which is 14 miles away, 28-mile round trip, no big deal unless you're doing it two and three times a day. The gas adds up! Yes, there is an elementary school in Wellington, but the Poudre School District has "school choice," which is great in theory, so I take my kids to a wonderful charter school down in town. But the commute is proving to be too much. Also sorry to say that old town Wellington is really the ugliest place I have seen. Street after street of the ugliest little houses and yards and chain link fences. The main street has a few attractive store fronts, but more scary ones. I see a lot of kids "hanging out" with nothing to do and no parents around. Sad. If you need a Wendy's or a Walmart within a couple of miles, better move south of here.

[Colorado Butterfly]

I've lived in Wellington for about 4 years, having moved from Fort Collins. I have Colorado Wisp, which has higher download and upload rates than the Qwest broadband. It runs through a "dish" that speaks through a radio tower. That part is a pain but it is well worth it. I believe I'm paying 45 a month, but it is fast enough for my server that streams music over "the air".

You can type in "Wellington, Colorado, Internet" in google search and it is the first non advertised result. I highly recommend them.

[Tom Emmerling]

I live in Wellington and use US Cable. I have not had any problems with them. Wellington has really grown in the last couple of years and there are many more options for you now.

[whymsy2008]

It's amazing how fast, and quite disturbing also that people actually are moving to Wellington. I am a native of Colorado, having grown up there,and I guess it's just people wanting to escape the eastcoast or come from Nebraska or Kansas. I think, well, am positive, Wellington will be a suburb of Fort Collins in the next few years. Sad.

Applause to the last person who replied. Yes, Wellington is really, really ugly. And, what's really sad is it's been that way for years and years. Sure, a lot yuppies are moving in to make businesses, TRY to run businesses from the stores on Main Street, but truly there's VERY little appealing about Wellington. However, it does have it over Fort Collins in terms of noise, traffic, PEOPLE. Few people take pride in their homes and TOO, TOO MUCH petty nonsense goes on within it. You would be amazed what comes out of people's mouths! So really look elsewhere. Wellington is not a good town.

Don't waste your housing dollar on Wellington. Really. Unfortunately I was raised there, and it's a depressing, sad place. People don't take pride in their homes, and those that do, are criticized (funny, huh?) It's got a silly town government, with foolish people running the place, and I think they're going backwards rather than forwards. It's not a good town, and those that think it is, are coming from worse places. I urge you to go somewhere else. In the long term, you won't be happy there.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Bedroom community is a term describing an area where people live, yet they commute to work in another town, thus they live (sleep) in a bedroom communtity of city X.

Bedroom communities form a ring around most major cities... generic suburbs... a few fast food joints or chains... a few big box stores and strip malls to support the people that live there... that sort of thing. Urban sprawl in many cases.... live here.... work there.... commute.
s/Mike from back east

I think the term "bedroom community" has become a bit outmoded in regards to the suburbs of any large city. When I was a kid in the 1950s-60s, bedroom communities sprang up that literally didn't even have a grocery store. It was necessary to drive downtown to grocery shop, go to the dr, to a restaurant, etc. As time went on, more services located to the burbs, and eventually, jobs located there too, in many cases. I have a few neighbors who drive (or take bus) to Denver, but most people I know here in Boulder County work in Boulder or the other northern/western suburbs.

[Tom Emmerling]

Originally Posted by whymsy2008

It's amazing how fast, and quite disturbing also that people actually are moving to Wellington. I am a native of Colorado, having grown up there,and I guess it's just people wanting to escape the eastcoast or come from Nebraska or Kansas. I think, well, am positive, Wellington will be a suburb of Fort Collins in the next few years. Sad.

Applause to the last person who replied. Yes, Wellington is really, really ugly. And, what's really sad is it's been that way for years and years. Sure, a lot yuppies are moving in to make businesses, TRY to run businesses from the stores on Main Street, but truly there's VERY little appealing about Wellington. However, it does have it over Fort Collins in terms of noise, traffic, PEOPLE. Few people take pride in their homes and TOO, TOO MUCH petty nonsense goes on within it. You would be amazed what comes out of people's mouths! So really look elsewhere. Wellington is not a good town.

Don't waste your housing dollar on Wellington. Really. Unfortunately I was raised there, and it's a depressing, sad place. People don't take pride in their homes, and those that do, are criticized (funny, huh?) It's got a silly town government, with foolish people running the place, and I think they're going backwards rather than forwards. It's not a good town, and those that think it is, are coming from worse places. I urge you to go somewhere else. In the long term, you won't be happy there.

Years ago I would have agreed with you but Wellington has made a huge turn around in the past five years. I myself would not have lived up here before then. I have worked for the Sheriffs office for the past 25 years and back in the day we were always up in Wellington taking care of the worst of the worst. Times have changed though. Wellington is really starting to clean up. There are many new houses and the older areas are starting to clean up too. If you have not been down main street for years you would not even recognize it. I believe Wellington is going to be a great investment for residents here. There is a very large manufacturing company coming into town in the next year or so with over 50% of their employees moving here. I am sure there will be more to follow. There is very little crime here now although every town has its problems.

[Tom Emmerling]

[quote=sunsprit;293460]13 miles North and East on the other side of I25 from Fort Collins, mostly a bedroom community without much commercial activity.

It is actually 10 miles north of Fort collins on the West side of I25. Commercial business is moving in withint he next year.