Moving to Cheyenne (Jackson, South Greeley, South Park: appointed, real estate market, for rent)
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My family and I will be moving to Cheyenne in the spring, and are curious of what areas we should avoid, as far as housing. We had seen a twin-house for rent called South Park Estates, I believe it is by Patton Dr, but it is definitely by the Holiday Inn. I was told to stay away from the south side of town, but that is where this place is, which is newer housing. So does anyone have any specific info for South Park Estates as well as other areas I should be looking at or avoiding.
We lived in the South West part of town and everyone told us to avoid it and move once we got there. They even told us to send our kids to the other end of town for school. Wrong! We loved it. The roughest part of town in Cheyenne is like the best part of town in Denver or other cities. Low crime and good people.
The south side of Cheyenne IS the worst part of town. But mostly further south on S. Greeley Hwy south of interstate 80 that you really have to watch out for. South Park was built in the northern part of the south side more toward Lincolnway.
There are some less than desirable sections is this area that you will have to drive through to get to South Park. South Park is like an oasis in that section.
However, I would not recommend the homes in South Park though. Not because of where they are located as much as the quality of the homes themselves.
The homes are very cheaply built and have had several problems with insulation, windows not sealing properly so wind comes through on windy days, fences coming apart....
For the price they are asking in that area you could find a much better home in a better area.
Netman262
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Last edited by ElkHunter; 10-14-2009 at 07:12 PM..
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Yes, the "south side" of Cheyenne is the "worst" part of town relative to crime, ect. But, as someone else said, it's still better than most parts of any major metro. Have you considered looking east of Cheyenne, or maybe Burns? The housing north of town is newer, and expensive. There are some fairly nice subdivisions near the new Saddle Ridge Elementary (east side). I believe the new Jackson or Johnson Middle School is in the general area you are talking about, and there are some newer homes/subdivision in that area also. That area is only a few minutes away from the Interstate, and so is fairly well removed from the "bad" part of town. I always laugh when I hear people say that about Cheyenne. Even moreso when they live in an urban jungle.
There are some areas that are better than others, as is the case anywhere you live. I would stay away from the area of town located between I-80 and Lincolnway; Central Ave. (Hwy 85) and College Dr. This is a "square" that is an older part of town built around the Frontier Refinery and Railroad to some degree. If you're retired, it might be ok. I suppose it depends on what you want, and what your budget is. The Real Estate market in Cheyenne has softened a little bit, but NOT like the rest of the country. So, you will be disappointed if you think you'll "steal" a home here. Values may be substantially lower, or sustantially higher than where you're from , but they HAVE NOT dropped like a rock from the economic/housing slowdown. At least not yet.
Southside is ok, but if you go that route, go farther south, almost to Terry Bison Ranch Road. There are some nice homes in that area, I have some friends who live there. Yes, you'll have to drive through the industrailized "bad" part of town, all 2-3 miles of it, with only 1 or 2 redlights.
Good luck with your move. Find a Realtor, it'll make your life and search a LOT easier. And no, I'm not in the Real Estate business
I'm originally from eastern KS and agree with the others that if you come from a larger city you won't find a "bad" area here in Cheyenne. I too was told to avoid the south side, but still didn't see anything that would upset me. I ended up on the western edge of downtown, I like older houses so it works for me. One of the downsides of living in the older part of town is that most of the houses still have clay sewer pipes, so you have to have them cleaned once or twice a year due to tree roots. It's a good idea to ask about that.
As far as quality of homes IMO most of the houses south of the viaduct (Central & Lincolnway) are of poorer quality, it's also where most of the crime is (though still not of the standards I was used to ha ha). Avoid anything near King Arthur Way (it's a street), that's the biggest "hot spot" that comes to mind.
Also, really take your time to go through a house, in my search I found some really poor quality ones, talking to the neighbors is a good idea too. I ended up passing on a really nice house when both neighbors warned me about sewer problems.
I'm a widow and have lived in Chicago most of my life, but currently living in Southern CA......I know, what a change it will be from Sunny/warm San Diego---
My son will be attending South Highschool, does that mean it's in the South side of Cheyenne?(were I 've read is not to great)
Is WY (Cheyenne) really like it's portrayed, with Real Cowboys? Any cute late 40's early 50's Single ones?
Do they have decent size malls? What is the Population?
In your opinion, what is the BEST part of Cheyenne? And the Worst? if any~~
Does it snow much? What is the average temp in the dead of winter?
What does a average 2 bedroom run? I checked on airfares from Orange County CA to Cheyenne, and they were quite expensive, like $650 round trip.....Do they usually go down AFTER Christmas?
I don't live in Cheyenne (I'm 250 mi. north), but I'll get it started.
I'm not sure exactly how you've seen Cheyenne portrayed, but yeah, there are some real cowboys around, especially in late July during the big rodeo. Some are cute. Just drive around the countryside near Cheyenne. You'll find a handsome cowboy behind every tree. (That's a little joke you'll understand when you get here.)
There's one pretty nice mall by my standards. Your standards might be different. Cheyenne's population is roughly 60,000, so you'd find more shopping by traveling south to Fort Collins or Denver.
I'll let you Google Cheyenne's winter temps and snowfall. That's what I'd have to do to find it. It doesn't snow a whole lot because it's a pretty dry area, but the wind is a major, major factor, both with snow drifts and wind chill. Suffice it to say, it's not a pleasant place to picnic in the winter -- similar to Chicago but with less snow and more sunshine.
I'd suggest flying to Denver and renting a car to drive the last 100 miles. It'll save you a pocketful of money. (Assuming you'll have to rent a car somewhere anyway.)
I'm a widow and have lived in Chicago most of my life, but currently living in Southern CA......I know, what a change it will be from Sunny/warm San Diego---
My son will be attending South Highschool, does that mean it's in the South side of Cheyenne?(were I 've read is not to great)
Is WY (Cheyenne) really like it's portrayed, with Real Cowboys? Any cute late 40's early 50's Single ones?
Do they have decent size malls? What is the Population?
In your opinion, what is the BEST part of Cheyenne? And the Worst? if any~~
Does it snow much? What is the average temp in the dead of winter?
What does a average 2 bedroom run? I checked on airfares from Orange County CA to Cheyenne, and they were quite expensive, like $650 round trip.....Do they usually go down AFTER Christmas?
Thanks, Looking forward to advice/support.....
I can help, having just moved away after living the last five years in Cheyenne.
Don't expect the Wild West frontier town that some people expect when they visit Cheyenne. You'll see plenty of hopeful tourists stop in town during the summer (perhaps driving through on I-80) looking for the saloons with swinging doors and cowboys tying up their horses to hitching posts. That scene just doesn't exist - even during the much-hyped Frontier Days celebration in July. More often than not, these disappointed tourists will be back in their cars in less than an hour after wandering aimlessly around downtown looking for something - anything - to validate their Cheyenne experience. It really doesn't exist.
The best part of Cheyenne is clearly the neighborhood known as The Avenues adjacent to downtown or anything north of Dell Range. The South Side, while really getting a bad rap by a lot of people, is completely harmless and safe, although definitely ugly and blighted. Coming from cities like Chicago and San Diego, there is absolutely no area in Cheyenne to be afraid of or avoid at any time of the day or night.
As for malls, if you're looking for the shopping that you're accustomed to in San Diego, you'll have to drive about 90 minutes south to the Cherry Creek section of Denver or to Boulder. Even Fort Collins, just 40 minutes south of Cheyenne, won't impress you. Cheyenne's lone mall - Frontier Mall - is a depressing one-story strip anchored by tiny versions of Dillards and Sears. Outside of traditional mall staples such as Victoria's Secret, American Eagle and Bath and Body Works, you'll find a bunch of worthless infill such as stores selling useless junk like bonsai plants, pre-paid cell phones and NASCAR lamp shades, sad-sack retailers like Radio Shack, a (very small) handful of forgettable fast-food restaurants and a rather lousy all-you-can-eat buffet.
And there are absolutely zero decent electronics stores in Cheyenne - you'll have to drive to Fort Collins for the nearest Best Buy.
As for flying into and out of Cheyenne from SoCal, forget it. Despite an overhyped daily non-stop American Eagle flight to Dallas on a dinky regional jet, there's nothing worth even considering at CYS. The vast majority of local travelers use Denver International Airport (about 75 minutes from Cheyenne), where you'll have your pick of non-stop flights to LAX, San Diego or Orange County - or anywhere else in the country.
The best part of Cheyenne: The lack of traffic and extreme ease in getting anywhere in and around town. Leave for work 5 minutes before you have to be there. Leave for a movie 5 minutes before it starts. And unless you drive to Denver or Fort Collins on a regular basis, you're going to be spending A LOT less time in your car and on gasoline than you do in California.
The worst part of Cheyenne: It's quite ugly, blighted and uncared for in many areas. Downtown is, for the most part, an eyesore. Vacant lots aren't maintained; empty buildings are prevalant just blocks from the state capitol; weeds will grow through some downtown sidewalks in the summer and amazingly reach 3-4 feet tall without anyone doing anything about it; and abandoned cars are allowed to sit and rot without ever being removed on some of the city's most high-profile streets. Signs will blow down and lay there for weeks, even months. A 60-foot steel light tower fell on the very busy South Greeley Highway early this past spring and was still laying in the median in July. If you get off I-25 at Lincolnway during your first visit, you'll probably turn right around and go back after seeing this depressing strip of vacant lots, downtrodden hotels, tacky bars and empty buildings.
I can help, having just moved away after living the last five years in Cheyenne.
Don't expect the Wild West frontier town that some people expect when they visit Cheyenne. You'll see plenty of hopeful tourists stop in town during the summer (perhaps driving through on I-80) looking for the saloons with swinging doors and cowboys tying up their horses to hitching posts. That scene just doesn't exist - even during the much-hyped Frontier Days celebration in July. More often than not, these disappointed tourists will be back in their cars in less than an hour after wandering aimlessly around downtown looking for something - anything - to validate their Cheyenne experience. It really doesn't exist.
The best part of Cheyenne is clearly the neighborhood known as The Avenues adjacent to downtown or anything north of Dell Range. The South Side, while really getting a bad rap by a lot of people, is completely harmless and safe, although definitely ugly and blighted. Coming from cities like Chicago and San Diego, there is absolutely no area in Cheyenne to be afraid of or avoid at any time of the day or night.
As for malls, if you're looking for the shopping that you're accustomed to in San Diego, you'll have to drive about 90 minutes south to the Cherry Creek section of Denver or to Boulder. Even Fort Collins, just 40 minutes south of Cheyenne, won't impress you. Cheyenne's lone mall - Frontier Mall - is a depressing one-story strip anchored by tiny versions of Dillards and Sears. Outside of traditional mall staples such as Victoria's Secret, American Eagle and Bath and Body Works, you'll find a bunch of worthless infill such as stores selling useless junk like bonsai plants, pre-paid cell phones and NASCAR lamp shades, sad-sack retailers like Radio Shack, a (very small) handful of forgettable fast-food restaurants and a rather lousy all-you-can-eat buffet.
And there are absolutely zero decent electronics stores in Cheyenne - you'll have to drive to Fort Collins for the nearest Best Buy.
As for flying into and out of Cheyenne from SoCal, forget it. Despite an overhyped daily non-stop American Eagle flight to Dallas on a dinky regional jet, there's nothing worth even considering at CYS. The vast majority of local travelers use Denver International Airport (about 75 minutes from Cheyenne), where you'll have your pick of non-stop flights to LAX, San Diego or Orange County - or anywhere else in the country.
The best part of Cheyenne: The lack of traffic and extreme ease in getting anywhere in and around town. Leave for work 5 minutes before you have to be there. Leave for a movie 5 minutes before it starts. And unless you drive to Denver or Fort Collins on a regular basis, you're going to be spending A LOT less time in your car and on gasoline than you do in California.
The worst part of Cheyenne: It's quite ugly, blighted and uncared for in many areas. Downtown is, for the most part, an eyesore. Vacant lots aren't maintained; empty buildings are prevalant just blocks from the state capitol; weeds will grow through some downtown sidewalks in the summer and amazingly reach 3-4 feet tall without anyone doing anything about it; and abandoned cars are allowed to sit and rot without ever being removed on some of the city's most high-profile streets. Signs will blow down and lay there for weeks, even months. A 60-foot steel light tower fell on the very busy South Greeley Highway early this past spring and was still laying in the median in July. If you get off I-25 at Lincolnway during your first visit, you'll probably turn right around and go back after seeing this depressing strip of vacant lots, downtrodden hotels, tacky bars and empty buildings.
Can't argue with the above post. I too lived in Cheyenne for 5+ years and am happy to be gone. Winters are LONG and WINDY and extremely DRY.
Hello Chi-town, Cheyenne is best understood for what it is. Cheyenne is a city of 56k, that is anchored by the railroad, Air Force,and two refineries. Compared to Denver, and northern Colorado wages are quite a bit lower in the Cheyenne area, with the exception of the above industries.
The cost of housing and many other items is quite high when one considers wages. As for aesthetics. Cheyenne is no Jackson hole, but as of late the city seems to be trying to making the older areas much more presentable. We do have a new, award winning library, some great parks, a greenway, and are close to mountains, plains, Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as being about 40 to 50 min north of Fort Collins.
My opinion is that Cheyenne is a safe, decent place to live, amongst mostly nice, and friendly people.
Cheyenne will not overly impress you or wow you. We are the plain sister of the front range, easy to be around, practical, and good. But we aren't gonna take anyone's breath away.
As for safety, the south side is on average poorer. But being a victim of crime is most often related to what you do, rather than where you go. If I were to make any specific recommendations, I would say that the area directly south of the railyard is quite mixed. Nice, hardworking folks, with a few ner'do wells/crackheads thrown in. The trailer parks around south Greeley Hwy (Central Ave) can be less than enchanting as well.
The south Cheyenne High School is new and quite nice. He'll be fine. As for temperature, for you, it will be cold, damn cold! However as northern places go, weather can be quite mild in the winter interspersed with big snow storms.
As for shopping. We are a Walmart, K Mart, kinda town. Some unique shops, but we get the day to day stuff here, then go to Ft. Collins or the Denver area for "important" shopping.
Cowboys? Well, Florida and Georgia raise more cattle than does Wyoming. We have huge ranches, and cattle is a part of the economy, and a powerhouse is the state government but Hollywood has made the image far bigger than our reality. We are a state of oil workers, truck drivers, railroaders, as well as the many other endeavors you would expect without a cowboy hat in sight!
If you move here, make peace with strong wind...it never quits.
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Some are cute. Just drive around the countryside near Cheyenne. You'll find a handsome cowboy behind every tree. (That's a little joke you'll understand when you get here.)
