Boulder... accepting to New comers?!? (homes, relocating, place)

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by jlprice1

Help! I can't decide. I'm deciding between Boulder, Fort Collins and Westminster. I don't want a lot of snow or crime, but I want work.

The best choice is Westminster. It is centrally located. There are many places to work in that city. In addition, you can still have the option of working in adjacent suburbs and Denver.
You can easily commute to Boulder for a job.

Boulder and Fort Collins are bad choices because you will be competing with a educated workforce for the fewer jobs and the lower wages. Many people perceive these cities as a desired place to live and the competition for good jobs is tough. Also, you will have farther to commute for jobs outside those cities.

Livecontent

[davya]

I agree with going where the job is going to be. It make's the commute much easier...unless of course you like to sit in the parking lot that I25 and Rt36 can become at peak times.

Boulder is okay, just remember it isn't the utoia that it's sometimes made out to be. Just like anywhere there is at least some crime, drug problems, homelessness etc. And just like anywhere it's what you make it. Certianly Boulder is very trendy and yuppifiied and if that's what you like it is available, but you sure don't have to partake in that. There are all sorts of people here.

Folks used to be friendlier in my observation, but that's just me. I have been in this area for a long time. I guess compared to many places it is still pretty friendly. But there are always good folks to find wherever you go!

Have Fun!

[sumukru]

Going where the jobs are is key.
And I agree with Mike from Back East: You'll do fine if you're friendly.

As for some of the chronic things you hear/read about Boulder: I personally haven't seen the clique aspect. And no, I don't drive a monster truck nor a porshe, and additionally am not a Native.

Good luck with your decision.

[billeethakid]

Originally Posted by pmeyer426

Sooo... i have decided to move 1000+ miles away from home and I THOUGHT Boulder was going to be it... but I have been reading that it can be quite cliquish and unaccpeting to new comers. Is this the case? I do NOT come from money either, which seems to be important there. I have no idea really, somebody please tell me differently!!

Should I just move to Denver instead? I am a 27 yr F, nurse.

Thanks

Boulder sucks, stay away; we do not like newcommers JK You will find many people in Boulder of like interests as yourself. Most non students have their **** together, many affluent, well spoken, kind, and polite people. I hope you like outdoorsy activities; you must own a dog, that is manditory in Boulder. My first day in Boulder, an older gent walked up to my girlfiend and myself and asked how our day was going, and if we were enjoying the weather and we were both like wtf? We came from NY. People can be pushy though, especially at the grocery store, people don't look where their going. Driving aswell. Good luck!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by jlprice1

Help! I can't decide. I'm deciding between Boulder, Fort Collins and Westminster. I don't want a lot of snow or crime, but I want work.

You don't say what kind of work you do. In general, I'd rank these cities for job finding thusly:

Westminster/Boulder: tie
Ft. Collins: far behind

Westy is primarily a residential suburb (though my niece just landed a job there last week), but there are lots of little office complexes and such scattered around. You're also close to other job centers.

Boulder has, relatively speaking, a lot of jobs in IT. Not so much right now, but in a normal economy, it's an IT job center in this state. It also has a hospital with two branches; the university, which employs a lot of people other than professors, and tons of retail and restuarants.

Ft. Collins is Boulder w/o so many private sector jobs that pay decently. There's the university, and the businesses that provide goods and services to the university, e.g. retail, restaurants, bars, etc.

[billeethakid]

Originally Posted by Katiana

You don't say what kind of work you do. In general, I'd rank these cities for job finding thusly:

Westminster/Boulder: tie
Ft. Collins: far behind

Westy is primarily a residential suburb (though my niece just landed a job there last week), but there are lots of little office complexes and such scattered around. You're also close to other job centers.

Boulder has, relatively speaking, a lot of jobs in IT. Not so much right now, but in a normal economy, it's an IT job center in this state. It also has a hospital with two branches; the university, which employs a lot of people other than professors, and tons of retail and restuarants.

Ft. Collins is Boulder w/o so many private sector jobs that pay decently. There's the university, and the businesses that provide goods and services to the university, e.g. retail, restaurants, bars, etc.

She said shes a nurse, 27 F, nurse...

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by billeethakid

She said shes a nurse, 27 F, nurse...

Sorry, I missed that. Well in that case, definitely go with Denver, and forget Westy, Boulder and Ft. Collins. Westy has one small hospital (St. Anthony North, and it may actually be in Federal Hts), Boulder has Boulder Community which doesn't have a lot of job openings, and Ft. Fun has Poudre Valley or something like that, ditto. Denver/Aurora has the big teaching hospitals and all that go with them (dr. offices, etc).

Actually, you can work in Denver and live in many suburban areas w/o too long a drive to work. You can take public transit, too, but with 12 hr shifts in the hospitals, and never knowing quite when you're going to be done in an office, it's nice to just hop in your car and be done with it.

[sam_denver]

As a lot of people have said here, living close to the job is the best idea. The commute from Louisville, Superior, Westminster, Arvada is very small.

As far as being welcoming to newcomers goes, I think you get what you look for. If you're friendly, you will find company to do something. Hiking, movies, music, partying - there's someone to find for something to do all the time.

Not sure why Boulder gets a bad rep. for lack of diversity. I have friends from China, Japan, Africa, several countries in Europe, Mexico and a couple from South America. You just have to be friendly and you'll find lots of people who'll welcome you into their lives.

Sure there are yuppies, hippies, homeless, dopeheads and ski bums. But they leave you alone if you leave them alone. For most part

[Wingfoot]

If you're young and good looking no problem, if not you'll be talking to yourself.

[HanhepiWi]

Originally Posted by PhilipBohlmann

Boulder is a really nice place however it can be pretty cliqueish. I went to CU Boulder for college andhad job here for about 2 years. I left the country for a year and came back to boulder to find that since I had lost all ties with the university I could not make it professionally as a 24yo.

Unless you're closely tied to the university or one of the major science facilities it is really hard to fit in. Most of the people here are either in college or very wealthy mid career folks with families. There is very little diversity (a big downside in my opinion) almost all of the people are rich white folk and that probably creates most of the cliquiness. Most of the people I knew in college have moved on to other areas of the country becuase it is just plain impossible for mid 20s folk unless you have an outstanding resume and if you don't drive a monster truck or a Porsche you'll feel a little out of place. A lot of people live outside of Boulder in Superior, Louisville, Lafayette and Westminster and just drive in to work in Boulder.

All of that being said It's a beautiful place for sure. The mountains are amazing and there are a lot of great outdoor activities here if you're into that. It's a Mecca for rock climbers, there are great hiking trails everywhere and there are so many amazing ski resorts within driving distance that it is basically a mountain man's paradise. Boulder has a really wonderful charm that not a lot of places can offer (and no where else in Colorado for sure). It has a pretty big Tibetan population as a result of Naropa University and when college season hits the population of the town swells by 15,000 or so (just a guess) which makes getting around by car a little tough. But since Boulder is pretty small a bike will get you anywhere you need to go.

I love it to death but have just found it impossible to live here and I'm moving away soon because I need to find work.

There are also a lot of other really cool volunteer groups and clubs in Boulder that would spark anyone's interest.

Hope this helps.

Philip hit the nail on the head. I've lived here for almost 5 years and found it to be quite "cliqueish." And I'm even at CU-Boulder. My roommate summed up Boulder pretty well too...she said the town as a whole loves to pretend it's progressive, liberal, accepting of differing people and differing views, when really it's an undercover midwestern/conservative college town with no cultural diversity to speak of (unless you consider hippies and ski-bums culture).

You won't have a problem finding work as a nurse (especially in Denver), but if you want diversity and tolerance of a non-whitebred background, as well as ideas that are divergent (voice them and you'll get the "Oh. Well isn't that nice." response)....Boulder is not the place for you.

BUT, to play devil's advocate, there are some good things about the area:

- If you love the outdoors, it's fantastic. Winter sports (skiing/snowboarding) an hour (Eldora) to a couple of hours away in the mountains, a LARGE amount of local hiking trails and open space areas, horseback riding, biking, etc.

- Decent farmers markets in season

- If you get a roommate (or 2), rent on a nicer house can be within a reasonable range. My current roomies (3 of us girls) and I found a 3-bed/3-bath steal with a 2-car garage and huge front/back yards in a quiet, family-oriented neighborhood for $1800/month.

- DIA is central, offering pretty decent airfare if you decide to take a trip anywhere

- Downtown Denver has kind of a young, hip vibe to it that, while it's not my style, some people really enjoy. Even if you live up in the Boulder area, heading downtown isn't too far of a drive.

In any case, I wish you the best with where you end up.

- June