Quote:
Originally Posted by Californiaescape
...I love the beaches (cool breeze), not big bug issues, beautiful parks and lakes. But I hate the high prices and crazy traffic!
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I only know Fort Collins, so I'll comment on it:
Beaches - Obviously none. I'm from a coastal area, and miss the beach every day (no joke). Colorado has nothing even remotely close to a beach environment. There are less lakes in the area compared to what I am used to. This just isn't a watery place. Along the same lines, it's also dry as a bone, and drains the life away from nature (plants and grasses starved, etc.) I also miss the dynamism of nature; dense stands of trees moving in the wind, the restlessness of the sea, wind and waves, etc. Here, it's just dead still mountains in the distance. Yeah, they were interesting at first, but after awhile, they just fade into the still landscape.
Speaking of breezes, most of the time, the air is very still. Only a couple of times does it ever get windy, and then it's often too windy. Hail is a problem too. I've had gardens ruined by hail, and still have a vehicle dented up by a storm. It was actually in "the shop" being repaired, and they didn't move it in.
Big bug issues - We have issues here. In late May through early July, we get invaded by "miller moths" (Euxoa auxilliaris). Ugly things they are, and they constantly try to get indoors (houses, cars, etc.) They fly around like mad around lights, and can scare the hell out of you if you're not expecting them. We've had problems with sugar ants getting into the kitchen and getting into food. Currently we have trouble with yellowjackets. They are swarming certain trees, and will sting you if you go by them. Spiders seem to like this area too. They come in all sizes and flavors. Mosquitoes can sometimes ruin an evening outdoors.
Beautiful parks and lakes - There are no real lakes of note in Fort Collins. There are two that are essentially private. One is off-limits to non-residents, and has no paths or walkways. The other is bordered by two busy streets. I never see anyone near it or by it. There are a few okay parks, but nothing to write home about.
High prices - I can't compare them to those other towns, but the prices keep going up, and basically everything seems overpriced in my opinion. It's hilarious to picture homes here vs. homes elsewhere. Beyond price, you get shortchanged here in beauty and functionality. All the newer homes around here are hardiplank eyesores with no lawn, no trees, and they crammed together so you can see the other homes and people up close. Nice. If you try to add trees, it can take decades for them to grow to any worthwhile height.
Traffic - Traffic is not too bad to me (yet), but it has gotten noticeably worse in 4 years. The town is unable and/or unwilling to expand certain roads as needed. The interstate (i.e. to use to get to Denver, if you want to get out of this little hick town for awhile) constantly backs up in traffic due to only being 2 lanes on both sides. It should have been widened probably a decade ago. Coming from a state that always rolls up its sleeves and makes a hearty effort to keep movement flowing, CO seems awfully dysfunctional and behind the times. Since everyone and their brother (still) wants to move to CO and to this town, I can only envision the mobility factor getting worse as we go into the future.
Fort Collins used to be in those top pick polls, and drew a lot of attention. But as people keep coming here, the costs go up, and businesses leave (at least the ones that could flourish when COL was reasonable). Many who could afford to live here previously have moved out, and are being replaced by people who will put down next to anything for homes (as evidenced by the insane bidding wars). It's one thing to look at this town in the past, or even the present, but it's an entirely different matter to look at the trends and projections, and connect the dots on the picture of the near future. Can't wait to move away from Fort Collins!
The tricky thing in the modern "ideal" city hunt is, with the Internet, all the better places get known, and people descend on them and essentially swamp and ruin them. You almost have to search out and find the unknowns, which are out of the spotlight and don't get talked about and celebrated on forums like this. You often have to look in states that are bad-mouthed in the press, and find nice places under the radar where others aren't looking.
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