How would you describe the general 'vibe' of Colorado Springs? (Denver: transplants, how much)

[cirrusly]

Would you describe the area as feeling Midwestern? Southern? Western? Something else entirely? How about trendy vs. uncool? Young vs. old? I'm just trying to get a general feel for the area and how a day-to-day life might feel in CS. (Of course by the time I'm ready to move anywhere I'll probably be priced out of all of CO anyway )

[PA2UK]

I would say there's a blend of everything here. There's so many transplants from other parts of the country, and it's also sort right in the middle with influences from the Midwest, South, and the West, even Mexico. It's definitely different from the East Coast, but there are so many Eastern transplants here, you can even find a decent cheesesteak. Where do you live now? Your location just says "Wild West" so I'm guessing you're from someplace not very dissimilar?

[iowegian3]

Indeed, there are a lot of people from everywhere, whether they moved to COS permanently or if they're attached to one of the military bases. (You'll see license plates from everywhere in COS, and most of them are military outside of peak tourist season)

COS resembles a giant suburb (with great mountain views) that surrounds a Cedar Rapids downtown. That's how much growth it's seen in the last 50 years, from 100,000 (my guesstimate) then to 450,000 now.

[cirrusly]

Where do you live now? Your location just says "Wild West" so I'm guessing you're from someplace not very dissimilar?

Right now I'm in Oklahoma, but I'm originally from the East Coast. I don't feel at home here and so I'm poking around at other places that might feel a little better. Bigger cities like Denver are ideal, but I'm not excited about the rising cost of living there. I think I would be comfortable living outside of a major city as long as I had regular access, so that's why I thought Colorado Springs would be a decent compromise. Plus, it might be even easier to enjoy the outdoors there, rather than Denver due to proximity to the mountains and presumably smaller crowds. My issue, is that for the time being I am tied to this general area of the country, so I will not be able to return to either the East or West coasts for the foreseeable future. That leaves me with Denver, Dallas, and Chicago for larger, vibrant cities. I happen to dislike Chicago, and Dallas is just so-so, so basically I'm focusing on Denver/Colorado right now. Of course I'm looking at a 2 year minimum before I can actually relocate, so things could drastically change in that time frame.

[mtngigi]

All of the above. It doesn't take much to get a taste of everything ... from here, you can be in New Mexico in 2-3 hours and really get to a Southwest sort of feeling. Then there are lots of great little mountain towns that still feel pretty "Western". Midwest? Maybe not so much.

But it does offer a good mix overall.

[otowi]

I consider our local vibe to be 'live and let live' - a little bit of everything, people mostly minding their own business and doing their own things.

[Phil P]

In general CO Springs people:

Have multiple dogs and take them everywhere
Have a house with a lot of square footage
Have a house set up for house parties
Have cars with big square footage
Are a lot more likely to drive their kids to school
Dislike humidity strongly
Value the view on the horizon more than the scenery 100 ft around them
Have some association to the military
Shop at Walmart
Get into the mountains somewhat regularly for whatever their preferred activity is
Are in pretty decent physical shape
Have hardly ever taken the bus system
Are not racist
Have lived somewhere else before
Vote Republican, mainly to support the military, yet they really dislike taxes
Are family oriented, yet still have a number of fun grown up activities they do as well
Like the weather that allows being active outside
Like the seasons
Like to 4wd
Aren't as big on beer as Denver
Are generally more extreme in their views (right or left or christian or wiccan or gun rights or wilderness preservation...) but the whole of them together somewhat balances out


Does that help?

Also you are correct, CO Springs does have significantly better access to less crowded areas in the mountains than Denver.

[BornintheSprings]

I would say the general vibe is suburban and outdoorsy. There are a few urban amenities not on the scale of Denver but enough to get by. Cost of living is cheap so the vibe is more laid back than larger metropolitan areas. All and all its a great place to live.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by cirrusly

Right now I'm in Oklahoma, but I'm originally from the East Coast. I don't feel at home here and so I'm poking around at other places that might feel a little better.

What is it about Oklahoma that you don't like? I have never been there so I can't compare, but if you explain why you're not at home there, I might be able to tell you whether it sounds like you'd be happy in COS or not.

[JohnCurtisEstes]

If the OP is from the East Coast I would think a very conservative (old-fashioned?) state like OK would be a huge turn off.


For more culture etc.. and a more progressive world view you definitely need to leave the mid-west states.