moving to ft. carson...please help! (Denver, Colorado Springs: for sale, apartments, townhomes)

[comintocolorado22]

ok, i've recently been offered a job with the red cross on ft. carson. paperwork is being prcessed now, so it's just a matter of security clearance. i've been reading the many posts on this forum and have come to the conclusion that being a single 22 year old would probably leave me with nothing to do. i like to go out at night to bars (fancy or hole in the wall) and night clubs, however, i do know how to entertain myself and can find activities to do besides getting wasted. i live in san antonio now, so i know it'd be a big change moving to a smaller city. there is a lot of shopping and entertainment here, and i would like to know how it compares to co. springs, if anyone has lived/visited both. i would really like to know what the best area to live in would be, being that i'll be working on the base. i've searched a few apartments but would appreciate actual resident's opinions about this matter. my income would increase moving to the springs area so i think price range for apts. would be $600-$800 with w/d in unit (only requirement!) i'm super nervous about moving, since i can't go up there to check out the area beforehand. any information about how co. springs REALLY is would help so much!!! thank you!

[Postal]

I was never really the bar and nightclub scene person, so I can't answer that. However, having made the same move, I can give you some of my opinions. To caveat that, I lived outside 1604 on the West side of SA and worked at Kelly/Lackland while I was there.

- COS seems much cleaner than SA
- Road construction isn't as pervasive here, and seems to go faster (I can see progress at Powers and Woodmen, but never on 410)
- Drivers are slightly better than SA, but not alot (still many left-lane vigilantes, but I can generally get farther in COS in less time than I could in SA)
- Get used to cold and dry
- Much more outdoors stuff to do
- Customer service and quality is better (any customer service people in SA never seemed to care and quality of service was bad)
- COS isn't as "segmented" as SA. I rarely ever went to the NE side of the city. I spent most of my time on the NW side and had everything I needed. I only went to the NE when I needed to go to Randolph. I never stopped in the SE side for anything.
- There are still alot of "blue law"-esque rules in place here. One thing I appreciated at the HEB that we don't have at King Soopers was alcohol for sale. There are plenty of liquor stores here to take up the slack, though.

Just a quick two cents. I could probably go on for much longer, but I won't bore you.

[SheridanL]

We are better, period!!
July 1st our alcohol laws are a changin'!!

Just to the North of the base (off of the 115/academy exit, are some nice townhomes my nephew just moved to (yesterday as a matter of fact). They seem nice and allow pets.
Welcome to Colorado!!

[comintocolorado22]

i will miss my HEB but the fact there's a whole foods does help!

[Bob from down south]

Well, I've lived in San Antonio twice, once on the SW side (410 & Marbach), and once on the NE side (1604 & Nacodoches). San Antonio was on the short list for places to retire to, but I picked Colorado Springs.

There's plenty to do in the Springs if you're at all outdoorsy. Denver is close enough to sow wild oats on the weekends if the walls start closing in. No fire ants. No drenched-in-sweat humidity. But no fajitas at the Alamo Cafe. And the Springs is definitely not the rock-n-roll town SA was.

Colorado has an income tax, which will offset your raise somewhat. Cost of living is probably similar.

Don't know if you've ever worked around Army, but Ft Carson with troops deployed to a shooting war is far different than an AF training base in S.A. Red Cross at Carson has its work cut out for it. Lots of challenges...too much bad news coming to Ft Carson families every day. You'll be part of that. Challenging--yes. Heartbreaking--double yes. Worth the effort--triple yes.

Strap it on if you're up to it.

[SheridanL]

NO FIRE-ANTS!! Did you hear that???????????
A man after my heart!! A HUGE reason I moved back to Colorado after 1 year in Florida!!!!!!!!!!!! Nasty pieces of crappola those ants!!!!
Hurry and move before you are scarred for life like me!! Stupid BUGS!!!!!

[Postal]

Originally Posted by Bob from down south

Colorado has an income tax, which will offset your raise somewhat. Cost of living is probably similar.

Colorado's property taxes are lower than San Antonio's also. I don't know if you will come out even, but it won't be too bad.

[comintocolorado22]

i am outdoorsy and i really wanted to get a bike here but it's so hot/humid! i know it'll be a big change but i think i'll be able to handle it. how far exactly is denver from cos? and one HUGE question, which area would be the best to find an apartment in? i'd like to stay within 10-15 mins from the base so hopefully that can narrow it down for people giving me help! thanks!

[Crematia]

What do you mean about the alcohol laws changing? More details if you would please.

[otowi]

Apartments - look in area code 80906 - that is a nice area very close to base and there are several different apartments so should be something in your range somewhere. Alcohol laws - the state legislature passed something this past spring to allow liquor stores to sell on Sundays. I think it was a waste of legislature time - a totally unneeded change - but that's just me.