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Only thing is, Pueblo is not exactly what I'd call a "warm" desert. Compared to the true warm desert cities like Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Las Cruces, El Paso, Palm Springs, Pueblo is still pretty freakin' cold. It's still Colorado. According to the weather stats on weatherbase.com, Pueblo is a whopping 2 degrees warmer than Denver in Jan as the average high, and average low temperatures in the winter are colder. It's not really that much warmer than Denver in the winter.
Pueblo COULD potentially attract the kind of people who might otherwise be interested in southwestern high desert places like Albuquerque NM.
I would call Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Las Cruses, El Paso, and Palm Springs the HOT desert and Pueblo the warm desert.
In terms of Pueblo and Denver we get less snow and are generally 5 to 10 degrees warmer. That might not seem like much but it can make a huge difference especially when Denver is experiencing a blizzard and its clear in Pueblo. As a kid I use to hate that as I wanted it to snow here as well but as a adult I have learned that is actually a bonus for Pueblo and one reason people move here to live and go to school at CSU Pueblo. Many time I imagine what the area will be like when it gets to 250,000 people with a university with over 10,000 students. I think we will be a lot like Tucson with a steel mill and that will be unique for Colorado and in many ways the United States.
Kind of random but it goes with the topic. I have two major dreams for Pueblo.
1) I would like to see CSU Pueblo become a major university with around 20,000 students.
2) I would like to see the area known as the Entertainment (E) district flourish with a great convention center and hotels on the Riverwalk. Then have world class cultural centers like a Performing Art Center that people travel from all over to see the opera, musicals, and the Pueblo Symphony.
To give you a idea of what I like my favorite performing art center is the Disney Center in LA:
Now I know at a cost of 240 million dollars it will be extremely difficult if not impossible for Pueblo to build something like it but if we could get the price tag between 100 and 150 million dollars I think Pueblo could pull it off and that would be great for the city. Perhaps we could use the same designer who designed the main library in Pueblo. I envision it going next to the Sangre De Cristo Art Center on the current land that is being used as a parking lot. I know that building a performing art center there is in the long range plan for Pueblo as that is what I was told when I was talking to the director about the future plans of the Sangre De Cristo Art Center Complex a few months ago. I just hope that when Pueblo builds one we go all out like we did for the main library.
Yes currently Pueblo is about 106,000 people with a MSA of 160,000 people. I was referring to the future growth of Pueblo when I talk about Pueblo reaching a quarter of a million people. Looking back I could of made that more clear but the point I was trying to make was as Pueblo reaches 250,000 people our unique southwest style will be something that will be good for Colorado as it will show the states diversity and help attract people who want to live in Colorado but do not want to live in a colder mountain setting but a warmer desert setting.
Josseppie, that will not happen for decades and decades. And keep in mind there are 8 cities in Colorado with larger populations.
And just how do you expect a city of a bit over 100,000 people to have fine arts facilities like Los Angeles, with a population of over 3.8 million?
Yes I know there are larger cities in Colorado but that does not mean Pueblo is not a great city now at 100,000 people and it will be a even better city at 250,000 people. Its like saying Denver is not a great city just because its not the largest city in the country when in fact I would prefer to live in Denver over NYC and especially LA any day. So yes there are larger cities in Colorado but I would prefer to live in Pueblo and see how it grows in the coming years.
I think once the growth starts back up in Pueblo again the city will be like it was before the economic collapse in the 80's and surprise everyone on how fast it will grow. Already Rocky Mountain Steel is looking to build a new rail plant and hire 1,000 workers. That is unheard of in the American Steel industry as most plants are just trying to make money. Then on top of that we have Pueblo Springs, the Colorado Energy Park, Vesta's and solar companies looking to move here and CSU Pueblo. Sure we wont be as large as the Denver CSA or even the Colorado Springs MSA but there is no reason to think the Pueblo MSA can't top 250,000 people in the next 10 or so years and be a great city with great amenities.
As far as the performing arts center in LA. I made it clear that I know Pueblo can't build a center for $240 million dollars but can use it as a model and build one that is $100 to $150 million dollars. Just to give a example look at the main library. Pueblo went all out and now I think we have one of the best libraries in the country. I think if we really put our minds to it we can have the same kind of performing arts center and that would be good for Pueblo and Colorado.
Here are some of my pictures of the main library in Pueblo:
Last edited by Josseppie; 12-09-2010 at 12:02 AM..
Nice picture tour of Pueblo. I am considering a move to this general area of the country. Pueblo was initially high on my list but I am now gravitating to places like Colorado Springs and Albuquerque. I visited both Colorado Springs and Albuquerque in August but did not have the time to explore Pueblo, so the photo tour was very helpful. I did drive by Pueblo as I headed from Colorado Springs to Albuquerque. I was a bit turned-off by the landscape. Although the desert its appealing to me, I need to be close to the mountains as well and I sense that the mountains are too far away to really enjoy them without a long hike in your car. Another drawback with pueblo is its relatively cold winters and hot summers.
Nice picture tour of Pueblo. I am considering a move to this general area of the country. Pueblo was initially high on my list but I am now gravitating to places like Colorado Springs and Albuquerque. I visited both Colorado Springs and Albuquerque in August but did not have the time to explore Pueblo, so the photo tour was very helpful. I did drive by Pueblo as I headed from Colorado Springs to Albuquerque. I was a bit turned-off by the landscape. Although the desert its appealing to me, I need to be close to the mountains as well and I sense that the mountains are too far away to really enjoy them without a long hike in your car. Another drawback with pueblo is its relatively cold winters and hot summers.
You have a few misconceptions about Pueblo.
1) The distance to the mountains.
The drive from the mountains is about the same as it is from downtown Denver to the mountains. In fact its a shorter drive to ski then it is from Colorado Springs as they are not near any ski areas and have to first drive to Highway 50 or I-70
2) Pueblo has cold winters and hot summers.
I like to call Pueblo the "Goldi Lox" climate as its not too cold or too hot. In the summer the hi's are usually in the 90's with a few days above 100 but NEVER above 110. Then we always have days in the 80's and sometimes 70's to break up the heat. On top of that at night we get the cool mountain breeze and the lows always drop off to the 50's and 60's.
In the winter we are not nearly as cold as Colorado Springs and Denver and get a lot less snow. Temperatures are not as cold as you find in the upper midwest and north east as the hi's can be in the 70's even in January. Now that is not to say we don't get snow or cold snaps as we do but on average its not as cold as people would think and the snow we get usually melts in a few days.
Yes I know there are larger cities in Colorado but that does not mean Pueblo is not a great city now at 100,000 people and it will be a even better city at 250,000 people. Its like saying Denver is not a great city just because its not the largest city in the country when in fact I would prefer to live in Denver over NYC and especially LA any day. So yes there are larger cities in Colorado but I would prefer to live in Pueblo and see how it grows in the coming years.
I think once the growth starts back up in Pueblo again the city will be like it was before the economic collapse in the 80's and surprise everyone on how fast it will grow. Already Rocky Mountain Steel is looking to build a new rail plant and hire 1,000 workers. That is unheard of in the American Steel industry as most plants are just trying to make money. Then on top of that we have Pueblo Springs, the Colorado Energy Park, Vesta's and solar companies looking to move here and CSU Pueblo. Sure we wont be as large as the Denver CSA or even the Colorado Springs MSA but there is no reason to think the Pueblo MSA can't top 250,000 people in the next 10 or so years and be a great city with great amenities.
As far as the performing arts center in LA. I made it clear that I know Pueblo can't build a center for $240 million dollars but can use it as a model and build one that is $100 to $150 million dollars. Just to give a example look at the main library. Pueblo went all out and now I think we have one of the best libraries in the country. I think if we really put our minds to it we can have the same kind of performing arts center and that would be good for Pueblo and Colorado.
Here are some of my pictures of the main library in Pueblo:
It's nice that you love your city, but I think you need to get out more. As I travel around the country, I see lots of buildings (including libraries) that are every bit as impressive as the one you are fawning over. Pueblo seems to be a decent place, and there's no question the city has done a decent job with urban renewal, but I truly think you have little perspective about what's reasonable there.
To be honest with you, a major hurdle Pueblo needs to face is cleaning up the I-25 corridor south of the city. It's a downright eyesore. When I drive through there it makes me feel like I'm in the heart of the rust belt back east.
I like Pueblo. I've only been there twice, but I liked it both times. I think the hot summers, the dryness, the sunshine, and the less snow would get to me though. Pretty pics though!
Question for the locals: Is Abriendo where the hookers hang out?
It's nice that you love your city, but I think you need to get out more. As I travel around the country, I see lots of buildings (including libraries) that are every bit as impressive as the one you are fawning over. Pueblo seems to be a decent place, and there's no question the city has done a decent job with urban renewal, but I truly think you have little perspective about what's reasonable there.
To be honest with you, a major hurdle Pueblo needs to face is cleaning up the I-25 corridor south of the city. It's a downright eyesore. When I drive through there it makes me feel like I'm in the heart of the rust belt back east.
The highlighted part was my point. The main library in Pueblo is just as good as many of the great buildings I see around the country and if Pueblo put her mind to it with a performing arts center I think we could have one that is just as good as many of the performing arts centers around the country.
When you talk about the southern I-25 corridor I gather you mean the Rocky Mountain Steel Plant? If so what do you want the city to do about it as its a working steel mill that employs over 1,000 people and is looking to expand and hire 1,000 more employees bringing the total employment to over 2,000 people. Pueblo is not and will never be a city like Fort Collins or Boulder so if a person does not like a industrial city then they will never like Pueblo. Personally, I happen to love the industrial/ southwest feel of Pueblo and while I want the city to fix of somethings I don't think a complete overhaul of the cities facade is in order as it would take away our charm that makes us unique in the state.
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