Aspen vs Telluride for Single 45 y/o with job (Vail: live, design)

[proveick]

If you don't mind the solitude my choice would be Crested Butte. Skied there for years, love that place. RP

[80skeys]

When people mention that they have a $100k "mobile job" it often means they work in IT/computers (database programmer, remote server admin, etc.) It sounds very nice to be able to take your mobile job and live wherever you want, but keep in mind that IT work is often not stable and often does not last for a long time. You could find yourself out of work in two years, living in a small mountain town. And then what are you going to do?

[hullo]

If you dont mind me asking. What do you do for a living? I would love that freedom. Im looking to move to Telluride next year and having an income that is mobile and operable from a laptop is the dream idea. What do you do and how did you do it?

[GSXRScott]

Originally Posted by fredorama

A decent ratio of single ladies to men

Have only lived in Basalt but I would imagine both are a total sausage fest. If you lived in Aspen you could go for social outings in Glenwood Springs. I remember it being more of a family oriented town with a better ratio.

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Actually I think it's the summer time when these towns are really a good time. Wide variety of outdoor things to do, lots of concerts and festivals, plus favorable weather. Lots of days in the 70's and 80's, when other parts of the USA are cooking in 100 degree temps.

Definitely!!! Summers in the Roaring Fork River Valley are nothing short of perfect. Friendly people, breath taking scenery, lots to do and perfect weather. What else could a person want!

[ksneblett]

I know a lot of time has passed, but I'd love to know where you ended up. We are in the process of moving to Aspen, actually moving into our lease house today! I am married with kids, but would love to know if you have any advice, etc. Would love to meet other fun women, single, married, etc.
Thanks!

[Otherside1]

Originally Posted by ksneblett

I know a lot of time has passed, but I'd love to know where you ended up. We are in the process of moving to Aspen, actually moving into our lease house today! I am married with kids, but would love to know if you have any advice, etc. Would love to meet other fun women, single, married, etc.
Thanks!

Welcome to town! We made the move last year and have been very happy.

[fredorama]

Yes... It has been a long time.

I moved to Sarasota first which was a total disaster. Spent a year there mostly trying to decide whether to stay in FL by way of moving to Tampa/ St Pete, or whether to move out to Santa Monica. I moved to Santa Monica CA in April 2013 and am still living here. I just skied my ass off in Vail and came back wondering why I didn't move there originally. I just love skiing and the mountain lifestyle so so much. I became very depressed and started googling "best ski towns to live in year round" and so forth... Clicked on one of the search results and BAM! There I was, staring at the original post I wrote over 4 years ago!

I still appreciate all the great replies. I am now considering a move to Boulder or Vail, with my preference leaning towards Vail. Although Boulder is great, it is skewed much younger than Vail. (Aspen and Telluride are out). I always have such a good time in Vail, and I can rent a furnished 1 BR condo with utilities included for $1100/mo (vs $3000/mo for the same in Santa Monica). That leaves me with almost $2000/mo extra dough per month.

And I don't know what to do. Had some fun here. Still not married. Still no kids. VERY crowded and congested. Traffic is a nightmare. Beach and mountains are nice. But they ain't the Rockies. So that's my update! I may wind up in Colorado after all. We shall see. I still welcome feedback, comments, thoughts and suggestions. So.... bring it!

[wanneroo]

Always nice to hear back from people years later with updates.

Vail is one of the best ski towns and is well rounded with plenty of amenities, people coming and going and things to do. I don't think you would have much to lose by living there.

[fredorama]

Thanks Waneroo.

And for the one who asked what I do, I manage a stock portfolio. Pretty stable job.

I will keep you posted.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

A few observations ... from experience with Aspen starting in the mid-1960's, and Vail from the late 1970's ...

I've seen very few people form stable relationships formed in these mountain communities, and fewer still that have lasted long term. The problem is that they're both "party central" for the seasonal guests that pass through. You'll never know just how many truly close friends you have until you move to these places and everybody you've ever met, shaken hands with, had a drink with, or is somehow distantly related to you is all of a sudden your very best pal ... and somehow, they all discover that you're now in those towns and have a place to stay.

Your $100K income is entry level to a decent year-round living in Vail at a level I think you're expecting to live ... and isn't even on the charts at Aspen where you simply don't have enough money to have a nice 2-bdr condo and be able to be in the activity and dating scene there unless you are seeking a cougar to assist with your finances.

I'll second Wanneroo on the skiing issues ... Aspen's a nice place to ski, but Vail has more of the challenging terrain (and simply more terrain, total) you seek with it's bowls and hillsides. Telluride is a contender for the skiing qualities, but it's going to fall way short of your expectations on every other score when it comes to being a player in the dating scene with a year-round job bringing in only $100K.

Why my focus on the income issue? Because you are looking at entering a social group where that's not even annual pocket change for their typical income level. Now the single worker bees that survive up there do so on much less income ... but I'm sensing that group (which is mostly younger women) is not where you're looking for a relationship.

IMO, you'd do better to come out to Colorado to enjoy the skiing as your time and schedule allows ... and not make any committment to a longer duration stay unless/until you can find a particularly attractive living situation that you can lease for awhile and see what goes on in your world through the year's cycle. The allure of living in these resort communities may be quite different than the reality of being there as a primary residency.

FWIW, a tip: Get no more than a month-to-month lease so you can leave with 30 days notice.

Really, you've got to be pretty dedicated to be a full-time resident in these towns and very much want to live there. It's an acquired habit, not without it's drawbacks. Even for me, with a SFH in Vail that's paid for ... I wouldn't, and haven't ever ... chosen to live there full time. Even when I retire, I don't envision living in Vail full time, probably no more than a total of 5-6 months in any given year.

I would rather ski Ajax and Highlands any day of the week over Vail. Never crowded compared to Vail and the terrain is as good or better.