Scared to move my family to Colorado Help!! (Denver, Colorado Springs: apartment, for rent)

[gsaldana32]

Hello everyone my family and I are currently renting in California but for the past year or so, the subject of moving to Colorado been more frequent. To even think that we can afford to buy a house in california is crazy. Yes we all know the realstate market is going down but not to be able to afford a home comfortly with out working 2 or 3 jobs. My husband and I have decided to leave our families to better ourselves and our own family. Everyone I speak to about moving to Colorado always mentions that it really snows alot and will affect you buy going to work or school! is this really true? Can anyone please help us out? We need information where apartment or house for rent are affordable and the most important thing is were we can find great schools for my 5 year old daughter and 2 year son. I would love to find a city that will have it all jobs, schools, and homes. One more questions can anyone tell me how good are the hospitals only because my daughter has a heart condition? I really appreciate everyone advise and thank you in advance.

[Katarina Witt]

There are a lot of threads on this forum about weather and schools. Check them out. With a child with a medical condition, you'd probably do better in metro Denver than in a rural area. There is an excellent Children's Hospital in Denver (soon moving to Aurora) with a lot of satellite clinics. It is called "The Children's Hospital". I beleive they have a website.

[OutOfSoCal]

G Saldana? WOW we are moving to Co next summer oddly my wifes maiden name is Saldana nad her father was G Saladana( RIP G ) wouldn't that be weird if you were related.
From what I have heard of the snow, it does snow but is off the roads quickly and isn't that big of a deal. Last year was the worst year for snow in CO is along long time. We are going out next week adn again in Feb. just to check mout the winter.

[2bindenver]

The NEW Children's Hospital - The Children's Hospital, Colorado

Opens September 29th, 2007

[Market Mama]

The Metro Area and the Front Range are about a mile high so, yes, an occasional winter snow/ice storm can be really nasty. A foot or more of snow in less that a day is rare but not unheard of -- at which point the entire area shuts down including businesses and schools (schools actually schedule in floating "snow days"). On the other hand, most winter days in the metro area are quite pleasant and sunny (although they will probably feel cold to someone used to summer year-round).

A good car with tires appropriate for snowy/icy conditions can make all the difference in how safe driving is. Early last fall, before I'd had my tires switched, we had a very light but icy snow and I slid through a stop sign and then sideways into a (fortunately) empty parking spot. Good winter tires can make all the difference.

So additional expenses for you and your family will include expensive winter tires, good winter outerwear (coats, boots, heavy gloves and hats, etc) and a significant increase in heating costs.

The psychological costs of winter are another matter. Some people find it invigorating, challenging, exciting and fun (and there's enough mild days that I can horseback ride almost every month of the year without gloves if I carefully pick my day -- most common exceptions are January and February which are often just plain bitter). If you're not quite ready to move, check DenverPost.com every day this winter for a good picture of what you can expect over a full winter.

But some people are intimidated by winter here because Colorado is a state of extremes. They find that its very length (it can and often does snow every month from October through May) exhausting and the long, cold nights depressing (but a cheery, bright home helps a lot).

Knowing the pros and cons and what to expect ahead of time will certainly increase the chances of a successful move. Colorado can be a wonderful place to live, but you'll have to embrace its realities in order to enjoy it.

[chilaili]

As an immigrant from Minnesota I find Colorado Winters very mild in comparison (last year's being an anomaly) and never had any problems driving my VW Cabrio to work and back. It does get windy which makes it feel colder and the snow and ice can be problematic if they're not properly cleared, but I'd think in the city that shouldn't be much of an issue. And the snow usually melts within 24 hours. If you're living up in the mountains it would be a much bigger problem. The really weird thing about Winter here is that one day it can be 30º and the next 70º.

[Nadine]

I just wanted to add that Children's Hospital is a wonderful hospital for kids. I have had two children in there. We have Cystic Fibrosis in the family. Wonderful people and wonderful care was our experiences.

I live South of Denver over a hundred miles. No big deal to get the kids there. But I would look for job first. Colorado Springs and Pueblo and larger cities and only 40-45 miles from us.

I am telling you this to illustrate that care for your child not be just in Denver area. The farther north you get the harder the winters and altitude plays a part also. Canon City is small but getting were ever we want to go is seldom a problem and our winters are milder than any of the 3 cities mentioned. For health concerns, Colorado does have Medevac for emergencies too. The plains do get harder winters with wind. Many times the roads are closed there because of blizzards, not always the amount of snow last yr.

I have lived in Colorado all my life, some in the mountains, some just at the base. So it is hard for me to really understand people that worry so about the snow and winter. To me it is no big deal. If you move here you too will wonder what you were worrying about. Humans are wonderful creatures. They adapt real easy, if they allow themselves to.

[McGowdog]

Originally Posted by chilaili

As an immigrant from Minnesota I find Colorado Winters very mild in comparison (last year's being an anomaly) and never had any problems driving my VW Cabrio to work and back. It does get windy which makes it feel colder and the snow and ice can be problematic if they're not properly cleared, but I'd think in the city that shouldn't be much of an issue. And the snow usually melts within 24 hours. If you're living up in the mountains it would be a much bigger problem. The really weird thing about Winter here is that one day it can be 30º and the next 70º.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)I could care less about the winters in Minnesota. How come all the threads about Colorado have to turn into a weather thread? To be fair, the main concern of the OP was the weather in Colorado, so could we flag any post with "weather", "altitude", "snow", "blizzard", "drought", etc to this sticky so maybe I can learn something new about Colorado? Can we move this post into that sticky and any subsequent ones that discuss last season's or this season's weather? Please!http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)

[chilaili]

Originally Posted by McGowdog

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)I could care less about the winters in Minnesota. How come all the threads about Colorado have to turn into a weather thread? To be fair, the main concern of the OP was the weather in Colorado, so could we flag any post with "weather", "altitude", "snow", "blizzard", "drought", etc to this sticky so maybe I can learn something new about Colorado? Can we move this post into that sticky and any subsequent ones that discuss last season's or this season's weather? Please!http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p133/mcgowdog/deadhorse.gif (broken link)

I was talking about the weather in Colorado and if that wasn't clear, let me make it so right now

[Charles]

Originally Posted by gsaldana32

We need information where apartment or house for rent are affordable...

What is your monthly rent budget?
What line of work are you in?