thinking about relocating NY (long island) to CO-Couple of Questions Please....

[HappyMontrose]

Colorado is a nice place!!!

HM

[Nadine]

Originally Posted by cil

Perhaps either Ft Collins or Parker might work for you.
Parker is a bit closer to Denver, but I am partial to Ft Collins. It is a university community with a nice old downtown and youthful energy to it.
Both are close to water, though you would have to drive.
Colorado lakes are very clean--but they're cold.
I gave my dogs heartworm meds April-November.
I did once find a tick on one of them after a hike up in the hills, but we lived in Colorado for years and years with nary a tick.
Colorado is quite pest-free compared to other states.

Many many years ago, I moved to Denver, Colorado from Long Island. Denver is much hipper today than it was in '69, but still I must warn you that *compared to NYC* it is still pretty much a cow town. And that's okay!

Curious--what do you mean by a cow town??? Denver hasn't had a cow near for many generations. In fact I would bet some kids in Denver may have never seen a cow. Even Rodeos don't have cows unless they are staging a milking contest or having a stock show. What is a cow town??? Trying to be cute not smart elick.:-)

[ChaiOnKaw]

Colorado is crowded enough and all you LIers are just making it worse! Stay put! But if you do come I demand some whitefish and bagels from the Lido Deli!

[pje192]

Don't I wish . Anyone know the next best thing in the Metro area?

[BenFab]

Hi, we live in Westchester, NY and also are relocating to FC,hopefully at the end of the year. In looking at real estate/rentals it is so affordable compared to NY. We love the outdoors and also go to the Adirondacks a lot. I think you would like it in FC, if you are single the Old Town may be better for you, but it's more expensive according to our research. From what we saw when we visited in Feb, people are very outdoorsy, friendly, not in such a rush like in NY, bike and dog friendly, even in the winter. Hope you make it out there, good luck.

[XNYlady]

Originally Posted by MissNYer

Hello all,

I am new to this forum so please bear with me.

I am a NYer from long Island that also spends leisure time (winter and summer) in the Adirondacks (Upstate NY) As well as NYC. I am thinking about relocating to Colorado for a certain quality of life I am seeking.

Ideal quality of life for me to live in -

Nice weather, change of seasons, nice friendly people, (although I don't want to live right on top of them, on the other hand, I also don't want to live acres away from people either), room to roam (less standstill traffic), semi small town feel / charming village (though not to small) accessible to a metropolitan/cosmopolitan/cultural life (no more then a 30 /40 minute drive) outdoor activities, lake activities, a good job market, lower taxes then NY, other single 30 / 40 something year olds living there, affordable housing with some property and trees (hopefully near a lake).

I am semi cosmopolitan / semi outdoorsy type - 30 something year old female that is studying for her masters degree in Physical Therapy. I don't need to tell you all about how expensive it is to live in long island / NYC it seems no-one who is in the middle class financial range gets any bang for their buck here. In other words, anyone who can afford to live with some extra spending cash in their pocket without having to work 2 jobs!! Although I love NYC for its art and culture, I can't see spending every breathing moment in a tiny crappy apartment I can't really ever afford. Now Mind you, although I love upstate NY, the lakes, the mountains, the trees, the space, the fantastic weather, I am single and unfortunately it seems way to dead and boring for me to live there year round. Dead meaning employment and socializing. I would not look forward to cold lonely winters.... :-)

In any event, here are some questions I have about Colorado-

I love boating and swimming on lake water. Is there boating? How clean are the Lakes in Colorado? Is there swimming? Reasonable priced lake front property? Night boating?

Seeing the quality of life I am seeking, any suggestions of any particular county/city/towns I should look into?

Is it ok to let pets outside? How bad are ticks there? Heard about Rocky mountain spotted fever....

Any other NYers care to share advice?


Thanks so much for reading and / or replying,
- MissNYer

As an XNewYorker (Westchester County) I feel somewhat knowledgeable in being able to submit. I remember the cost of living in NY, but I'm not so sure about the culture you are seeking. There is not much greenery unless you move to the mountains or close to the foothills. But then you would have to travel to Denver for work. Get used to all the brownness (I never have) and not much water. There is probably some small lakes in the area as well as boating that you seek. I've lived here three years (after moving from Northern Illinois and close to Chicago where it is very green as well as very cold in the winter). If I were in your place I would seek out the Park Meadows area, half-way between Denver and Colorado Springs and somewhat close to DIA. Lots of new townhouses and close to E470 and 25, which will take you North and South. I also would seek out the FlatIrons area--new townhomes and a large mall with walking paths and restaurants and an ideal area to meet people your own age--while you are still in school and it will give you a better idea of where you might want to settle down. It's close to Boulder, a very liberal college town. You will find many bike/walking/jogging paths because Colorado loves the outdoors. Lots of outdoor restaurant areas. The weather seems to be better than most areas--not much rain where I live. You are at an ideal age to take up skiing, rock climbing as well as the aforementioned sports. Weekends are great for driving to the ski resorts which are about 1-1/2 hours away whether during the summer or winter months. Keep in mind that I am a city gal--always will be--so my opinions are going to be different from the country folk. I think the word is skued. Misspelled?

[sprucetreigh]

i was thinking of sacandaga, or near there for a new lifestyle. although colorado was my first choice. did you move yet?

[LiBaby]

hi cam anyone helpme I hope I am doing this right i am moving from Long Island want a quieter peaceful life style was told aboutl colorado where would you suggest a black american gulr and her dog check to live no one never says anything about color but we all know its there there are places in long island where this matters too guys so give me ur best help please

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by MissNYer

Nice weather, change of seasons, nice friendly people,

Plenty of that here.

room to roam (less standstill traffic),

Traffic here is very mild compared to east coast traffic.

semi small town feel / charming village (though not to small) accessible to a metropolitan/cosmopolitan/cultural life (no more then a 30 /40 minute drive)

take a look at Boulder, Golden, Longmont, Castle Rock, Littleton.

outdoor activities, lake activities,

Goes without saying.

other single 30 / 40 something year olds living there

Plenty in Denver.

Now Mind you, although I love upstate NY, the lakes, the mountains, the trees, the space, the fantastic weather, I am single and unfortunately it seems way to dead and boring for me to live there year round. Dead meaning employment and socializing. I would not look forward to cold lonely winters.... :-)

Your best bet in Colorado will be in and around Denver. The rest of the state will be too small and boring for you. For example, I live in Grand Junction, a small town on the western slope. I'm kinda like you in the sense that I'm partially a big city person and partly an outdoors person. So although GJ is "okay", it's not really my cup of tea because it's too boring. So you should avoid the Western Slope.

I love boating and swimming on lake water. Is there boating? How clean are the Lakes in Colorado? Is there swimming? Reasonable priced lake front property? Night boating?

Well there's basically two kinds of lakes in Colorado. There's mountain lakes, where the water is cold all year round (not good for swiiming) and in fact frozen in the winter. Then there's the lakes that are in the desert and plains areas, which are warmer. Cleanliness seems to vary from lake to lake. The lakes in Denver look just awfully dirty, for example. But I do see people swimming in places like Crawford resvoir.

Seeing the quality of life I am seeking, any suggestions of any particular county/city/towns I should look into?

Definitely something in and around Denver or Colorado Springs. You'll get the socializing opportunities, and you'll be within an easy drive of the great outdoors.

Is it ok to let pets outside? How bad are ticks there? Heard about Rocky mountain spotted fever....

I don't have pets so I can't really comment on the ticks. I personally don't worry about spotted fever or west nile virus when I'm outdoors.

good luck with your move. I think if you were to move to Denver, you'd be very content.

80skeys
Grand Junction, CO

[treedonkey]

Colorado has to be in the bottom-5 states in the US for boating. That's not to say that we don't have some beautiful lakes - WE DO - but there is only a handful of large, recreational lakes here and, aside from the urban reservoirs, most of those are in the high country, away from jobs, people and amenities.