Montana Woman Struggling to Pick New Colorado Home (Denver, Colorado Springs: houses, employment)

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by MontanaAsh

Just fyi, in the 3/15/14 news: more layoffs at Ballentine: Southwest Colorado newspapers announce layoffs | GJSentinel.com

I appreciate the ideas, and Cortez looks incredible. I need to eat, however, even in paradise. Sigh. If everyone would just stop buying any home priced over $300K this economy would be more welcoming to those of us who just want to work a decent job for decent pay, live in a modest house and pay reasonable taxes to support our communities. I guess that's the lifestyle that's going out of style.

Interesting. There's been no such announcement here, and Ballentine continues to carry job postings with the company in its local want ads. I must admit that I don't think highly of Ballentine and get most of my news from the Four Corners Free Press and the local NPR station.

At any rate, good luck with your move. I agree that you may like New Mex better, and I warn you that navigating the I25 corridor is a nightmare as far as I'm concerned. I used to commute from the Springs to Denver 5 days a week. I'd rather drive in a blizzard over Wolf Creek Pass in the old days when it had almost no guard rails and was only two lanes wide. Even just going from the north end of the Springs to the south during rush hour sucks big time. And we haven't even started on Denver yet. I hope you like stop and go/parking lot style driving and have a good collection of all your favorite music to listen to. Books on tape also help while away Interstate tedium.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by MontanaAsh

Would Grand Junction be a good alternative?

Yes, I think it would satisfy what you're looking for. I lived there for a year and a half. And I liked it, except it was too small for my taste (I'm more of a city person); there was only one job opportunity in my field (computers); and winter was too cold for my taste (I'm more of a mild-weather person.) But it should fit the bill for what you're looking for, and I can't imagine winters are as cold as what you get in Montana. So definitely check it out and check out surrounding towns too: Collbran, Delta, Cedaredge, Paonia.

Regarding Cortez: really? I mean, it's a tiny village in the middle of the desert. If that's what you like, then okay ...

[Colorado Rambler]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

Regarding Cortez: really? I mean, it's a tiny village in the middle of the desert. If that's what you like, then okay ...

I've actually posted more than once about Cortez, but my dry sense of humor (what else would I have out here?) apparently causes my posts to dessicate and be blown away by some mysterious cyber vortex before many have a chance to view them. Just as well, perhaps...

At 10,000 souls, the population of Cortez is certainly small by Front Range or other urban standards, but we are actually the second largest town in the Four Corners after Durango. And we're not a desert in the true sense of the word. We are a high altitude (6,000 ft) drylands community. Miles of sand dunes and 100F plus temps need not apply except for two or three times in July or August when the thermometer inches up toward 99 or 100F. The rest of the time the climate is fairly mild and many people of retirement age are drawn to the area because of the lower cost of living and the mostly pleasant weather. I've posted before about how the cemetary on one side of town combined with all the billboards as you enter Cortez from the south on Highway 491 give people the wrong impression. That post dried up and blew away, too. Fine by me. Cortez is only a 20 minute drive from the San Juan National Forest and the spectacular San Juan mountain range. It's two hours from Canyonlands National Park and about 15 minutes from Mesa Verde National Park. People have no idea how fantastic this area is when they're just driving thru trying to make tracks for somewhere else. Also, fine by me. It keeps the cost of housing in Cortez low and the near-by Public Lands have fewer visitors, as a result. In addition, there's the CD Forums policy about deleting any posts about Cortez as if it were Brigadoon or something. Whatever. Everyone can just keep right on going to expensive, crowded, and ever so chic Durango and leave us alone with our incredible high mesas, amazing canyon country and spectacular San Juans.

[MontanaAsh]

Colo Rambler: I mulled and thought about it through some pretty stressful sleepless nights (I've set a deadline for my move out of here--my job dried up months ago, I've received close to 100 rejection letters, and I've GOT to get somewhere that has some jobs open (Montana is VERY limited if you lose your spot; you better hope someone else lost theirs so you can maybe switch places). The I-25 corridor might have more plentiful employment prospects, but I'd probably go mad before summer was out with the traffic, noise, people and issues that come with too many of them packed too close in paradise. I spent a summer in Evergreen back in 1987 and again in '88, and both that town and Denver were much nicer than they are today; less "sophisticated" and certainly less developed, but charming, easy to navigate and get around, exuding a western hometown feel. I keep going back thinking I'll find that again, but as they say you can't keep doing the same failing thing over and over and hope for a different result. It's changed for ever, not for the good, and it's officially out of the running. Wish I could time travel back to when the Front Range wasn't quite as discovered, but the John Denver days are over. Thanks for the input on all matters, including Cortez. That quaint place doesn't scare a Montana girl.

[Lugnuts]

Originally Posted by MontanaAsh

...... but I'll work at the humane society or check groceries or care for kids; I'm not in this thing for the money, . ...

Check out Salida and Buena Vista if you don't mind being working poor.

Mountain Mail classifieds here:

TheMountainMail.com - Help Wanted[0]=job%2Fgeneral_labor&m=7153a172-cdb8-11e0-9625-0019bb30f31a&o=20&l=10

Quaint towns. Beautiful settings. Over-priced real estate. Sounds like a warmer version of Montana!

GL

[Bumper383]

DO keep in mind Salida and Buena Vista. Salida has more amenities. Both, especially Salida, are kinda "artsy" communities, and obsessed with hiking, biking and rafting. Both are very close to the heart of what the Colorado Rockies have to offer. Both are in "banana belts" so weather is pretty mild compared to other parts of the more populated areas of the state.

To reiterate what others have said, the I-25 corridor is a nightmare. Way too much congestion from near the Wyoming border to Pueblo. Growing and growing and growing. Big city attitude among folks that reminds me too much of southern CA.

[NW Crow]

Could look for a rare place in Eldorado Springs if climbing is an every day habit / need and will be for foreseeable future. Sometimes you can get housemate / climbing partner as package deal. Close to job markets with more of the professional kinds of jobs you listed. Or get a place in Superior for a 6-12 month trial and see
what you can find into terms of jobs then reconsider a country place if it fits.

[MontanaAsh]

Thanks for the suggestions. I really love that area around Salida. The job quest continues--I wonder about nanny jobs in that area and will check it out. I used to be in higher ed PR and marketing, but the jobs have pretty much dried up everywhere, and the few out there get thousands of applicants. So, it's nanny and pet care, and I'll look into options in those areas.

[NW Crow]

Colorado Tech University has 7 openings listed in CO in admissions and financial aid. Given the nature of the school, remote work from home might be possible for some or most hrs (I didn't check.).

[Lugnuts]

Originally Posted by MontanaAsh

. So, it's nanny and pet care, and I'll look into options in those areas.

Ark Valley humane society was looking for someone a couple of months ago, not sure about now:

Employment

You could also volunteer there and hopefully work your way into a paid position.