Colorado might not be for me after all? (Denver, Colorado Springs: ski resorts, fit in)

[ashleynj]

For about a year now I have been thinking of moving to Colorado (Colorado Springs most likely), but after spending hours and hours reading about living there I am realizing this might not be the smartest move for me. I really don't know anymore.

Currently I live in NJ. I have lived here most of my life. I live in Sussex county right now, which is nicer than some other areas in NJ, but it is getting more and more expensive to live here. I'm also miserable every summer because of the humidity which often lasts until late fall.

People around here always seem so stressed, and I am finding that I'm becoming like this too. I guess having to worry about the high cost of living that is only getting worse, the traffic, the miserable weather and so on will do that to a person.

I have been looking for a place that is more affordable than NJ, not as humid, and a place that a singe 39 year old animal lover would fit in. I don't require much. I work from home and would be able to do so if I moved. I am not a big party person, so I don't need to be around bars or clubs.

I would love to just find a small home, with some type of yard so I can have a small garden and for my dogs to play in, and I would like to have some privacy, so an area where one house is right next to another is not ideal for me. I would like to be no more than an hour away from a good health food store, hospital, and vet clinic.

I thought Colorado sounded perfect at first, but now I'm reading that it can be expensive to live there, that there are some crazy water laws that I have never heard of before and having a garden is almost impossible, that fracking is (or will be) an issue, etc.

I have never traveled to Colorado yet mainly because for the last few years I have been taking care of my pets that were older and required extra care from me, and leaving them with someone even for a week was not an option.

Right now I don't have anything holding me back here, and I just feel like I have been staying in a place that I am not happy in for way too long.

Is Colorado the place for me though?

Is it really expensive to live there?

Being from NJ I feel that not many places can be as expensive as this state.

What are the water issues all about?

Should I just look at another state maybe?

I do plan on visiting first any state I plan to move to, but visiting is not the same as living there so I am hoping people that have or do live there can give me some guidance.

[davebarnes]

Consider TN, KY.

"Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over."

[GStone777]

Colorado could be divided into several different regions. The Front Range cities from Castle Rock north to Fort Collins, the Plains north of I-70, the Plains south of I-70, the Front Range cities from about Monument south to Colorado Springs and Pueblo, the southern part of the state from Trinidad to Alamosa and the San Luis Valley, the mountain region of the San Juans extending north to I-70 and east into the ski resorts of Aspen and Vail and the Breckenridge area, the Northwest, the Western Slope farming valleys and finally the north mountains and the ski towns located there. I just remembered the lost corners, (4 corners region). I just drove through it 2 days ago and should have remembered it.

The above is my very simplified version of the different regions of the state and I wouldn't be surprised if you get a much more complex and informative post from Jazzlover, Idunn or others. My point is Colorado is a very complex place and your not being sure of moving to Colorado in general doesn't tell anybody much. Have you done research on all these different areas???

[ashleynj]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

Consider TN, KY.

"Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over."

Friends who have spent time in TN and KY have told me it gets pretty humid there. I need to find a place that has a semi arid climate.

[Teckeeee]

Dry, and semi arid don't correlate to large green grass with garden. Let me help you out. Parker, where I lived didn't as off last summer have Denver's draconian water rules where people end up letting their lawns die. Or try Fountain, cheaper than the CS but close. Xeriscape front yards actually look quite nice, which would offset your water supply. You could also try NM and UT both have semi arid climates. BTW CS is cheaper than Denver so it's going to be cheaper than where you are in NJ.

[ashleynj]

Originally Posted by GStone777

Colorado could be divided into several different regions. The Front Range cities from Castle Rock north to Fort Collins, the Plains north of I-70, the Plains south of I-70, the Front Range cities from about Monument south to Colorado Springs and Pueblo, the southern part of the state from Trinidad to Alamosa and the San Luis Valley, the mountain region of the San Juans extending north to I-70 and east into the ski resorts of Aspen and Vail and the Breckenridge area, the Northwest, the Western Slope farming valleys and finally the north mountains and the ski towns located there. I just remembered the lost corners, (4 corners region). I just drove through it 2 days ago and should have remembered it.

The above is my very simplified version of the different regions of the state and I wouldn't be surprised if you get a much more complex and informative post from Jazzlover, Idunn or others. My point is Colorado is a very complex place and your not being sure of moving to Colorado in general doesn't tell anybody much. Have you done research on all these different areas???

My main concerns are the weather and cost of living. I want to get away from the humid weather, I don't mind snow but I don't want to live where there is an enormous amount with long periods of freezing temps, and I can't afford certain areas of Colorado. I have looked into a few areas and Colorado Springs(and nearby areas) seems to have pretty good weather, and it seems pretty affordable. The reason I am now second guessing myself is some of the info I have read recently that seems to go against the original information I gathered. Some people seem to think it is affordable and some say it is not, some are saying the water issues there are of great concern and others seem not so worried about that. I plan on visiting but I am not sure if I will have the time to visit every area.

[ashleynj]

Originally Posted by Teckeeee

Dry, and semi arid don't correlate to large green grass with garden. Let me help you out. Parker, where I lived didn't as off last summer have Denver's draconian water rules where people end up letting their lawns die. Or try Fountain, cheaper than the CS but close. Xeriscape front yards actually look quite nice, which would offset your water supply. You could also try NM and UT both have semi arid climates. BTW CS is cheaper than Denver so it's going to be cheaper than where you are in NJ.

Thank you, I will look into Parker and Fountain. I don't really need a huge, lush garden, but I would love to be able to grow a few veggies for myself. I have looked into Utah and NM but they just don't feel like places I would want to live. I also have a friend who lives in Boise (arid climate and low cost of living), but that too doesn't feel like the place for me. When I look at photos of Colorado I just feel very drawn to the place.
There is a thread on here about the water issues in Colorado, how water is running out, and that is one of the reasons I started to worry about that.

[Count David]

OP, Try:
Salem, OR
Spokane, WA
Boise, ID

[dude1984]

Originally Posted by GStone777

Colorado could be divided into several different regions. The Front Range cities from Castle Rock north to Fort Collins, the Plains north of I-70, the Plains south of I-70, the Front Range cities from about Monument south to Colorado Springs and Pueblo, the southern part of the state from Trinidad to Alamosa and the San Luis Valley, the mountain region of the San Juans extending north to I-70 and east into the ski resorts of Aspen and Vail and the Breckenridge area, the Northwest, the Western Slope farming valleys and finally the north mountains and the ski towns located there. I just remembered the lost corners, (4 corners region). I just drove through it 2 days ago and should have remembered it.

The above is my very simplified version of the different regions of the state and I wouldn't be surprised if you get a much more complex and informative post from Jazzlover, Idunn or others. My point is Colorado is a very complex place and your not being sure of moving to Colorado in general doesn't tell anybody much. Have you done research on all these different areas???

I agree with this...it is a very geographically diverse state. Eastern half is high plains, the central is broken up between mountains and forests in the north and central and high desert (San Luis Valley...amazing place ) in the south, and the Colorado Plateau (high desert in the west). Most of the state is semi arid or high desert. The green places have way too short of a season for a garden. I love the semi-arid climate and I really love the high desert. It feels like you can touch the clouds and the mix of brown, yellow/gold, and a little bit of green with the mountains in the background is beautiful.

The lack of humidity is amazing. I just moved out here from Chicago (very similar to your region) and the difference is night and day. The high was 92 F, but because the relative humidity was 19% (dew points in the mid 40s) it felt like 88 F! I don't even need A/C. All I need are the blinds closed, some fans, and water. Back in Chicago it was 91 F, but felt like 96 F with the humidity. Thoughts of that humidity make me sad because of how bad it was...

The best (and only) thing to do is come out here. I was between Portland and Denver. After visiting both and comparing the two, I went with Denver.

[ashleynj]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

OP, Try:
Salem, OR
Spokane, WA
Boise, ID

I have looked into Boise and there is just something about it that I don't feel I would want to live there. It's not humid but seems to get much hotter there than Colorado.
I will need to look into OR and WA. I have heard the winters there can be very gloomy and that is something I don't think I would like either. I will have to look into the weather there. Thank you.