Looking at Carbondale, CO (Glenwood Springs, Rifle: for sale, apartments, rentals)

[rheince]

Hey all,

I've spent many Summers in Colorado (all over) and have finally decided to make the move. I'm looking at Carbondale and just wanted some opinions from people who live there.

I have a partner (woman with woman) so wondered how that would factor in with the "locals" We are not flag wavers or political. Most of our friends happen to be heterosexual. We basically love people and are very outdoorsy i.e. hiking, road biking, disc golf, etc.

We both have careers that we could find jobs there (hopefully we are lucky to do so at the same time!) but could probably live ok on one salary for a while.

Don't want to buy and would love to find house to rent as opposed to apartment (small dog who loves to run in back yard). Could swing a rental for $1500/mo.

Any thoughts are appreciated on general feelings about living there.

Thanks in advance!

[StarrySkiesAbove]

I don't live there but know the area well, it is a very pretty part of Colorado and well situated for outdoor pursuits. The town has some good restaurants and a fun vibe. I don't think you will encounter any problems from residents regarding being a same sex couple.

Jobs may be hard to find. I would really urge you to have at least one lined up before you make the move. It is quite expensive for housing/rent/food/gas/taxes. This is due in part to its proximity to Aspen and geographical location; it costs more to get things to the area. It is dog friendly (as is almost all of Colorado) but pretty cold in the winter with a fair amount of snow.

I would suggest also looking at Glenwood Springs. It's about 20 minutes away and not nearly as expensive. My cousin lived in Carbondale for 25 years. He has recently moved to Glenwood because according to him the billionaires in Aspen have pushed the millionaires who can't afford Aspen now into Carbondale so everything has gone up.

Out of curiosity I looked at some ads for rentals in Carbondale, I don't think you will find much for $1500. There are not a lot of rentals and most seem to be renting for $2000 and way up.

[rheince]

Thanks for the info, Starry...interestingly enough, I was in Glenwood Springs a few years ago and fell in love with it! However, I thought it might be too expensive! LOL

I will definitely give it another look.

Thanks again!

[Dogmama50]

I don't think you'll find any issues with the locals or most of the tourists with you relationship, the mountains tend to be very tolerant. I do think you will have some difficulty finding a rental in the area for $1500. Check craigslist: high rockies jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events, http://www.aspentimes.com, http://www.postindependent.com for rentals and job postings to see what is offered. The Roaring Fork Valley is great area, I hope you find a place and work so you can enjoy your lives there.

[Hipchik]

It's a great place to live. Ditto the above comments. You should have no concerns regarding your relationship but unfortunately it will be difficult to find a rental for $1500. If you loved Glenwood Springs do check it out. Housing is more inline with your budget. I found several listings under $1500 on padmapper.com
Best of luck!

[rheince]

Thanks, all for your responses! They have helped much and I will continue to search. Upon further investigation into Carbondale, I did realize it will be difficult to rent for $1500. I loved, loved, loved Glenwood, so I am rather excited about checking further.

BTW, anyone know anything about Rifle?

[Dogmama50]

Rifle is ok, but not as progressive as Glenwood or Carbondale. Unless you are in the oil/energy industry there aren't many job opportunities there.

[rheince]

Just another question about Carbondale living expenses in general. Originally I said renting for $1500/mos, but we could double that (just didn't want to). So, putting housing aside, are groceries and utilities more expensive in Carbondale too? I mean, could a couple making a combined salary over $100,000/yr live "comfortably"???

I'm just asking for opinions of maybe someone who lives/lived there.

I found a job there in my profession, and my partner is a school teacher/college professor, so come Feb/Mar she would be looking for openings then.

Any more feedback is appreciated. I guess I just really love what I have read, and seen about Carbondale!

THANKS again, everyone!

[Dogmama50]

We live comfortably on a combined salary in that neighborhood. If you bump your rent up to $2k or so you should be able to find something. For utility references, my place is about 2600 sq/ft gas in the summer is about $50 and winter for heat around $200, electric around $45/75, water $65, trash $30, cable/internet $95. Groceries are more expensive than some places but I was just back in Connecticut and found them comparable, gas is currently $3.89 a gallon in Vail. There are so many free things to do in the area that we don't spend much money if we don't want to.

[bartonizer]

Don't do Rifle, it's waaaay more western ranchy, more like Wyoming. I live in No Name, in Glenwood Canyon. Glenwood's not bad, a tourist town with some amenities. Carbondale is great, an idyllic little place and we prefer it as a place to hang out. Obviously tough to find reasonable housing in the whole Roaring Fork Valley, especially with pets. That said, I have noticed more listings in Glenwood or between Glenwood and Carbondale in the last few weeks. If you could be in town, that would be great-bike trail goes through the middle of town, and it's flat and easy to get around. But it's not so bad to be north of town. For much of the year, there's really only one way out, and that's back out 82 (I realized 133 is open year-round, but your won't be going up and over McClure Pass too many times in winter, most likely). So, being towards the interstate isn't bad, strategically.

To answer your question-groceries are only slightly more expensive than other places in CO. There's a Whole Foods just up the road in Willits (Basalt) and it's not that different than the City Market in town. Utilities are a different story. I'm not sure where you're from, but unlike the Front Range it stays cold much longer here in the winter-there aren't nearly as many little warmups. The amount of insulation and efficiency can play a huge role in your winter bills. So, factor that it in when looking at a place. Our gas bills were outrageous this year. Oh, and gas for your car is a little more expensive in the valley, too. Much cheaper in GJ or even headed east in Silverthorne/Dillon. Keep that in mind when cruising around the state, as you might want to fill up when you head out of town.

None of these things should discourage you from the area- realistically the only really expensive cost is housing. The payoff is living in a place this obscenely beautiful!