Gay couple looking to get out of Utah (Denver, Colorado Springs: best cities, condo)

[gamerbear]

Hello everyone. New to the forum. My wife and I are considering moving to Colorado and I am seeking out advice from residents and those familiar with the state. Here is some information on us and what we are looking for:

Coming from southern Utah we are looking for an area that is fairly liberal and/or a mixed bag, open-minded and accepting of our marriage. We are also an interracial couple, although huge black culture is not a big deal for us. Mostly acceptance is what we are looking for.

My background is in the medical and administrative fields so I will be seeking employment in that area. How are the job prospects for these areas?

We are looking for a condo/townhome that isn't too expensive, in a safe neighborhood, and close to shopping, dining, etc. Price range would probably be from $100k - $300k. We also have two yorkies so a place that is dog friendly would fit our criteria as well.

We enjoy, museums, art, nature, coffeshops, bookstores, and are avid gamers. We pretty much keep to ourselves and are basically looking for a place where we can live our lives peacefully and do our own thing.

We are in our late 20's.

I am originally from San Diego so traffic wouldn't bother me, however, we would prefer to not have a commute of more than 30 minutes to work as we only have one vehicle at the moment.

So, can anyone recommend the best cities and towns for us to be looking into? We are planning a move in August.

Thank you!

[Josseppie]

I would say any city on the front range urban corridor would be good. I am gay and live in Pueblo and love it.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

I would say any city on the front range urban corridor would be good. I am gay and live in Pueblo and love it.

I agree that the Front Range will be a great place for you to consider. Colorado, and Denver and Boulder in particular, are very open, tolerant communities with a "live and let live" mindset. It's one of the things we love most about living here. There are large gay populations and many are parents. The economy is both is strong and growing (or stable, at the very minimum).

One thing that jumps out as me though is your budget. Housing prices are very high (for a non coastal) market) in both Denver and Boulder and inventory is low. It's a hot market. I would imagine Pueblo to be a significant cost savings. Not sure about Colorado Springs, either in terms of budget, or fit for you. Many of the Amenities and things you are looking for are in the Urban areas of Denver (and Boulder), but will be hard to obtain even at the high end of your budget. Hopefully, others will chime in with specific area suggestions that may be more attainable, while still offering reasonable access to the city center.

[gamerbear]

Thanks for the feedback. We are willing to extend the budget. I've just barely begun to research and I'm still feeling out the housing market. Can you be a little bit more specific as to what the Front Range is?

[Texas Ag 93]

Colorado Front Range - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Front Range is the area East of the Rockies where the most populous cities are (Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Ft. Collins etc). If you are considering a city in the Front Range outside of the Denver-Boulder MSA, then it's possible your budget might work, but I am only familiar with Denver.....Good luck.

Obviously, from an employment perspective, the larger the metro, the more options you have.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by gamerbear

We are looking for a condo/townhome that isn't too expensive, in a safe neighborhood, and close to shopping, dining, etc. Price range would probably be from $100k - $300k.

Think $300-500K in Denver.

You may find this useful - Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado | Committed to Colorado

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

Colorado Front Range - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Front Range is the area East of the Rockies where the most populous cities are (Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Ft. Collins etc).

And Pueblo. We always get left out.

I like pueblo because it's progrssive has great arts and culture yet only a 90 minute drive to denver to see things we do not have and is inexpensive.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

And Pueblo. We always get left out.

I like pueblo because it's progrssive has great arts and culture yet only a 90 minute drive to denver to see things we do not have and is inexpensive.

I'm sorry about that. You are right. For some reason, I think of Pueblo as being farther South than it is. OP, if you have any interest in any of these communities, check out their sub forums.

[lurtsman]

Denver will do the best in every category except price. If you want to save money, COS is your best option. If you want to save even more money, Pueblo wins with a remarkably low cost of living and fairly decent scores in your categories relative to its size. Do you have a preference on city size?

Note, Colorado Springs has a fairly conservative reputation, but if someone actually you a homophobic name in public there are tons of citizens that would react negatively to the jerk. In my years here I've only witnessed possible racism twice, and both times it was minorities not wanting to include white people. Neither time was so outwardly open as to ensure the cause was actually racism, they could have had their own reasons.

[gamerbear]

Thanks for the feedback. I'd prefer a city with a population over 100k but a little smaller I'm not adverse to it. From what I've read there seems to be mixed views on Pueblo. I haven't really given Pueblo much thought. I was more looking at Westminster, Broomfield, and Centennial. More suburban, as we aren't really city people, although I'd like close proximity in the event we want to go explore. Coming from conservative Utah, I'm kind of looking for it's polar opposite, at the very least an equal mix.