Moving to a ski town with kids

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by NewEnglandFamily

Thanks for all the feedback. Just curious on the cost of living thing... is the major factor here housing or are there other significant considerations? It seems that housing cost is fairly similar to what we have here in NH, (unless you go for a large home). I am fortunate that I would not need a job locally as I can work remotely from almost anywhere, if there is a decent airport nearby... which is the other challenge.

Being familiar with NH and ski town Colorado real estate, the cost per square foot is far higher in CO ski towns. In ski towns it is also harder to get a normal, detached house with a yard, unless budget isn't an issue.

Breck, Keystone and Copper the realistic option is DIA. Keystone clocks in at 1.5 hrs., Breck 1.75 hours from DIA.

Eagle County is 2-2.5 hours from DIA in good weather. Eagle Airport is obviously an option but schedules vary depending on the seasons and often it is only a commuter flight into Denver, which I found over the years can be highly unreliable and very expensive. Often one would be better driving to Denver.

Steamboat, having lived there as well I'm not a big fan of. It's much colder(I found often a 20-30 degree difference between Vail and Steamboat driving back and forth) in the winter and the airport is pretty sketchy depending on the weather and has the same unreliability record in regards to flights. It's also a lot more isolated which being a country type I like the more isolated feel, but Steamboat I felt was a "bridge too far".

For kids I think living in a ski town would be a great experience. Personally if I was in that situation I would avoid Keystone, Copper, Beaver Creek, etc. as they are not "real towns", just resorts.

[3PreciousBabies]

Originally Posted by RockyMtns

Re: raising kids -- There were a variety of reasons we very deliberately chose to raise our son in a ski resort; now that we've done it, I see many, many more pluses than minuses to having raised my child in a ski town -- Steamboat Springs, in our case. It was a nice way to grow up, imho, with eclectic entertainment possibilities and huge sports/outdoor fun options, and with some contact with people from other parts of the world who were visiting or working here for a season, but also with the small-town pluses of knowing most folks who lived here, small-enough classrooms, being totally safe anywhere at any hour, etc. He is now 21 and in college elsewhere and says he remembers his childhood fondly.

Not sure what's meant by "social issues," but happy to give an opinion if I have one. :-)

I am interested to learn more about your experience with raising kids in Steamboat. We have three little ones and would like to have another. We have been to Colorado many times and Steamboat has been at the top off our list but I guess that after hearing some opinions on this forum it is easy to get discouraged...you would think that almost every child/teenager is caught up in drugs and drinking. How was your experience as far as this? Also, what about the public schools? Is there enough extra curricular activities in the town (ex:soccer, theater classes, etc?) My husband is concerned about isolation...we like to ski and snowboard but is that all there is to do in the winter? Also, does it get old to constantly have all the tourists all over town? Thanks for any info!!

[bluebird39]

I know I'm probbly very nieve, but have you considered Traverse City Michigan? Good, cheap skiing, great schools, close to major metro areas, low cost of living. It's a neat place. Our ski slopes are bunny hills compared to out there, but it's great for kids.

[5stones]

I would suggest looking into Glenwood springs. use Grand junction airport and you have numerous ski resorts within a quick drive...(sunlight---small kid friendly,snowmass, buttermilk--again small, Aspen highlands & Apsen mtn...for chic)
A bit futher drive you can get to Crested Butte, or go east on I-70 and hit Beaver creek and Vail or even futher to copper, breck,and keystone.

If you can be close to a smaller airport then the Grand Junction airport would work it can get you anywhere with a flight connection through either DIA, DFW, or Salt Lake.


The problem I see with Steamboat esp.. (can be pretty cold in the winter) is getting to an airport in winter... when the passes close etc..you can be stuck for a few days.

and since you mentioned near a major airport... I would try to get a small town close to skiing but on the EAST side of the tunnel etc...
areas around Boulder etc... or Evergreen outside of Denver

ski resorts and major airports usually don't go hand in hand...since most ski resorts are in small mtn towns etc...


here's a great site that has the resorts listed on a map so you can see how far from the airports etc they are...
Ski Resort Locator Map - The Colorado Directory


I agree with whoever suggested Park city Utah, probably the best ski town located close to a major airport.

[bikerpppp]

Crested Butte is super nice!! I live in Denver and wish I could be in CB. I have a childhood friend that lives there and he loves it. Winters are Cold but worth having all that snow to ski. Summers are short but has a lot to offer; mountain biking, rafting hiking, bird watching...... There is an airport in Gunnison. Cheers-

[Vail-ite]

Mostly I can respond to raising kids in a ski-town...
I was raised in the Vail Valley, and I wouldn't change that for the world. I went to both the main schools(High, Middle, and Elementary) as well as the local Charter Academy...all were great, but I preferred the Charter Academy just for the smaller class sizes (but all classes, even in the bigger schools will be MUCH smaller than most people are probably used to). As cliche as it may seem...I felt like all the teachers I had TRULY cared about me (academically as well as personal growth). I needed a lot of extra help in school, and I found that the help was always readily available (sometimes even before I realized I needed it).
While a larger city may provide you with more "cultural" experiences, it also increases opportunities for kids to find less than desirable pastimes. None of my friends or I EVER had a strict curfew (there is a county curfew for unaccompanied minors...I think 10pm). When we were younger it was kind of the attitude of "when the street lights went on, everyone went home.
Some people may argue that kids will miss out on certain experiences they would have in a larger town, but all I have to say is, how many kids in a larger town got to ski multiple days per week (during the week in some cases)? Not many...
While at 24, I understand that some of this info may be a little out of date...I do have 5 nieces and nephews (6,9,10,12,and14). If you need anymore detailed info, I would be HAPPY to answer any questions as best I can...please feel free to send me a personal message.