Need advice from you Western natives on where to move!

[history nerd]

Originally Posted by amethyst0506

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'll look into them for sure.

I guess I'm not familiar with real estate over there. I live like 10 miles from the beaches in Florida and it's pretty easy to find apartments for $1000 that allow dogs. I will plan on having to pay more for rent then, i do not want roommates.

Any recommended areas of Denver to look into that are safe and not crazy expensive?

Not at that price point...

[MsBall]

Originally Posted by amethyst0506

Honestly, I'm not exactly sure yet and It's up in the air. I'll be graduating with a bachelor's degree in Biology - either i'll settle for that and most likely do something along the lines of wildlife research, animal related job or i'll consider grad school or PA school if things don't work out.

I'm also an aspiring artist and thought about trying to make a business out of my artwork. Money really isn't too much of a driving force for me - i'd be happy in a small, simple apartment as long as I have my dog and the wilderness around me, if that's possible?
I'm paying about $1200 in rent monthly here in florida which is way more than I'll be able to pay when moving there. I'm looking for no more than about $900 - $1000 in rent monthly in a safe area where I don't need to be worried. Even cheaper if thats possible.

What are your thoughts on Colorado Springs? I'm not familiar with the area.

Just realize you are not alone in wanting to move to Colorado so those environmental jobs may be somewhat competitive. My husband applied for a job with the Bureau of Land Management in Denver, didn't even get an interview, and later found out there were over 500 applicants for that position.
Secure a job first, otherwise all these recommendations on where to live are pointless.

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by amethyst0506

What are your thoughts on Colorado Springs? I'm not familiar with the area.

Second largest city in Colorado (just shy of 700k in the metro area compared to Denver's 2.5 mil), so not exactly what I'd call small, nor secluded, but significantly different than Denver. Rents are slightly lower than Denver, but rising. Access to local trails and close in mountains is better. Ski resorts are still 2+ hours away. With a degree in Biology, you may be able to get employment in healthcare, which is a fairly big industry in Colo Spgs.

The mountains create a similar style of real estate escalation like being near the beach in FL. Best prices will be found on the prairie east of the cities, highest costs will be in the mountains. Although there is a slight variation in that on the west side of Colo Spgs as the older and Victorian era homes of the westside have so much variation, that sometimes you can find less expensive units. Of course this also means no pool, weight room, or other types of amenities that are typically found in the newer developments on the east side of town.

Also unlike FL, employment in the Rocky Mtn west tends to center around the largest cities. We lack attractive, sophisticated, satellite towns within 30 minutes of these major metros where life is slowed paced but still has every amenity available. You need to be within a city's metro area to have access to most things.

Many people are inspired by or because of moving here. Artists and craftsman abound. Odds are significantly against you making a living doing this, but don't necessarily give up on doing this as a mental exercise. You never know when you may tap into an upcoming style or trend. Nearly every tourist town has art from small, simple watercolors to huge investment grade oils. Crafts from knife making, pottery, and more can easily be found. There are some artist co-ops and some artsy type districts that are generating art walks and shows, but nothing of any major significance. Artist who make a living at it tend to show in Santa Fe NM and Cody WY and only display art in touristy areas of CO as a sideline that may be closer to home.

To see a slice of jobs available in the Colo Spgs area, go here and browse a while: https://www.connectingcolorado.com/

[NW Crow]

Grand Junction will have some jobs you may qualify for. Competition for them might be less than in Colorado Springs. Remote field jobs are desirable in some cases, others not so much. Sometimes you have to start with less desirable and try to move up as you gain experience and demonstrate ability and drive. As others have said, focus on the job search first. You can travel and learn more about place options after you have a foothold here.


If you try for an office job in the Denver area, you could look for housing in places like Lakewood, Littleton, maybe Golden. While prices are high, there is a range. Some people won't consider mid or low range. If you can accept not fancy (no gym, pool, etc.), smaller & older there are places at your price point and sometimes lower. Look at some rental sites and gauge for yourself.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by MsBall

Just realize you are not alone in wanting to move to Colorado so those environmental jobs may be somewhat competitive. My husband applied for a job with the Bureau of Land Management in Denver, didn't even get an interview, and later found out there were over 500 applicants for that position.
Secure a job first, otherwise all these recommendations on where to live are pointless.

This, a thousand times over. Or more.

That advice goes for lots of places people flock to, not just Denver or CO.