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I'm single with 2 dogs so schools don't matter. I can spend up to about 300K. I'm pretty much a suburbanite. I like to be somewhat near stores and restaurants. Dog park, scenic natureish trails to walk the dogs, hiking, local events, farmer's market, etc. are my thing.
I will look for a 3/2 or 4/2 type house with garage and with a fenced yard for the dogs.
I figure that Colorado Springs is out because of commute and the prices.
Pueblo West seems like the place I need to go. Opinions?
You might actually check out Florence as well before you rule it out. It is a nice little town and has several of the things on your list. Also Canon City. But yes, I think Pueblo West or the north side of Pueblo could fit the bill. You might also consider Fountain, but that is about as far as you can go and stay under an hour in commute, and I would expect you can find something closer.
You might actually check out Florence as well before you rule it out. It is a nice little town and has several of the things on your list. Also Canon City. But yes, I think Pueblo West or the north side of Pueblo could fit the bill. You might also consider Fountain, but that is about as far as you can go and stay under an hour in commute, and I would expect you can find something closer.
Otowi is right. Florence is just a short drive to Canon City whereas Pueblo West, while certainly not a long commute, is just a tad over 30 miles IIRC.
I was just on Realtor.com a bit ago and it had about three dozen homes listed for Florence. Pueblo West has a few hundred. Maybe if you can get a weekly rate at one of the extended stay motels where that can give you a little time to check things out. Like Otowi says it IS a nice town!
I live in western Colorado but every six weeks I come to the Denver area to help with family issues and lots of times I go home through Canon City-Salida-Gunnison as I enjoy the drive whereas I don't enjoy I-70 a whole lot lol. And at this time of the year I like to stop and fish the Arkansas River in the Cotopaxi/Coaldale area. That is something you'll appreciate about the area. Some of the most beautiful mountains in the state are about a 40 minute drive west of Canon City.
"So I will be working at Florence. I'm single with 2 dogs so schools don't matter. I can spend up to about 300K. I'm pretty much a suburbanite. I like to be somewhat near stores and restaurants. Dog park, scenic natureish trails to walk the dogs, hiking, local events, farmer's market, etc. are my thing. I will look for a 3/2 or 4/2 type house with garage and with a fenced yard for the dogs. I figure that Colorado Springs is out because of commute and the prices. Pueblo West seems like the place I need to go. Opinions?"
As a resident of Pueblo West for the past nine years, I can give you some advice. First, I agree that Colorado Springs should be ruled out because of the insane housing prices up there and the fairly long, often treacherous commute from the Springs to Florence on Highway 115 during the winter months. Conversely, Pueblo West is an easy 20-30 minute drive to Florence, depending on where in Pueblo West you're starting from (P.W. is very large geographically - over 70 sq mi). It's a very easy drive on a divided highway (Hwy 50) almost all the way, and it's rare even in the winter for travel to be hazardous on that stretch of road. Lots of people I know live in Pueblo West and work at the Supermax or one of the other prisons near Florence. I've never heard any of them complain about the drive.
Canon City or Florence itself may be a possibility for your relocation. Florence is nice town but very small (pop. less than 4,000) with few retail stores and restaurants, which may or may not be a dealbreaker for you. Canon City, on the other hand, is a thriving small city (pop. around 20,000 counting the suburb of Lincoln Park) with a Walmart, Home Depot, and a fairly good selection of retail stores and restaurants. There is a wonderful public trail along the Arkansas River just south of downtown which would be a great place to walk your dogs. Canon City is situated in a very scenic location, with mountains surrounding over half the town. The Arkansas River provides excellent fishing, rafting and kayaking. Real estate in Canon City is still quite reasonable and property taxes are extremely low. In your case, I think the #1 reason for choosing Canon City would be its close proximity to your job in Florence. It takes only about 10 minutes to drive from downtown Canon City to downtown Florence. The main drawbacks to living in Canon City, from what I know and have observed, are the lack of quality medical facilities and specialists; the relative lack of many urban amenities, and the distance required to drive to those amenities in Colorado Springs or Pueblo; and the very busy Highway 50, which bisects the town and makes getting from one side of the highway to the other a royal pain in the butt.
As for Pueblo West, it is certainly a place you should consider. It would be a somewhat longer commute for you, but it may be worth it, especially since you classify yourself as a "suburbanite." Pueblo West (pop. 35,000) is a suburb of Pueblo (pop. 110,000), and between the two almost everything one needs is within a 20-minute drive of anywhere in Pueblo West. I live near Liberty Point in Pueblo West and can get to downtown Pueblo or to the Pueblo Mall in 20 minutes - if traveling during non-rush hour times. And "rush hour" in Pueblo is minor compared to anywhere in the Springs.
Pueblo West is generally considered the most desirable place to live in the Pueblo metropolitan area for the following reasons: the best schools, the lowest crime rate, the best home values and appreciation rates, the semi-rural nature of the area and mostly unobstructed views of the high mountains to the west, the abundant wildlife (deer, fox, bobcats, coyotes, bear, eagles, owls, etc) that frequent the area from the state park and Arkansas River valley below, the absence of traffic jams and traffic noise, the close proximity to Lake Pueblo and the state park, and the very low sales tax (3.9%, as opposed to 7.8% in the city of Pueblo). In addition, Pueblo West has some of the best real estate deals along the entire Front Range. Your budget of $300K will easily buy you a newer (or brand new) quality-built 3/2 or 4/2 home with a 2 or 3-car garage on over an acre of land. The house may or may not come with a fenced-in area for your dogs. If not fenced, you can easily have a fence installed (no restrictions). The problem right now is the shortage of available homes for sale. My realtor friend tells me that the current inventory of homes for sale is the lowest he has seen in his 27 years as a realtor in Pueblo West. Decent homes are selling in less than a week - sometimes much quicker - at or above the asking price. It is definitely a seller's market at this time in Pueblo West.
Regarding your other preferences...
We do have a community dog park, located next to Lovell Park. There are many paved and unpaved walking/hiking trails within Pueblo West, although they are not very scenic and are unsheltered from the sun. While my dog was still alive and in decent health, my favorite places to take him for an enjoyable hike were certain areas within the nearby state park, the Nature Center trail along the Arkansas River (lots of shade), and Pueblo Mountain Park (my favorite), located in the Wet Mountains about 25 miles west of town. It's worth the drive, IMO.
As for retail stores and restaurants, your basic needs will be met, but you will find yourself going into Pueblo for certain needs, such as a major home improvement store (Lowe's or Home Depot) or a fine dining experience. Pueblo West has a Super Walmart, a Safeway supermarket, a Big R store, a Walgreens, two "Dollar" stores, a small hardware store, a PostNet, three gas stations, about a dozen family-owned specialty shops, about 15 pot shops, a few small sit-down restaurants of varying quality, and all the usual fast food restaurants (McDonald's, Subway, Arby's, Wendy's, Sonic, etc).
For local events and farmer's markets, other than the big 4th of July celebration in Pueblo West, you will be going into Pueblo for those things. There are some good farmer's markets on the far east side of Pueblo (aka: "the Mesa"), including several that sell fresh chilies that are of excellent quality. Pueblo hosts a number of worthwhile events, including the Chile & Frijoles Festival; Boats, Bands & Barbecue; the B Street Bash; Rollin' on the Riverwalk; the Rocky Mountain Street Rod Nationals; and, of course, the Colorado State Fair. The Pueblo Riverwalk is a big year-round attraction, as is the Pueblo Zoo and the adjacent City Park (it's huge and almost completely shaded by large trees).
What are the downsides / drawbacks to living in Pueblo West? The #1 problem, by far, is the condition of the roads. In general, the roads in Pueblo West are in poor condition. There are over 400 miles of roads in this community, of which about half are gravel. Not only do gravel roads create a lot of dust, but they develop a "washboard" surface that makes traveling on them very unpleasant. The "paved" roads are mostly chip-seal, which are rough and tend to develop breakage and potholes much more often than asphalt surfaces. Only a few of the main roads within Pueblo West are true asphalt roads and in decent driving condition. Pueblo County is primarily responsible for funding road improvements and maintenance in Pueblo West, but they continue to shortchange us in favor of the city of Pueblo and other parts of the county. Unfortunately, the residents of Pueblo West are opposed to raising taxes to fund road improvements (a recent ballot issue on the subject was overwhelmingly rejected by voters). Some of the tax revenue from the sale of marijuana in Pueblo West stores was supposed to be used for road improvements, but I have seen no improvement in our roads. They are just as bad as when I moved here nine years ago.
Other than the roads, there are few other downsides / drawbacks to living in Pueblo West. Some people complain about the lack of good restaurants. That is essentially true, but good restaurants of every type are available in nearby Pueblo, less than 20 minutes away. Also, a lot of people here view the proliferation of pot shops within the community as a big negative. I don't use the stuff myself, but could care less if others do, unless it affects me in a negative way such as being in a traffic accident caused by someone under the influence of marijuana. I have noticed an increase in erratic driving in the past few years and have had a couple of close calls myself, but I don't know if the drivers were under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, or something else. In any case, this community definitely needs better enforcement of traffic laws. The only other downside that comes to mind is the wind and dust. There is nothing but open rangeland to the west, so there is nothing to stop the wind from that direction. At times it is miserable, especially during dry spells when the wind is laden with dust and debris. And the tumbleweeds are a real nuisance when the wind blows!
Feel free to DM me if you have any other questions or need specific advice about living in Pueblo West.
I'll chime in on this one, even though your question was directed at Josseppie. Within the Pueblo city limits, the best residential areas in terms of resale value and personal safety are: El Camino, in the far southwest portion of town; Walking Stick, in the northeast section of town; Aberdeen, adjacent to City Park; and the area of newer homes north of Hwy 50 and west of I-25 (not sure if it even has a name). There are a few other pockets of desirable areas in Pueblo, but they are few and far in-between. In your case, however, you should be looking only at Pueblo West if you plan to commute to Florence every day. The far western portion of Pueblo West - which contains many very nice homes situated on 1.5 acres or more - would be 20 miles or less from Florence. In fact, almost anywhere in Pueblo West is within 30 minutes of Florence. On the other hand, the desirable areas within the city of Pueblo that I identified are all at least a 45-minute drive to Florence under ideal conditions.
Here is a list of neighborhoods that stand out for me.
Northside:
Eagle Ridge specifically north Eagle Ridge.
Take Eagle Ridge Blvd west from I-25 and you will run into it. It is towards the end of the road.
University area:
Walking Stick neighborhood.
By the golf course
University Hills
It is just north of University Park. You take highway 47 east from I-25 to Jerry Murphey Blvd and go north.
Downtown:
Just north of downtown by Parkview is a nice historic area and has been rated as the best in the state. If you like older homes in more a urban setting you might like this area.
Southside
Abderdeen.
It is a older area (not as historic as by downtown) and upscale. I grew up here and loved it. Take 4th street west of downtown to Abriendo and go right and you will hit it.
Ventana
This is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Pueblo and if I was to buy or build a new house odds are I would go here. It is southwest on the Beulah highway.
Orman Ave by Central High just south of 4th or Lincoln ave. In fact a few governors houses are here from the turn of the last century.
I hope this list helps. Its not all of the nice areas but ones that stand out for me. One in Pueblo West should get a mention.
Liberty Point Estates. It is one of the top neighborhoods in the metro area.
Last edited by Josseppie; 04-01-2018 at 07:22 PM..
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