If you could live anywhere in CO where would it be? (Denver: vacation home, neighborhood)

[jnason070916]

Hello!
I've read through so many posts and have gathered so much great information. You guys are all so wonderful about thoroughly answering other people's questions!

My husband and I are moving to Colorado with our three small children. I know, I know...."oh...more people moving here all dreamy-eyed and don't know what they are getting in to" LOL

My husband and I both work from home so we are not actually looking for jobs. Our jobs come with us. My children are also home-schooled so public education is not a factor for our move either. So we have the very weird luxury of just moving wherever we want to go and this is where I am looking for insight from those who know best!

With that being said we spent a lot of time visiting/researching Colorado Springs. Views are amazing - lots to do, walk able downtown area, lots of bike paths, trails, hiking, indoor places, a decent food scene to visit etc etc etc. I also liked that it was only an hour from Denver where there was even MORE to do. Manitou Springs is absolutely adorable too.

Besides Colorado Springs we also visited and researched Denver, Fort Collins and Boulder.


If you could live anywhere in CO - jobs and school weren't a factor ---- where would you live and why?

[Mike from back east]

Even with an open ended question like yours, IMO it still falls primarily upon cost of housing.

For that reason (and for all the excellent amenities there) I say COLO SPGS.

[jnason070916]

That is very true! We could live in Boulder or Denver but it is definitely a lot more expensive than Colorado Springs. Thank you for the input!~

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by jnason070916

That is very true! We could live in Boulder or Denver but it is definitely a lot more expensive than Colorado Springs. Thank you for the input!~

Those are very fine places to move to, but expensive.

When you said home schooling my stereotypical thinking had me put you in the evangelical category and northern COLO SPGS / northern El Paso County is the mother hive for that demographic, followed by Douglas County (Castle Rock and Highlands Ranch). Even if not, COLO SPGS is probably your best bet, price and amenities considered.

[jnason070916]

it's okay I totally get it. Our homeschooling is not religious based at all. We are from New Hampshire but moved to FL. Schooling in our area is just leaps and bounds below what our kids had up north so we opted to homeschool them and it's been a great experience.

Yes those places are definitely expensive! What about Fort Collins? do you find that to be more like colo springs or more like denver/boulder

[otowi]

As much as I'd like to have a mountain cabin in some best-kept-secret mountain town, I think that'd be great for a vacation home but not for day-to-day living. Thus, I think I'd still opt for Colorado Springs but might consider putting myself a bit farther out of town if I did not need to come in for work/school.

[otowi]

Originally Posted by jnason070916

it's okay I totally get it. Our homeschooling is not religious based at all. We are from New Hampshire but moved to FL. Schooling in our area is just leaps and bounds below what our kids had up north so we opted to homeschool them and it's been a great experience.

Yes those places are definitely expensive! What about Fort Collins? do you find that to be more like colo springs or more like denver/boulder

Fort Collins itself imho is kind of similar to Colorado Springs if it were a lot smaller and had a huge university in it instead of all the military.

[jnason070916]

haha that is funny. I asked because that was my thought. It seemed like Colorado Springs but smaller (and college vs military like you pointed out). There isn't as much to do though it seemed like which means you would have to travel a lot. Could be totally wrong though. Fort Collins was actually the one I haven't finished researching yet!


And I hear you - mountain cabin would be splendid.....to vacation in What towns do you like outside of Colorado Springs? I know Manitou has great reviews. So quaint.

[Indigo Cardinal]

If I had the luxury of *anywhere* (in no particular order)....

Boulder
Idaho Springs
Genesee
Evergreen
Conifer
Monument


More towards the foothills, in general.

[Mike from back east]

There are some excellent public schools in COLO SPGS (several districts) but also the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) in Boulder area and the Cherry Creek School District (CCSD) in the southern Denver metro area. Both BVSD and CCSD are great to use in our search engine. I think you'll find most COLO schools far ahead of Florida.

If I could live anywhere in the state of COLO it would probably be in the heart of Denver for the culture, sports, food, shopping and transit. I'm 'proximity' oriented.

The scenery of Telluride and Aspen would be awesome but the billionaire and Hollywood crowds who live there aren't my kind of people not to mention I don't like being out in the boonies. A brownstone on Central Park in NYC would be cool though .... proximity.

If you come close to affording Boulder or Denver then by all means check out the Old North End Neighborhood (ONEN) in COLO SPGS. It's near the private and pricey Colo College, a large major hospital, flat tree-lined streets, charming older homes, walkable, bikeable, near the downtown restaurant scene, not far from Manitou and not all that far to good shopping. The 3-screen movie house downtown is really cool too, and it's next to some good eats.