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Thread summary:

Considering move out west towards mountains, Montana, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, seeking pros and cons of living in Colorado area

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Old 03-07-2007, 10:07 AM
 
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moved to colorado about 4 years ago from oregon, oregon is beautiful but colorado is better, especially the economy.
fiance searched for 3 years for a job came here and found one in his field in 3 mos. though it is (geology) lots of rocks in colorado, ha ha
colorado has everything you listed, does lack trees and water but some in the foothills and mountains, though not lush like the pacific nw.
lots of open space, quaint mountain towns, cities of course, beautiful peaks to ski and climb, some extreme weather (especially this winter) but oregon floods, so you can get it anywhere.
i recommend checking out Evergreen, 20 to 30 min. drive to Denver or the big mountains depending on traffic and weather is good it doesn't get that hot, nice little downtown area, small lake, a bit pricey but beautiful
I've been to all of the places you listed and Colorado is the best, though i do miss some rain.
good luck
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Old 03-07-2007, 12:59 PM
 
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I chose Colorado for the mountains and the hiking. My husband chose it for the skiing. We moved from Florida, and were looking for a place to enjoy four seasons. So, the move, 15 years ago was wonderful.

The brown-ness still bugs me. Denver is a semi-arid climate. So, you won't get the green green green. It is pretty in the summer and spring, but the trees aren't why you move here. To the mountains, perhaps.... lots of evergreens and Aspens there.... but nothing compared to Portland and up there. We have the Pine beetle absolutely killing trees in the mountains (Breck, Vail, etc) and so even that is a little brown, and it bugs me.

But let me tell you what I love. I love our blue skies. They seem endless... like today. I love the seasons, and the fact that we get a fall and we get snow, and tulips in spring and sweaty in the summer. But then, on a Feb. day we are blessed with a warm 60 degree day, followed by a snowstorm a week later.

We don't get TONS of snow... this winter was just odd. Nor do we get a lot of rain, which I miss.

The drive to the mountains on the weekends is gorgeous, and rather close (you can be in Vail in under 2 hours) but the traffic has become a big bummer. Maybe consider living in foothill communities like Evergreen or Morrison or Conifer. You will get daily green and mountains without the trek into the big mountains.

What always strikes me about Colorado are the people. We are outdoorsy, young (or young at heart) and very nice. Whenever I leave Denver, I am always happy to get on an airplane home with my fellow Denverites. I think we are a nice bunch (although we drive to fast.... or so they say).

You would like it here. The skies are blue, you get some thunderstorms, and the seasons are fun. Good luck.

PS Ft Collins is GORGEOUS..... you might really like that. Lots of cool hikes, not the urban sprawl of Denver and some more of that green you like so much. That is about all I know. I, unfortunately, live in Highlands Ranch. Whatever you do, don't move to the oh-so-master-planned Highlands Ranch.
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Old 03-07-2007, 02:14 PM
 
Location: Miami
6,853 posts, read 22,388,151 times
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coloradomeddie, Thank you for your post, as a Floridian thinking about a move to Colorado, the lack trees and greenery is what I am concerned with more so than the snow. But the Mountains may make up for everything.

I have a few questions for you. Do you ever look back, and miss living in Florida, or think we made a great decision to leave Florida? What were your first year experiences living in Colorado with the snow? Did you have friends and family out in Colorado when you moved?

BTW, I saw an aerial shot on here of HR, that was enough for us to cross HR off the list, even though it is suppose to be great.
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Old 03-07-2007, 06:03 PM
 
Location: Florida
543 posts, read 1,225,130 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doggiebus View Post
coloradomeddie, Thank you for your post, as a Floridian thinking about a move to Colorado, the lack trees and greenery is what I am concerned with more so than the snow. But the Mountains may make up for everything.

I have a few questions for you. Do you ever look back, and miss living in Florida, or think we made a great decision to leave Florida? What were your first year experiences living in Colorado with the snow? Did you have friends and family out in Colorado when you moved?

BTW, I saw an aerial shot on here of HR, that was enough for us to cross HR off the list, even though it is suppose to be great.
Coloradomeddie,
I am also interested in knowing how the first year went for you. I am considering the move in a couple years, Fort Collins, or Loveland most likely. Been in Florida for so long, love plants, would miss that for sure.
How are the hospitals in that area?
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Old 03-07-2007, 06:48 PM
 
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I grew up in Pompano Beach, on a boat a block from the ocean. I went to school in Gainesville, and had a love affair with the spanish moss, the spring azalea bushes and that north central Florida thing. I lived in G-ville for 8 years.

I have lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Sarasota, Pompano, Royal Palm Beach, Gainesville and Boca. That might help you understand my background a bit.

When my husband and I left at the tender age of 22, we were on the wild adventure to Colorado. We had grown up on John Denver Christmas specials and just needed to get to the mountains. The first year was rough on me. We missed the ocean, and during the winter my eyes hungered for green. But there was so much to discover beyond golf, the beach and alligators. The mountains and the ski resorts and the hiking trails were so much fun to discover. The wildlife out here is beautiful (hawks instead of turkey vultures), and like I said, folk are NICE. I am not joking about this. If you are looking at the ariel maps of CO on Google, you will see that the Denver communities all look the same. So, very, very the same. Denver is FLAT (not as flat as Florida though!). So you have to get into a community to see what it is like. Denver is safe, family and young-adult oriented. If you have kids, this is a tremendous place to raise them (great schools, lots of outdoorsy stuff to do, healthy lifestyle).

I still miss Florida, but in a way most anyone misses a hometown. I told someone the other day that if I moved back to Florida, there were a thousand things I would do.... like the Cedar Key art festival, or go tubing down a chrystal spring river, or go chill on the beach. But, I don't miss the humidity, the mosquitoes, roaches, fleas, or driving on i-95. We have none of those things here.

And Denver has stole my heart. We have a LOT of Florida transplants. The sports are GREAT and I feel safe and welcome here. If you are looking at Denver suburbs, check out Centennial...especially Homestead subdivisions if you are family oriented. Evergreen is AMAZING, and we have friends who live in Westminster who love it up there. I'd be careful with Aurora, and Highlands Ranch is nice but flavorless. Golden is OK.... men love it for some reason. Boulder is breathtaking, but soooooo expensive. I'd stay away from Brighton, Commerce City too. In Denver there are some very hip pockets, like Washington Park or Governers Park. Most all of it is safe. So, enjoy your journey, aside from a little homesickness for the jungle feel, I have never looked back. Good luck.
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Old 03-07-2007, 08:27 PM
 
Location: Miami
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Wow, does that help, thank you for the post. Its funny how we want away from the jungle life, yet we have that homesickness for it.
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Old 03-10-2007, 01:08 PM
 
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I moved to Colorado from Washington state. I chose CO because well really...anyone who loves snow these are the best two states in my opinion for resorts and good riding. CO is better than WA, haha.

But I moved to Steamboat Springs for the snow...better snow, more resort town so i can work resort jobs...that are year round and not seasonal like WA resorts are. Plus being from WA, i don't like hot hot weather in the summers. Steamboat doesn't get to hot or humid and is still live-able. Your isolated from other towns and big cities...but everything you need is here. Steamboat has like over 300 sunny days a year...took a while to get used to that from the overcast seattle. But i love it now.
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Old 03-10-2007, 04:44 PM
 
Location: Concord, CA
7,138 posts, read 9,216,177 times
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Default Few Allergies in Colorado!

I've lived in Colorado Springs for 30 years; moved here after growing up in Phoenix. One huge benefit for me in Colorado is few allergies. Here, my only problem is ragweed from 1-Aug until the first hard freeze, usually mid-Sept.

In Arizona I was sneezing all the time because of bermuda grass, orange blossoms, weeds, trees, and everything else that grows there. The desert is relatively pollen free, but in Phoenix, plants from everywhere have been transplanted and it has one of the highest pollen counts in the country.
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Old 03-11-2007, 09:26 PM
 
Location: Kissimmee, FL
8 posts, read 37,794 times
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Default To the Floridians who've relocated...

YOU are the ones I need to talk to!!!
A quick run down: I met my Canadian husband when we were living in Tampa 13 yrs ago. Already at that time I was going thru a huge hunger to move back to my native Colorado (born in Denver but moved to France at age 10). So...all these yrs of nagging to move out West and he has finally agreed to go check it out (his ambivilence due to snow and cold, being from Canada). We are heading out there (alone, without our kiddos) in TEN days!!!! WOW!
Needless to say, the anticiaption is bringing much excitement AND fear! We live in Central Florida now (Kissimmee area) and despise it, YET as I've read from many of you, I am used to the GREENERY... My blood has also thinned A LOT and I don't know how well I will handle the cold...(it was in the 30's here the other morning and I was FREEZING! LOL) So, all my "tactics" at convincing him: "the blue sky, culture, outdoorsy things to do-ie- parks, trails, etc...;DRY and not humid climate," etc... are scaring me a bit now! HA! (typical case of the "grass being greener".
Anyway, I really want to move back "HOME" but am a wee bit afraid....any suggestions?????
We are looking at the HR area due to good Douglas county schools (as of now our daughter is in private), great sense of community, etc...
I am open to ANYTHING anyone may have to say especially people from Florida who can clue me in on how to adjust....
Thanks much and hope to be out that way permenantly in the very near future!
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Old 03-11-2007, 10:04 PM
 
Location: Colorado
5 posts, read 15,219 times
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Default Colorado is great for many reasons

Just a quick word about Highlands Ranch: When I was in High School here 25 or so years ago, I never would have imagined I would be living in Highlands Ranch. After HS, I moved back to SoCal, NorCal, Florida (Fort Myers and Miami), Utah, New Jersey and back to Colorado a few years ago. If you have a family (especially with kids) Highlands Ranch is a fantastic place to live! Lots of activities, super-wide roads with very little traffic, 4 rec centers and plenty of shopping nearby. It's total suburbia and that's what it is. It is not old, established neighborhoods, quaint funky restaurants, shopping districts along tree-lined streets. You can find that closer to downtown Denver.
The others are correct in stating that this past Winter has been unusually cold and snowy. Last Winter it was 69° on Christmas Day! This Winter we officially had snow on the ground for 61 days in a row, the second-longest such stretch.
When I was living in Florida, I used to visit my folks in CO and my skin would completely dry out in a day! Bring plenty of moistuizing lotion. I do love the lack of humidity...on the other hand we are semi-arid and most of the trees that are here were planted here.
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