Moving to CO. Need suggestions where to live and work. (Boulder: real estate, apartment)

[hotwhtpr]

Hi, I am early 30's and I am a very experienced fine dining server and would like to work in a top tier restaurant. am planning to move out to CO from CT. I have recently had broken up with who I thought was my soulmate and want to follow my dreams of being a ski bum. My first instinct was Vail or Aspen for the many high class restaurant job opportunities plus best skiing? I pay about 1000 dollars for a 1 br condo a month now and could go up a little if needed. West or East Vale looked afforfable. I also liked the idea of Boulder in case I decided to finish school. I dont know have any local knowledge. Am I wrong in my thinking. Suggestions please. I would like to live as close as I can to the mountain and my job.

Could someone also tell me if its hard to get a good serving job there. Any particular restaurants I should look at or places or condos I should live in.

I would appreciate any other suggestions or opinions on what I was thinking. I am very open to anything, any other areas as well. Any other ideas, please feel free to add.

Thank you very much!

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by hotwhtpr

Hi, I am early 30's and I am a very experienced fine dining server and would like to work in a top tier restaurant. am planning to move out to CO from CT. I have recently had broken up with who I thought was my soulmate and want to follow my dreams of being a ski bum. My first instinct was Vail or Aspen for the many high class restaurant job opportunities plus best skiing? I pay about 1000 dollars for a 1 br condo a month now and could go up a little if needed. West or East Vale looked afforfable. I also liked the idea of Boulder in case I decided to finish school. I dont know have any local knowledge. Am I wrong in my thinking. Suggestions please. I would like to live as close as I can to the mountain and my job.

Could someone also tell me if its hard to get a good serving job there. Any particular restaurants I should look at or places or condos I should live in.

I would appreciate any other suggestions or opinions on what I was thinking. I am very open to anything, any other areas as well. Any other ideas, please feel free to add.

Thank you very much!

In regards to Vail or Aspen, my personal choice is Vail as that is where the real money is and the better tips(IMHO). Aspen is more showy and look at me and the showy people are too busy spending their money on being showy to throw cash at the "little people"(in my experience, but there are some big tippers that exist).

They are also very different environments and cultures to one another so I think you have to experience both and see what you like.

For jobs there are plenty of fine dining restaurants in Vail and Beaver Creek. Business is down and you may have to find work at two different places. Or more.

The main thing you will have to get used to is seasonal life. Consistency is hard to find. There are about six months of the year when it is busy, another one or two of slow times and about 4 months where it is dead. Most high end restaurants in Vail will close for around 4-6 weeks in the spring and another 4-6 weeks in the fall. So that means you've got to earn well in the winter and make enough to tide you over through spring and fall when there is no income.

Also timing for moving is good, as once you are into late winter, no one is really hiring and good housing is tied up. Best to get in May or October and get housing set and start getting jobs lined up. Real estate is more expensive closer to the mountain and really the main thing I think is to find a decent place, a mile or a few doesn't matter. I have been in condo and apartment buildings where one place is great and in good condition and two doors down the other apartment hasn't been touched since 1968 or looks like a druggie and prostitute flop house.

In regards to Boulder, I'd X that out of your mind if you plan on living in Vail or Aspen. It's a two hour drive in good weather from Vail and 4 hours from Aspen.

[CAVA1990]

Perhaps the locals will laugh at this idea but maybe you could work seasonally in Aspen (Winter) and Glenwood Springs (Summer) since they have opposite seasonality.

[hotwhtpr]

Any ideas are helpful, thanks!

Please, I would appreciate some more

[datadude]

Vail restaurant business in the summer has not been good for a long time, even before the recession. I remember you had to wait to get into a restaurant on a nice summer Friday or Saturady evening. That all changed at least 10 years ago. Not sure why...

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by datadude

Vail restaurant business in the summer has not been good for a long time, even before the recession. I remember you had to wait to get into a restaurant on a nice summer Friday or Saturady evening. That all changed at least 10 years ago. Not sure why...

Too many restaurants now and many of them pricing themselves in the stratosphere which isn't the way to go. You've also got more competition now from Avon and Edwards as well. A lot of places are struggling and there have been quite a few go under. I think Larkburger is the future.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Too many restaurants now and many of them pricing themselves in the stratosphere which isn't the way to go. You've also got more competition now from Avon and Edwards as well. A lot of places are struggling and there have been quite a few go under. I think Larkburger is the future.

Not to mention ten years of kitchen training and education that people have gotten by watching Food Network. It's a lot more fun to have 6-10 people over and hang around the kitchen drinking affordable wine and preparing a simple meal with friends. The $12 wine I drink at home is $28+ in most restaurants and I've seen it at $36 in one place here in COLO SPGS (triple of retail!!). A lot of home kitchens are much better equipped these days too.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Not to mention ten years of kitchen training and education that people have gotten by watching Food Network. It's a lot more fun to have 6-10 people over and hang around the kitchen drinking affordable wine and preparing a simple meal with friends. The $12 wine I drink at home is $28+ in most restaurants and I've seen it at $36 in one place here in COLO SPGS (triple of retail!!). A lot of home kitchens are much better equipped these days too.

I'm sure that is case for some and I know with relatives in Vail they like to do that.

I noticed when I was back in Vail last fall that many places had gone under and more were getting ready to go so the rumor mill had it. Way too many places with $25-$40 entrees with pretentious food. That ship has sailed and it isn't 2005 anymore where American Airlines execs will come in and have an $18000 lunch and leave a $4000 tip. Them days is gone. For now anyways.

I went to one place I used to enjoy in Vail(Ti Amo). $300 for 7 people with almost no alcohol and the food quality was horrible plus snooty service. Wont be doing that again. Would have been way happier at Outback down the road in Avon.

There will always be a place for the high end "designer" food in Vail and Aspen, but that market is top heavy right now. I think the future is more in good pizza and good burgers and simple tasty foods.

[CosmicWizard]

wanneroo wrote:

I think the future is more in good pizza and good burgers and simple tasty foods.

I've had a lifelong preference for burgers and pizza when eating out. My wife is an excellent cook, so I get lots of great tasting, healthy food at home. A good pizza, or a good veggie burger with a mug or two of local brew is a real treat. Just had a meal like that at the Moab Brewery this past weekend. I was a happy camper walking out of there.

PS: We had to park on the street a block away. The brewery parking lot was full. Seems like the simpler foods do indeed attract alot of people...especially in an economy like the one we have right now. The brewery is not even located in the heart of downtown Moab, but that didn't keep people away. People are looking for value....and the Moab Brewery delivers on that.