Thinking of moving to Colorado from Montana

[plainsman48]

There aren't many jobs in Flathead County - a very good reason to leave. All the employers are laying off workers and I doubt Plum Creek is hiring in light of the tariffs being lifted on imported lumber products.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

That is no longer true in many areas of Colorado. I know numerous nurses who have had their work hours cut back to less than 40 per week, and some who are working in hospitals, etc. where there is talk of layoffs.

I haven't heard of any layoffs in the metro hospitals, but I wouldn't be surprised. Things are just a little bit slower at our office, not so much that layoffs are being considered. I think right now employers are just watching/waiting.

[runninfiend]

Originally Posted by sterlinggirl

Hospital layoffs are occurring nationwide. Since Colorado tends to lag the nation in recessions and recoveries, I'd expect more layoffs here before we're done.

amednews: Hospital mass layoffs matching last year's record levels :: April 5, 2010 ... American Medical News

Bad article. 12 mass layoffs isn't good, but since there are 6,000 plus hospitals in the US, I wouldn't draw many conclusions from this very incomplete information.

[janetjanetbobanet]

A friend of mine moved here from Montana, and she seems happy enough. I'm a nurse, retired now, and it's not so much a layoff issue in hospitals here as it is an occasional hiring freeze. Get your jobs before you come and you'll be fine.

[big skymt1]

Have you looked at Helena? We get more sunshine than Flathead valley and St Peters is hiring......just a thought....

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by TeamG

My family and I (3 children under 6) are considering moving to Colorado from Montana. We are both nurses. Tired of the long, grey winters and want sunshine, also we would like to be closer to the desert southwest. But we are a little nervous to move somewhere with a larger population and all the problems that go along with it. Another big factor is that our childrens grandparents will move to CO but not MT and we would like to be closer to family. We currently live in a resort town with skiing 15 minutes away and Glacier National Park 30 minutes away. Are we crazy? Anyone have some advice and maybe some ideas on towns in CO.

Hi;
I know this post is a few months old...but thought I'd add my suggestions.
Nederland CO-just up the mountain from Boulder (20-30 min.;there's a bus route from the city and the road is well plowed). 'Ned', as it's known, is a great little town-it's become a little more sophisticated in recent years, but still has it's laid back/crunchy charm. There's a ski resort (read: the local ski resort, not aspen!) in Rollinsville, next door, and housing prices in that area provide options, unlike some of the larger ski towns and boulder proper. [though, i do know that vail and aspen have surrounding towns that are not as pricey, but it depends on whether or not that vibe is what you are looking for. Aspen's a bit like a mini hollywood. Much flashier than whitefish, which I know does have it's trendiness, too.]

I lived in Missoula for 4 yrs, and Boulder area for 3 yrs.
I agree with others, that the smaller ski resort towns in CO [gunnison, etc] would be harder to make a living.
Nederland would give you proximity to Boulder [Ned is at 8k ft, boulder is 5k], and Boulder community hospital is just down the hill from nederland, as an example. Plenty of work in the boulder area.

You could also look at coal creek canyon for living,a nd work in boulder or denver-people do make that commute.
And, you could check out Lyons [on the way to Rocky Mtn National Park], as well as Estes Park and Loveland [also on the way to the park, but like others said, not next door to skiing]. And, Jamestown, which can be accessed via mountain roads from ned, or from boulder in the other direction. Also a nice, laid back town. Also, check Eldorado Canyon, which is just outside of boulder proper. Boulder, while busy and growing, does provide fantastic amenities, and there are communities in proximity (mentioned above) that give you access to boulder, without living in the insanity....lol Of course, there are far worse places to have to live; boulder's pretty clean, great trail system, low crime, decent and varied economy, and an active populace. There's a reason it sits on every best place to live list, usually in the top ten.
To tell you the truth, we hated living in boulder proper-too intense. But I do see it's merits, and living nearby could give you the best of both worlds.

Nederland is in boulder valley school district, so you could enroll in any number of magnet or special programs, or the local school, for example. And Jamestown has one of the last one room school houses around. It's k-5, and just 20 min. from downtown boulder, but small town, low key.

Re: parent relocation-Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins area are some of the biggest retirement areas in CO. Nice, liveable towns, and w/in an hour to 90 min. of Ned, as an example. These are all decent communities, and growing, with lots of sunshine and fairly mild winters. The wind is rough in CO, and nederland and in the mountains in particular.

CO and MT have very different cultures, although, yea, some of the sensibilities are the same.
Visiting several CO towns would give you a feel for things. I'd check boulder and surrounds, for a small mountain community nearby.

Good luck to you=i'm sure you can find work easily in this area, as well.
Oh, and just to add: Durango's not a bad choice; and you can also look at Cortes and Dolores, about an hour west of Durango, for 4 corners area that has alot going for it. Friends have found professional jobs there, so you might, too. That whole south western corner is worth exploring=Pagosa Springs, Buena Vista/Salida, Durango, etc. And, I agree that Durango is probably most similar to whitefish, relatively speaking.

[pchapman-Vail]

Originally Posted by TeamG

My family and I (3 children under 6) are considering moving to Colorado from Montana. We are both nurses. Tired of the long, grey winters and want sunshine, also we would like to be closer to the desert southwest. But we are a little nervous to move somewhere with a larger population and all the problems that go along with it. Another big factor is that our childrens grandparents will move to CO but not MT and we would like to be closer to family. We currently live in a resort town with skiing 15 minutes away and Glacier National Park 30 minutes away. Are we crazy? Anyone have some advice and maybe some ideas on towns in CO.

==================================

VAIL ( think Vail Valley- stretching out to Gypsum, along I-70)
is a great choice. Vail Valley Medical Center is awesome, both hospital in Vail plus outpatient clinics in Edwards and now I guess also Eagle.
ONLY 40,000 residents in the entire county, but very sophisticated, and really nice folks. very healthy environment, lot of school choices, lots of facilities for kids and parents.

We just moved here, at 65, FROM CT, to RETIRE here and GROW YOUNG, as we get more fit by hiking and biking 3-4 times/week, after living herre summers only for past 10 years.

You will find most affordable housing, as a family, in Minturn, Eagle-Vail, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Gypsum ( which is 30 miles west of Vail).
There is some "affordable" housing in Vail itself, but there is huge demand for it. [ mod cut ]

hope this helps !

[Gr8DenverHomes]

Hello from Littleton CO!

A few of suggestions that are 15-30 minutes from front range cities but not so urban:

Castle Rock (small town feel, easy access to South Denver or Colorado Springs
Littleton (suburban communites, lots of options depending on what you like)
Morrison - at the base of the foothills, next to the infamous Red Rocks Amphitheater
Parker - small town feel, modern conveniences, away from the city, nice views of the Rockies
Golden or Arvada - just northwest of Denver and close to the foothills
Head up into the foothills near Conifer or Evergreen - more isolated, 30 minutes to Downtown Denver

Hope this helps!

Bryan