Any transplants considering elsewhere because front range is too crowded (Denver: real estate market, apartment)

[jenxx]

I've been in Denver for more than ten years now, originally from New England. My husband has been here more than twenty.

I know I'm not the only one feeling this is not the front range they used to know, and it's never going to be again.
Watching such egregious development is heartbreaking, as is being on trails that were once pristine and quiet now littered with garbage, human and dog waste, and just too many people. (we keep trash bags in our car and it's now part of our routine to pick up as much garbage as we can when we're out).

I know the laundry list of frustrations I have are shared and I don't need to rehash them or make this a gripe session, but has anyone made the choice to leave? Where are you or someone you know going? With the daily influx of "moving to Denver, need advice" does anyone have the same questions about leaving?
Good schools are important. We've considered Salida & Ft. Collins, and they're experiencing the same growing pains. We're looking out of state at Montana and possibly even back to New England.

I have read more than once over the years how folks left their home state and never looked back, but how are you feeling about that now?

[Hschlick84]

I moved last year out of the Front Range and CO for that matter, don't regret it one bit. Great place to visit old friends, hang out, check out the amenities, museums, restaurants, but I would never live there again. The people the state is attracting and aren't exactly the kind of people I'd want to associate with on certain levels. Quality of life depends on what you make of it out there, I don't see it improving. However, I'm excited to visit once again on Independence day weekend.

[pikabike]

I don't regret leaving the state my parents chose as home. I left as a young adult.

Much later, I regretted leaving the one that I myself had chosen as home, after having lived there 25 years. So I moved back to my chosen state after a few years living elsewhere.

You can't run away from growing pains, because even in undesirable places, people will move in. And they might be people who came there to hide habits that kept them from being able to afford living in a more desirable area.

[wiseguy15]

I left CO last year for the friendly Pacific NW, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I lived in CO for 24 years and also felt it was getting too crowded and too expensive; I wanted acreage back in Evergreen but it had become too expensive. Even in CDA people lament the fact that there are too many people, I guess it is all relative as I don't feel that way as a newcomer. Get out of CO before the real estate market crashes, your money will go much further in other areas.

[MsBall]

Former transplant here. We moved to Littleton in 2008 and just recently moved away a few weeks ago. The reason we moved to Colorado was for the quality of life for raising our teenage kids. We have no regrets in that aspect. We were pleased all around regarding their friends, education, and community activities. However, after their high school years were over, our needs for quality of life changed. We were wanting to downsize our house, but couldn't find anything we could afford in the area that we were wanting to live. We ended up renting an apartment in a large complex and that was a horrible experience for us. The residents in the complex would not keep their dogs on a leash. People would bring their dogs into the fitness room, and even in the pool area. Also, no one cleaned up after their dog--it was absolutely disgusting. It's unfortunate that people can't see how their lack of following rules affect the community as a whole.

One of the biggest reasons we moved on was salary. Between pay cuts, salary freezes, and increased cost of benefits, I was making less now than when I started in 2008. As I said, we've only been here a few weeks; but, judging by what we have experienced so far, I don't have any regrets for moving on. This definitely was a positive move for us.

BTW, every time I read a post in the forum about "moving to Colorado, no job, where should I live"...the song California Dreamin always plays in my mind.

[RobertGray]

Originally Posted by jenxx

I have read more than once over the years how folks left their home state and never looked back, but how are you feeling about that now?

I am filled with regret. Moving to Colorado was not a good decision.

[bluescreen73]

Nope. Spent 12 years away from here because I needed a change of scenery (or so I thought). Now that I'm back, I've realized there are far crappier places to live, and I'm not going anywhere.

[Tim Tim Tim]

I just moved here, so I am one of the ones ruining it for the rest of you (although I don't leave a mess on the trails of any kind, and try to do my best to limit the impact I have on my surroundings) but I understand the point. I lived in Salt Lake City around 9.5 years ago, my wife grew up there so her family still lives there. Its sad going to visit now, we used to be able to go hiking on any of the trails in the nearby canyons with little to no interaction with others, now there are lines of people to go across certain obstacles and the mess you mention is associated as well. It really takes a lot of the joy away from going out into the mountains to get away and relax with nature. You may as well go be going to the mall to get away.

So, sorry for ruining it for you natives but to say that the greater Denver area is now bad in anyway is far from the truth. While it may not be what your used to, its still a great place with a lot to offer. While growing does have its downsides, the additional shopping, dining and recreation options associated with a larger city are generally good things and allows some variety in every day life.

[Indigo Cardinal]

I've been thinking about it, but my thoughts may be stemming from a combination of several things:

1.) Homesickness--I occasionally think about moving back to St. Louis because I miss my family there. But then I think about the humidity and go, "Nope...."

2.) Possible midlife crisis/result of finally being put on Zoloft to treat PTSD. The combination of the two might just have me reassessing my life and asking myself what I want to do with it.

3.) Seeing what others have been doing. Some friends of mine recently bought 60 acres in a small town along Highway 24. While I wouldn't want *that* much land or to be *that* remote, seeing that did have me thinking, "Maybe an acre or two, a little further out (say, Franktown or Elizabeth) would be nice." However, I can't work from home, like my just-moved friends can, and to even move to Franktown would tripe my commute (and I hate commuting, so it wouldn't be worth it to move.) If I *could* work from home, however.....

4.) General restlessness. I moved around a lot from my late teens to late twenties. Last year a friend and I went on a trip to the PNW and drove down the 101 from Washington State to southern Oregon. I loved watching the ocean, and I've always loved rain (I love how everything smells during and right after), so I could probably handle the weather. However, there's no jobs in my field along the coasts.

5.) I'm finding as I'm getting older, I'm preferring peace and quiet as opposed to being in the hustle and bustle of things. I did my nightclubbing/partying bit. Now for me, a good evening is having people over at my house or going over to theirs. I like to spend a lot of time on my backyard deck, and I live right next to a large and lovely open space that relaxes me whenever I take a walk through it.


I do find if I go back to my old neighborhood, it's just way too crowded for my tastes. Right now, I'm good--I have enough yard to do stuff with, but not so much that it takes up all my time taking care of it. But my current area is being built up, so it's likely to get more crowded. So a lot of mixed thoughts on my part.

[Colorado Rambler]

I grew up in the Springs way back in the 60's, and I became disillusioned with the Front Range by time I graduated from CU. I spent a year living out of state in northern Idaho as an adult and plenty of childhood summers back on my grandparent's farm in Kentucky. Didn't care for all the clouds and drizzle in Idaho and was torn between Bluegrass Country and here. Then I discovered SW Colorado at age 22 and that has been my real home every since. I had to move back to Colorado Springs for some years to be near my elderly mother, but I lit out for SW Colorado like a coyote running for home the first chance I got. I've considered going back to the Springs, but the high costs (compared to back in the day) and the crowds leave me cold. I am stunned every time I look up the Springs on Google Earth or talk with friends who still live in the area. If I were younger, I'd probably give serious thought to Kentucky still - I like the towns of Berea and Richmond very much. But for now, it's pretty nice where I am, so I'll stay on in Colorado, probably for the duration - just not anywhere near the Front Range!

Obviously, the Front Range is the cat's meow for millions of folks and I wish everyone there the greatest of happiness. Just don't move out here.