Military Retiree moving to Cheyenne (Laramie, Warren AFB: apartment, for rent, townhomes)

[strike eagle]

I'm an Air Force retiree currently employed by the Federal Government in the Washington DC Metro area. I'm about to retire from the federal service for good and I'm considering a move to Wyoming and to Cheyenne/ FE Warren AFB.

Primary reasons why I like Wyoming for a retirement is obviously no state or local taxes on government pensions, property tax breaks for veterans and close proximity to FE Warren AFB.

My wife is very concerned about the climate-- she envisions being holed up in the house for WEEKS at a time as blizzard after blizzard blows through. the coldest place I was stationed at was in upstate NY at the former Griffiss AFB where we got yards of snow and I've told her that winter in Cheyenne is slightly colder than upstate NY, less seasonal snowfall but a lot windier. Is that a fair assessment?

I like the shooting sports --especially shooting sports with pistols and rifles. I understand that Wyoming has a strong "gun culture" and state residents enjoy the benefit of not having to travel far to find a shooting area whether its for leisurely "plinking" or something more competitive.

I'll be coming out for a visit on labor day weekend to scope out the area and look at some houses. I'd appreciate any advice/information from forum members about Cheyenne--thanks.

[sunsprit]

I think that many of your concerns have been extensively discussed on this forum in the past, so a search of your topics here might be beneficial.

The west side of Cheyenne certainly has ready access to places to plink or set up a target, including gun clubs, county lands, state school section lands, and other public properties. You'll not be doing as much of this activity during the winter months due to the inclement conditions/poor access. Unfortunately, most of the planned Archer Complex (new county fairgrounds/offices/facilities) shooting sports buildings/structures & target ranges have been put on indefinite hold due to lack of funds during the construction phase right now. The last I heard, they will complete the indoor pistol 50' range and one of the shorter outdoor rifle ranges ... a fraction of the grand shooting park that was designed and planned for the facilities.

Cheyenne does hold the prospect of repeated serious storm fronts coming through during several months of the winter. How adversely they will affect your interest and ability to get around during that time is mostly a matter of preference ... except for the worst of the storms where it is prudent to stay home and off the roads for the duration due to difficult travel/road conditions. Having an appropriate vehicle for your travels will be important, and good winter driving skills are essential. A lot will depend upon where you've bought your house ... in town, it's a better maintained area for the roads and access. Out in the county areas, you could be located on a road that is one of the last to be cleared after a storm passage and stranded for several days ... or, in extreme cases (such as friends of ours with places up toward the Veedauwoo area), snowbound for a couple of months at a time in an average winter. Something to consider when you see some of those beautiful locations in the summer months ....

A bigger concern for the winter may be if you have things to do ... you apparently have some interest in Cheyenne, but it's a whole different area as far as dining, shopping, activities, recreation than a metropolitan area from a more densely populated & developed portion of the USA. A Labor Day trip out here will give you a good idea of what's available, but a February-March trip here is a more realistic opportunity to assess the realities of living here for much of the year.

[jody_wy]

Some state school section lands are closed to firearms , here the list for Laramie County
Land Restrictions

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by jody_wy

Some state school section lands are closed to firearms , here the list for Laramie County
Land Restrictions

The restricted school sections in Laramie County that are anywhere near Warren are pretty obvious places where one will not set up for plinking ... such as the NW corner of the I-25 and Horse Creek Exit lands.

For the most part, the restricted sections are in residential areas around Cheyenne or in places fairly distant in the North portions of the county away from the Warren area.

With so many public lands to choose from in the Warren area or up Happy Jack Road, there's no real imposition upon a prudent shooter's opportunities to enjoy themselves safely.

[Isaiah4325]

Thank you for your post Strike Eagle. It has encouraged me to ask about my situation. My husband and I and our little girl are also very much committed to moving to Cheyenne, in only about 3 weeks, actually. I also, am separating from the Air Force and we would like to settle in Wyoming for much of the same reasons to include the beautiful area of the country. Our biggest concern right now is finding housing. We will only have a short amount of time to find a place to live as in a few days to a week before we have to settle on something. We would prefer a house over an apartment and will probably have to rent at first, or rent to own. We would rather live a little away from town for some peace and quite and privacy. I read what was posted about the possibility of being stranded by the snow for days to months depending on how far out we live, so that will definitely be taken into consideration. Can anyone give me some realators to go to or sites I can visit to rent from owners? I haven't had a lot of luck yet. When we actually get to Cheyenne, around the first of July, where is the best place to go to expidite our housing search? Thanks to anyone for any help you can give.

[CptnRn]

You can use the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce site to search for realtors and other businesses.

The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce - Business Directory

I found a few townhomes listed here. http://www.crpmi.com/services_2.html

The City of Cheyenne has some useful information here http://www.cheyennecity.org/FAQ.aspx

Did you check out the bases housing referral information? http://www.warren.af.mil/questions/topic.asp?id=653

I also found this http://www.wyotraders.com/classified...?cat=8&sw=None which included one house for rent.