Husband got job in Cheyenne and looking to move to Cheyenne or fort collins (Laramie: apartments, to rent)

[Horsegirl23]

My husband is being re-stationed to Cheyenne Wyoming. We keep going back-and-forth about living in Cheyenne or the Wellington, Fort Collins area. I work in the medical field and as long as there’s a hospital nearby I should be able to find work. I really like horses and I’m guessing Cheyenne will be great for that but is there a lot to do in Cheyenne besides that? We both are very big into the outdoors and love our hikes; however, We have been to Fort Collins and absolutely love it. We never have actually been to Cheyenne yet. We are planning a trip there in a couple weekends to take a look around. Right now we live in Colorado Springs. Any suggestions would be great! We also have two kids that will need to be in school so any suggestions on school districts would also be great. We would at least like to rent a place With land for my horse and if not rent maybe buy. Apartments really are not an option for us

[rya700]

Everyone loves fort Collins CO and would live there if they could. Hence the outrageous home prices. But if you can swing it that would be my first choice. I lived there and my experience was that even getting nursing/medical jobs is not as easy as it is probably in COS or Cheyenne. I knew RNs that commuted to Cheyenne, Greeley, Denver, ect. for work. That was a few years ago but something to check into...I wouldn't just assume you will easily get a job there.

[unbeliever]

I find Fort Collins boring and unappealing, but Cheyenne, well, there's nothing there. I drove up on a Saturday to check it out once and I was headed home in 45 minutes. Wyoming has really nice people, but if you're coming from anywhere civilized, you won't find what you need in Wyoming.

[sunsprit]

bear in mind that the Ft Collins - Cheyenne commute can be treacherous at times. Wintertime Black ice roads and/ or seasonal severe wind gusts can make the trip somewhat problematic. Even when I-25 is "open" during inclement driving conditions, that doesn't mean that the trip is trivial to do.

For example, as recently as last month strong wind gusts had high profile vehicles ... semi's and box trucks ... blown off the dry road. I counted 7 major crashed vehicles in the last few miles from CO up the ridge and then a few more by the Terry Bison Ranch. 1st responders were at the scene for most of these when I went by that afternoon.

Yes, folks have done that commute for years ... back in the days when the traffic density was less and the road was kept "open" so it was up to driver discretion as to whether or not to make the trip.

What has noticeably changed in the last few years is the 1st responders getting overwhelmed with the accidents and CDOT and WYDOT close the road much more frequently. Especially if there's inclement driving conditions and a couple of wrecks, the 1st responders want to deal with the accidents rather than traffic on the road.

I had two employees in Cheyenne that were college students at a riding facility with housing included ... one at UNC and the other at UW, both with 4x4 vehicles and lots of winter driving experience. They'd been working at a business I bought and claimed that the commute was "no big deal", they were locals and knew the roads quite well. Suffice to say that their missed days of work that first winter were numerous ... to the point that they weren't getting the pay hours they needed and I wasn't getting the barn help I needed for 45 boarded horses. It was a big deal to quit because they needed to find employment with enough income to be able to then pay for lodging.

Doubtless, there will be folk on this forum who will make it sound like the Ft Collins - Cheyenne commute is "no big deal". Even with your southern Colorado winter driving experience, it's a much more difficult transit here than you might expect.

FWIW, I have neighbors who have an "on call" road clean-up business ... their winter business is getting the cargo's out from the crashed semi's and commercial trucks so the tow trucks can retrieve the vehicles and/or the roadway gets cleaned up from the cargo items. They can mobilize a substantial crew in minutes ... and they do so quite frequently during the winter months here.

IMO, Ft Collins has many attributes which make it a frequent destination for me from Cheyenne ... restaurants, medical services, and shopping. But I can do those at my convenience and maintain better access to Cheyenne by living in the area. IF you have shift work scheduled in Cheyenne and need to commute from Ft Collins, you may have some days each winter where it will not be very feasible to make the trip ... or return home at the end of your work shift.

Do take note that CO has a state income tax, WY does not. Housing, especially acreage suitable to keep your horse at home is less expensive in Cheyenne than Ft Collins. You may also find property taxes lower here in Cheyenne that Ft Collins.

[LynnKrause1]

Was from Illinois and chose to go to college in Greeley. Loved it. Got married to someone from Cheyenne and lived our first year in Cheyenne. Nice people, great hospital and we found there was a lot to do. Moved away, lived in California and back to Illinois. At my age now, I would still jump at the chance to go back to Colorado, but what another poster said is true...bad weather makes for a miserable commute. Both places would suit a young family very well. If your heart is in Fort Collins, I would head there first because there will always then be that "what if" thought. Happy move!

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by unbeliever

I find Fort Collins boring and unappealing, but Cheyenne, well, there's nothing there. I drove up on a Saturday to check it out once and I was headed home in 45 minutes. Wyoming has really nice people, but if you're coming from anywhere civilized, you won't find what you need in Wyoming.

there a college football team in Laramie, there is a pretend one in fort Collins

[BabyBoomers2]

From what I understand, for some folks, Cheyenne is very boring, for others, not at all. To a point, some would look at Cheyenne as a "retirement area". One thing to remember, Cheyenne is "Wyoming" and "Wyoming" is a cowboy State. Wife and I lived along the Front Range, in Parker, for 5 1/2 years. I spent a number of years in pro-rodeo and we've been to CFD. Cheyenne isn't 100% "cowboy", but it's not uncommon to see some cowboy hats there. Cheyenne's winters are worse than the Springs and that's just fact. And, Cheyenne gets wind, and sometimes, plenty of it.

Only place we've been to in Ft Collins is the Centennial Livestock Auction along the I-25.

To me, Ft Collins is much more of a "city" than Cheyenne is.

[1984]

Cheyenne isn't Wyoming. It is more-so just an extension of the Colorado Front Range. Don't move to Cheyenne and think you are in the real Wyoming.

[BabyBoomers2]

Originally Posted by 1984

Cheyenne isn't Wyoming. It is more-so just an extension of the Colorado Front Range. Don't move to Cheyenne and think you are in the real Wyoming.

Well, they host the largest outdoor pro-rodeo in the U.S.. Frontier Mall is there also and people wearing Wedtern garb go there. To us, any part of Wyoming is cowboy and Western. A WHOLE LOT more Western than where we currently live!

The Springs has a big rodeo and PRCA Hall of Fame.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by 1984

Cheyenne isn't Wyoming. It is more-so just an extension of the Colorado Front Range. Don't move to Cheyenne and think you are in the real Wyoming.

How do you figure they aren't the real Wyoming?