Colorado Questions

pippa

pippa

Cathlete
Hi everyone!!

My parents are thinking of moving to Colorado and they have a few preliminary questions. They are thinking of moving somewhere that's within 45 minutes of Denver(I know that encompasses a lot of areas :))

First of all, if anyone has re-located to Colorado from anywhere. Can you tell me what you like/dislike about it compared to where you used to live?

Also, if you live somewhere or know something about an area that's within their range could you tell me what some desirable/undesirable areas are?

They're both retired and are in their 60's. One of their main concerns(for the future) is being close to a major hospital.

I know these are huge questions so I appreciate any input anyone wants to give. Thanks!!!
 
I would be glad to discuss Colorado options with you. We moved here when I was about 10, so really can't compare it to the previous area. I lived (and went to college) in Boulder for many years and recently have moved to the mountains west of Boulder/Denver. Hospitals would be about an hour from me here in the mountains. Are they thinking of the plains, one of the towns around Denver?
 
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Colorado!!!

Hi Pippa,

We moved from CA to CO about six years ago and have NEVER looked back!! We live in a small-ish town called Monument. Here because it's in between Co Springs & Denver. Outstanding schools, clean air, seasons, nice properties, etc.. Having said that, the winters here are typically not for the faint of heart as they can be extreme- plus the properties and homes tend to be on the larger side for the most part. Although the sense of community is unbelievably amazing. It's a very Christian oriented place. There are some nice golf-courses in reasonable distances - like 2 miles from our home. We are within approx 30 min to one of the newest & nicest hospitals Memorial North (Briargate area).

Castlerock is a nice place- much closer to downtown Denver probably about 30-40 minutes to the Metro center (barring any traffic). Not sure about the hospitals in that area but I'm sure there are some good ones. Castlerock is more of a newer bedroom community. Not as forrest-y or hilly & lower in elevation than the 8000 feet of Monument.

Best of luck to them and their move!
I'm happy to answer other questions if need be.

Pam
 
I can't speak from experience but my sister, brother-in-law and their kids moved to Colorado Springs last year from the South. They love it. He is a priest and the people in their church have embraced them wonderfully. They like it so much they are rarely homesick and that is a feat for my sis. I know this isn't very helpful but wanted to let you know how well they have adjusted and how much they love the state.
 
Hi -

I'm a Colorado native, been here 42 years except a year in New Mexico. I wouldn't live anywhere else! There are a few very good large hospitals here, I think it might depend on why they may need the hospital before deciding which one is best. What part of town do they want to live in, west or east of Denver? housing in the west can be a little more expensive but the mountains are so great! I'd be happy to answer more specific questions if they come up. Good luck to your parents, I'm sure they would love it here!
 
Well, I suppose I might be the lone dissenter, but I am NOT a fan of Colorado.

I moved here 4 years ago from Nevada and live right in between Denver and Boulder, well, closer to Boulder. I went from a life of rarely being sick to being sick constantly, due to the horrible allergy/air quality problems. I can't breath out of my nose (at all), have constant headaches and I go through 4 to 5 boxes of kleenex every week. I'm literally holding my breath every day hoping we can find a job to leave this place. If they are older, it is a consideration. The interesting thing is that even those who have been here for a long time have this problem, however, it is totally normal for everyone to live on allergy medication or accept being sick all of the time. I've never seen that be normal any where else. The air is very dry, too! Painfully, so. My psoriasis has gotten very out of control, unless I'm eating massive amounts of fish oil, which I don't like to do.

Also, produce is horrible. I eat almost entirely whole foods, and it's really bad here. I came from middle-of-nowhere Nevada, so my standards aren't extra high. To most people, though, that doesn't seem to mean anything :). Our Whole Foods has the smallest produce section of any market in the area, so that tells you where priorities are! My SO is also vegetarian and Colorado is not at all friendly to veggie heads.

As far as positives go, it is a very fitness minded community. Everybody is a marathoner, or cyclist, or does triathalons, mountaineering, hiking, etc., etc. It's really nice that way. Nobody looks at you funny for wearing Vibrams! The mountains are gorgeous and whenever we leave the Boulder area and go up into the mountains, my sinus/allergy problems go away and I start to feel better. I could look at the foothills all day long.

I'm not sure about the quality of hospitals around my area, though.

Anyway, I've had mostly negative experiences here and can't wait to leave to regain my health. I made a couple of very good friends in the last couple of years. They made the move from Tucson, and they're leaving in a couple of weeks, too, even though she has a great job. Her health has deteriorated so much in just two years that she can't even function any more. We've met several people who have moved here relatively recently who are experiencing similar things.
 
pjlippert said:
Hi Pippa,

We moved from CA to CO about six years ago and have NEVER looked back!! We live in a small-ish town called Monument. Here because it's in between Co Springs & Denver. Outstanding schools, clean air, seasons, nice properties, etc.. Having said that, the winters here are typically not for the faint of heart as they can be extreme- plus the properties and homes tend to be on the larger side for the most part. Although the sense of community is unbelievably amazing. It's a very Christian oriented place. There are some nice golf-courses in reasonable distances - like 2 miles from our home. We are within approx 30 min to one of the newest & nicest hospitals Memorial North (Briargate area).

Castlerock is a nice place- much closer to downtown Denver probably about 30-40 minutes to the Metro center (barring any traffic). Not sure about the hospitals in that area but I'm sure there are some good ones. Castlerock is more of a newer bedroom community. Not as forrest-y or hilly & lower in elevation than the 8000 feet of Monument.

Best of luck to them and their move!
I'm happy to answer other questions if need be.

Pam
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Pam, you make me want to move there!!!!:D
 
I'll play. I live in Evergreen which is the mountain suburb just west of Denver. Lots of retired folks up here, so your parents would fit right in! There are also a lot of families with children. The missing demographics are 20-30 single-types and minorities.

Evergreen is mostly 7000-8000' elevation. It has a lovely, small lake and quaint downtown area. These are 8 miles south of i-70. Closer to i-70 is an area called "Bergen" that has more shopping and is more conviently located to Denver, but housing is more expensive, too. I would say a good hospital is an average of 30 minutes from Evergreen. I have to say average because Evergreen is so spread out and the large area contains about 40,000 residents. To the south of Evergreen is a community called Conifer. Similar, but a little more "rustic". Commute to Denver is on 285 and has gotten better since they 4-laned it. Conifer is higher elevation, but property prices are lower there.

People choose Evergreen because it is so beautiful and they enjoy an active lifestyle. Some have horses and lots of dogs up here! There are so many opportunities to hike and bike right out your doorstep. When we first moved here I had to adjust to driving "down the hill" for major shopping sprees. I was so used to being much closer to chain-type shopping. But I finally realized, "do I want to be close to natural beauty or close to Target?". I also do a lot more internet shopping now!

I will agree with a previous poster that the air is dry here (35% humidity right now), but I don't have problems finding veggies. Summer is really excellent with a great farmer's market. Friends belong to a CSA for produce, but I prefer to select my own. I also find a good organic produce at Costco down the hill. Vitamin Cottage in town also has a small, but good supply of organic produce, and King Soopers has excellent conventional stuff.

I will also disagree with a previous poster about the weather. Of course, we moved from Canada (too cold), but before that Houston (too hot), and I think the weather here is perfect. Four seasons and the winter is not extreme. More snow than Canada, but not nearly as cold. Many, many days in mid-winter above freezing and full of glorious sunshine. The county does a good job of plowing, too, so as long as you can get out of your driveway/neighborhood, you are set! Fall is beautiful, dry and has the amazing aspen color. Spring might be the worst season since it can be rainy and cool. But everything is starting to green up and you are looking forward to summer which is so great here. We love to sit on our deck for meals and just enjoy "another great Colorado day!". We wonder why we go on vacations sometimes since this is such a beautiful place.

Enough gushing. Please let me know if your parents have any specific questions about the Evergreen/Conifer areas. HTH!

P.S. I forgot to comment on medical care. Being from Houston with it's world class medical care, I have always been a bit disappointed in doctors in other places. Evergreen has "ok" medical care. I have switched to some doctors "down the hill" because I think I am a bit picky. Some routine stuff I do up here, but Denver has good doctors not too far away. Interestingly, Evergreen is full of good dentists and many excellent vets.
 
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I'm on my way to work so I'll post a longer reply and some follow-up questions when I get there but I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that has replied so far. They'll be so happy to get some information(both good and bad) from people who actually live there. THANK YOUS SO MUCH!!

Be back in a bit....:)
 
Hi Geomom! We have never visited Evergreen and the areas you mentioned... sounds like a road-trip is in our future!! :D I totally hear ya about dinner on the front porch just listening to nature and waving hi to the many neighbors and dogs, dogs, dogs that pass by!! The rain this Summer has been soooo wonderful and welcome! Ahhh peaceful Colorado! My son cracked me up he said- make sure you mention that the Colorado State dog is the labrador (or doodle) and the Co state car is the Subaru! ;) (We don't have either! He made this assumption on his own!)


Evergreen is mostly 7000-8000' elevation. It has a lovely, small lake and quaint downtown area. These are 8 miles south of i-70. Closer to i-70 is an area called "Bergen" that has more shopping and is more conviently located to Denver, but housing is more expensive, too. I would say a good hospital is an average of 30 minutes from Evergreen. I have to say average because Evergreen is so spread out and the large area contains about 40,000 residents. To the south of Evergreen is a community called Conifer. Similar, but a little more "rustic". Commute to Denver is on 285 and has gotten better since they 4-laned it. Conifer is higher elevation, but property prices are lower there.

People choose Evergreen because it is so beautiful and they enjoy an active lifestyle. Some have horses and lots of dogs up here! There are so many opportunities to hike and bike right out your doorstep. When we first moved here I had to adjust to driving "down the hill" for major shopping sprees. I was so used to being much closer to chain-type shopping. But I finally realized, "do I want to be close to natural beauty or close to Target?". I also do a lot more internet shopping now!

I will agree with a previous poster that the air is dry here (35% humidity right now), but I don't have problems finding veggies. Summer is really excellent with a great farmer's market. Friends belong to a CSA for produce, but I prefer to select my own. I also find a good organic produce at Costco down the hill. Vitamin Cottage in town also has a small, but good supply of organic produce, and King Soopers has excellent conventional stuff.

I will also disagree with a previous poster about the weather. Of course, we moved from Canada (too cold), but before that Houston (too hot), and I think the weather here is perfect. Four seasons and the winter is not extreme. More snow than Canada, but not nearly as cold. Many, many days in mid-winter above freezing and full of glorious sunshine. The county does a good job of plowing, too, so as long as you can get out of your driveway/neighborhood, you are set! Fall is beautiful, dry and has the amazing aspen color. Spring might be the worst season since it can be rainy and cool. But everything is starting to green up and you are looking forward to summer which is so great here. We love to sit on our deck for meals and just enjoy "another great Colorado day!". We wonder why we go on vacations sometimes since this is such a beautiful place.

Enough gushing. Please let me know if your parents have any specific questions about the Evergreen/Conifer areas. HTH!

P.S. I forgot to comment on medical care. Being from Houston with it's world class medical care, I have always been a bit disappointed in doctors in other places. Evergreen has "ok" medical care. I have switched to some doctors "down the hill" because I think I am a bit picky. Some routine stuff I do up here, but Denver has good doctors not too far away. Interestingly, Evergreen is full of good dentists and many excellent vets.[/QUOTE]
 
pjlippert - a road trip would be fun! My brother lives in Monument (Bent Tree) so I am familiar a bit with your area. I think I'm going to go outside and enjoy the 73 degrees we've been having all day. Anyone jealous??
 
geomom said:
I will agree with a previous poster that the air is dry here (35% humidity right now), but I don't have problems finding veggies. Summer is really excellent with a great farmer's market. Friends belong to a CSA for produce, but I prefer to select my own. I also find a good organic produce at Costco down the hill. Vitamin Cottage in town also has a small, but good supply of organic produce, and King Soopers has excellent conventional stuff.

.
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I wish I could shop where you shop! I'm in the Lafayette area, and I shop in Erie, Lafayette, Louisville, Superior and Boulder every single week just to get enough to eat. The produce is NASTY! More than once, I've taken pictures of the produce and sent them to the CEO of the markets in disgust.

I even went to a farmer's market just up the street from me yesterday and spent $11 on a handful of potatoes. I got them home and they were all rotten inside! Apparently, I do not have the blessings of the fruit & veggie gods! :(
 
I love, love, love Colorado! I moved here right out of college (20 years ago - ack!) and have never wanted to live anywhere else. I grew up in California, the Phillippines, and northern Virginia/DC area. I left VA because I couldn't stand the humidity and the traffic. Over the years, Colorado Springs has grown a lot, but I was still in shock when we visited LA last fall - talk about traffic!

DH was born here and does not like the winters, but it doesn't help that he works outside. The amount of snow we get doesn't seem bad, it's definitely less than what Denver gets, especially because I'm on the south side of town. It's a good 45 minute drive from one end of the Springs to the other - it's a pretty spread out city. And the snow melts off very quickly because it is dry here. Ya gotta have lotion and chapstick with you. (But my hair and skin are SO much better here than in humid Virginia!)

I love living in the mountains and evergreens, and it IS a very fit state. Many of my friends run marathons, mountain bike, work out, and there are a lot of great stores for us in terms of healthy food. DD has Celiac's Disease (gluten allergy) and there are so many options for us. My local King Soopers (Kroger) has great produce, but I avoid WalMart's due to quality.

I could go on and on, but you've had so many great descriptions of beautiful places like Monument and Evergreen .... just wanted to get my plug in for Colorado Springs!
 
I was in Colorado Springs last September and LOVED IT!!!! We took the cog train up Pike's Peak and hiked down. We were very surprised at how cold it was up at the peak (30 degrees! and we were in T-shirts and shorts!!!)! It was lightly SNOWING so we went in to the gift shop to buy sweats. No luck...just hoodies! Needless to say, it was a cold But, WE LOVED IT!!! We have such great memories and hilarious stories to tell! So much in fact that we are going to tack Pike's Peak on to the end of our vacation this September and do it again! This time we'll climb up and take the cog down! And we'll have the proper gear! Hope my new Gym Styled legs will get me there!!!!:eek:
 
Again, a huge THANK YOU to everyone!! There has been so much great information given to me here. I've told my parents all the areas that have been mentioned and they already have a few set aside to visit in October.

Colorado Springs was an area they were interested in so I was happy to give them some info on that too! Evergreen and Monument were new to them but they've already been short-listed!!

Alright...next question...what is your utility situation like? One, if you don't mind sharing, on average what do utilities cost for you?

Two, does your house/condo/apartment, etc., have gas heat? electric? oil? Something I'm not aware of....?

Three, do you have city water/sewage or are you on a well?

Thanks again...you ladies are the best!!:):)
 
Alright...next question...what is your utility situation like? One, if you don't mind sharing, on average what do utilities cost for you?
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This is such an individual thing considering the size of your property and how you use your utilities. We have solar panels (for our electricity) so our utilities are low in the summer and higher in the winter when our solar doesn't kick in as much. Also, we have gas heat, so that is higher in the winter, too. I would suggest when your parents look at properties to ask to see that property's utility bills for the previous year.

Two, does your house/condo/apartment, etc., have gas heat? electric? oil? Something I'm not aware of....?
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Mostly gas or propane heat around here, although some folks use wood-burning stove/pellet stoves as well. No heating oil. That's a northeastern thing, I believe. Some folks have electric heat. And speaking of solar, passive solar where you have a large panel of south-facing windows, is popular as well, so properties with a southern exposure can be considered more desirable than one without.

We have radient heat which is a newer technology and only widely available in newer (post 1990 or so) properties. Early than that, baseboard heat is very common. You want one particular type of that, I "think" it is the gas-driven hot water kind, (as opposed to electric) but not sure. Your parents should research that if they look at older properties.

The advantage to radient heat is that it's not as drying to the air as other forms of heat which, in a dry climate, is nice. It is quite stable in terms of holding the heat at a constant level in the house, but if you like to sleep cold, like me, we just have to run the bedroom colder than the rest of the house because it doesn't change from say 68 to 62 very quickly, 4 hours or so?

The good news is we don't have or need air conditioning up here! A very hot day in Evergreen would be 85 and it will always cool off into the 50's or colder at night. That is the advantage of the drier air!

Three, do you have city water/sewage or are you on a well?
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If you are someplace civilized like the Springs, you will be on city water/sewer. Here in Evergreen, many folks would be on a well. We're on a well, and it is the best water ever. If you are on city water, you'll be on a sewer as well, I think? But if on a well, you'll be on septic. That is fine, too. Just have to have it pumped every so often.

I would be more concerned about being on gas vs. propane. Outlying properties in Evergreen are propane. Gas comes in lines from the utility and propane is a tank in your backyard. I have never been on propane, but heard that it can be more expensive and it's heating value is not as good so stuff like cooking on propane can be less desirable. Another thing to research if your parents see a propane property they like.

Here are a couple of links to Evergreen sites:

The local newspaper: http://www.canyoncourier.com/

Another site: www.justaroundhere.com
 
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Yay for the short list! Well, here's a little bit about Colorado Springs. Since it IS a sprawling city, there is a lot of variety and I've lived in 5 different houses so I can tell you a little bit. Plus DH used to have a plumbing / heating company so ....

Of course, size matters when it comes to yard. Our last house had a huge green lawn and we had the water bill to match. The city charges at a tiered level - the more you use, the higher your rates. We were paying $300 just for water in the summer; crazy, I know. Colorado Springs is actually an arid climate, similar to Santa Fe, and people are starting to realize how precious water is. Many people are integrating xeriscape/low water landscaping. Now we live outside city limits and our neighborhood of about 60 homes is on 6 wells. We don't have a lawn here, only "native grasses" i.e. weeds for some. :) Our lots are 2-5 acres so many people do gardens around their house and everyone here is very conservative. I feel like it's more earth-friendly. We pay a high rate for water in our little valley, but even with 4 people, plants and horses to water, our bill last month was $83.

I think the majority of people have forced air furnaces. DH's company serviced and installed furnaces all over the city, and that's what most of the homes have, especially tract or semi-custom homes. Radiant heat is wonderful, just more rare. Because we do not have city gas, we have electric baseboard heat - expensive - and in the winter we use our wood-burning stove which helps a lot. A lot of houses also have air conditioning or an evaporative cooler (nice because it adds a little humidity to the air).

City sewage charge is very reasonable; we have a septic system so it's pretty much free.

Hope this helps! I'm sure your parents will love wherever they choose!
 
Thanks Geomom and Dayna!! I passed this latest bit of information on to them. They're getting very excited to visit and start planning their move. I'm sure they'll have some more questions and I really appreciate all the time everyone has taken to help them(me) out!! : )
 
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