Possible relocation to Colorado

[SlimWhitman]

Hoping to get some advice from people on Colorado. An opportunity may have just opened up for me to take another position with my company in Colorado Springs.

A little about me for some context:

I’m originally from Florida. Spent most of my time on the water or bird hunting. Hunting began to take more precedence over fishing and I ended up in Texas thinking it would lead to more opportunity in the woods. Duck hunting has been my focus for the most part but I’ve finally jumped in to bow hunting and am heading to Idaho this September to go for Elk for the first time.

I’ll say since moving to Texas I’ve become pretty disappointed in the opportunities around. Not that there aren’t any, but it is certainly a “pay to play” state for the most part.

The thirst for the mountains has been growing quickly.

I’m 32 and single with no kids so I’m not tied down by anything except a chocolate lab.

For anyone who has relocated, or locals who have an opinion to offer, how has it been?

Everything you hoped for?

Are politics that in your face?

Social scene?

Any opinions are greatly welcomed. I’ll be making a trip here soon to give it a taste.


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[sndmn11]

Outside of 2 years in junior college, I have lived in the Denver metro area my whole life and I am 33. The Springs is probably a good bit more conservative....but I don't think that politics are "in your face" and that question made me chuckle a bit. I can't think of any instance that would qualify.
Social scene is whatever you make of it, there are plenty of 30 somethings around.
Frankly, it has gotten silly how much the cost of housing has become, and traffic is gross. My personal opinion would be for more people to move away, but I can't think of too many places I would rather live.

 

[Poser]

I moved to Durango a little over a year ago from Tennessee, but, the Western Slope is way different then the Front Range. CS is probably going to feel very crowded and seem like one continuous example of mundane suburban sprawl. Most of the good jobs are on the front range so that's where most of the population is. I'd spend a solid week there if possible and get a feel for it. The annoying thing that you may run into is a thousand other people trying to do the same exact thing you're trying to do on any given day. Of course, You can look at things like that from different perspectives. One perspective is that at least you have access to such outdoor opportunities in the first place.




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[Runningwater]

Springs will be very conservative, as least from a CO perspective. Its a pretty big city, and there is fairly continuous sprawl from the Springs through Denver up through Ft. Collins. Lots of young single people. Unfortunately from the single standpoint probably weighted with men, especially in the Springs area (large Air Force Base, Air Force Academy). Relatively poor waterfowl and upland opportunities (at least compared to NW Nebraska where I'm from), but great archery opportunities for big game (elk, mule deer, pronghorn, etc.). Some decent but generally crowded fishing opportunities. Bodies of water are scarce and almost always crowded. Like most places, if you're willing to do some research and put in some hoof time you can get away from most of the people.

 

[ericF]

For Waterfowl your best bet is to join one of the clubs. For $1 to $2k, you will have all the access you want. There are public opportunities, but alot of people that use them so if you can go on the weekdays you are better off. As far as big game, there really isn't a place that is much better. Elk is guaranteed every year with deer being a draw, but almost guaranteed. Pronghorn is not too hard to get and you will actually have a chance at sheep and goat and a smaller chance at moose. Upland birds are about the only thing that are lacking, but if you drive you can go out to the plains.

 

[elkduds]

I've lived in COS for the last 7 years, also lived here in the 1990s. This is a military town, w a big air force base and huge army base in addition to the academy. Housing is increasingly expensive and rentals are tight. Great hiking/biking in and around town. A 3-D archery range @ Cheyenne Mtn State Park. Lots of traffic, the highway west to the mountains is 2 lanes, very slow on holidays and weekends. gold medal fishing is about 40 miles away, mostly smaller streams, a couple of big reservoirs. Feel free to PM if I can help further.

 

[Jbehredt]

Register your car as soon as you get here. Driving around on Texas plates won’t earn you any brownie points. Welcome.

 

[SlimWhitman]

Thanks everyone so far. I value you everyone’s opinion on here a lot more than random googling.


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[ROJO23]

I have started to look into relocating as well. I have a friend that lives in the Canon City area south of CS. He moved there because of the mild weather (for Colorado), and that is where we will visit this fall. Luckily both my wife and myself can relocate with our current jobs. After my first visit I was bit by the mountain bug, CO is a beautiful place. I currently live in VA

 

[Luvhuntingelk]

I live in Co Spgs. It’s a great place to live and raise a family. I’m in introvert so can’t really comment on the social scene and the night life. The comments that the Springs is very conservative make me laugh, it’s definitely a conservative city but it only seems very conservative when compared to how liberal the state has become lately. Traffic sucks and the infrastructure has been poorly planned out and can’t handle all the expansion. As in all of CO, people come flocking here for the marijuana.

 

[SHTF]

Live in Littleton Co here. Love the state. Dont have any issues what so ever. People are generally pretty cool and have made a good life here. Economy is booming big time Rent and house prices are way up in Denver but Co Springs still has decent prices for houses. Im 47 years old wife and I both enjoy the outdoors and I take 2 weeks a year to go chase Elk. Not to many other places Id live. Colorado has alot to do and see and once you get into the mountains you won't ever want to leave.

 

[Johnson27]

Register your car as soon as you get here. Driving around on Texas plates won’t earn you any brownie points. Welcome.

(Illinois plates). That's no joke. I stopped in Thorton for gas in September was told to "GET THE F**K OUT OF MY STATE" by a very unpleasant sort of fellow.

 

[texag10]

Nothing to add other than I am doing what you are thinking about. Tomorrow will be my last day in Texas after living here my whole life. An opportunity to keep the same job and move from Dallas to Denver came up and I jumped at it.

 

[cnelk]

Northern Front Range here.

Been here since '88, moved from N Minnesota.
Best thing I ever did

In 2 hrs I can be elk hunting in Colorado or Wyoming.
In 3 hrs I can be WT deer hunting/ turkey hunting in Nebraska

I can be ice fishing in 1.5 hrs w/ my snowmobile and come home and play a round of golf in the same day.

Yeah, its all good. But Id sure hate to move here now as the startup cost is outrageous

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I grew up on the western slope and now live on the front range. The front range is very different than the western slope, IMO. On the front range you have lots of people and traffic. The access to hunting is decent, but driving through Denver on a Friday afternoon is hell. If you go through before 3pm ish you'll be okay. Driving back from the mountains on I70 on a Sunday afternoon is brutal as well. "Luckily", CO opened up I70 from a mostly 2 lane road to now having an express lane that you have to pay for. As stated above, housing prices have skyrocketed. The house my wife and I bought in 2014 is now worth almost 100 grand more than what we paid for. Overall, it is a good state to live in.

 

[5MilesBack]

Register your car as soon as you get here. Driving around on Texas plates won’t earn you any brownie points. Welcome.

With Texas plates, he'll fit right in in the Springs. Some days I think I see more out of state plates than CO plates, and a whole gob of those are Texas.

The Springs is not all that conservative anymore, just look at the voting records. It used to be all but impossible to get a tax increase approved from the voters. These days every liberal agenda seems to pass. The marijuana situation is bad and getting worse. Crime is on the rise, especially violent crime. Traffic is always bad, I don't think anyone here actually has a place of work.....unless their vehicle is considered their place of work while they drive around all day. Just too many people here, and they're still handing out commercial building permits (condos, apartments, town homes, etc) like candy. Water is ridiculously expensive, especially now that we have to pay for the billions of dollars that the Southern Water Delivery System cost.........just so they could hand out even more building permits.

It's funny every year that they ask for more money to hire more police officers because they are WAY understaffed and can't possibly patrol all the crime riddled neighborhoods, yet you'll see speed traps with 1/2 a dozen motorcycle cops all lined up ready to increase the city's income however they can. That's not understaffed, that's mismanaged.

But other than that, it's probably one of the best places to live in the country. The climate is great if you don't like snow.......we rarely get any. Winters are very temperate compared to a lot of places. Spring, summer, and fall are awesome here. We don't have many bugs, and the air is dry. I can't think of a better year round climate than here.

 

[Eagle]

We closed on our new home in Castle Rock today and will be moved in by the 20th. It'll be heaven compared to Alabama, especially during the summer. I have two young kids, and I'm incredibly excited for what living in a recreation rich state will offer them as they grow up. Housing is crazy, we were told there are 30,000 folks looking for homes and no more than 5,000 homes on the market at any one time, so it's incredibly competitive in the Denver metro.

 

[5MilesBack]

I know Denver has gotten a little out of hand with home prices, but whenever I watch House Hunters I think we must have the cheapest homes in America here in the Springs. It doesn't matter what podunk town or state they go to, it seems everything is $400k and up. I laugh at what these people get for a home for $400k+ in some places. But sometimes I do get surprised and see them showing some 4000 square foot homes on a couple acres for under $400k.

 

[Eagle]

I know Denver has gotten a little out of hand with home prices, but whenever I watch House Hunters I think we must have the cheapest homes in America here in the Springs. It doesn't matter what podunk town or state they go to, it seems everything is $400k and up. I laugh at what these people get for a home for $400k+ in some places. But sometimes I do get surprised and see them showing some 4000 square foot homes on a couple acres for under $400k.

We sold our well appointed all brick home with nice finishes and great views for just over $100/sqft, and bought a home in Castle Rock that isn't as nice or as large (finished sqft wise) for just under $200/sqft. Talk about a shock to the system when we saw the cost of homes in the area. Only part of the situation that gave me pause, but it was either that, or pay rent that was even more expensive than what the mortgage would end up being. At least we have a full unfinished basement that we can finish and gain some equity on as time moves forward.

I'm hopeful that the market continues to increase, and all indications are that it will; but it still scares the crap out of me to think of what another housing/mortgage crisis would do.

 

[loggerchas]

Pueblo Colorado native, except for 12 years where I lost a bet and lived in Utah and escaped back to Pueblo.

As in any city, talk to people who live there before you buy a house. Certain areas within any city are better/worse than others. This is especially true in Pueblo and COS.

Lots of people live in Pueblo and work in COS because homes are much cheaper here. There is as much social opportunity in Pub/COS as you desire. As long as you aren't in the People's Republic of Boulder (HAHA) politics are all over the spectrum but not in your face, except for MJ/pot which is a polarizing issue with little common ground between folks. Opiod epidemic hitting front range like all of the US in certain circles. Law enforcement is hamstrung by the "catch and release" judicial system mentality lately.

Happy to turn you on to some areas near Pueblo that aren't too crazy with people for outdoor stuff.

Biggest thing in CO as far as hunting is learning how to read and decipher the hunting and license statistics to make educated choices for big game.

PM me when you get here or with any specific questions - happy to chat.

Blessings - Chas.