Considering a move to CO
Joanne and I have been kicking around the idea of a move to Colorado. A few notes:
- Joanne is a flight attendant with United. DIA is a hub for them so easy for her to transfer. I, of course, can work anywhere, but we're interested in an area about 1-1:15 drive from the airport. CO would like save us $$$$ in airfare traveling to Atlanta to see my family, etc.
- Joanne's parents would eventually move in with us. I expect we'd be advance party, renting for period, while we explored, found a house with detacted inlaw dealio, etc. Access to Chinese TV has been stated as a requirement. DirecTV? Cable?
. - Many things would have to happen on our end, specifically, real estate values come up a bit in Cali so likely not for another year or two.
- I'd like to be able to run, bike, or moto (road and dirt) from my door to the mountains in minutes, if not seconds.
Currently interested in:
- Colorado Springs: weather looks really nice there. Looking at the map though, it doesn't look "right" in the mountains like what I'd like to have. Also about 85 miles from the airport which might not be the best for Joanne.
- One of the mountain communities on the west side of Denver? I have some friends in Evergreen and I've passed through the Golden, etc area.
- Boulder? Gotta say...the idea of living somewhere where I can't swing a dead 650c QR without hitting a pro triathlete or coach doesn't really appeal to me. Yes to immediately plugging into the tri, cycling, and running communities wherever we go, as that's about the only way I know how to meet people anymore but...just not into dealing with anything other than "I just wanna ride." But I figure there must be a reason why so many live there. Frankly, if there's a kickass motorcycle shop and mountain/trail riding from the city, that's a higher consideration than the endurance sports scene.
- Anything else?
Again, this is all at least a year down the road. This is the longest I've ever lived in one place (10yrs), I have a lot of great friends here but ready for a change.
Any help?
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Comments
If I could move tomorrow I'd be looking in Lyons, Evergreen.
I'd live in Ft. Collins before Colorado Springs. 70 miles to the airport though.
Thanks. We are going out to a Denver for a wedding in May. Come to think of it...it's Memorial Day Weekend so no epic training weekend...crap..I want to rent a motorcycle and do some exploring with Joanne for a couple days, check out some areas, etc.
Denver has a pretty decent Chinatown--nothing like LA or NYC or San Francisco, but you'll be able to get dim sum without too much problem.
My brother lived in Silverthorne for a year. Was just amazing, however it is right at that 1 1/2 hour limit for you. In the winter living in the mountains would also really effect ya.
Boulder really is a cool town, used to spent quite a bit of time out there for work. Although I obviously defer to folks that actually lived there.
As for TV (cause really that is more my expertise, couch + tv = fat and happy Dave). Do you prefer Cantonese or Mandarin?
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/international/cantonese?footernavtype=-1
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/international/mandarin?footernavtype=-1
-Dave
tom
Tom, what's really, really be killing me is that I've never gotten outside of the box my normal winter stuff: running, cycling, working, that's it. Never taken a winter vacation, etc. Hell, I live 85 miles from skiing in Big Bear and have never gotten off my ass to make it happen. Never planned ahead to budget for the trip, expenses, time, etc.
Does this mean Coach Rich might actually have to get on a trainer or a treadmill some day.
Nope, not a chance.
Ya know, there may be a very good reason you never got off your ass to do it. Like, maybe you don't like playing in the cold???
I know I don't! I'll spend all my energy planning a 3 week vacay in NZ again before I plan a ski trip to CO!
First of all, CO has the lowest percentage of overweight and obese people - combination of altitude and obsession with outdoor activities. I also think it's the most civilized state in the union; I've lived in Midwest, Los Angeles, Conn, Mass., and WA state. I'd move there, but as our kids leave the nest, they're not moving far from the tree, it seems.
I am very lucky; my parents in 1968 bought property there near Aspen ($15K for 5 acres!) and built their retirement home, so I've been going there for 42 years. You should for sure explore yourself to see what feels comfortable. But a couple of reminders about things you already know:
I've tried training at various altitudes there from 4400 feet to over 9000. Anything above about 5500' makes it VERY hard to do any intensity work, like VO2 max biking, 5K pace running, or swim intervals. Places like Evergreen or Lyon in the foothills west of Denver are great, but if that kind of training is important to you, make sure you can handle it at 7500', 2K above Boulder/Denver.
Also, you are aware of the cultural ambience in Colo Spgs vs Boulder. I've got friends in both places; all kinds of people live in each community. BUT, in general, CO Spgs is a combo of Rush Limbaugh/retired military, while Boulder is Liberal Professor/College Party town. The look and feel of the places are vastly different.
Can I be one of your kids?
Ok HI! I'm in Denver!! And there are some others of us in the area, as I've recently found in my call out in the Rocky Mtn Region Forum.
Here's some observations/thoughts. Let me know how else I can help...i.e. plan rides for your visit etc.
Boulder – Geeked out tri- and extreme sports vibe is definitely there, but there are a lot of fit people there. Not sure how old that would get for you, and whether you might start to feel like you could never really leave work. In Boulder those that are pro triathletes are one thing; those that *think* they’re pros are a whole other kettle of fish. Lots of potential customers there for you though….but you can’t win them over until I have my opportunity to dominate them this summer! J It is a great community, but not for everyone. Some folks find it a bit too crunchy and hippie on the edges, but that has its benefits. One of the top places to be able to really get around on a bicycle, some kick-a$$ farmer’s markets, some great restaurants, really smart people, and the like, which are nice. Plus there’s phenomenal bike riding, road and mountain, available from Boulder, and great easy access to trails for your boyz to romp. The cost of living there is pretty steep though compared to everywhere else. It is also a college town. Obviously you can live there and not deal with CU, but it’s there. Would I live there: Yes, but only if I didn’t have to drive to another town to work. Joanne would have to drive to DIA from Boulder. That’s a decent drive, not one I’d sign up for.
I love CO! Proud to call it home!
I was raised in Ottawa, Canada, the coldest capital city in the world. Lived for a number of years in Bonn, Germany. When you come back to California, you can't believe what a difference sunshine makes. Ottawa and Bonn were probably overcast 300 days a year (OK, a little exaggeration, but not much!). Makes everyone depressed, all the time.
We've just started thinking retirement locations, and sunshine ranks a very high priority. No deserts, but no gray skies for months either.
tom
Rich - skiing is fun.
Winter Park, at least, has tons of sunshine.
Trying to do an interval workout at 9,000 feet? Hardest workout I've ever done in my life.
You are about as close to the skiing in Cali as you would be Denver, maybe a "little" closer in Denver. The snow is great in CO, but it doesn't last long in the city,.You can truly run all year long outside, remember to layer! If I were going to suggest an area/neighborhood my one suggestion would be," stay west of I-25". South of town, west of i-25 is totally suburbia, lots to do and really good riding and running. There are LOTS of trails/paths (paved and unpaved) and they are easy to get to. Littleton has a river that run right through it and you can ride 100 miles out your back door easy and not too much traffic. I would have to totally second Oliva's Golden nomination, great town, great riding/running and climbing too. The Peoples Republic of Boulder, what can you say? It's Boulder. If you don't mind the San Fran/Berkley mindset, then you can handle Boulder. GREAT riding/running and racing. I don't know too many places where you can go on a training ride and meet 3,4,5 people you just saw in a magazine the day before. (Cam Widoff is really cool, Tyler Hamilton is NOT totally cool) I totally love Boulder but housing is Expensive. There are a couple of places just outside Boulder that are cool, Longmont and Niwot. Any place you might end up will be great. The front range is a great place to live!!
Quote from metro Denver.org...
Metro Denver is situated on the high plains at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Moderate temperatures, low levels of humidity, and abundant sunshine provide an ideal climate for year-round activities. Metro Denver has 300 sunny days a year – more annual days of sunshine than either San Diego or Miami Beach.
I agree with the West of I-25 comment generally.
All,
Thanks for the help! My aunt and uncle live in Littleton, or Englewood, I forget, so I can check out that area. Just check out the elevation for Evergreen = 7500...yikes! I bet it's cold there right now!
Don't mind crunchy, college town. Not interested in getting local business. I'm 100% interwebs and like it that way. I get to talk to good people like you in my underwear...when I wear any
.
Not interested in large population of military types, retirees, etc.
Anyway, I'll share this information with Joanne. Very easy for us to drive to LAX, hop on a plane and spend a couple days kicking around the area, exploring, etc.
In two years Keith and I are moving. Looks like a visit to CO is going to happen before that!
tom
While some have touched on the difference in weather, that is a major consideration for us. In the past, we moved from SoCal to places with winters and it was a tough adjustment. And I would think that winter commutes for your wife could definitely be a tad more sporty than the constant warm and dry roads of SoCal. Think black ice and short winter days.
Call me a wimp, or as Bob Dylan once sang, 'maybe I'm getting soft" but each year I come up with less and less justification for living through winters - even with many days of sunshine.
In the next couple of years or so we are planning on saying adios to this winter wonderland and heading back down to the US southwest. I really believe that snowbirds have the right idea.
My recommendation is that you ponder your next move carefully.
Colorado Springs is definitely a military based community with a lot of active and retired personnel. I have lived here all my life and watched it grow from a town of about 60,000 to the current ~600,000 in the area. Generally pretty laid back here but Al is correct in saying it is a Rush Limbaugh mindset although in the last election Obama carried the county (must be all them Californians relocating here
) so it isn't as conservative as it once was. I have known several Denver based pilots in the area although they tend to stick to the north side of Colorado Springs, Black Forest or Monument area's that have commuted and didn't seem to mind too much. We are in northeastern Colorado Springs and it is about an hour on good roads to DIA from the house. I am 100% all in with Olivia and others with the Golden area as far as a great place. Head west and you are in the mountains in minutes yet still close enough to Denver to enjoy the city. Denver also has an awesome trail system for riding, running, etc. last year I was on my bike through the heart of Denver for 2+ hours and only had to stop once where they were working on the trails (and it does extend right into Golden). If I didn't work with such a great company here in the Springs (22 years with these guys) I would be in the Golden area in a heart beat! The other thing to share is that while we get lots of snow it typically only stays around a few days because of the temperatures/sunshine so you can be outdoors most of the year. Wherever you are in Colorado it seems that there is some of the elite level people living and training around you but it also keeps us mortals humble and motivated!
All this talk makes me want to move....sigh...
Dan-
I always want to move and I agree, this thread is just continuing that desire!!!
I graduated from the AF Academy in C Springs in 79, and I have a son there now so I get out to Colorado regularly. Lots of great trails, HQ for USAT, Olympic Training Center, Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, etc. It's grown so much since I graduated but still isn't TOO big like Denver. But it can be damn cold! I was last out in Oct 09 for my 30th reunion and they were having really cold weather for Oct, especially compared to subtropical Florida. There's NOTHING that I haven't run through (like 71 below wind chill) so I sucked it up and did a long run with my son with the temp in the low 20s and who knows what the windchill was. Went to the football game that afternoon and they announced the wind chill at 8 degrees. Compared to Tampa the summers are great, but it's soooooo nice to be living down here this time of year. The chinook winds can be fierce, but I've lived in LA too and I know they get the Santa Annas down there. Sounds like you have a lot of great options. Hope the real estate market turns for you. Despite my aversion to cold weather, I would probably choose Colorado over SOCAL when you factor in all the lifestyle issues that go along with living in California.
Lived in Denver, near DU for 3 years & have friends north of Denver (easier for the airport and for Estes Park)
There's a bunch of nice towns such as Firestone along the front range between Denver and Fort Collins.
@Rich -- are you ready to develop those shoveling muscles???
Yeah, that's why I'm not all about Boulder. JnI are looking at taking a two day trip out to the area in February.