Moving to Colorado
 

I will be moving to Colorado next year and would like to plan a trip to visit and check out the best places to live in early February 2021. I have visited Colorado before and driven through some of the smaller on resort cities along Intersate-70 along with Denver and Boulder, but I really didn't get to check out a lot of the attractions around the Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs area.

I am from Minnesota where it is relatively cheap in comparison to a lot of the surrounding Denver cities like Boulder, so I am hoping to tour areas that are more affordable.

I am a 35 year old single male, so I would like an area that still has a good dating pool population.

Basic needs I would like to have near me: Coffee Shops, Restaurants, Wine Tasting, Affordable Grocery Stores, A really great Gym.

Affordable Housing: < $1200/month.

Activities: Hiking in the Mountains, Bike Trails, Mountain Biking (Fat Tire Bike), Skiing/Snowboarding, Running/Walking Trails, Golf Course(s).

Things I am not concerned about: Crazy Night Life, Sporting Events, Big Concerts.

Things I may have to be flexible on: If I don't find a job that is 100% remote, is there anywhere close to Denver that would meet the above criteria?

Any recommendations for certain cities, certain hikes, certain golf courses, trails, etc. to check out would be greatly appreciated for my trip coming up next year!!

Thanks everyone for your expertise!

Why not live in Denver? Our kids live in south Denver--Tech Center area. Our other former Denver child lived in Lakewood--far west area on the way to the mountains. They have both lived in downtown Denver--Wash Park Area and Coors Field area. Lots of young folk, lots to do.

You can help narrow down your choices by researching what the different cities/towns in Colorado have to offer at City-Data.com - Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more.

I live in Colorado. Be aware that housing costs have skyrocketed in the past few years, because it seems that most of the country has decided to move here.

Wine tasting, more specifically wineries and cellar doors, will be limited to places like Palisade, Fruita and the Grand Junction area on the Western Slope (which can be hotter than the hinges of hell in the summer time). And don't get your hopes up, Colorado wine isn't much to get excited about.

You'll find affordable grocery stores, coffee shops and restaurants just about everywhere. Gyms will be more prominent in larger towns/cities.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look south, as in Durango or Gunnison, but living in Durango comes with a pretty high price tag.

I visit CO almost every year to go skiing and have relatives there and I was gong to comment same as above re prices. My impression was that your budget is pretty low for a lot of cities in CO, such as Denver. I have also noticed that your requirement about affordable grocery stores isn't taht important. Grocery costs don't really vary that much across the US, I've notice, not enough for it to be any criterion for you, not in major chains. Although you'd think they' be cheaper in cheaper towns, they aren't that much, I notice when I visit relatives in a small much lower-cost-of-living town in Ohio, the prices in the grocery stores (and major chian stores) are about the same as where I live in a very expensive city. I don't know why, but they are, even though real estates and property taxes should be lower. What does vary more are restaurant costs.

Wine testing is a "basic" need? Seriously?
maybe rethink that as that is a very odd basic need and really limits you Unless you just mean drinking wine which you can literally do anywhere. And CO wine is nothing worth basing your life on, that's for sure. If you know much about wine, you know the geography is not best for vineyards, obviously. I'd save that need for vacations.

I like Durango a lot but have no idea of costs. I have a relative who lives in Gunnison and he likes it a lot and he does work remotely, so I know it is at least possible. So I agree I'd look into that as it will be a lot cheaper than places like Boulder or Denver or some resort area.

Less than $1200/month will be tough in the Denver area. First, I'd narrow the search by using Zillow, Apartments.com, etc to find areas/cities that you can actually afford and then use Google to "tour" the neighborhoods. Once you find places you can afford then you can determine if it fits your "basic" needs.

Forget wine. Consider beer.

https://www.colorado.com/articles/co...defining-craft

Thank You For Your Expertise!
 

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Originally Posted by Gretchen (Post 17196376)

Why not live in Denver? Our kids live in south Denver--Tech Center area. Our other former Denver child lived in Lakewood--far west area on the way to the mountains. They have both lived in downtown Denver--Wash Park Area and Coors Field area. Lots of young folk, lots to do.

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This looks like a very promising area! I have heard this from you and 2 other people now. It seems a bit expensive if I wanted to buy a condo or house would I find a reasonable renting situation.


Do you think traffic would be awful driving from here into the mountains and ski resorts?


Thank you!!

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Originally Posted by RoamsAround (Post 17196529)

You can help narrow down your choices by researching what the different cities/towns in Colorado have to offer at

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I checked this out, full of great info, thank you!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Melnq8 (Post 17196543)

I live in Colorado. Be aware that housing costs have skyrocketed in the past few years, because it seems that most of the country has decided to move here.

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I know the high housing costs are the most challenging part of this decision. I make a great living but I am so frugal (but not cheap) with my money because I want to invest as much as I can for future use and giving to people that need it. I jumped on the Mustachian (Mr Money Mustache) train a few years back and have stuck with it.


Those wine recommendations are perfect. I just like wine and like the atmosphere of wine places more than breweries. I LOVE beer which CO is known for but unfortunately I found out I am allergic and that’s why I was getting so hungover. Feel lucky you don’t have that problem!! ;)


Sounds good about the coffee shops, grocery stores, gyms, etc.


I love the idea of trying a southern city but I’ll have to see if I can get creative with my work situation, aka working remote.


Thank you!!

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Originally Posted by Christina (Post 17196560)

I visit CO almost every year to go skiing and have relatives there and I was gong to comment same as above re prices. My impression was that your budget is pretty low for a lot of cities in CO, such as Denver. I have also noticed that your requirement about affordable grocery stores isn't taht important. Grocery costs don't really vary that much across the US, I've notice, not enough for it to be any criterion for you, not in major chains. Although you'd think they' be cheaper in cheaper towns, they aren't that much, I notice when I visit relatives in a small much lower-cost-of-living town in Ohio, the prices in the grocery stores (and major chian stores) are about the same as where I live in a very expensive city. I don't know why, but they are, even though real estates and property taxes should be lower. What does vary more are restaurant costs.

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Yes the housing costs are such a bummer, although nice for residents who bought their homes years ago. Paying $1500/month just seems so high to me, I currently pay $900 in MN. Okay, 10-4 on the groceries. In California they were a bit higher but yes I think you are right about the average costs country wide.


So the skin sounds great! I have heard you can get a season pass for a reasonable amount also which sounds promising.


Haha I didn’t mean to put the wine tasting as a basic necessity. I was just curious about alternatives to breweries since I am allergic to beer.


Southern CO looks so beautiful and untapped by the weed herd so that looks promising. I’ll look into costs.


Did you run into any hectic hell-raising traffic or was it okay?


Thank you!!

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Originally Posted by wtm003 (Post 17196626)

Less than $1200/month will be tough in the Denver area. First, I'd narrow the search by using Zillow, Apartments.com, etc to find areas/cities that you can actually afford and then use Google to "tour" the neighborhoods. Once you find places you can afford then you can determine if it fits your "basic" needs.

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Yes, I’ll either have to get creative with housing or else just bite the bullet. I just feel weird loving eoth roommates at age 35.


[QUOTE=Jean;17196665]Forget wine. Consider beer.
/QUOTE]


I know I would love checking out breweries but I am allergic to beer. :( Something in it makes me hungover for days even after just 1 16oz beer.


Thank you!!

Southern CO looks so beautiful and untapped by the weed herd so that looks promising. I’ll look into costs.

Not sure why you think that. This is CO after all.

Lakewood is on th western outskirts of Denver--you're "halfway" to the mountains. Traffic is traffic. Right now probably not as much. Of course rentals are possible.

You can taste wine in any restaurant.

Yes, not sure why you think that. Except for lines waiting to get into pot shops I'm not sure if you can notice any difference between now and before it was legal. There's plenty of ice cream on the shelves and maybe people are driving slower.

From what you are saying any college town in the mountains could work, but you gotta like winter and snow. Or as noted above the western side of the I-25 corridor. Maybe Golden? Too bad you are allergic to beer, there are some good brews around these days. Good luck.

We used to live in Lakewood, about 7 years ago, and loved it, but it is a probably a bit more expensive than you would want. There is Golden, Littleton, Evergreen and a few others that we considered when on the house hunt there. There is Boulder which might be more geared to younger people, as the university is there.

No matter WHERE the OP goes--Colorado or Timbuktu--PLEASE rent before buying in an unknown area of the country.

Yeah this is spot on. Thank you!

It's a difficult time to be relocating because you really SHOULD NOT travel to CO to tour around and look at rental possibilities. When do you project you will do this--this fall/winter?

I was thinking end of this month or early February. Why do you say I shouldn’t, snow/cold? I am coming from MN so it will all be warmer to me. Or do you mean COVID?

Pretty sure we're talking the Covid pandemic.

Yeah I get that perspective but my two friends moved out there in November and are loving it so far. They have toured all the major spots to live and done tons of hiking. So that was my logic. I don’t need to go inside many stores, just need to see the areas.

The lockdown is much better there because there are actually things you can go do to add adventure to your day. In MN, there is not enough.

Fine. Colorado is in a surge. Seeing places to live could be difficult--I don't know. Ski areas aver limiting numbers, but work is from home for sure. OR wherever you can set it up if you work remotely. I assume you have a current job where this is possible and you are bringing it with you?

Not the best time to visit.

https://covid19.colorado.gov/data

The information given by Gretchen and Melnq8 is somewhat misleading. Actually we have seen a downward trend in positivity rate. The current rate average is 8.7% I did see the figure of 6.9% as of December 31st. It does vary greatly county to county with the highest being 14.5% and the lowest less than 2%. The governor has moved several counties from red to orange and is allowing restricted indoor dining for restaurants, in fact as many states are seeing an unprecedented increase in cases, Colorado is at least at this point doing pretty well. One of those reasons for success is we have a governor who has taken strong measures to try and curb the spread of the virus.

I would also like to correct any misunderstanding about the quality of Colorado wine. We do produce some very fine wine. The Wine Enthusiast has rated many Colorado wines in the high 80’s and low 90’s. They may not stand up to the very best French wines but certainly not shabby. I can only assume those casting doubts about the quality haven’t really tried many of the varieties available. Check out Colorado wines in the Wine Enthusiast.

Also note that housing in Denver and Boulder is very expensive.

I might suggest investigating the Fort Collins/Loveland area. Not terribly convenient for a Denver commute, but I knew people that did it when we lived there. Outdoorsy stuff closer to Denver tends to draw way too many people, which got very wearisome. So that required driving a ways to avoid crowds. We used to be on volunteer ski patrol at Hidden Valley (Estes Park) way back when, but that's since been closed. Closest ski area is Snowy Range in Wyoming. Which while not summit quality skiing, lack of crowds was a huge plus. Plenty of hiking etc in and around Poudre Canyon & Rawah Wilderness.

You might also look at Louisville, Lafayette and, perhaps, Loveland. These are smaller towns but with good amenities very close to Boulder. For southern Colorado Ouray is a a very scenic town offering much if not all of what you are looking for. Eudora is a decent ski area and close to Denver and Boulder area.

Eldora.

You’re right. It’s Eldora. Word check seems to prefer Eudora for some reason.and I’m bad about not reviewing my responses.

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/01/0...ictions-polis/ The healthcare people in CO were caught off guard apparently by the opening up. And the new very infective strain of Covid is there.

Castle Rock just south of Denver might be a possibility.

Where are your friends living and are they renting for long term? I just wonder how real estate people are handling showing apartments, etc. But good luck. It's a great state.

I've certainly tried more than my share of Colorado wine. I do have a few favorites from the Western Slope, but more often than not when I've rocked up to a random winery I've been disappointed. I'll admit that I'm jaded as I lived in Australia for seven years and the wine there and in New Zealand is lovely. For someone from Minnesota, Colorado wine might taste pretty good:)

Some good wineries/wines to check out:

Two Rivers
Maison La Belle Vie
Red Fox Cellars
Greystone (ports)

The Western Slope is Colorado's fruit basket, known for its peaches, corn, etc. You'll also find a distillery or two near Palisade.

You guys are so helpful. Let me know if you ever need info on MN.

I know it’s crazy right now, I didn’t even think of the ski resorts lowering their total capacity. Yep, work would be remote.

It is great to here you guys are headed in the right direction if that is the case, that has to feel hopeful!

This sounds wonderful, I didn’t realize it had good wine. I did assume it would be better than Minnesota’s wins though. :)

I know, Boulder especially is crazy. Around $600k median home price.

Do I need to be rich to fit in out there or something? :)

Thats too bad the ski resort in Estes closed but those areas sound wonderful. I definitely wouldn’t mind the lack of crowds at Snowy Range. The hiking looks beautiful on Google images.

Thanks, these area look great. Although I think Ouray is probably too rugged for this city guy.

Thank you! I’m surprised the median home price is as much as Boulder though.

Thanks I’ll check out Castle Rock.

Yea covid is kicking the worlds ass it’s unbelievable.

my friends are renting (1-year lease right now).

Agents still do showings but they are very scheduled and only one party of about 2 people at a time. Masks, sanitizer and such. A lot is done online as well before the showing to not waste time.

CO looks so great, I’ll make it happen somehow. Even if I have to be patient for a year or so.

Thank you! I’ll add these to my list!

Please don't worry about the median price of a house. Your need to go "somewhere" and RENT and work and find out if that is the place for you. You should be checking rental availability and prices. You can reach hiking and recreation areas from any center. Decide on EAst (Denver, Boulder,Cosprings) or WEST (Gunnison, maybe Carbondale, etc) or South (Durango). Stick a pin in it and find out how much it costs to live there and what is around it. WHERE are your budies/ Go live near them.

"I know, Boulder especially is crazy. Around $600k median home price."

That's likely Boulder County. Not the city of Boulder where the median home price is much higher.

Median home prices soar across region as Boulder tops $1.1M (dailycamera.com)

As for rent, this year old article might give you some insight:

https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental...-january-2020/

And this:

https://www.rentcafe.com/sitemaps/us...market-trends/

Yep I agree. I was hoping to get into a town hime so I could have some gym equipment but I’m just going to rent given the prices. Lots of apartments some basic gym stuff anyways.

$1.1m??? Holy smokes that’s more than lots of Calirfornia cities.

Perfect, thank you!!

Fort Collins is a great suggestion, lots going on in the college town, attractive location and central area. Longmont has buckets of new housing going up (plus or minus?) and a very nice old town, excellent city parks and recs, and the number of parks/greenways in town and along the river is amazing, many added in the past few years ((2014 Flood funds). Easy to get to Denver, Boulder, I25, etc.