bdodsonx

I appreciate being made aware of these issues. If I lived in CO, I would not want these cuts either. Just get the word out to vote NO.

We are in Wichita Falls, TX tonight and should arrive in CO on Monday. I agree that it will be best to avoid the area west of Boulder. Thanks for alerting us.

Back2Sabi

Hello bdodsonx, we look forward to having you join us in Colorado.

I know you've gotten a lot of information already, but let me add my two cents. I've lived in Colorado for nearly 12 years. I've lived in Denver proper and in the suburbs. I'm currently in northwest Lakewood and *love it* and will probably be there for another 50 years (god willing).

Denver is a unique town (or at least unique to me) in that the city itself is very livable. Don't count it out; there are many really cute, vibrant and lovely neighborhoods. There are city parks large and small always within 10 blocks of wherever you are. There are numerous pockets of coffee shops, shops and restaurants that are usually within an easy walk. But I know budget is an issue and that may be ultimately what drives you away from the city. (It's why I left my fabulous *tiny* house in my uber-hip neighborhood for the 'burbs. I got twice the house for the same price!)

That said, if you have your heart set on "mountain living" then check out Morrison, Evergreen, Conifer and Nederland. But they, too, come at a premium. We settled for an area that is beautiful and suburban (read: affordable), but more importantly, has an "escape hatch." Meaning, we're just five minutes from I-70 on the west side of town so we can be in Idaho Springs within a half hour. You can spend a good 30 minutes just getting out of the metro area if you don't pick your location wisely, especially if you settle too far north or south.

I, too, love the city of Golden. It has a wonderful small-town feel but with all the amenities and convenience of a big city. And I'm not the only one who loves it; the property prices are quite high, almost as much as Denver, if you want to live right downtown in Golden.

Speaking of which, there is the most wonderful RV park smack in the center of town. I don't know anything about it or how you get reservations, but I do know that it is owned by the city of Golden and you can read (very little) about it here: http://www.cityofgolden.net/Page.asp?NavID=329

Good luck with your search; feel free to ask questions while you're here and I'm sure myself or another one of my fellow Coloradoans will try to help.

I have a fabulous real estate agent, too, if you get that far.

Best of luck,
B2S

Gretchen

I think you must be my DD's neighbor!! Lakewood is a super location to live and nice neighborhoods. The new shopping areas are wonderful. It is "on the road" out to the mountains for a fast exit from Denver. Good idea for the OP. It is also a straight shot to get to midtown Denver. Traffic on the interstates not a problem for them.

bdodsonx

Due to the wild fires near Boulder and Loveland, we decided to go west on Hwy. 50 at Pueblo. I was disapppointed that we weren't going further north towards Denver, but we will be making other trips to CO. We spent 2 nights in Canon City and drove on to Gunnison for another 2 nights. We liked Gunnison (nice weather and huckleberry smoothies). We did some hiking while there. For the past 3 days, we've been enjoying Montrose, but it has really been hot weather. The Black Canyon is amazing (also hiked there). Monday we will be driving to Silverton for a couple of days and then on to Durango and Albequerque. I will save all of your wonderful suggestions for our next trip. Thank you!

fmpden

There really was no reason to avoid those area other than the very immediate area. Relatively speaking these were small fires. In your quest for a retirement area, I should mentioned Grand Junctions. Have absolutely no experience with Grand Junction so I am repeat what I have read and heard. It has become a major retirement area for a lot of Colorado residents. The city council several years decided to promote the area for retirement and they have spent some money adopting measures to support retirees. It would meet you standards for size = less than 50,000. It sits in what we sometimes refer to as the Banana Belt because climate in dryer and warmer than other parts of Colorado which is prime reason for the many fruit orchards in that area. Hope this catches you early enough to change your plans. There is absolutely no reason to spend two days or even two hours in Silverton. There is nothing there.

Have fun.

pisceantraveler

I'm late in joining this conversation, but it sounds like all the considerations you've been given are great. Gotta love living here! Everyone will have their own preferences for amenities, commutes, activities, etc, and each community offers different flavors. Littleton is a very sweet little community, and further west is Ken Caryl, Morrison, Evergreen and Genesee/Mount Vernon/Lookout Mountain. These towns offer easy commutes to Denver and shopping and a nice hybrid of mountain modern living. Should you decide to look at communities west of Denver along the Front Range, a realtor I can recommend wholeheartedly is Ann Lenane with Kentwood. She knows these communities inside out. Good luck to you and Happy Retirement!!