Best towns to live in CO...?
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I live in CT and am currently in the process of getting an initial teaching certification for Colorado. Any suggestions on which towns are the best to live in in CO in terms of access to climbing and a good scene? I boulder and sport climb and ideally I would love to have easy access to both. I've been told to look at Golden... any thoughts? Suggestions? Pearls of wisdom? |
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I'm a bit partial to the Boulder area, having lived here for nearly 20 years. Great access to bouldering, trad and sport climbing, and Eldorado Canyon is just a few minutes outside of town. Boulder has gotten more expensive over the last few years, but there are lots of great restaurants/bars/coffeehouses, good climbing gyms, a pretty liberal mindset, and just 25 miles from Denver. |
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Do you prefer cities or smaller towns? |
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hey there, that's awesome. congratulations. I would highly recommend checking out Boulder, its amazing and I love it, close access to the Park and sport or trad up the canyon, Eldo's close. If ya are looking to get away for the weekend and not just after work the Cherry Creek School district, south of Denver is something I went through and would highly recommend teaching at. If your looking or a small town feel tucked away in the mountains, Gunison (but it gets cold, though it has the black for huge big wall) or any other mountain town are all pretty nice and quaint. |
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If you're planning on sticking only to sport, then Golden would be an ok choice. You would be right next to Clear Creek Canyon and Table Mountain. |
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Since you're asking I'll throw my two cents work in. I'm from New Hampshire, made the move out here a few years ago. I work in Golden, live in Denver. This makes getting out after work really easy. However, I would not want to live in Golden and work in Denver. The traffic is absolutely terrible if you work the typical 8-5 type schedule. Just something to consider when picking a place to live. Of course, if you don't work regular hours it probably doesn't matter. |
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Boulder is great for climbers of all kinds, but getting a teaching job with the school district is not so easy (lots of folks want to work here; there's a major university popping out grads but K-12 enrollment isn't growing and teachers tend to stay put so little turnover); the other districts (Adams, St. Vrain, DPS, etc) have much more growth and more opportunities. If you have special skills (bilingual, dual-certified) the story could be different. Housing costs are high compared to many other parts of the US. The average annual household income in Boulder is now +$80,000/yr -- 'way more than most teachers make. Commuting through the Denver Metro area is not much fun, although the aforementioned districts are easy commutes from Boulder. (I live in Boulder and work for BVSD) |
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I would recommend Golden. It is not true it is only a place for sport climbing either, it is 15 minutes to the entrance of Eldorado Canyon. You can immediately head into the mountains from Golden as well. |
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It is funny how Grand Junction is always never in play for a good place to live. It is central to most anything and cheap to live at. Lots of climbing. Yet if you are looking for a "scene" you will not find it here. |
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Sawpit, CO |
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Golden! It has quick access to everything and everywhere. Also you don't feel like your part of the city life. |
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ctmeg: |
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Never been there but driving by Gleenwood Springs man, it seemed awesome from the highway lol. I know that might sound dumb, but it seemed like a decent sized town, good holiday decor/spirit. Just seemed like a super cozy place to me. Would love to look at it stay there sometime more in the future. |
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living in Fort Collins has been nice for bouldering. Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake are close, and the 420s or destinations near boulder are a nice day trip. i've climbed 1 to 4 days a week outside since i moved here in june. weather has been, at worst, bearable (i've yet to live through a winter here, though). |
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hmm strange i have a good friend who is thinking of moving to CO from CT to climb and teach as well... Perhaps you'll run into her!! |
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I grew up in West Hartford, CT and now find myself right outside Boulder. I can't say that I miss CT much because of all of the accessible outdoor goodness that the Boulder area and beyond has to offer: world class trad climbing; cool sport climbing; decent bouldering; great desert climbing at 4+ hrs; good ice in under two hours; good skiing/riding in 1+ hrs. |
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durango |
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I am looking at moving to Westminster in the summer to go to school. Any insight on the scene there? |
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Colorado Springs hasnt been mentioned and it has climbing access that rivals boulder, especially for sport. It has a negative rap as a super conservative city but in my 5 years living there, I never came into contact with this segment of the population for better or worse. The key is living near the city center or in manitou springs. Oh yeah, and its affordable. |
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brooks8970 wrote: Oh yeah, and its affordable.That is true. It is unbelievable the difference between Boulder and the Springs. |
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brooks8970 wrote:Colorado Springs hasnt been mentionedI mentioned it above, especially noting the how much sport climbing is nearby which is one of her parameters. Unfortunately for the Springs, a viable social scene is another. |