Wanting out of Denver, thinking of relocating to Western NE (Kearney: renting, house)

[andrea5smith]

My husband and I are Denver natives, almost 50 and have 3 just grown kids. Covid killed our business, more or less, and we are done with the crowded city. I love Colorado, am a Colorado girl through and through, but there are just too many people here. The traffic is ridiculous. Hiking, camping or just a drive into the mountains is battling a crowd, but we don't want to go too far because our family is here.

We have a lot of equity in our home and would like to buy something outright and live a simple life, though we aren't ready for retirement, just a more affordable, let rat race kind of life. We took a drive to North Platte, because it is only 3.5 hours away. Not a charming town, but we actually met the mayor and some bankers in a restaurant and they really did try to sell the town to us. Does North Platte have any growth potential? Or is it a dying city? Is there any culture...music, food, festivals, art? Does it have a happy, community feel or a miserable going nowhere feel? Is it losing or gaining people? Also, I didn't see any gardens in yards as we drove around and though we didn't check out the grocery stores in NP, in McCook there was barely any produce. It was kind of shocking actually. Any farmers markets in the summer?

What does North Platte have to offer and what other nearby alternatives might there be? Is Scottsbluff a better possibility?

[jsherman9901]

Just curious why a ”Colorado girl” would be looking at Nebraska?? Seems that all you need to do is get off the Front Range and you could still be within a reasonable distance from your family. Salida and Buena Vista are less than 3 hours from Denver, both really nice towns. :-)

[Hschlick84]

Maybe the person is tired of Colorado in general? There's plenty of other scenic places outside the state, can't be a big fish stuck in a small pond.

[andrea5smith]

Buena Vista and Salida are ridiculously expensive. We used to have a cabin down near Westcliffe, but like morons sold it a few years ago - the regret is real! Even the Western Slope where my parents live and we would love to move to is just too much if we want to pay cash and have some leftover for investment or something industrious. We are really thinking we need to leave Colorado, but still want to be close. So...Nebraska thoughts?

[Hschlick84]

I would check out Scottsbluff. There's plenty to do there for a small town and its a scenic area. You have the Scottsbluff monument near Oregon trail, Riverside park near the zoo along with North Platte river. Drive about 70 miles north to Crawford, there's Fort Robinson and History Museum and Nebraska National Forest. It looks like they're trying to revitalize the downtown area, they recently fixed some of the infrastructure. There's a few farmers markets, 18th Street Farmers' Market active from June thru Sept and a winter version that start around October.

Scottsbluff/Gering chamber of commerce site has events listed of what's going on.
https://business.scottsbluffgering.net/events

Suggest joining the Facebook group here, they can help you out with additional questions you have.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/314097629400177

[cowboyxjon]

I like western Nebraska, including Scottsbluff. I also like Ogallala, especially because of Lake McConaughy. It might be a bit smaller than what you are looking for, but I visit a couple times/year and it does seem like there are things going on, on weekends when I’m there.

Are there not any small towns on the Eastern Plains of Colorado that fit the bill? I like Nebraska, but I worry that you would move to Nebraska, not like it, and constantly compare it to Colorado, since you mention you are a “Colorado Girl.” I’m not trying to make fun of you but just want to point that out as a concern. Kind of like the Californians who move to Colorado, but then complain about various things that are different in Colorado.

[Garthur]

As soon as you start paying taxes in Nebraska you'll regret the move.

[Hschlick84]

Maybe the OP needs to visit the area, stay for a week visiting and decide for themselves. I have family that live in the area and a native myself, so I know the area.

[StealthRabbit]

Tho a Husker by birth... I was raised and lived 30 yrs in CO, and would find it hard to again become a NE 'kid', if already spent a lifetime as a CO kid (and if I had family / parents living in western CO). Fortunately, I never had to live in Denver (yuk).

I would try to make something work in western CO, such as Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Ridgway.... or... nearby UT, NM, or WY.
Granted CO has changed and will never again be the CO of 50 yrs ago.

For NE... taxes are really a barrier, as can be distances and services (especially if used to the services available in Denver).

North Platte is not the North Platte of "The North Platte Canteen" days (great PBS program BTW)
Scottsbluff can be more desireable than North Platte, but then.... why not 'no-income-tax' Torrington, Newcastle or Sundance, WY (or Spearfush SD)?

If insistent on NE... do look at Scottsbluff and also Chadron and Valentine, tho each are far from western CO.

I can understand downsizing and using equity, but I would be very cautious of a "ONE-WAY" trip (which NP could become... buy a home and never be able to sell it) Happens (don't ask me how I know, as I had double house payments for 7 yrs when my Colorado home was in a RE bust, and I had to move to another state for work).

Consider renting until the next crash (or using an RV or a Barndominium).

[smithy77]

Kearney is a very nice, friendly College town that's big enough to have basic services, but small enough to avoid the rat-race, but if you're more the cowgirl type, then Western Nebraska is for you.