single and maybe moving to laramie (Cheyenne, Gillette: 2015, houses, college)

[rgb123]

I'm a single woman, almost 30 with a great sounding job offer in Laramie. I am from the chicago area.

I have always had an interest/desire to move to the west and I have lived alone in few different places both city and rural in the US. I have an advanved degree and am wondering how people will treat me in Laramie.

I dont mean to assume that people will look down on me for being single at my age, or being too educated or whatever. But I have to admit it is a fear of mine, that if i do go out there I will have a hard time finding other women to be friends with, and it may be even harder to date because most men are probably already married at my age out there?

Even still, I just wonder if I will stand out of if maybe there are more people like me out there than I realize, but its hard to imagine in a town with less than 30,000 people, when quite a few of those are college students.

I'm interested in all kinds of other info about laramie too, its a hard decision, I think my most pressing concern though is how the culture reacts to single women with an education and a good job.

[Gillette]

I don't think anybody will care, but you. Most people are college kids who are looking for the next party and/ or sexual experience.

[MHT]

I don't think anyone will care either but not for the same reason that Gillette says. I have several friends in Laramie that are single and either working or "non traditional" students in Laramie. They all have been very happy. They live in Laramie because they like the town. There are tons of groups to get involved with and lots of things to do in Laraie to meet people. Not all college students are looking for the next party and/or sexual experience.

[rgb123]

thanks

I would hope that not everyone is either a college student (looking to party) or a family. Cause I am neither, just a single person hoping I wouldn't feel to out of place, or get too bored cause I couldn't make any friends!

[MHT]

Originally Posted by rgb123

thanks

I would hope that not everyone is either a college student (looking to party) or a family. Cause I am neither, just a single person hoping I wouldn't feel to out of place, or get too bored cause I couldn't make any friends!

I don't think you'd have any problem at all making friends. We moved here from MN after growing up in MT. We have more friends here in 3 years than we ever had in MN and being in a metro area. There are lots of great things in Laramie that you could do/go to to meet people.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by rgb123

.. its a hard decision, I think my most pressing concern though is how the culture reacts to single women with an education and a good job.

I think Laramie would be a great choice, tho be prepared 'IT IS' Wyoming...(gonna be pretty 'cowboy' compared to Midwest) But, Laramie has a very diverse population and lots of opportunity (it helps being a college town) I would say it is one of the most 'progressive' spots in Wyo., (good and bad) and yet still Wyo, not some place totally taken over by 'trendy' immigrants, or people trying to ram their agenda down your throat. (you can drive a pickup, a Subaru, or beater Chevy, and not necessarily have to be driving a Hummer to get service in Laramie )

A few great things about Laramie, has some great companies if your 'dream' job doesn't work out, + plenty of educated professionals. (yes, even some guys !!) It gets events. (college + proximity to population / transportation)

Medicine Bow National forest (due west) is really awesome terrain and scenery and not crowded or expensive (Snowy Range is one of my favorite spots in all of Rocky Mountains)

You can get to the really nice parts of Colorado without having to go through Denver! and may even be closer than they. (Steamboat, and beyond)

You can be to Ft Collins in a jiffy, (~1hr) and is really a fun drive (sweeping curves through 'State Line' on a 'full moon night' with glistening snow WoW ) Honk at the 'stuffed' indian standing guard over the Tie Sidings Store (he might be retired by now, I last saw him in 1978)

You can drop over to Cheyenne if you need to talk to your State Rep

You can go up to Veauwoo State park (towards Cheyenne) during the August meteor showers and lay up on a smooth 'warm' boulder the size of a house, and really enjoy the show (Free )

There is some really interesting Geology between Laramie / Cheyenne / Ft Collins

Scoot over to Saratoga for a free dip in the Hot Springs

the bad... it is not Chicago ! (good thing !, but it IS windy...) so choices limited, could be 'boring' if you are not the kind to seek your own adventure (But I guess you are not that if you are even considering this) If you have not been there, be prepared! the surrounding terrain is pretty 'barren', tho city is treed, you need to drive 20 - 30 min (no traffic ) to get into a forest and really nice terrain

I would guess you could take some adult ed classes and join a mountain / photo / church / garden club and have a great time, and meet some great folks, and if not, then find someone in Ft Collins, and they will be HAPPY to come see you to escape Colorado 'busy-ness' (gray smog, traffic, shopping, honking, rushing, waiting in line, fence to fence houses...)

Give me Laramie !

[MHT]

Originally Posted by janb

I think Laramie would be a great choice, tho be prepared 'IT IS' Wyoming...(gonna be pretty 'cowboy' compared to Midwest) But, Laramie has a very diverse population and lots of opportunity (it helps being a college town) I would say it is one of the most 'progressive' spots in Wyo., (good and bad) and yet still Wyo, not some place totally taken over by 'trendy' immigrants, or people trying to ram their agenda down your throat. (you can drive a pickup, a Subaru, or beater Chevy, and not necessarily have to be driving a Hummer to get service in Laramie )

A few great things about Laramie, has some great companies if your 'dream' job doesn't work out, + plenty of educated professionals. (yes, even some guys !!) It gets events. (college + proximity to population / transportation)

Medicine Bow National forest (due west) is really awesome terrain and scenery and not crowded or expensive (Snowy Range is one of my favorite spots in all of Rocky Mountains)

You can get to the really nice parts of Colorado without having to go through Denver! and may even be closer than they. (Steamboat, and beyond)

You can be to Ft Collins in a jiffy, (~1hr) and is really a fun drive (sweeping curves through 'State Line' on a 'full moon night' with glistening snow WoW ) Honk at the 'stuffed' indian standing guard over the Tie Sidings Store (he might be retired by now, I last saw him in 1978)

You can drop over to Cheyenne if you need to talk to your State Rep

You can go up to Veauwoo State park (towards Cheyenne) during the August meteor showers and lay up on a smooth 'warm' boulder the size of a house, and really enjoy the show (Free )

There is some really interesting Geology between Laramie / Cheyenne / Ft Collins

Scoot over to Saratoga for a free dip in the Hot Springs

the bad... it is not Chicago ! (good thing !, but it IS windy...) so choices limited, could be 'boring' if you are not the kind to seek your own adventure (But I guess you are not that if you are even considering this) If you have not been there, be prepared! the surrounding terrain is pretty 'barren', tho city is treed, you need to drive 20 - 30 min (no traffic ) to get into a forest and really nice terrain

I would guess you could take some adult ed classes and join a mountain / photo / church / garden club and have a great time, and meet some great folks, and if not, then find someone in Ft Collins, and they will be HAPPY to come see you to escape Colorado 'busy-ness' (gray smog, traffic, shopping, honking, rushing, waiting in line, fence to fence houses...)

Give me Laramie !

WELL SAID! Laramie is/has all that and more.

[maxx]

i wouldnt worry about it. i have been looking a moving to either sd or wy and i would be more than happy to find people like yourself. i am at an even bigger disadvantage, im 38 and not married and no kids so put yourself in my shoes.

[sunsprit]

Pretty much on target in the above posts.

Laramie is one of the more stable and most pleasant places in Wyoming right now, since it's had the college community base for quite a while and is not going through the explosive growth of the energy boom areas.

Reasonably priced for housing and land, too.

It's got all of the amenities you'd need, although not as many choices as you'd have in a big mid-west city. It's close enough to Ft Collins that you can get bigger city goods/services there very readily. An hour commute is pretty close by Wyoming standards ....

Lots of stuff to do in the surrounding mountains. If you are into horses, camping, hiking, fishing, then Laramie's just a wonderful place to be. Cross country skiing, snowmobiling, close almost on your doorstep, and Colorado skiing close by, too. Much open space and low population density, so it's almost like it's your private wilderness out there to enjoy. By the same token, there's lots of organized groups using the spaces, so there's a social aspect available to the activities.

The old time friendly western attitude is very much prevalent here, and you'll be welcome to be comfortable and at ease being yourself. You won't find too many phonies out here, and most folks avoid them. You won't know the wealthy folks from the average by the cars they drive or the way they dress or their talk that pervades places where it's required to show off if you're affluent. You'll just know they're well off by how comfortable they are being themselves and their ability to freely share their way of life with you as a friend.

Frankly, the place is so much nicer to do business in than Cheyenne that we choose to go to an hour + to Laramie rather than close by to Cheyenne for lots of goods and services.

Single? no problem, no stigma. Go out and enjoy life here. Be independent and adaptable, and you'll do just fine, there's no judgemental attitude here unless you bring it with you.

What doesn't work out here is an attitude that everybody owes me. Your neighbors will depend upon you as much as you depend upon them.

[Earniefan]

You absolutely will not "stand out" in Laramie, it is very diverse. It's a little granola, a little cowboy, a little college it's really a very interesting place. Vegetarian restaurants, really neat shops downtown. If you don't mind wind and 9+ months of winter you'll be set. That was the only part I had a hard time with, we had a week of winter in July. It was 30 degrees and we had a foot of snow, then it went back to normal which is not usually over 90 in the summer and drops down at night. Before you acclomate you will want jeans and a jacket when you go out at night, in the middle of summer, trust me. Laramie was a lot of fun, also, you have to go to the Buckhorn Bar if you move there, they get great bands and everyone should go get Buckonized every once in a while! I miss that!!