Is living near the foothills considered "far away" from everything? (Denver: renting, crime rate)

[Hebrews12]

I'm trying to get a feel for whether living near Ute Valley Park/Wilson Ranch Pool area is considered a far drive from everything. Basically it's 4 miles (12 mins) west of I-25 which I don't consider far at all. And mapping traffic at various times of the day doesn't seem to be problematic but I'm not sure about the reality of traffic on Allegheny/Rockrimmon driving east in the morning and back up that area in the evening. And how well the main streets are managed in winter weather. It's also about 7 miles (20 mins) to drive to UCCS which one of our family members would be attending. About 10 miles (23 mins) to get to downtown or Old Colorado City which is fine for us.
Obviously it's not considered urban and doesn't have the convenience of being within walking distance to stores, restaurants, etc. But do you think people have the view that it's "a bit far out" from everything bc it's near the mountains and lacks these conveniences? Do some people consider it a bit "in the boonies?" If you lived closer to Powers Blvd and a friend invited you to their house near Ute Valley Park, would you be thinking "um, that's not worth the drive up the hill for me."

Sorry if this question sounds silly. I'd just like a local's perspective.

[mtngigi]

I can't speak to the specific neighborhoods you're referencing (though Ute Valley Park is pretty nice), but for the most part, and despite the growth, nothing is very far away from anything here ... in my opinion.

I may be the lone voice, but compared to other cities (Denver), the Springs still feels manageable to me. That's not to say I'm not crazy about driving on the NE side of town, but I don't have to, so no big deal.

My 2¢.

[beezle1]

I like that area. No way would I consider that 'far' from things. However I live 10 miles from the nearest store of any kind.....

[COcheesehead]

When I first moved to Colorado we lived in Green Mountain Falls, about four - five miles south of Woodland Park. We could walk into the tiny burg of GMF, which had a few things (couple restaurants) but not much. We often found that most everything was a drive via car. Sometimes just to Woodland Park, but more likely down the Pass to the Springs. Forget about going for a walk. That meant a stroll along the highway shoulder.
It ultimately became the reason we moved into the city. Life was just a little harder living rurally. I get why some do it, but it wasn’t for us.

[TCHP]

This depends on what constitutes your "everything" and since this is different for most, we'll mostly have different perspectives.

If you prefer watching movies at the IMAX on Powers Blvd, then yes, it may be too far. If high end shopping at Shops @Briargate is your thing, then it might be too far. If catching regular flights out of COS are your thing, then it might be too far.

On the other hand, its minutes away from retail places on GoG Rd. Its minutes away from OCC and all of its local markets and cafes. You can be on the Interstate fairy quickly for longer trips north or south. You are right in the foothills so walking access to foothill trails will also be within minutes.

Despite being quite spread out, IMO, nothing in Cos seems to be too far away for a little bit of effort.

[Hebrews12]

Thank you all for your opinions! They were very helpful. It seems that virtually everything is within 30 mins so not a problem. And having COS airport within that timeframe is an upgrade from when we lived north of Boulder and had an hour commute to DIA. (Of course DIA is 1.5 hrs away from COS but that's fine. Nobody is flying weekly in our family!)

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

No, not too far at all. It's one of a handful of places I would consider living in COS.

[chiluvr1228]

Originally Posted by Wittgenstein's Ghost

No, not too far at all. It's one of a handful of places I would consider living in COS.

What is YOUR favorite place in Colorado Springs? I loved Manitou Springs when I visited last year but it appears out of my price range. My son lives in Banning Lewis Ranch which is nice also. I feel that CS is very large and very spread out. At least that was my impression when I was there.

Are there any areas that have more of a smaller town feel but that are still fairly close to the Springs?

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Originally Posted by chiluvr1228

What is YOUR favorite place in Colorado Springs? I loved Manitou Springs when I visited last year but it appears out of my price range. My son lives in Banning Lewis Ranch which is nice also. I feel that CS is very large and very spread out. At least that was my impression when I was there.

Are there any areas that have more of a smaller town feel but that are still fairly close to the Springs?

I think you'll find that COS folks sort of sort themselves by interests and self identity. The people who live in Banning Lewis Ranch probably weren't also considering Old Colorado City, for example. The places are very different.

Whether the Springs feels spread out depends on where you live, work and spend time. For my first two years here, I lived in Old Colorado City and worked downtown. I thought Woodmen was "way up there" and I had been to Powers maybe once or twice. It felt like a small town. But if you live in Cordera and work downtown, or you drive for twenty minutes on Powers everyday, you'll have a totally different experience.

For me, I'd never live more than fifteen minutes from downtown unless I had acreage. That's just my preference. The only neighborhoods I'd personally consider would be downtown (Old North End), the Broadmoor, Cheyenne Canon (including Skyway), Rockrimmon and the area next to Palmer Park and the Colorado Springs Country Club. And if I were in Rockrimmon, I'd want to be on the north end of it off of West Woodmen. Those are the areas I personally like, but my priorities include large lots, older construction, mature trees and a naturally pretty setting.

I have many friends who either love or at least tolerate living up in the suburbs, though. You probably know whether you enjoy the whole cookie cutter subdivision thing. If you do, there are plenty of options for that. To be candid, the suburbs tend here tend to be more of the "stereotypical" Colorado Springs in that the demographics run more religious and conservative. Downtown and the areas I listed tend to be either blue or purple.

[Colorado Rambler]

^^^

WG's post is pretty much congruent with my own list of the best places to live in the Springs. I'll probably never get over my sticker shock when I see how expensive properties and rents in Manitou have become. I grew up in the Ivywild area and our home was within easy walking distance of both Skyway and the Broadmoor area. I would still recommend these 3 neighborhoods to this very day with one caveat: If you are interested in buying or renting in the Ivywild region, make sure that the property is located west of Nevada Avenue. The further west the better plus the further west, the closer you are to the mountains.

After I graduated from CU Boulder and got married, my spouse and I decided that Manitou Springs was THE place for us - back then rents in Manitou were some of the lowest priced in the Pikes Peak region. The mountains were literally in our own backyard, the crime rate was low, and highway 24 gave us easy access to downtown and I-25. Ah, those were the days!

Now everything has changed the way things tend to do. I left Manitou Springs about 15 years ago to live in the Four Corners area - one of my favorite places in Colorado. All my life I have alternated between living in the Springs and living in either Durango or Cortez. When I moved away from CS for what I now realize is probably the last time, I moved to Cortez because I wanted to camp and hike in the San Juan Mountains and spend time in National Parks like Canyonlands and Island in the Sky while I was still young enough and limber enough to be a backcountry adventurer.

About 5 years ago I decided that it was time for me to return home for once and for all. I had just turned 65, and arthritis had begun to keep me grounded no matter how much I wanted to spread my wings and fly off to the high country. When I saw what rents are now like back in my hometown, I was completely stunned. The only neighborhoods I could afford to live in were the very neighborhoods that I would not set foot in if I could possibly avoid it.

Now I am living in exile, although if one must live in exile, the Four Corners is a pretty good place to be exiled in. As long as you don't pay any attention to are ongoing mega drought and don't need much in the way of medical care, this is a very nice place to live.

If you decide that Colorado Springs is the place for you, my advice is to go for it and not hesitate since both home prices and rents will only continue to climb for at least another 5 years and most likely longer than that. Look at neighborhoods that are located west of I-25, especially if your outlook tends to be left of center. Ivywild, the Broadmoor, Skyway, Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs, and possibly Patty Jewett/Old North End just because I like the way that the older homes there are constructed and it is a nice neighborhood.

Best of luck in your search!