Evergreen vs. Boulder

[boulderama]

Can't say what prices are like in Evergreen, but you can't touch anything decent in Boulder for under 500-600 thousand. Moving to Boulder was the best move I ever made for college. I am sorry to say I am stuck in Chicago at the moment,and am counting the days till my return to Colorado. Some of us have been sadly forced into the horrible middle American states..yuck! Boulder is rather expensive even compared to my parents home in Southern California though.

[POhdNcrzy]

Originally Posted by clancy

We like living in uncrowded areas out in the countryside but not so remote that you are isolated. Having space with nice views around us is important. I like to ski, but my husband no longer is able to with his health issues. I would make great use of the rec centers esp. for fitness, any dog parks in the area, and mountain trails to hike. Politically we are middle-of-the road with liberal leanings. The environment and wildlife preservation are very important to us. We are college-educated, like theater, libraries, and just being outside.

Clancy, that all fits with Boulder just fine. The price range for what you want in Boulder house-wise is about $700,000 to $2,000,000. Is that in your price range? You could maybe find something you could stand closer-in to town for $470,000 - $600,000. Anything cheaper would not allow for the lifestyle you've described. If that IS in your price range, I would look at the rural neighborhoods contained in the somewhat rectangular polygon formed between Boulder-Lyons-Hygiene-Niwot on a map, or look in the foothills/mountains if that is your preference.

Now, on an unrelated matter, it's come to my attention that nowadays you can't even sing. Is it true, Clancy?

[T. Adrienne]

We lived in Evergreen for 4 years, are business owners that needed access to Denver at times, and DIA for business-related travel. Our son attended Evergreen Junior High and High school there and our experiences with the school system there were quite positive.
We now live in Boulder County in the mountains. The commute to most areas in Denver, and especially DIA, are both easier and this area gets less snow than Evergreen. We get all the benefits of mountain living/recreation, and are only 7-10 minutes to Boulder and all its great shopping, restaurants, medical, entertainment, education, etc amenities. Eldora, a small but nice ski area, is only 20 minutes away, and the schools are great here too.
Yes, Boulder is pricey, but like Evergreen, which can be pretty pricey too, once you're in the Boulder County mountain area, you get more bang for your buck. There are a wide array of properties available from around 350-400K on up into the multi-mil range, depending on location, acreage, age/size/quality of homes.
Of note, because of the recent Four Mile Fire, property values have taken the typical "after-fire-in-the-area" hit, and will slowly creep back up over the next 3-5 years. This means there are some real bargains here now, going for prices that haven't been seen in a long time, and I'm not just talking about the charred land kind! BTW... I'm not a realtor, just a very happy mountain resident, with the best of both the "scenic mountain views/quiet", and "vibrant town with lots to do" worlds for 7 years now.

[pkschiff]

Hi T. Adrienne,

Can you give me more details of where you live/areas to look? Sounds like what we are looking for. We were originally looking in Evergreen but I have some concerns with what have I have heard about drugs in the high school in Evergreen. I know there are drugs everywhere, but seems to be more prevelant at EHS.

Thanks,

[RelocationWannabe]

Dear pkschiff

We, too, are looking at middle/high schools in Boulder, Evergreen, Fort Collins, Loveland, Niwot, Lyons and Louisville.

My brother and family live in Highlands Ranch, and we've had discussions with him and his friends regarding "good" schools and the drug issues. Several of their friends have moved to HR from Louisville, etc. due to the drug issues/lack of things to do. HR offers plenty of things.

In all the research I have done (and I've done alot), the best schools are in small towns with smallish classes, but that's where the drug issues arise, smallish being the key issue. There's not much to do in the smallish towns and, hence, kids have to look for things to do (drugs). We live in a small village in the UK (our children attend a primary school, K-6, with only 42 children) so we were looking for small. Niwot, Lyons and Evergreen are lovely little neighborhoods towns.

BUT we think our best move would be to integrate them into a bigger school, i.e., Boulder, FC or Loveland for a wider choice of friends and more to do on the doorstep without having to drive too far. Sure there will be drugs at any school, but being in a bigger school/town will give them an option and more choices.