I don’t get why COS has such a bad rep (Denver: for sale, apartments)

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by Phil P

As others have stated, I think there's a nuance between national reputation and Denver / Boulder reputation, which views the city more negatively than its national reputation. It's a fairly touristy city and a lot of military members passed through, many end up staying hence the growth. Denver views the city as the evangelical gun toting McMansion trumpland dixie version of Colorado, and they've hardly been there, from my experience with Denver co workers. The people from the city and who visit more often have more realistic views, some really liked it and others didn't. To be fair, COS does have it's fair share of weirdness like others stated, but it's more of a cross cut of the nation and more diverse than anywhere else in the state.

The feelings go the other way too, with Springsers trashing Denver, although they've had more experience, because everyone goes to the airport or sports games or some sort of convention downtown.

I agree with almost all of your post, but the bolded part is false. Aurora is the most diverse city in the state, and compared to the Springs it's not close.

Aurora - 44.4% non-Hispanic white, 28.6% Hispanic, 6.5% Asian, and 16.5% Black. 20.1% of the city's residents are foreign-born.

COS - 68.6% non-Hispanic white, 17.6% Hispanic, 2.9% Asian, and 6.3% Black. 7.5% of the city's residents are foreign-born.

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

I agree with almost all of your post, but the bolded part is false. Aurora is the most diverse city in the state, and compared to the Springs it's not close.

Aurora - 44.4% non-Hispanic white, 28.6% Hispanic, 6.5% Asian, and 16.5% Black. 20.1% of the city's residents are foreign-born.

COS - 68.6% non-Hispanic white, 17.6% Hispanic, 2.9% Asian, and 6.3% Black. 7.5% of the city's residents are foreign-born.

Demographically you're right. I should have clarified that I meant in mindset, culture, and politics, not necessarily ethnicity.

[Indigo Cardinal]

I've lived in the Denver area for 23 years, and have gone down to the Springs quite a bit (I have a number of friends who live there). I can't say I've ever heard of it having a bad reputation. (Aside from a few areas here and there, but that's any large city.)

Now, it does have a more *conservative* reputation than Denver does. YMMV as to whether this is a good or a bad thing.

Given the military presence there, and the fact that military folk are transients, I wonder if that's where the 'taint' comes in, since the word transient has been picking up some negative connotations?

FWIW, I like the Springs. If my job would allow us to work from home permanently, I'd seriously consider moving down that way--it feels more 'wide open' than Denver does right now.

[mtngigi]

Originally Posted by Indigo Cardinal

I've lived in the Denver area for 23 years, and have gone down to the Springs quite a bit (I have a number of friends who live there). I can't say I've ever heard of it having a bad reputation. (Aside from a few areas here and there, but that's any large city.)

Now, it does have a more *conservative* reputation than Denver does. YMMV as to whether this is a good or a bad thing.

Given the military presence there, and the fact that military folk are transients, I wonder if that's where the 'taint' comes in, since the word transient has been picking up some negative connotations?

FWIW, I like the Springs. If my job would allow us to work from home permanently, I'd seriously consider moving down that way--it feels more 'wide open' than Denver does right now.

You probably weren't around in the early '90s for Will Perkins and his Amendment 2 agenda. He and his ilk had quite a bit to do with why the Springs reputation suffered. It affected not only the Springs, but Colorado, when we were labeled as the "hate state". Took a long time for that stuff to wear off, and some of it still lingers.

[tnff]

We lived there for about 15 years before a job change. It's on our short list of places to retire.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Lived in COLO SPGS for 11 years; bottom line: It's fine, you'll love it and you'll love Colorado.

My apologies for bringing this up again, but I do feel prospective residents should be properly informed:
Mike from back east
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The city government of COLO SPGS is totally in the bag for the developers who've foisted a "strong mayor" form of government on the city. It translates out to them only having to bribe one person, the strong mayor, to get what they want. The year they pulled this piece of wool over the voter's eyes they also elected a failed developer and wife beater as mayor .... sounds familiar, eh... Most long-term residents who've been paying attention could confirm that for you.

IIRC City Council members are paid about $10k/year, thus the council is composed of a strange mix of retirees, wannabes and grifters.

I've sat in city council zoning meetings and heard one of them lament "when ARE we going to get serious about infill" then the overall council rubber stamps whatever the developers wanted in that particular action.

Essentially the city council and zoning mechanisms are owned by the Norwood outfit and its entities.
https://www.city-data.com/forum/59279133-post320.html

[Mike from back east]

Yes, and though IMO all that is true it still had little effect on the quality of life there.

[Indigo Cardinal]

Originally Posted by mtngigi

You probably weren't around in the early '90s for Will Perkins and his Amendment 2 agenda. He and his ilk had quite a bit to do with why the Springs reputation suffered. It affected not only the Springs, but Colorado, when we were labeled as the "hate state". Took a long time for that stuff to wear off, and some of it still lingers.

I looked that up--no, I did miss that, I was in Germany at the time. I didn't move to Colorado until 1998.

[TCHP]

Colo Spgs has always trended conservative. Heck, our founder, William Palmer, was a Quaker, although he was a very progressive one who went to war, drank, and muscled railroads into CO. At one time, Colo Spgs was more popular as an artist colony than Sante Fe and we attracted the talent to support it. However, it was in the early 90s when Will Perkins and Co pulled the Amendment 2 stunt and later that decade that several large, evangelical organizations came to town as the city council was trying to fill the void of high tech manufacturing that was abandoning the city. We've had that ultra conservative reputation ever since. Doesn't help that our council will occasional cut our nose off to spite our face in the name of fiscal conservatism. Whether that is a bad thing or good thing is personal perspective.

[hollyt00]

I thought it was hilarious when my daughter took the ACT up at Pomona HS (it's been a bear to get kids places to take standardized testing- many sites have been canceling left and right). The six kids in her room were astonished to find out she came from *Colorado Springs* and peppered her with questions like "how long did it take you?" "Did you have to stay overnight?"

People come less from Denver to Colorado Springs than the reverse. People probably go from Denver to the Springs about as often as I go to Pueblo. I've gone more to Pueblo in the past two years than I had ever been (track meets and taking the SAT twice= four times over the past few years)

I agree that when you don't visit the area or know anyone directly from the area, you tend to just rely on the various random points of view that people have had over the years and derive meaning from it. Certainly you don't learn anything about a city when you see memes like this: