From Rural to Urban (Denver, Colorado Springs: hotel, college, living)

[DannyBanany]

Hello all!

I am 18 years old and I have lived in Rapid City, South Dakota all of my life. I have visited Denver and the Front Range cities multiple times and I immediately fell in love with them. My plan is to live in a Front Range city soon but I am having trouble deciding which one.

I actually just came back from Denver the other day and the whole time I was there I felt like I was constantly surrounded by people and it made me sick. I even stayed in a hotel near Highlands Ranch in the 'burbs and I still felt like I could not escape people! Do not get me wrong, I LOVE DENVER! But I do not think I could live downtown or anywhere within 10 miles of it!

I also went to Boulder and I liked it because it reminded me of Rapid City... not too much traffic and really beautiful backed up against the flatirons; in Rapid City we have the Black Hills backdrop too. And Boulder is still a mid-size city. However, I hate college towns and I am much more moral and modest in my views than what I hear of Boulder-ians.

I guess my question is, in which town can I be in Denver in half-an-hour, have a yard, drive down the road and be the only car for at least a minute, see the Rockies, breathe easy, see a field without a huge mall in it, yet still have all of the amenities of a big city in less than a half-hour?????

Are these unreasonable questions? HELP!

[downtownnola]

Have you thought about the Longmont area? Depending on your location in Longmont and the traffic situation, you can be to Denver within roughly 30 minutes. It seems a little less crowded than Denver and it suburbs and the cost of living is a little lower.

In all honesty, you'll have tremendous difficulty finding a place anywhere along the front range where you don't see a car for over a minute. This is a heavily populated metropolis stretching from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, and wide open spaces are becoming few and far between. That doesn't mean it's a bad place to live, you just get to enjoy it with millions of other people!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by downtownnola

Have you thought about the Longmont area? Depending on your location in Longmont and the traffic situation, you can be to Denver within roughly 30 minutes. It seems a little less crowded than Denver and it suburbs and the cost of living is a little lower.

Per Mapquest, from Twin Peaks Mall (about the most southernmost point in Longmont) to my old office in downtown Denver: 40 miles, 46 min. And that, I would presume, is in good traffic. In reality, it often took me that long from Louisville, 13 miles closer.

[tfox]

Isn't it kind of funny the wide variety of estimates of commute times? Some people apparently have a jet engine on top of their cars, while others can't seem to get out of first gear.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by tfox

Isn't it kind of funny the wide variety of estimates of commute times? Some people apparently have a jet engine on top of their cars, while others can't seem to get out of first gear.

Yes. My DD took some 'human geography' course in college last yr (NOT CU, mind you) that covered the topic of people giving low estimates for how long from point A to point B. I really do not remember the reason why, but is a common phenomenon.

[downtownnola]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Yes. My DD took some 'human geography' course in college last yr (NOT CU, mind you) that covered the topic of people giving low estimates for how long from point A to point B. I really do not remember the reason why, but is a common phenomenon.

Oops, my mistake... I guess my estimate was a little off. I guess I'm one of those people with a jet engine on top of my car!