Greener areas in Colorado? (Denver, Fort Collins: apartment, rent, neighborhood)

[Scriabin]

I've recently decided I'm going to move to Colorado. However I am certainly looking for as cheap a rent as possible, while trying to live somewhere with minimal pollution, streets/cars, etc. I want to grow my own food if possible, and have access to a farmer's market.

Can someone tell me some greener areas there? I'm from New Jersey and hope to move there within the coming months.

[Mike from back east]

Greener areas: Avoid the eastern third of the state, it's flat brown prairie. Mountains have some green but nothing lush like the PNW.

Cheap rents: Pueblo, but not scenic and little/no public transit

Minimal pollution: Aspen, Vail, and other mountain resort towns, but all are horribly expensive though.

Street cars: Denver has a light rail and good bus service.

Grow own food: Rocky Ford, but overall a shorter growing season due to elevation/cold, land here is not cheap and watering a farmette is subject to Colorado's arcane water laws which ARE very serious.

Farmer's Markets: Any city along I-25 from Pueblo to Fort Collins, and selected other towns.

Your post has the typical "I want it all" list of attributes but many are mutually exclusive. Best bet is to find something in the Denver metro area. Cheap rents are not found in cities that can bear the cost of mass transit systems. Mountains have clean air but the prices up there are horrendous, though there are some bus systems up there.

You're going to have to compromise, and IMO you need the Denver metro area.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Scriabin

I've recently decided I'm going to move to Colorado. However I am certainly looking for as cheap a rent as possible, while trying to live somewhere with minimal pollution, streets/cars, etc. I want to grow my own food if possible, and have access to a farmer's market.

Can someone tell me some greener areas there? I'm from New Jersey and hope to move there within the coming months.

There are no real "green" areas in Colorado where you can grow anything. Where there is green is at high elevation and they have no growing seasons to speak of. In those regions I have known people that planted in June and maybe if they were lucky got tiny vegetables. What agriculture you see in Colorado is either on the prairie or high desert and it is basically dependent on water run off from high elevation snowmelt.

And that is where you run into your water rights issues and buying shares of water, of which there are others in this forum that know more about it than I do. There has also been previous posts on the water rights issue if you do a search on the Colorado forum.

Even if you have a large garden you'll have to factor in the water issue in terms of cost and how you get it, especially if you live rurally. Big question you'll have to figure out.

I actually have had relatives that left Colorado after they retired to move back east, just so they could do significant gardening without worrying about water.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Greener areas: Avoid the eastern third of the state, it's flat brown prairie. Mountains have some green but nothing lush like the PNW.

Cheap rents: Pueblo, but not scenic and little/no public transit

Pueblo is not green like where the OP is from but it is scenic.

Since a picture is worth 1000 words here are some pictures I took so the OP knows what the scenery around Pueblo looks like:



This is the view of Pikes Peak from CSU P



This is a view of the mountains from Pueblo West.



This is a view of the plains along the Arkansas River just west of Pueblo after a light snow storm.



This is the Pueblo reservoir after a snow storm.



The same view after the clouds left.



This is a sunset over the Pueblo reservoir.



This is a view of Parkview Medical Center in downtown with the mountains after a snow storm.

I could show more pictures and if the OP would like to see them just as and I will.

As far as public transit. For a city of 110,000 people Pueblo has a good bus system, however, I would drive if I had the choice.

This is the web page:

The mission of Pueblo Transit is to provide safe, reliable, and timely transit service to the public in a courteous and professional manner as cost effectively as possible.

The link: Pueblo, CO - Official Website - Pueblo Transit

[bluescreen73]

I think the OP is referring to "green" in the sense of eco-friendliness rather than the color of the vegetation.

The problem is that eco-friendly spots are somewhat mutually exclusive to cheap rent or are in far-flung, rural areas.

[Josseppie]

Oh ok.

The OP could get a place in the eastern suburbs of Pueblo and grow food but a car would be a necessity and the growing season is only about 8 months a year. Pueblo is not the most eco friendly city in the state but I do hear they want to build a regional recycling center in Pueblo West.

[Scriabin]

Originally Posted by Scriabin

I've recently decided I'm going to move to Colorado. However I am certainly looking for as cheap a rent as possible, while trying to live somewhere with minimal pollution, streets/cars, etc. I want to grow my own food if possible, and have access to a farmer's market.

Can someone tell me some greener areas there? I'm from New Jersey and hope to move there within the coming months.

I couldn't figure out how to edit my post, so I'll just post it here for now

Adding onto my original statement:

I care nothing for nearby transits or transportations, as with recreational facilities, stores, etc. I travel entirely by walking, if not biking. I have no problem living in a 1-room apartment with no utilities aside from internet

I even pee outside when possible; I think the reason many areas are so desolate and barren are because humanity flushes their waste into pipeworks rather than return it into the soil

Also, regarding gardening, all I need is a plot of land, which doesn't necessarily need to be what people consider "Fertile". I'll manage to garden no matter what it takes ;-)

I consider myself very un-picky actually, as when I say I only want a cheap cheap rent + *ANY* plot of land to grow, I mean that is literally all I desire. I want to self support as best as I can.

The 2nd priority for me is having less streets/cars

And a farmer's market would be a plus.

Being near a river, particularly in less fertile areas, would be very helpful.

I suppose the only other thing I want is to not be in a bad, crime, neighborhood.

Thanks for the information guys, all appreciated

[ohazco]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Your post has the typical "I want it all" list of attributes but many are mutually exclusive. Best bet is to find something in the Denver metro area. Cheap rents are not found in cities that can bear the cost of mass transit systems. Mountains have clean air but the prices up there are horrendous, though there are some bus systems up there.

This is the truth. I have no problem with new people moving to Colorado at all, but I don't understand why some people want to move to Colorado when the things that are most important to them are better found elsewhere. The OP's desires are a much better fit for many places east of the 100th meridian or along the west coast. Why try to make a square peg fit a round hole unless another more important factor is involved such as family or job?

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Scriabin

I couldn't figure out how to edit my post, so I'll just post it here for now

Adding onto my original statement:

I care nothing for nearby transits or transportations, as with recreational facilities, stores, etc. I travel entirely by walking, if not biking. I have no problem living in a 1-room apartment with no utilities aside from internet

I even pee outside when possible; I think the reason many areas are so desolate and barren are because humanity flushes their waste into pipeworks rather than return it into the soil

Also, regarding gardening, all I need is a plot of land, which doesn't necessarily need to be what people consider "Fertile". I'll manage to garden no matter what it takes ;-)

I consider myself very un-picky actually, as when I say I only want a cheap cheap rent + *ANY* plot of land to grow, I mean that is literally all I desire. I want to self support as best as I can.

The 2nd priority for me is having less streets/cars

And a farmer's market would be a plus.

Being near a river, particularly in less fertile areas, would be very helpful.

I suppose the only other thing I want is to not be in a bad, crime, neighborhood.

Thanks for the information guys, all appreciated

You'll need utilities because you will need water.

Have you ever been to Colorado?

It is basically a desert. Has a lot of variety of soils, a lot of which don't support different types of plants or crops. If you are looking to garden and grow food, especially on a large scale, this isn't the place, unless you have big bucks to obtain water.

Probably if you are looking for cheap, I would look at some of the small prairie towns in the eastern 1/3rd of the state.

[odie91]

Originally Posted by Scriabin

I've recently decided I'm going to move to Colorado. However I am certainly looking for as cheap a rent as possible, while trying to live somewhere with minimal pollution, streets/cars, etc. I want to grow my own food if possible, and have access to a farmer's market.

Can someone tell me some greener areas there? I'm from New Jersey and hope to move there within the coming months.

I would consider Central Washington, just east of the Cascades. It's desert, but with unlimited water from the snowpack. Back when I lived there, I was looking to buy some land... it was cheap, as were the water rights that were grandfathered in.