What would be a good place for us to live in in Colorado? (Denver: ski resorts)

[JigabyteLord]

My girlfriend will be graduating from nursing school (RN) next Spring, and I will be continuing my education to become a Psychologist. Her and I are thinking about picking up and moving and starting our own chapter in life together afterward she graduates and are considering a few different states to live in, one of which is Colorado. I have been to the state before to go snowboarding and for business trips and what not, but she has never been. We currently reside in western South Dakota right now in the Black Hills area so we are used to and would like to be in a place with 4 distinct seasons. Here is some of the criteria that we would like to have met and are looking for:

* Good place for a nurse to work
* Good place for me to continue college and work as a Psychologist
* Low crime rate
* Scenic would be nice if possible.
* Close to mountain resorts if possible
* Not really wanting to live in Denver itself, more so a suburban area, but close enough to where we could catch a sports game, shopping, e.t.c.
* Cost of living
* Place where people are friendly and have manners

That's all that I can think of for now. Basically just a good place for college grads to live is what we are looking for. Any advice helps! Thanks!

[davebarnes]

Cost of Living - greater Denver (where the jobs are) has housing costs that are probably way more than you are used to

[Lalaena G.-F.]

Arvada is beautiful! Closer to the mountains - great views, near Denver, and a lot of growth so you have lots of options to buy or rent.

[contiempo]

Although I have no clear picture of the job market for nurses, I do know that there is no other occupation that receives more posts than "I am a nurse" or "My wife is a nurse" or "I am graduating with a BSN" and I want to move to Denver. So, I would expect some competition.

The job market for psychologists (if there is such a thing) is probably pretty terrible everywhere. So, Denver is probably no better or worse than other metro areas.

For the jobs and amenities you seek there is no other choice than the Denver metro area. Housing costs are on the rise and are going to be (much) more expensive than W. South Dakota.

The ski resorts are expensive and all are located 1 to 3 hours from Denver without traffic. Since you encounter a parking lot on any Saturday or Sunday, add an additional hour plus. Fair warning, you will spend 4-5 hours round trip (at least) in the car to get a day of skiing in. That is why I gave up on it and prefer other winter activites. Things can be just as bad on I-70 in the summer but there are more options then at least. Your outdoor recreational access is better right now in the Black Hills.

The schools for studying psychology in the Denver area are among others: UCD, DU, Regis. UCD is going to be the cheapest option by far assuming you can get in-state rate at some point.

[brown_dog_us]

You really need to check out the job market for psychologists. There aren't a lot of opportunities and the few that are out there pay very little. If it's your dream job, then I get it, but don't rack up big debt to struggle to make ends meet.

I'm sorry to be so negative, but I have seen a couple friends go down this road and it wasn't pretty.

[ZorbaTheGeek]

For the shorter term you can look at the college towns, until you get your degree. While you're in school and she's working, you can research your options for long term. FYI, it's tough for nurses with no prior experience to get jobs. Everyone's requiring 2 yrs.' experience. If she can get an internship where she's at, she should take that opportunity, even if it means putting your plans on hold.

[delta07]

I agree with others, especially regarding nursing. My husband is an RN, BSN with 8 years of experience and has many friends who have struggled to get a job right out of nursing school. I wouldn't count on moving to Denver without a job, as it may take her a while to gain enough experience out of college to get one. You may reconsider moving until she has the experience and you are done with school.