Pueblo - General Info (Denver: renter, appliances, malls)

[momoffive71]

My family and I are considering moving out of California in about a year. We love it here but cost of living keeps us in the desert. There are beautiful sunsets and I love the dry heat but the older I get the heat gets to me. I miss having seasons. Pueblo is one place we are looking at. One thing that has kept us here is the fact that my husband who is a diabetic heart patient on dialysis has found doctors he trusts who treat him very well. Also our six year old son is autistic and he receives excellent services and his school does their best to follow his IEP. We currently are in a 2 bed, 2 bath and pay $990 including trash, sewer, water. I guess my question is three fold, 1) can we even find a comparable rental for around that price in a decent neighborhood. 2) How is the healthcare in and around Pueblo particularly with regard to nephrology and cardiology and pediatric specialist. We currently have a two hour drive for any specialists my son needs to see. 3) How are the schools and are there good services for autistic children? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by momoffive71

My family and I are considering moving out of California in about a year. We love it here but cost of living keeps us in the desert. There are beautiful sunsets and I love the dry heat but the older I get the heat gets to me. I miss having seasons. Pueblo is one place we are looking at. One thing that has kept us here is the fact that my husband who is a diabetic heart patient on dialysis has found doctors he trusts who treat him very well. Also our six year old son is autistic and he receives excellent services and his school does their best to follow his IEP. We currently are in a 2 bed, 2 bath and pay $990 including trash, sewer, water. I guess my question is three fold, 1) can we even find a comparable rental for around that price in a decent neighborhood. 2) How is the healthcare in and around Pueblo particularly with regard to nephrology and cardiology and pediatric specialist. We currently have a two hour drive for any specialists my son needs to see. 3) How are the schools and are there good services for autistic children? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Since I do not have kids I am not much help on most of it. I will say that you can find a good cheap place to live here and health care is good for a city of our size and its a short drive to Denver for things we do not have.

[Josseppie]

More good news for the Pueblo area due to being the marijuana Valley!

The metro has topped 165,000 for the first time reaching 165,123 people. While the region aka CSA is now 212,569 people! Also at peak population!!

This is from the Chieftain:

A second straight year of moderate growth has put Pueblo County's population above the 165,000 mark, according to 2016 estimates released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Pueblo County added an estimated 2,006 people last year to push its population to 165,123, according to the census bureau.

The link: Pueblo area tops 165,000 people | Pueblo Chieftain

[MsMetal]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

Since I do not have kids I am not much help on most of it. I will say that you can find a good cheap place to live here and health care is good for a city of our size and its a short drive to Denver for things we do not have.

Not trying to be argumentative, but how long is that drive? I ask b/c I live in the northern Springs & I don't consider it a "short drive to Denver" anymore. When I first moved here, I would go all the time, now it's a huge hassle to go due to the almost daily accidents.

From north of Briargate in the Springs & it's 1 hour for me with the freeway going smoothly, which it almost never does anymore, so now I usually have to allow 1 1/2 hours each way. I guess it all depends what "short" is to you. But to me, Pueblo-Denver is not a short drive. I would guess 2-3 hours for Pueblo?

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by MsMetal

Not trying to be argumentative, but how long is that drive? I ask b/c I live in the northern Springs & I don't consider it a "short drive to Denver" anymore. When I first moved here, I would go all the time, now it's a huge hassle to go due to the almost daily accidents.

From north of Briargate in the Springs & it's 1 hour for me with the freeway going smoothly, which it almost never does anymore, so now I usually have to allow 1 1/2 hours each way. I guess it all depends what "short" is to you. But to me, Pueblo-Denver is not a short drive. I would guess 2-3 hours for Pueblo?

I go to Denver a lot for football games and musicals at the Denver Center for the performing arts (DCPA). It usually take me about 90 minutes to get from Pueblo to the tech center in south Denver. Then it all depends on the traffic. Sometimes it can take a hour to get from the tech center to downtown Denver sometimes 15 minutes.

I will add they need to make I-25 a minimum of 6 lanes from Pueblo to Fort Collins as that would help the traffic situation.

[MsMetal]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

I go to Denver a lot for football games and musicals at the Denver Center for the performing arts (DCPA). It usually take me about 90 minutes to get from Pueblo to the tech center in south Denver. Then it all depends on the traffic. Sometimes it can take a hour to get from the tech center to downtown Denver sometimes 15 minutes.

I will add they need to make I-25 a minimum of 6 lanes from Pueblo to Fort Collins as that would help the traffic situation.

I was thinking to downtown Denver & yeah, that tech center to downtown, you're right, anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour LOL.

I think the unpredictability these days, with the daily deadly accidents in perfect weather is making it a much more difficult drive cuz you never know what to expect. A few weeks ago, I got stuck in an accident backup for over an hour, around Greenland...at 10:30 at night!

Sounds like it's not too bad from Pueblo, when traffic cooperates, it's just that that's happening less & less these days. Hopefully they'll get that expansion approved soon. Of course, we'll still have to wait for it to actually happen

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by MsMetal

I was thinking to downtown Denver & yeah, that tech center to downtown, you're right, anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour LOL.

I think the unpredictability these days, with the daily deadly accidents in perfect weather is making it a much more difficult drive cuz you never know what to expect. A few weeks ago, I got stuck in an accident backup for over an hour, around Greenland...at 10:30 at night!

Sounds like it's not too bad from Pueblo, when traffic cooperates, it's just that that's happening less & less these days. Hopefully they'll get that expansion approved soon. Of course, we'll still have to wait for it to actually happen

Its really not a bad drive. I do it a few times a month.

[mbalmedpoet]

Originally Posted by momoffive71

My family and I are considering moving out of California in about a year. We love it here but cost of living keeps us in the desert. There are beautiful sunsets and I love the dry heat but the older I get the heat gets to me. I miss having seasons. Pueblo is one place we are looking at. One thing that has kept us here is the fact that my husband who is a diabetic heart patient on dialysis has found doctors he trusts who treat him very well. Also our six year old son is autistic and he receives excellent services and his school does their best to follow his IEP. We currently are in a 2 bed, 2 bath and pay $990 including trash, sewer, water. I guess my question is three fold, 1) can we even find a comparable rental for around that price in a decent neighborhood. 2) How is the healthcare in and around Pueblo particularly with regard to nephrology and cardiology and pediatric specialist. We currently have a two hour drive for any specialists my son needs to see. 3) How are the schools and are there good services for autistic children? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

There are a couple of dialysis centers in Pueblo. One on the north side and one on the south. I was going to work as a tech at one time, but it was too much of a cut in pay from a previous job. There is also a center in Pueblo West. I had several years working in dialysis.

1- Yes, you can rent for that, and if you can save, you can buy your own home and have house payments that are comparable in a decent part of town.

2- Healthcare is pretty decent. I can't comment on any but pediatrics, but they have been really good. I have an excellent neurologist though. Keep in mind, Colorado Springs is less than 1 hour away and Denver is 2 hours away.

3- I've commented several times on the schools here. I can't comment on autistic services, but I'm sure there are some, and a few calls would answer your questions.

If you need specifics, PM me and I would be glad to help you more

[Josseppie]

The economy in Pueblo or as I call it the marijuana valley keeps improving! I am still amazed as to how much legal marijuana has helped the region economically. It will be interesting to see how much population growth the area has in 2017.


This is from the Chieftain:

"Pueblo County's unemployment rate fell to 3.2 percent last month, down from 3.7 percent in March. It is the first time Pueblo's rate has been below 4 percent since 2000.

Colorado's seasonally adjusted rate fell to 2.3 percent, the lowest since the mid-1970s and also the lowest in the nation for a second month."

The link: Pueblo jobless rate keeps falling | Pueblo Chieftain

[Mike from back east]

Pueblo made it into the Washington Post today with a story about its shopping mall doing well despite the death of many malls across the nation.