Planning on moving to Colorado (Denver: transfer, neighborhoods, buy)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Magdalena1

WOW!! That's an optimistic view!!! First of, if we are talking about American geography...I feel like I have a right not to know everything...I've been in the United States for only 7 years- all that time in CT, so... I'd like to be corrected if I wrote something about Colorado that isn't correct geographycally...(I'm not sure about that one-so go ahead and fix it for me too , please). Writing this thread I don't expect you to know a lot about my country, yet alone Europe...georaphy, politics, religions and so on...

Secondly, I don't feel like I'm one of "young ideologues" , the fact that I ask questions about the state that I'm planning to live in is simply bacause I hope to get some answers here, and try to understand how it is to live there.

So here... I'd appreciate if you can answer some real questions here instead of saying how bad it is...
Where would you say would be the best place to open up the restaurant?
How much is it to rent a place?
If you had a budget of $60,000 where would you invest it? What business/ place?

Thanks a lot,

Don't worry too much about jazz; he has a rather negative outlook on things, and hates outsiders. I do agree with his first paragraph. There really aren't a lot of these little, idyllic small towns in Colorado. The small towns in the mountains are in the ski areas and extremely expesnive and generally not the place you want to raise a family. The metro Denver area is mostly Denver and its burbs, though some of these have a small town quality. The eastern plains have some little farm towns; a lot of them aren't doing very well right now.

You could probably find a job in the Denver area, if you are willing to spend several months looking.

[Magdalena1]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Don't worry too much about jazz; he has a rather negative outlook on things, and hates outsiders. I do agree with his first paragraph. There really aren't a lot of these little, idyllic small towns in Colorado. The small towns in the mountains are in the ski areas and extremely expesnive and generally not the place you want to raise a family. The metro Denver area is mostly Denver and its burbs, though some of these have a small town quality. The eastern plains have some little farm towns; a lot of them aren't doing very well right now.

You could probably find a job in the Denver area, if you are willing to spend several months looking.

Thanks! Spend several months looking for a job??? Hmmm, I've got to think it over...
Do you live in Denver? Do you like it?

[Magdalena1]

Originally Posted by Katiana

First of all, you'll get a lot of people angry referring to Colorado as the midwest. It may be the middle of the country, but it certainly isn't midwestern culturally.

Secondly, the "slower pace of life" is somewhat of a myth. Everyone has to work, and work is work. There's plenty of "Keeping up with the Joneses", here as everywhere else. Among the young, which I take you to be, it's more about how many 14ers you've climbed, how many double-blacks you've skiied, which running shoes you wear, than about your stock portfolio, but it's the same song, different verse.

Ok-got it. So how should I refer to Colorado? Isnt it Midwest? What is midwestern culture?

[matt82]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Don't worry too much about jazz; he has a rather negative outlook on things, and hates outsiders. I do agree with his first paragraph. There really aren't a lot of these little, idyllic small towns in Colorado. The small towns in the mountains are in the ski areas and extremely expesnive and generally not the place you want to raise a family. The metro Denver area is mostly Denver and its burbs, though some of these have a small town quality. The eastern plains have some little farm towns; a lot of them aren't doing very well right now.

You could probably find a job in the Denver area, if you are willing to spend several months looking.

Yeah, I wouldn't let jazz's comment dissuade you. I am probably the exact person that he is describing but every person's individual situation is different. I have no idea about his background, interests, skill set, job history, financial situation... They could be (and probably are) much different than yours.

It's easy to read an overly negative and broad generalization like that and be put off. Yes, don't move to Colorado if you expect a life of skipping down sidewalks because you are just so filled with happiness. But I think anyone who SERIOUSLY considers making a big move like this comes to that realization. (I live in NYC and put in my 2 weeks at work Friday, driving to Breckenridge on 11/2)

I personally know, or know through someone about 10 people who have moved from the east coast to Colorado and ALL of them love it. Anyone who's gone there has stayed there. The actual state of Colorado won't make you slow down but if it's part of purposeful lifestyle change, you can try to create a slower-life. I know an advertising sales manager for Conde Nast who quit his job of 50+hr weeks and moved to the rockies and ultimately opened up a Wine/Cheese store and is happy as a clam.

Besides you don't want to become some old self-described curmudgeon

Good Luck!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Magdalena1

Thanks! Spend several months looking for a job??? Hmmm, I've got to think it over...
Do you live in Denver? Do you like it?

I lived in Denver for two years; have lived in Louisville, about 25 miles away for the past 27. Louisville is one of the burbs that has a small town feel about it. Yes, I like it.

Originally Posted by Magdalena1

Ok-got it. So how should I refer to Colorado? Isnt it Midwest? What is midwestern culture?

It's western. Midwestern culture is something you have to experience. It's hard to describe. Many people in the MW have lived in their respective areas almost all their lives, have tons of family around, have farming backgrounds, even if they live in cities now. Most Coloradans are from somewhere else, have little to no family in the area, and the agriculture is more ranching than farming. There seem to be fewer people who have grown up on farms/ranches.

[Magdalena1]

Originally Posted by matt82

Yeah, I wouldn't let jazz's comment dissuade you. I am probably the exact person that he is describing but every person's individual situation is different. I have no idea about his background, interests, skill set, job history, financial situation... They could be (and probably are) much different than yours.

It's easy to read an overly negative and broad generalization like that and be put off. Yes, don't move to Colorado if you expect a life of skipping down sidewalks because you are just so filled with happiness. But I think anyone who SERIOUSLY considers making a big move like this comes to that realization. (I live in NYC and put in my 2 weeks at work Friday, driving to Breckenridge on 11/2)

I personally know, or know through someone about 10 people who have moved from the east coast to Colorado and ALL of them love it. Anyone who's gone there has stayed there. The actual state of Colorado won't make you slow down but if it's part of purposeful lifestyle change, you can try to create a slower-life. I know an advertising sales manager for Conde Nast who quit his job of 50+hr weeks and moved to the rockies and ultimately opened up a Wine/Cheese store and is happy as a clam.

Besides you don't want to become some old self-described curmudgeon

Good Luck!

Hi,

Thanks- that sounds much, much more optimistic! I dont expect to a life of skipping down sidewalks because you are just so filled with happiness. All I expect is to find a decent job, nice place to live and not to worry about the future...at least neat future...
I'm happy for your friends who moved to CO. So why would it be a bad idea for me? And look at this manager! what a change! Great!

[livecontent]

I can tell you that you must understand, as many people have said, there are no small idyllic towns that you will find here. I know the little towns that you are referring in the east that are within 45 minutes of NYC--they do not exist here.

As far as opening a restaurant or having a catering truck--that is a "Pipe Dream" of many but is very difficult to achieve. Fast food experience is not cooking expertise. It is very competitive in Denver to get a good job in cooking and the pay is not good, for most positions. This is not CT or NY, wages are much lower and CO is not the cheapest place to live.

[CosmicWizard]

Although I think jazzlover focuses waaaaay too much on the negative, I also think that most of what he says happens to be right on the money. Don't let his comments bring you down, but also don't ignore what he's telling you. Anyone with a sincere desire to make a life in Colorado CAN do it, but it probably won't be easy in this economy. Coming in with a minimum of 6 months expenses saved up will make the transition easier and less stressful. Anything less than that is an almost surefire ticket to having more stress in your life rather than less. I wish you the best.

[80skeys]

I don't agree that there aren't any small idyllic towns in Colorado. Yes there are. What about Collbran in my neck of the woods? It's a neat little town up on the side of the Mesa with some really pretty country.

[Magdalena1]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

I don't agree that there aren't any small idyllic towns in Colorado. Yes there are. What about Collbran in my neck of the woods? It's a neat little town up on the side of the Mesa with some really pretty country.

Hi,
Is it a safe place to be? Expensive? How far away from Denver? Any more places like that you could name?

Thanks