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... Speaking of winter...does it really take a few crashes to learn how to drive in the snow? Sounds like people are driving to fast for their weather conditions. I drive careful and dont rush in harsh weather (here it would be strong rain and fog). ...
No crashes needed. Best is a car with AWD, FWD or 4WD, but it can be done safely with just about any car that has good tires.
When it snows an inch or two, go to a large empty parking lot, one that does not have concrete bumpers in each parking spot. Go there and practice hitting the brakes at low speeds so you can learn the feel of sliding around, correcting a skid, starting without spinning, etc. It's not that hard to drive in light snow. You already have the basics when you said you drive carefully. Parking lots at schools are usually close by, usually devoid of concrete bumpers and it'll actually be fun. For giggles, cut the steering wheel all the way, hit the gas, and do a few donuts; it's okay to scream too.
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I moved to Westminster from Fort Collins specifically because Fort Collins has far fewer job opportunities simply because of its size. If you lose a job in Fort Collins, it is more difficult/takes longer to get another in Fort Collins. Fort Collins is a 45 min-1 hour drive to Denver. Westminster is very well located between several different major employment centers and that was my main consideration before moving here. It has proven to be a very good decision as my husband has been through several jobs since we've lived here and we have never had to move. The only place that is not in decent commuting distance is the Denver Tech Center (horrific 1 1/2 drive in rush hour with NO snow), but I do have several neighbors who do it because they love living here so much and refuse to move.
As far as wages, I would imagine the comparison would vary widely by industry, but for IT stuff, Colorado is fairly similar to California but of course, we have a lower cost of living for housing.
I don't have a 4 wheel drive car, it's a 10 year old family sedan and I've never had a problem driving in snow--only accident I've had was on a clear fall day when I was rear ended by a drunk driver after a Broncos game. There are about 7-10 days a year here where conditions are so poor you don't want to drive if you don't really have to, but as I work at home, I don't leave the house. Those days for folks who DO have to drive really, really suck, but at least they are limited.
Thank you BradBurn1! Some positive input! Rather then people tell me what to do or what no to do I was hoping some people who live in that area could share their personal experiences. I am not limiting myself to that area but I would think its a decent location because its between both Boulder and Denver. But heck, if I found the perfect job I would move to Colorado Springs or Fort Collins. I would just think Westminster is a prime location being between 2 big cities and that it would have more college options.
This may sound like a silly question to some people but do you have any big insect problems there? I am looking to escape that! I love open spaces and the ourdoors but not outdoor creepy crawlers moving inside my house!
BTW no I wont miss the beach. I never go to the beach, even when I lived right down the street. Our beaches are polluted and the water is freezing. Its not FL beaches! The only plus I liked about living near the beach was having a breeze. I prefer cooler weather. Im not a fan of summer.
Speaking of winter...does it really take a few crashes to learn how to drive in the snow? Sounds like people are driving to fast for their weather conditions. I drive careful and dont rush in harsh weather (here it would be strong rain and fog).
Anyways if there is some great area you live in that you love in CO that is not near Westminster do feel free to share your experience.
What area in CO would you say is having the best luck with jobs right now? I notice that a lot of apartments in Fort Collins is cheaper than say Denver. Does this mean jobs are harder to come by in this area? I would think maybe.
I make about $15/hr now (with 10 years of experience). I have been at the same job going on 5 years with no raises in sight. I am looking forward to a change. How would you say the wages are in CO? Are they comparable to CA? I noticed on this website it says a lot of cities in CO the household family income is $60,000/year. Where I live its just about the same. Except homes cost much more here then the ones I have looked at in CO. Is $60,000/year a pretty standard family income (with both people working full time)? Or is CO more of a low wage state like UT?
We are sharing personal experiences. Do what you want to do. BTW, Boulder is not a "Big City".
No problems with insects here.
Cooler weather is generally found in the west of the metro, (but not much cooler), it does get hot here during summer.
Snow is a waaay different animal than rain or fog. I've crashed in it once when some ice kindly led me into the back of an SUV. Driving in snow takes lots of patience and experience.
There are great areas all over the metro. I have lived in Central Aurora, South Aurora and SE Denver (I like this one the best).
I wouldn't move to Fort Collins without a job.
I've had poverty level income and upper-middle class income in CO over the past three years, since leaving CA myself. It depends on your job. I'd much rather starve here than in CA, at least there are some ghetto apartments that could be found for $500/mo if need be. Money goes further here it seems.
People are not telling you what to do, they are offering you solid advice that you seem unwilling to accept. Boulder is not a big city, jobs are all over the metro area and as has been stated more than once before a commute from one end to the other is inadvisable.
I want repeat what this poster says--Boulder is not a big city. It is small city, much smaller than many other cities in the Denver area. The Denver area is called the Denver/Aurora metroplex because Aurora at about 277,000 is the largest city next to Denver and has much more jobs than the college town of Boulder with about 95,000. Aurora has access to many more jobs in Denver and jobs near the Airport, The DTC and Commerce City.
Arvada, Lakewood, Westminster are all larger than Boulder. I would not say each of these bedroom communities have more jobs than Boulder but together they do with other communities; and they also have better access to the bigger job market of Denver.
There are many areas around Denver that have great places to live; Boulder does not have a monopoly on Quality of Life. There are also many areas nearer to Denver and Denver itself, that exceed some of the qualities of Boulder.
I live in Broomfield, which kind of overlaps Westminster in parts. I like Broomfield/Westminster for its location,abundance of trails and parks, safety and convenience. With that being said I do recommend what most of the others were saying. Not trying to ignore your post about Westminster but there's a lot of great areas/suburbs that are similar. Have you visited the area and checked out the burbs? When we first moved here I was working in Westminster and we lived in Lafayette (which is also a good area). We wanted badly to live in the Chatfield/Roxborough area but the commute would have been killer. Now we live in Broomfield and both work downtown. The commute wouldn't be as bad to Chatfield/Roxborough but now we like Broomfield. My point? Once you really get to know an area, find jobs and settle in you might find you change your mind about where you want to live and what your priorities are.
Thank you Mike From Back East and Brad Burn 1 and David Aguilar and Live Content and Choosing 78! All good advice. I will for sure practice driving in the snow in the parking lot first! My nature is to drive careful and slow in hard weather conditions, even if its just rain or fog. We get some bad rain here, major flooding, like you are floating down the street. Some cars get stuck in it if they drive too fast into it. Its scary. But Im sure its different then snow.
If Boulder is more of a college town and isnt a big city and doesnt have a lot of jobs why is it so expensive? The homes there were very pricey. Without many jobs I am wondering why the cost is high??
Would you say its better (job-wise) to live between Denver and Aurora then to live between Boulder and Denver. I had thought with the high prices I saw in Boulder there would be decent job options. But I do want to be close to different job opportunities. (But colleges as well within a short commute).
Im glad to hear there isnt a big bug problem there. I know that sounds dumb but I pay so much to live in the great CA and I spend my day killing cockroaches, ants, and mosquitoes in my house. I have the exterminator come like twice a month. I hate it.
Anyways I want to be near decent jobs but also in a safe area. I dont want to live in the heart of a big city with lots of jobs if it would compromise our safety. Like here in Hollywood or LA or San Francisco the areas can be dangerous for family living. Some areas are glamourous like shown on TV shows but others are really bad. Where I grew up there was lots of crime. And I just cant afford to live in the really nice areas of CA. Why pay $800,000 for a home you could get for $400,000 in another state?
I apprecaite all the input. I am still interested in the Westminster area but I am also open to other cities near Denver too. Broomfield was actually the first city I started looking into. I saw some nice apartments there too.
I will steer clear of Fort Collins unless I get a great job offer there. Its too bad it doesnt have many jobs because it seems like a nice place to live.
What do you think about Colorado Springs? Is that just too far of a commute to Denver jobs? Or does Colorado Springs have a decent amount of jobs?
Safety and job availability and affordable apartments/homes are the most important things.
To those who moved to CO from CA can you tell me, how long did it take you to adjust? Do you miss CA or are happy with your choice? Im excited to get out of here (minus the slight fear of learning to drive in snow!)
...What do you think about Colorado Springs? Is that just too far of a commute to Denver jobs? Or does Colorado Springs have a decent amount of jobs? ....Thanks everyone
Thanks for the kind words.
I'm in COLO SPGS, 5 years. Realistically too far for a job in Denver, though there is a FREX bus service that runs between the two, and some people to make the commute, but it's a bear. If the job is in Denver, best to live there.
Jobs here tend to be military related, which is huge around here. All sorts of companies, many of them high tech types, support the military. Many/most of these jobs require a security clearance and if you already have one you are way ahead of other job seekers.
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You can't live between Denver and Aurora, as they run in to each other. I'd suggest for a start, someplace central, so you can work anywhere. Then when you know where you're going to work, find a place close to the job.
Let me ask you this. What area (if any) is safest from natural disasters, such as tornados? The one good thing that I can say about where I live in CA is that we really are lucky with natural disasters. The worst thing we have in my area are forest fires, most of the time they are started by bad people with nothing better to do. But with the heat and wind they go on for days and sometimes weeks. It mostly hurts the dry land and wildlife but not many homes are distroyed. People who have never lived in CA always say we get bad earthquakes. We do in some areas like LA, Long Beach, and most recently in San Diego. But in OC the earthquakes are minor. We dont have any natural disasters here that make you run to your basement and hide under your stairs or that hit all of a sudden while your outside and really harm you.
How concerned should I be about tornados in CO? It this slight and common? Or is this something a lot of residents worry about for their safety all the time?
I want an affordable house but I dont want it to get blown away!
What area (if any) is safest from natural disasters, such as tornados?
They become more common the farther east you go as you get away from the foothills and onto the plains.
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