Need Honest info about Wyoming (Cheyenne, Warren AFB: for sale, homes, neighborhood)

[Darwill]

My family and I live in SC now and my husband is dying to move out west, The company I work for has a branch in Wyoming, is Cheyenne a good place to raise children? We have two.

[sunsprit]

Good schools, good people.

Fairly reasonable housing market right now with a glut of homes for sale in many price ranges, so you can readily pick your neighborhood ... or out in the surrounding county areas if you want acreage.

Lots of kids oriented programs ... 4H, equine clubs, outdoor activities ... which teach them a lot about themselves and personal responsibility. It's pretty interesting to me to see a 14 year old kid whip out his own checkbook to buy his livestock for his 4H program ... they learn the real world of economics and business sense and the reality of how food is produced and it's value to society, too.

So many outdoor activities here, fishing, hunting, hiking, off-roading, skiing, horseback riding ... the list is quite lengthy. There's indoor stuff, too, with the skating rink, a few movie theaters, and a lot of school oriented activities (sports, band, academics). What's especially nice is that the facilities here are not overcrowded .... the kids who want to participate almost always have a good opportunity to do so, compared to big city schools where the openings are limited to the best of each sport, for example.

All of this must be balanced by your willingness to be somewhat independent and self-reliant in Wyoming. The climate can be harsh, the wind can blow, and there will be days where you're going to be housebound ... more or less depending upon where you choose to live. If you can take these situations in stride with a sense of humour, you'll do OK. If it's a catastrophe of epic proportions for you that you can't get out and do what you want ... even if you were just going to stay home anyway ... then you're not going to like it here.

The area is a high altitude desert on the plains. It's a dry climate, and the vegetation of more "brown" most of the year than green like a low altitude wet climate. The trees are much fewer and further apart ... we're at or above timberline for many species in the Eastern USA.

The limited social services here are targeted to people who take responsibility for what they do. It's a tough place for street people, for example ... compared to far more liberal towns with big bucks social net programs for everybody who wants to be taken care of. Special needs programs are very limited, if that's a concern for you.

Decent medical facilites are here, or a short distance away in Colorado. Same for shopping and all your major purchases.

I'd strongly advise you to come out and visit several times of the year for awhile before deciding to move out here. It's a real cultural and living shock for many people and we may ... or may not ... have what you think is here.

[Earniefan]

The only thing I would expand on in Sunsprit's post is the wind. People don't realize what we mean when we say it's windy. That doesn't mean it's not something you can't tolerate, many people do. I would do a search on Cheyenne Wyoming to find the previous posted wind discussions to get a better idea of what we're talking about.

[jazzlover]

This about sums it up about the wind

[DD_USMC]

Nice sense of humor jazzlover! It still doesn't change my plans to possibly retire there. I hope my August trip in Cheyenne goes well and I make it my last move.

[Heit]

I am moving to Cheyenne this month. We were in Cheyenne from '84-'88, stationed at FEWarren AFB. I must tell you that I was MORE than ready to leave as a result of the WIND! Fast forward to today. Looking back over the places we have lived with moving every 3yrs and here is what I have come to learn. NO PLACE is perfect. There is going to be give and take where ever you live. We have made it almost all the Frontier Days since leaving in '88. We stay with friends in Burns. Cheyenne has gotten in our blood and that's a good thing.

I looked at it this way. I took a piece of paper and had two columns, positive & negative. I filled each in with thoughts of living in Cheyenne. The positives were much more than the neg's. My main issue is the wind but I have come to accept that and it's ALL GOOD. One benefit is Cheyenne has some of the cleanest air in the country!

We bought 10ac's when they broke up part of the very historic Wyoming Hereford Ranch, just east of town. We will have 20yr's of the USAF behind us. I just bought a business in town and me and my best friend will be working together again, 20+ yr's later.

I grew up in inner-city Pittsburgh.(ouch!) Cheyenne is a wonderful place for MANY reasons. The people, hunting, fishing, scenery, and beautiful sky's dotted with awesome clouds. The open country and big sky makes me feel small and fills my spirit with a sense of adventure........and I like that!

Cheyenne is not for everyone and I'm glad. Otherwise it would turn in another Ft. Collins and lose all it's charm. I know there will be days that I'll cuss the wind, so be it. Then again if I were back in PA I would cuss the MONTHS of HUMIDITY and NO SUNSHINE. Cheyenne still has the feel of the old west. Good solid salt-of-the-earth folks, wonderful outdoor opportunities everywhere, and a sense of the pioneer spirit throughout the state.

A person could find themselves living in a lot worse places than Cheyenne. I know, I've been to my fair share.

[Earniefan]

Ya know - people need to gripe about something it seems - better the wind than their neighbors! Also, it kind of has a way of bringing everyone together - I've never seen someone try to hold something down in the wind and not have others jump in to help them.

[Tyster]

Originally Posted by Darwill

My family and I live in SC now and my husband is dying to move out west, The company I work for has a branch in Wyoming, is Cheyenne a good place to raise children? We have two.

I just bought property outside of Cheyenne (NE of Cheyenne). Right now I live in Raleigh, NC. NC is a great state, lots to do and see. Great people! But I want to retire in Cheyenne, and here's why...

I love the West, always have. Its independent, like me and my wife (she's from NE Colorado). And no matter where you go you nearly always get a sense that Wyoming is clean, crisp and a secret treasure. Yes, there is the wind and the winters (I grew up in Rochester, NY... I know winter!), but there is a certain freedom and sense of 'cleansing' there that is getting harder to find. And as hot as it may get in the summer, its dry heat and a damn site better than North Carolina steam baths.

The people are great, too. There is no 'congested city' mentality. Down to earth, no nonsense people. They're straight shooters too... no BS. Depend on yourself, but you can be sure friends are nearby.

I am looking forward to retirement there, and I hope to see you there some day.

[krisand]

does anyone know what they pay cowboys in wyoming?

[wyolady]

Tyster - where's your wife from? I'm also from NE Colorado - raised on a small farm and ranch there. Wyoming is now (and forever) my home. Welcome. . . .