Got a new assignment: Moving to Colorado (Denver/Boulder area)

[cacicgtp7]

So I decided that I wanted to try something completely different from my current job and take a little hiatus. Was lucky enough to get support from my leadership on it since it's only a three year assignment and put in for an AFROTC instructor job. Luckily got picked up by the University of Colorado-Boulder and my wife and I are moving there this July from Texas! Pretty excited since this is out of the norm, and basically I'll get to teach there for the next 3 years and then go back to my career field.

My question for ya'll is: Anyone familiar with the Norther Denver area? Basically my wife wants to live close to Denver, and I want to live not necessarily in Boulder but maybe a northern suburb of Denver so that my commute isn't ridiculous. Commuting from Denver would be about 45 mins each way, so I'd rather not do that. Currently looking at the Westminster/Broomfield area.

If any of you have experience or been out there share some ideas! We're probably looking to rent as it's rather expensive, and I don't know about flipping a house 3 years laterin that area. Real estate seems pretty expensive and I hear insurance is crazy high with the flooding and then summer fires. Looking forward to the nice weather and skiing!

Click to read more...

 

[wolfe]

Don't have any experience out there, but good luck! That sounds like a very cool opportunity.

 

[Mike K]

Denver is probably the best place to have winter if you have to have winter. It might be 70 one day and then snowing and 20 the next then 65 and sunny. Couple that with the absolutely amazing scenery just west of the city and you have the makings for a good 3 years.

My folks always wanted to move to Littleton and from what I remember, it was always very suburban. Good choice though.

 

[RICH17]

[MENTION=5420]dmint[/MENTION]

 

[deviantlx]

I have family in Colorado springs which about an hour outside of Denver. beautiful town. winters are just as mike k described. you will love it. I am very familiar with the Colorado springs and surrounding towns but I haven't researched the Denver area. sorry. good luck in your search though.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

The front range is amazing. Sure it snows but it's usually gone the next day....or even the same day. You're an hour from awesome resorts for snow boarding or downhilling, you're an hour from Colorado Springs, there's open space every where and it's almost always sunny. I love it.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

I forgot to add that prices are reasonable too for things (except subarus). The downtown area is small and not nearly as crazy as Chicago is.

 

[cacicgtp7]

I forgot to add that prices are reasonable too for things (except subarus). The downtown area is small and not nearly as crazy as Chicago is.

Good to know, I didn't really want anything as big as Chicago per say. Wife is from Minneapolis and I really like that size of city personally. I hear Denver is similar. Where are you currently? Springs?


Excited about the weather for sure, it was one of the reasons we put in for that school out of the 109 schools that had available officer positions. Only thing to get used to is the altitude haha.

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Denver area suburb called Lakewood. A few years ago when I came to visit we went to head downtown to the museum one morning and the lady at the hotel counter told us we were crazy because of traffic. I'd compare it to the suburbs of Chicago like Schaumburg as far as traffic goes


Yea the elevation takes some time. If you're just walking around its not bad but any sort of working out its hard to breathe. I'm at a few weeks now and I'm finally getting to where I'm ok riding mtb and exerting myself.

 

[FESTER665]

Congrats on the new gig.....

I have family who live west of Denver in the mountains in Evergreen, CO and a friend who lives South of Denver in Parker and they both said that Broomfield is very nice and would be a good spot to commute to Boulder.

I was fine with the elevation in the Denver area but got my ass kicked by it when we went to the top of Pikes Peak..... The biggest thing is to always drink plenty of water, but I still got sick even with doing that....

 

[nytebyte]

Was in Denver this past November and the air is unbearably dry. Was there for a week and never got used to it. Also, there seemed to be a lot of pothead hipsters everywhere in Denver.

Then there's all the anti-gun laws that they have.

Trading TX for CO just doesn't seem like the best thing, but I hope your job opportunity pays off.

 

[syP]

congrats john!

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

Was in Denver this past November and the air is unbearably dry. Was there for a week and never got used to it. Also, there seemed to be a lot of pothead hipsters everywhere in Denver.



Then there's all the anti-gun laws that they have.



Trading TX for CO just doesn't seem like the best thing, but I hope your job opportunity pays off.

The surrounding Denver areas don't seem full of pot head hipsters at all, or as far as I've seen. Sure every once in a while you see some weirdo.

Boulder on the other hand is full of stupid hipster kids because its a big college town. I stay away from there.

 

[cacicgtp7]

Was in Denver this past November and the air is unbearably dry. Was there for a week and never got used to it. Also, there seemed to be a lot of pothead hipsters everywhere in Denver.

Then there's all the anti-gun laws that they have.

Trading TX for CO just doesn't seem like the best thing, but I hope your job opportunity pays off.

It's not really "trading" texas for anything. I was up for reassignment, I just decided to deviate from my career path for a couple of years. If I hadn't tried to take a AFROTC job then I would have probably wound up somewhere I didn't want to necessarily be. Military makes you move every 3-4 years, so I couldn't stay in Texas unless I was getting out which I am not.

Personally I like Texas a lot, but I won't really "miss" the San Antonio area.

 

[EmersonHart13]

This was a good move. My buddy is in the Army and every other spot he goes to he hates... Colorado Springs was by far his favorite assignment.

Good for you, I bet you will love it.

 

[dmint]

I moved out to Denver a year ago tomorrow. You'll definitely love the weather, gonna be 70 here on monday then snow a lil bit on tuesday. All the sun here really makes chicago feel gloomy all the time. Get your fill on any and all chicago food while your still there, your gonna crave it but wont be able to find it out here. Also no one can drive out here! If you thought it was bad when it snowed in chicago and no one can drive, its even worse than that here!

Now on to the more important part, where you want to look is more in the Broomfield area. Its about halfway between Boulder and Denver. This state is pretty much 1/3 Hippies, 1/3 potheads and 1/3 average people. Boulder is filled with rich hippie, you better recycle or die people. When you get out here every morning you will wake up feeling like the dessert has moved into your mouth for about a month or two. Drink lots of water when you get here, and once you think you've had enough, drink some more! It'll help your body adjust to the thinner air.

Also have to ask, what anti gun laws? The laws that have been added, the people here are actively working to get those passed in the last year or so to be repealled. Unlike Illinois, alot of the anti gun people in office have been replaced in recall elections. Theres concealed and open carry permits in Colorado.

 

[deviantlx]

Congrats on the new gig.....

I have family who live west of Denver in the mountains in Evergreen, CO and a friend who lives South of Denver in Parker and they both said that Broomfield is very nice and would be a good spot to commute to Boulder.

I was fine with the elevation in the Denver area but got my ass kicked by it when we went to the top of Pikes Peak..... The biggest thing is to always drink plenty of water, but I still got sick even with doing that....

don't feel bad. pikes peak kicked my ass too. I must have drank 5 bottles of water up and down and still felt sick as fuck. fuck that mountain and the donuts it makes. lol.

 

[deviantlx]

lmao@ the "anti-gun laws". for a state that hates guns they sure do have a lot of gun shows. lol.

 

[deviantlx]

It's not really "trading" texas for anything. I was up for reassignment, I just decided to deviate from my career path for a couple of years. If I hadn't tried to take a AFROTC job then I would have probably wound up somewhere I didn't want to necessarily be. Military makes you move every 3-4 years, so I couldn't stay in Texas unless I was getting out which I am not.

Personally I like Texas a lot, but I won't really "miss" the San Antonio area.

the best way to describe the ethnicity in Colorado is its like a Thomas kinkade painting. bright and white!

your going to be shy just a few messicans in Colorado.

 

[sickmint79]

seems a nice area but have yet to visit.

will you be taking on investors for your grow op?

 

[Flyn]

Congrats on the new opportunity. Sounds exciting.

 

[VenomInside]

Congrats!

 

[dmint]

the best way to describe the ethnicity in Colorado is its like a Thomas kinkade painting. bright and white!

your going to be shy just a few messicans in Colorado.

You have obviously never been to the Denver area! Tons of mexican restaurants everywhere around here! Breakfast burritos and green chili are super popular here. Still havent found a decent chinese food place any where near my house tho.

 

[deviantlx]

You have obviously never been to the Denver area! Tons of mexican restaurants everywhere around here! Breakfast burritos and green chili are super popular here. Still havent found a decent chinese food place any where near my house tho.

I was being sarcastic. I frequent downtown Denver to hit the badass water park a couple other sites. its nice but its not far off Chicago.


I definitely like the springs better. all the little towns around there are cool. Manitou springs, canyon city, garden of the gods, pueblo, briargate, northgate. Cheyenne mountain.

 

[hj16]

I previously lived in Boulder for five years. If you can swing it, that is definitely the place to live. Beautiful, safe, walking access to the foothills, great restaurants, nightlife, shopping, cultural activities and stellar public transit. Anywhere West of 28th Street is fantastic.

All of the towns between Denver and Boulder are pretty typical "Anywhere USA" suburban crap. There is nothing at all special or interesting about Westminster, Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, or Louisville. Its really Boulder or Denver proper. In Denver, Capitol Hill, Cherry Creek, Highlands, City Park West, Cheeseman Park, and Congress Park are some of the nicer, more interesting nabes I would recommend.