Colorado Springs, CO Area

[DanGarion]

Anyone know much info about this area? My fiancee and I might be tempted to move their later this year because of work.

I know it's not too far from Denver, do they have the same asinine law prohibiting Pit Bulls? What county is this considered. Also I was wondering if anyone knows much about the housing market, we are looking to purchase our first home when/if we move there.

[Draft Dodger]

you're able to leave your favorite team?

[QuikSand]

Look out for black squirrels.

[JeeberD]

I'm pretty sure that Colorado Springs is in El Paso County. I've also heard that The Springs can be kind of a shady area, but that probably depends upon what part of town you're in.

Also, if memory serves it's about an hour to an hour and a half drive from Denver. Straight up 25, not a hard drive at all...

[JeeberD]

Dola-

http://www.elpasoco.com/

That might have some more info for you regarding housing, Pit laws, etc...

[DanGarion]

you're able to leave your favorite team?
Yeah all of them.

LA Dodgers, Anaheim Angels, USC, a good job is more important then any of that stuff. Plus she's up to going anywhere, it's too crowded and overpriced here.

[JeeberD]

You'll find a new love there. SkySox, baby!

[DanGarion]

You'll find a new love there. SkySox, baby!
It's either Colorado Springs or the Plano / DFW area. Since Time Warner is there, that's an option. My friend lives Wylie, his parents live in Murphy, and another friend just moved to um another one of those cites. So I might be moving to where you are!

[JeeberD]

That woulds be cool. The more FOFCers here the better... :)

[tarcone]

If i could i would move to colorado springs in a heartbeat....in fact i almost did about 10 yrs ago but things got in the way
love the area. many activities to do. pretty expensive. you would be a fool to move to west texas over colorado

[JeeberD]

DFW is west Texas? What have you been smoking, tarcone?

[DanGarion]

DFW is west Texas? What have you been smoking, tarcone?
I thought it was NE Texas, atleast that is where it was when I was there last July... :D

[Huckleberry]

I'm from Austin. Greatest place to live in the world. (Anyone thinking about disagreeing with this is wrong. Because I said so.)

I've been to Colorado Springs a couple of times and it's on my list of places I'd be willing to move. It's a very short list.

[Buccaneer]

Well I'll be darn. It would be cool to have at least one person living here from FOFC.

I've been in the Springs for 17 years now and as far as medium-size cities go, it's a relatively low key place to live and work that's much closer to the mountains than any other Front Range city. The best thing about the Springs is that it is not Denver. We are the highest, largest city in the US (1,000-feet higher than Denver). The govts are quite libertarian, compared to any other city and the county area is very wide open (in space and in attitudes). We, of course, are a military and high tech-centric city which means that it is a very transient population. Our area have doubled in size in the past 15+ yrs, going from 250,000 to over 500,000. And there are still large areas to the north and of course, out east to grow. Water, like most of the arid West, is a huge issue, esp. at we grow faster than any other Front Range city.

I, by nature, do not like cities but having been to most of them in the US, this would be one of the top 5 I would choose to live because it is very clean and safe. I work in downtown and my commute from 7 miles away takes 10 minutes. From out east and to the growth areas in the northeast, it would definitely take longer. We didn't plan for any east-west highways until it was too late.

For most of the 90s and early 00s, we were one of the best places to live (according to the annual surveys) not only because of a good white-collar population base and proximity to the mountains (and an outdoors lifestyle) but because of affordability. We still have one of the lowest utility rates in the country but large water and wastewater capital projects will make that less so. As far as housing, I believe we are average now after years of being below average but whether you are looking in the city or in the expansion areas to the east, you get a good house for the money (I think the average new home price is around $250,000-$275,000).

Obviously there are a million more questions I can answer but not to bore anybody further, you can PM or email me, I would be more than happy to help in any way I can.

[Karlifornia]

Isn't that where Pat Robertson lives?

[Buccaneer]

No, he's in Virginia somewhere. We are home to many of the big ministries though, including Ben's Young Life, Focus, Navigators and my favorite, Compassion. But with such a replatively large population, we are more diverse than one would think.

[Young Drachma]

Yeah, I enjoy Colorado Springs a lot all the times I've been there and it's nice that if you want "big city" you get that out of Denver not too far away.

[Craptacular]

We are the highest, largest city in the US I think Boulder has to be much "higher". ;) How else can you explain seeing Jerry Garcia on every corner?

Seriously, I've enjoyed my visits to the CO Springs area. Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak are awesome, and there's some good whitewater rafting on the Arkansas not too far away. I've got a couple of good friends who live in Castle Rock (north of the Springs but south of Denver). They've become quite familiar with the Springs, so I'll see if they have any good recommendations. However, Bucc is definitely the expert here.

[Buccaneer]

Yeah, Jerry Garcia and the Rastaman, all wearing mountain boots.

[judicial clerk]

Don't forget the USAFA! Off we go into the wild blue yonder, flying high into the sky ...

seriously, though, it is freakin' dry and cold in the winter

[BIGdaddy]

My son and his wife live there, so we've been ther 5 or 6 times over the last few years; they like it a lot. We've enjoyed being out there.... it is really dry but I thought the winters seem mild (compared to Wisconsin)

[Buccaneer]

My son and his wife live there, so we've been ther 5 or 6 times over the last few years; they like it a lot. We've enjoyed being out there.... it is really dry but I thought the winters seem mild (compared to Wisconsin)
It is. We get almost no measureable precipitation during the winter months and humidity is often less than 10%. A typical winter here nowadays would consist of 2 days of snow/flurries and 2 weeks of sunny, mild temperatures. Occassionally we get an Arctic blast (like right now) but all that means is that it's still sunny and quite cold. We've had 5 snowstorms so far (3-12" depending on what part of the area you live in) and like always, the sun comes out the next to melt everything. The temp could still be below freezing but because the sun's rays are 30% hotter than at sea level, it feels much warmer than it is actually is (and it melts the snow in most places). We don't get the snow in winter because the jet stream keeps the Gulf moisture away from us and more towards the Midwest (similar kind of cold but with much more precip). Also, those Pacific storms dry out over the inter-mountain west and dumps whatever it has left in the Rockies. There have many days this winter where it would be mild and dry down here and the nearby mountains would be getting 2-3 feet of snow. Then comes the Spring...

Believe it or not, March and April are our 2 snowiest months with May being the 4th. The jet stream shifts allowing for the Gulf moisture to reach us and it is not uncommon to get 1-2 feet in a single storm. But the same pattern still holds: 2 days of snow and 7 days of sunny 60-70 degree weather (later, rinse, repeat).

Even though I complain greatly about the warm weather here (I hate warm temps), the saving grace is that it always gets below 60 degrees at night (because of the altitude).

[tarcone]

isnt plano in west texas? i know DFW is not....but i could have sworn plano was

[JeeberD]

Nope. Plano is NE DFW... :)

http://www.dfwglass.com/map-of-dallas-fort-worth-texas-metroplex2.jpg (#2)

[DanGarion]

Nope. Plano is NE DFW... :)

http://www.dfwglass.com/map-of-dallas-fort-worth-texas-metroplex2.jpg (#2)
Jeeber are you guys Time Warner Cable where you are?

[JeeberD]

I live in Lewisville (just to the west of Plano) and use Comcast...

[tarcone]

i remember being in colorado springs around easter and getting dumped on by snow...we were at the air firce academy irt was cloudy we came out and it was blizzard conditions then as you said it went away.
my parents have a cabin in the central part if the state. Nathrop. i love colorado in the summer

[DanGarion]

I live in Lewisville (just to the west of Plano) and use Comcast...
Heh, not for long... ;) If it's considered part of the Dallas area it will be Time Warner before the year ends.

[JeeberD]

So, uh...you gonna hook a brutha up with some kick ass rates? :D

[DanGarion]

So, uh...you gonna hook a brutha up with some kick ass rates? :D
I don't live in Texas ;)