Please help!!! Still looking for that perfect hippie town in Colorado.?

Question

I have received the name of a number of hippie towns in Colorado from a previous question, but I'm not sure if I've found the ultimate place to live yet. Some of the towns named were Ward, Salida, Nederland, Ouray, Alma, Boulder, Crestone, Fairplay, Southpark, and Ft. Collins. Are there any more out there? The more affordable the housing the better. What would make one town better than another?

Answer 1

These towns vary considerably in population and lifestyle. Many hippies sought to get away from it all, while others actively sought the company of like minds.

Modern hippies can be corporate executives in sandals, professional people with long hair, environmental activists, homesteaders, outdoorsmen, craftsmen, artisans, or just plain recluses.

A few counter-culture towns in Colorado, their population, and their median home value in 2000:

Fort Collins - population 122,297 – median home $229,700
Boulder - population 83,432 – median home $457,400
Salida - population 5504 – median home $135,000
Manitou Springs- population 4980 – median home $175,300
Buena Vista - population 2195 – median home $119,500
Chipita Park - population 1709 – median home $172,500
Nederland - population 1394 – median home $218,500
Beulah - population 1164 – median home $147,500
Ouray - population 813 – median home $221,700
Ridgway - population 713 – median home $215,000
Fairplay - population 610 – median home $147,300
Red Feather Lakes - population 525 – median home $134,400
Silver Cliff - population 512 – median home $110,000
Allenspark - population 496 – median home $233,300
Poncha Springs - population 466 – median home $133,700
Westcliffe - population 417 – median home $138,800
Red Cliff - population 289 – median home $180,400
Gold Hill - population 210 – median home $261,500
Jamestown - population 205 – median home $196,400
Rye - population 202 – median home $87,100
Alma - population 179 – median home $133,000
Eldora - population 170 – median home $119,600
Ward - population 169 – median home $118,800
Tabernash - population 165 – median home $117,900
Crestone - population 73 – median home $86,300
Montezuma - population 42 – median home $118,800
Bonanza - population 14 – median home $120,000

Answer 2

Boulder has the highest priced housing in Colorado, except for a few ski towns like Aspen. It's not my idea of hippie (too much money there), just has a large university.

Fort Collins is a less expensive version of Boulder, still just a university town.

Ward and Crestone are classic hippie (or new age) little settlements. Very cheap housing, no jobs there. Ward is a half hour from Boulder, Crestone is very isolated.

There's not much to Alma or Fairplay, both little mountain towns with fantastic scenery. Ouray is similar, a little larger with a little more there.

Salida has a fairly significant artist community, but I wouldn't call it hippie. Nice climate for the mountains.

The first answer gives you a very good feel for housing costs. Note that cheap housing generally means few good jobs. The problem in Colorado is finding a place that's good to live in and good to find work in. The two generally don't go together.

Answer 3

Hippies In Colorado

Answer 4

Deep Thought has given a fantastic answer. I lived in Alma for 7 years. I loved it but you do have to consider the climate. 9 months of winter and I am not joking. It is the highest town in the US, second is Leadville. It's slogan is "Alma as high as you can get" (a pretty hippie slogan). Alma is not far from Breckenridge and that is where most people work. Fairplay is just a few miles from Alma. Salida is one of my favorite small towns in Colorado. It's in the banana belt. Winters are not as harsh as Alma. You are close to hot springs and it is a very artistic community. If I ever moved back to Colorado this is where I would move to. So to answer your question about what would make one town better than another really depends on more specifics of what you are looking for. They are all hippie towns, some more expensive than others. If you don't like the idea of 9 months of winter-2 seasons, winter and mud season I would stay away from towns that are really high in elevation.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Please help!!! Still looking for that perfect hippie town in Colorado.?
I have received the name of a number of hippie towns in Colorado from a previous question, but I'm not sure if I've found the ultimate place to live yet. Some of the towns named were Ward, Salida, Nederland, Ouray, Alma, Boulder, Crestone, Fairplay, Southpark, and Ft. Collins. Are there any...

Answer 6

Manitue Springs, Colorado. It's a suburb of Colorado Springs. Every time I'm there I feel like I'm back in the 60's.. Hippie town, lot of arts and crafts stores, mineral water. Very affordable. I lived there about 8 years ago. I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment and was paying $375 a month.

Answer 7

Kim is right Manitou is a very hippie town. There is also an area of Colo Springs near it called Old Colorado City and the town of Woodland park these are both very hippie towns or areas too, but Manitou is really great. As for the western half of the state I would say the towns of Montrose and Steamboat are pretty close to hippie depending on your definition of hippie. If by hippie you mean yuppie you are looking for Aspen or Vail.

Answer 8

It's not really a hippy town. It's a place that's really health conscious, the people are pretty concerned with the environment, but it's also quite wealthy and upscale in most parts. I'd say it's more a rich liberal town than hippy. I've been in other places in CO that were way more hippy than Boulder is these days.

Answer 9

First of all SouthPark isn't actually a town... the rest of those places are small... Fort Collins is a college town but it's the agricultural school so there are still a lot of cowboys and other types of people. Boulder is by far the most hippie place in colorado. dreadlocks baggy clothes marijuana... trust me it doesn't get more hippie than Boulder. why don't go go visit. take a walk around CU and Pearl street. you won't be disappointed.

Answer 10

How about Manitou Springs, Colorado. It's the liberal answer to ultra-conservative Colorado Springs, and in my book, it's lots of fun. To give you an idea of the "feel" of the area, have a look online at the Colorado Springs Independent, a local paper that keeps the 15% of non-conservatives from going nuts. Next best bet would be Fort Collins; Boulder would be great, but it's a horribly expensive place to live.

Answer 11

Boulder is of course the number 1, I think it attracts the most hippies because of it's reputation therefore perpetuating itself- also having a large college population of like-minded hippies increases the base. Boulder ain't cheap though. My second pick would be Nederland due to the fact that their pride and joy is KB and none is better. If economy is what you're looking I have 2 suggestions for you- First would be Manitou Springs- nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak just to the west of Colorado Springs- it's got steep winding pathes and driveways that lead to clusters of quaint little shacks falling off the edge of the mountains. Population low and community type feel with the crystals and dragons and good and evil elves type mentality with the addition of Colorado Springs 15 min. away and all the big-city convienences. (Although for fair warning- this is the Wicca capital of the world) If you're looking for woodland hippy style- I would send you to Green Mountain Falls- perched halfway up the road to Pikes Peak. Very small town- practically closes in winter, tight community of the counterculture with the grren forests and delicate columbines and mountain vistas to back up your ideals. Affordable cabins and still close enough to drive your VW down the mountain to Colorado Springs for work every day. Best of luck to you.