Colorado where should I live and is there any reason to not live in Colorado?

Question

If I move to Colorado from NJ do you reccommend Longmont or Loveland Is it really nice to live in Colorado

Answer 1

Why are you limited to those two selections? Is it for a job transfer? I would choose Loveland, because it is closest to Ft. Collins. But, if you could choose anywhere in all of Colorado, I would choose Ft. Collins and here is why; it's voted as the number one place to live in all of America...

http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/moneymag/bplive_2006/frameset.exclude.html

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/snapshots/PL0827425.html

Oh yeah, and the second part of your question that most of us forgot to answer: I don't know any reason NOT to live in Colorado, but I can name a couple of reasons why you SHOULD live in Colorado, and I don't even live there. It's called SUMMER and WINTER.

Actually, we are buying a second home there right now, and coming from Florida, I can tell you a third reason we are attracted to our new home; lower taxes. I thought the yearly tax bill was actually their monthly tax bill. Ridiculously low compared to Florida.

Oh yeah, evidence...
WINTER
snowtubing, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice skating, skiing, etc.
SUMMER
concerts (these guys like their outdoor concerts), biking, hiking, boating, horseback riding, golf, festivals galore, white water rafting, fishing, train rides, etc.

Answer 2

Longmont and Loveland are second tier towns in Colorado. But you will be close to Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver which are definitely fun towns. Don't get me wrong, Longmont and Loveland are nice, they just don't have a lot going on culturally because of the lack of a major university.
Colorado gets over 300 days of sunshine a year and, along the front range, you can experience mild temperatures in the dead of winter. Of course, you'll still see the occasional blizzard from time to time.

Answer 3

Well, not knowing anything about you it's hard to recommend something. But here's a brief overview of the city and state and why or why not you may want to move here...

Colorado--particularly Denver--is a great place to live but a little lame to visit. Here's the thing: this is a fantastic place to raise a family. We are a church-going, family-friendly lot and it shows. How we vote and what there is to do around town is influenced greatly by the lives we live. Most activities around the state are catered to families and outdoorsy folks. Again, not knowing about you, I cannot say if that's a pro or con for you.

Loveland is a fairly conservative place, reflecting the general ethos of the state. It's close to the mountains and about an hour either way away from Denver and Fort Collins. Longmont is about 20 minutes south of Loveland and is becoming a suburb of Boulder. It is such a strange place (my dad's side of the family lives there) because it is like a giant suburb right in the middle of nowhere. There's no major city nearby! But it provided good housing--cheaper than Denver--and decent schools. The nicest part of the town is the Western half so look West if you want to go the Longmont route.

I live in suburban Denver and I love it immensely. Its where I grew up and I don't see myself ever leaving. The mountain are nice, I love snow, I love the sports scene, but most of all I love the people. It is not exactly a western city contrary to popular belief. It is a city filled with western ambition and adventurousness. But it is fundamentally MIDwestern--emphasizing hard work, family, and church. That results in a strange dichotomy that plays itself out in politics and culture. It is more conservative than not--though moderate and conservative Democrats can win elections here. It is also very friendly and receptive and there will always be folks around to help if and when you need it.

Why wouldn't you want to move here?

There's a couple of reasons you, personnaly, may want to stay away.

*It's isolated. Denver is the largest city for hundreds of miles. In New Jersey you can drive 100 miles either way and be in contact with giant cities like Philly, DC, New York, or even Boston. You can drive for 8 hours away from Denver and still be smack dab in the middle of nowhere--just you and the cattle. So there is obviously the cultural adjustment.

*It's also more conservative than Jersey. Not knowing your politics you may love or hate this fact.

* It's also a lot drier than Jersey. Bring lots of lotion and lipbalm because we average about 20 less inches of precipitation a year than the East Coast. It also snows a lot. About 60 inches a year. But it usually melts soon and it's not much of an inconvience unless you hate the snow.

* People are friendly though much more reserved than the East Coast. So many folks are from other states and our isolation results in a lack of real community. You can find charming neighborhoods where people know and talk to eachother. But there are others where people generally keep to themselves. Usually, you can build relationships and so fine.

I hope that helps give an overview. Colorado is a delightful place though it's not for everyone. I know Easterners who love it here--find it serene and homey. I know others who think it's a giant cowtown full of Marlboro Man hicks. Most think it's in between that. (We aren't totally perfect, you know).


Good luck.

Answer 4

If you are lucky enough to end up living in Colorado I would prefer Loveland out of those two cities, but those two would not be at the top of my list.

Answer 5

longmont is kinda big and more city like but loveland is pretty small and nice. i would prefer lovelan but thats just me! i no it not a choice but parker is really good! it about 45 min from the city and 11/2-4 hours 2 ski areas depending on where u go. its a fairls small town w/ good schools and not much gangs. its about an hour 2 longmont and 11/2 hours 2 loveland

Answer 6

If you have to move to Colo. I think I would rather live in Loveland as it is about the same distance to Greely or Fort collins I definetly would not go to Denver for any reason.

Answer 7

Loveland is better but Colorado Springs is better than that. The mountain towns alike vail and aspen are ok if you can afford that.

Answer 8

Speaking of lofts, I just got this brand new loft in Greenwood Village for an AWESOME price!

As far as living in Colorado, I would recomend you live in South Denver. Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, or Parker are the areas you should look at. You can find sone nice places in Aurora as well. You will love it. I moved here four years ago to attend school and I planned to move back East, but that's not happening becuase I have made Colorado my home. It's gorgeous here.

Answer 9

Try Greenwood Village.

Stay away from Stapleton and Park Hill...there is a lot of gang activity in those areas.

Westminster is nice, Arvada is nicer.

And for the love of God, stay out of Lakewood.

Denver proper is actually nice and trendy. There are a lot of beautiful lofts being built by Coors Field, you may be able to watch the games from your place.

Call me when you get to town, I'll buy you a Starbucks!

Answer 10

i live in lakewood and i love it. golden is nice. loveland is nice. i wouldnt live in downtown at all though..