Hey guys, looking for a bit of input..
I put up a thread/poll here (https://my350z.com/forum/polls/38235...-ky-il-nc.html)
because i am thinking of relocating from FL and I'm looking at places to visit...

Basically to make things short, one of the states I'm interested to visit is CO but i have never been there so I'm looking at what's the best place to visit first and then eventually maybe move to?
From what i have been reading, Denver and Colorado Springs pop up a lot with Boulder being a close third.
Can anyone offer any perspectives on these cities?
I read that CO snow (at least in Denver) is not as bad as most people make it out to be, which is important since I don't want to go from extreme heat 99% of the year to the complete opposite.
My gf might be able to get a job in Denver trough her current employer and if that happens and we like CO, we might go for it...
The reason I mentioned FL people on the title is because I'm trying to get a bit of comparison between what I know (South FL) and what I don't (CO).
Basically i know there'll be no beaches (which im fine, not a beach person at all), no humidity (which i love because i hate humidity) and there will be some snow, although info varies as far as how much..
Now I wonder things like :
1)How far is Denver form Colorado springs and boulder?
2)Since her job opportunity is in Denver would it make sense to live in Denver too or better places to live?
3)This is gonna sound really ignorant and i apologize in advance...but one thing i like here in Ft. Lauderdale is that everything is close by, within a short distance....bars, gym, grocery store, stealership, pep boys etc....Now other than FL, in the US, I have only been to NJ (Morristown, East Orange) and Boston MA. None of these places were like this from what I saw. If you wanted to go to the grocery store is was in one town, the dealership in another town, the mechanic in another town, you get the idea..also the cities themselves were gloomy (except Morristown which was ok), old looking...again complete opposite of FL. I have a co worker who told me that "all of the US is that way, Florida is the exception so don't get your hopes high trying to find that elsewhere" any truth to that?
Thanks for any info, advice etc...!!

 

Hey Louis. If what you say about the heat and humidity is true, then visit Colorado first and you won't want to leave. Just ask any of the Nth million Californians and Texans that have been flocking here for years.

Some winters are very cold and some are very mild - some years we get a lot of snow (8-10 inches at a time) and some very little at all. In the Spring we'll get 6 inches dumped on us in the evening and 90% of it will melt away before noon the next day. I hate to be so vague about it but it's the truth, and contrary to popular belief, we're never under 8 feet of snow unless you live near a ski town. It would be wise though to have an alternate vehicle to your Z in the winter. The Z has too much torque for slippery roads and is not advisable to drive in such conditions.

We now have 2 race tracks to drive at if you're into that and at least one or 2 more that are being built. If you like beer then Denver is the place for you - more microbreweries than any other place in the US or the world to my knowledge. Colorado Springs has the Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak and tons of hiking and biking trails. Colorado Springs also has lots of military including the Air Force Academy, NORAD, Schreiver AFB and Ft. Carson. Colorado Springs is considered to be a very conservative town compared to Denver. Whereas Boulder is known for being an extreme liberal (dare I say hippie?) town. All of these places are very beautiful and diverse with people and things to do.

To answer some of your questions above:
01). Downtown Colorado Springs is about an hour drive (traffic permitting) to downtown Denver, roughly. Downtown Denver is about 25 minutes to downtown Boulder.
02.) If her job opportunity is in Denver then I would suggest finding an place to live nearby. Some of the Denver board members can help you with that - I'm in Colorado Springs.
03.) You have a valid point and a good consideration for moving to a new town - I don't think this one is a silly question at all. In general, you'll find that each city is made up of several smaller communities, so the amenities that are important to you shouldn't be too far away. Again, your best bet is to get some recommendations from the Denver folks and then do some research from there.

Good luck!

Joel

 

Thanks Joel, appreciate the info!

 

No problem.. I'm sure you'll get more feedback after the holiday weekend. Just about everyone I know is heading for the mountains right now.

 

I love CO. I spent 2 years stationed there, after having been stationed in southern CA, Hawaii, the east cost, and various other places. I plan on retiring to Colorado because I liked it so much. Specifically, Colorado Springs, which I think is a nicer place than denver. However, if you like the city life, denver would be a better place for you.

As for the winters, yes, we get some snow. However, it is certainly possible to drive a Z year round in Colorado; I drove my twin turbop G year round. The key is to use snow tires in the winter and summer or all-seasons in the summer. Or, as Joel says, have another car for when it is really bad. It's all dependent on exactly where you live, and your driving skills.

In Denver you will find places where everything is close by; Denver is a huge metropolitan area, not quite along the lines of the LA sprawl, but still pretty big. Drive an hour or two west, though, and you are in ski country, so if you like skiing, you are set, as well as most other outdoor activities.

And, as Joel mentioned, if you are into road tracking your Z, now is a great time to be in CO, as there are now two racetracks open, with one, and probabbly two others getting built!

Dave

 

This is kinda funny to read, since I had a job offer in FL, and said "hell no". The only part of FL I liked was the panhandle region, around Pensicola. I lived in the south for 6 years, and I miss parts of it. The fresh seafood and sweet tea for starters. But there is no humidity in Colorado (could be a bad thing, since my skin is always dry) and, most importantly, there are no bugs. We can keep our front and back doors to the house open all evening without using screen doors, and enjoy a summer breeze without an invading swarm of bird-sized mosquitoes.

I don't know about living in Denver, but my wife and I really love Colorado Springs. It's made it onto Money magazines "Best Places to Live" a few times, and is a nice medium-sized (600k) place to raise a family with good school districts, lots of parks and trails, and an awesome view of one of the world's most famous mountains. As far as amenities, I live on the very north side of the city, and there are 2 Checkers, one Pep Boys, and 2 AA within 5 minutes of my house. Along with 2 brand new hospitals, A Nissan dealer, a Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, 2 Walgrens, 4 strip malls, 2 post offices, and 6 grocery stores all less than 10 minutes away. It's pretty convenient.

I am also looking around at places to live. I have several jobs to consider, some outside the country, and my wife and I are constantly weighing the benefits of living here versus moving elsewhere. I still entertain offers from companies, but for the most part, it would take a huge salary increase to justify trading the features of Colorado for many other places to live. Interestingly enough, KY and NC are two other places I've considered. Good luck with your decision.

Will

 

i grew up in orlando, and lived there for 24 years. i can pretty much live where I want, and chose to live in Denver. the humidity is virtually non existent. i didn't move directly (i went to Jackson, MS (even hotter than Ft. Lauderdale), Biloxi, MS, San Francisco, then to Sterling, Colorado, then to Denver).

your concerns about everything being spread are will not pan out here--there are many close neighborhoods in denver with everything you need (though the auto parts stores are generally segregated out farther away--but not in an unmanageable distance). if you get out into the burbs, stuff will be even more concentrated. if you're in an older part of denver, you can walk to most stores (yes, outside florida people actually walk places).

you'll find MORE sunshine here than in ft. lauderdale. yes, it can be cold, but its not a crazy, humid cold like buffalo or michigan. but, even in winter there are warm days, and the snow doesn't stay on the ground all winter.

some folks do it without issue with careful driving and even snow tires, but be warned, the Z will absolutely not function in snow. i've spun out with less than 1/2" on the road. with summer tires, you'll just sit and spin.

good luck in your choice.

 

Thanks for all the advice I love the part of no humidity, it's really bad down here!
Looks like we'll most likely be giving CO a visit before year's end. Thanks again!

 

http://www.milehighz.com/forum/index...25011164298565

 

I'll just chip in with my opinion as I moved here 2 years ago from the UK, which although not as hot as FL, it was certainly humid (living right on the Thames in London was pretty miserable without AC!!).

Colorado: Over 300 days of sun a year, low humidity (my asthma disappeared!), access to a wealth of outdoor activities due to the variations in altitude, winter is quite bearable (I hate snow and the cold) mainly because the days are crystal clear, there is little to no wind and again, low humidity (it isn't wet slush).

I live in Ft Collins which is 50 miles north of Denver and about 30 from Boulder and in my opinion is pretty much perfect. Think it's been money magazine's best place to live several times recently. It's like Boulder but a bit bigger and not half as expensive. It has all the ammenities you require. If you or the wife like to play soccer you'll find no better place in Colorado. It's also closer to cheaper skiing up near the WY border.

Denver is great fun - I find it pretty compact and spend quite a few weekends down there. Great clubs, bars, food and entertainment and it has a decent transit system. Close to the best skiing anywhere in the world IMO but damn does I70 get busy in ski season!

CO Springs, errrm, I've spent as little time down there as possible but it's sometimes unavoidable. As a non-religious type I can't get away from the overt proselytizing of it - sorry to any Springs residents! I wouldn't feel as if my Z were safe with it's bumper stickers!! I will say though that just like all areas along the front range (where the plains meet the Rockies) it has beautiful scenery and there are lots of attractions.

As an aside, I visited Aspen for the first time this summer - I was skeptical of the hype, but I was honestly left speechless by its beautiful location.

 

Thanks for the tips G-man. As a matter of fact I just returned from Chicago which is another city I am looking into, and will most likely be heading to Denver in early January to look at things.
I have seen Ft. Collins in the list of best places to live and definitely would love to check it out.
I had a question, how's the public transportation system in Denver? Like I mentioned I just came from Chicago and I was able to get away without renting a car since the trains/metro took me all the way up to the suburbs. Can i get away with no car for my trip or do i need one? I know for example if you were coming to visit Florida I'd say there's NO way you can get away with no car since the transportation system sucks.
On the other hand having never been there before I dont know what much use is a car if i dont know where I'm going...
One last thing, i went to Chicago from early Wed until early Sunday, and was able to fill every day with things to do and see.....how much time do I need to get a good idea of Denver and surroundings? i thought long weekend might be enough since I can't imagine it being the size of Chicago....

Thanks again to all!!

 

This should be at the top of the list as the reason to move to colorado.

www.highplainsraceway.com

Humidity the 2nd, mountains, skiing etc the rest. No matter what season, Colorado is a very nice place to live.

 

As far as my experiences go, the light rail and buses are very good in Denver and services do run out into the suburbs, although the further out you get the more blocks you'd probably have to walk. Their park-and-ride systems are good too - check out http://www.rtd-denver.com/. If you are there for a long weekend you can get away without a car, but by far the biggest attraction of Denver and the Front Range is the proximity to the mountains! I'll post a few pictures from this year as the roads and weather here are made for the Z.

As for stuff to do in Denver, it depends what you're interested in. I suggest checking out http://www.denver.org/, and I would also suggest a trip to Boulder.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Independence Pass, Aspen

Leadville -highest town in NA.

Longs Peak from the north.

Great for off roading (in something other than a Z!) - my buddy Sam with my truck

Loveland

Carter Lake

Rist Canyon to Stove Prairie


Chicago can't compete

 

take it from someone who actually lives in denver--you do not want to be in Denver exploring it to see if you want to live here without a car. Is it possible to do? sure. but if you rely on light rail, you'll see about 1% of the area. do you want to spend your entire weekend waiting on a lightrail train or a bus, or do you want to see the city? the light rail is a very nice service, but it has limited forks into limited suburban areas.

if you decide to make a run up into the mountains just to see them, be aware that I-70 coming back to denver on weekend days is bumper to bumper because of all the ski traffic. if you're going to ski, great. but, if you plan to just juke up into the mountains for 50 miles and turn around, you'll be in for a significant waste of time. if you want to go and see the mountains, plan your return for mid-afternoon.

 

Thanks for the pics and advice guys, pics look Awesome! Can't wait to go in January to check it out. Is it true you lose like 20% of your horsepower up there...damn I'd miss 20% of my horsepower.....Also what percentage of the year do you drive your Z? I am used to driving it year round here since, of course, there's no snow...but I understand driving a RWD car in the snow is not for the weak of heart. I guess if I move I'd have to look for a winter beater.
As far as the transportation system, I just read a few days ago that, like funkymonkey said, if I'm going on vacation I'd waste precious time waiting for the bus/rail and I'm better off renting a car. I guess depends on how long we go for. So far we're thinking at least 4 days since technically 2 of those days are almost a waste (6-8 hour flight form FL).
Its amazing but around here everyone I speak to that has been to Colorado tells me the exact same thing "You're going to love it"... just about every other city I've mentioned there's been mixed reviews, but as soon as I mention CO, its allllll good! You guys are lucky! Again can't wait to visit!!

 

^ yes, you lose HP up here. FI makes up for it.

 

there are those that do it, but i can tell you without hyperbole that the 350 will spin with as little as 1/2" of snow on the ground. there is an unbelievable lack of traction in this thing on the snow/ice. i don't know if folks put snows on, or what.

however, the snow here is not like chicago, etc--it'll snow, and you can't drive for a while, but then the snow will melt quickly. the roads are usually not impassable for very long.

honesty, you probably can get by without a beater and just resolve to take a cab, train, bus, or telecommuting instead of buying the second car. if you have a job that you HAVE to be certain places regardless of the weather, the second car might be advisable. also, i sure wouldn't take the Z into the mountains in the winter

 

Thanks again!...and definitely no Z on the mountains for me, thats for sure, that'd be going from one extreme (flat FL) to the other...dont think I'd have the guts other than extremely good weather.