We are planning our Calexit and Colorado Springs is one of our potential destinations. Would appreciate any input from those familiar with the area. Quality of life for retirees; good neighborhoods; neighborhoods to avoid; recommendations for a good realtor, etc., etc.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Good luck with the move!

I’m sure you have considered this, but Colorado will be a mirror image of California within an incredibly short period of time. As you are retiring, it might be worthwhile to skip those headaches and inhabit another state.

If you like commie ran government and a population 4 times larger than any of our infrastructure can handle then you'll love Colorado.
If that doesn't entice you then the CO Springs crime rates and Denver's massive illegal and homeless populations will most definitely impress.

I love CO, but isn't this an out of the fire, into the frying pan, deal?

I’m planning a Va-exit hopefully by 2024, and Colorado is not on my potential states for the reasons listed.

Maybe look just across the border in northern Arizona or New Mexico?

Or Idaho?

Go east-er young man, go east-er!
And probably more southerly.....

I won't pretend to predict the future, but the Springs is a great place to live. My wife and I love it here.

There is a lot to do and see, and it has a small town feel (the metro area is tiny, and most of the city is suburbia). The Springs is gun-friendly.

Now, I have heard that in 10 years, we will have more people than Denver. I am NOT looking forward to that. . .

If you’ve owned your house for a while you’ll do better than us coming from the East. The price of housing has skyrocketed over the last couple years.

After being gone for 12 years we are moving back and will land near Parker. My wife will be happy to be home again and I am dreading the traffic.

It is sad to see Colorado turning into California but it’s been doing that for the last 30 years.

Pick your poison. Colorado Springs, Denver or Fort Collins. They are all too congested. Pueblo on the other hand is not so congested. Granted, the jobs and economy are not moving as fast as the other cities, but it’s a nice smaller town.

Good luck in your decision.

I’ve looked forward to moving back to Colorado Springs since I left in the late 1980s. The political situation that’s developed in the last few years has me rethinking that strategy.

Even though I'm an adopted Texan (38 years now), Californication is proceeding (slowly) here. You might want to consider Oklahoma. . . .

flashguy

Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama....think about these areas. My second choice would be the high desert in Arizona.

I'm from Colorado, and lived in Colorado Springs for 12 years. Like a lot of small cities it has grown quickly.

You can have lots of different lifestyles there. Super expensive downtown properties. Foothills of Cheyene mountain expensive properties. Cheaper houses east of Powers (I lived in Springs Ranch).

Trees up north in Black Forest (where I would live if I went back).

Traffic sucks balls. I25 runs through town and is packed every day. If you live and work on the same side of town (north, west, east, south) it won't matter much. But don't live down south and work up north. or live east and work west.

I loved it, and miss it every day. I worked off of interquest and 25, just across the street From the Air Force Academy. I used too run daily in Fox Run park, or Sante Fe trail, and I miss it dearly.

It's relatively safe and business is good. Housing is getting more expensive, but not California ridiculous (yet).

I have an engineer that lives just outside the Springs and she wants to leave. Says its getting intolerable and won't get much better. Cost of living going up, standard of living going down.

She wants me to move her somewhere else.

I suggest you forget Colorado as a lost cause - its California lite right now, but won't be for long.

Far better places to live if you're escaping California.

We were stationed at Ft. Carson for about a year, back in the early '60s. Loved it, altho there were some problems with the city police "hunting" cars with post stickers. And various business entities discriminating against soldiers and their families. The base commander took care of that, but it was a painful solution for the troops and families.

Having said that, if I/we were to move there it would only be on the western slopes of the mountains. Don't know how it is now, but the last time we went through it was very nice. Rural, folks friendly, etc etc. Prices on the western slopes were much better than on the eastern side as well.

But, as said, that was long ago. The state gubbermint is a major MCF, too.

I think we would pick someplace further south, maybe northern Arizona.

I will agree with the frying pan and fire comment!
I made a bold move from communist New York the northern Arizona a few years ago- like a different planet really! If I were to ever consider a future move nothing even close to resembling blue would be on my list. Unfortunately we have a lot of escaping Californians coming here, and I am hoping it is mostly conservative refugees, as I would hate to see a great red state turn blue.
When I researched things a few years ago for me Arizona was the best answer.
I would not consider Colorado at all at this point, I am lucky my wife and I are in demand medical professionals that can pick up and move anywhere with people lining up to employ us. Unless things change drastically Arizona is probably home now for life

This thread makes me sad both for Colorado and my own state that I know I'll have to escape sooner or later.

I love Oregon; the diverse geography, excellent (for now but under constant assault) gun laws, world-class micro-breweries, excellent food and even quirky-weird Portland. But, I know the libs are going to absolutely finish ruining it well before I retire in 15-20 years.

I also love Colorado and have family there, spent tons of time there. I never considered retiring there, not since it took a sharp left turn a number of years back...

quote:

Originally posted by ugeesta:
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Pueblo on the other hand is not so congested. Granted, the jobs and economy are not moving as fast as the other cities, but it’s a nice smaller town.

Good luck in your decision.

Why thank you. Accurate description of my little slice of whatever this is. This area has many exCalifornians and retired government workers. Low cost of living is probably the best thing about this area.

Grew up in Pueblo. Lived up north of Denver most of the last 35-40 years. Cheyenne is as close as I’d get to Colorado. Too many California folks have wrecked it. I’ll be leaving in the next five years I imagine. Wish I had better news.

If you're looking to live in the Rockies, I'd avoid Colorado and come to utah. Way more gun friendly and conservative.

quote:

Originally posted by amc:
If you're looking to live in the Rockies, I'd avoid Colorado and come to utah. Way more gun friendly and conservative.

Colorado used to be a great state, but I agree that moving there now is only setting the California clock back a few years. I also agree that Utah, along with Idaho, Oklahoma and most of the southern states are your best bet. Texas and Arizona seem scary close to turning blue to me. The same with Florida. Maybe even GA now.



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