Tell me about Fort Collins Colorado

In My Humble Opinion
1

A good friend of mine is strongly considering the possibility of pulling up her tent stakes and moving to Fort Collins, Colorado. She has family there to help her get jump started, and what she has downloaded from various websites and info portals makes it look like a very inviting place to live.

One of my concerns was that she has been having some financial difficulties lately, and I’ve always thought of Colorado (in general) as sort of a high growth, latte sipping, Volvo driving, higher cost place to live, but she assures me this is not the case. She will quite possibly be bringing a pair of 20 something sons along with her, so vocational options for them are also a concern.

While the Eastern Shore of Maryland has it’s charms the current demographic here is (in the main) very much politically conservative and Walmart-centric, and over time she feels she has become somewhat hamstrung in being able to socialize with, and reach out to a significant cohort of people who are more politically and intellectually flexible than the current landscape provides.

In any case, regardless of how fabulous something looks on the web it’s always good to get some IRL feedback from people that might be familiar with the place.

So, Fort Collins Colorado - What’s it like? I’ll be sending this thread to her so any replies appreciated.

2

One of the greatest cities in the country. It is basically Boulder at 60% of the price. Young, athletic, outdoorsy, minutes from fishing, hunting, skiing, and home to a nice college.

It is less than one hour from Denver with it’s arts, restaurants, and four major professional sports.

I’m in Boulder and have a natural reason to dislike Ft. Collins (daughter entering CU as a Freshman tomorrow and the CU-CSU game in two weeks) but I will say that Ft. Collins is the second best city in Colorado.

I don’t know anybody that has a bad word to say about Fort Fun. Greeley, on the other hand…

3

I just moved away from there last November. Depending on the type of work one does, it’s either a great place to be or a very hard place to make ends meet. Labor jobs don’t pay well there, skilled labor included. Many of my friends there worked all over northern CO and into WY or worked in Denver, a longish daily commute.

The place itself is neat, tho. For housing, look in Laporte, too.

It’s an odd mix of people. Some rich and upper middle class whites, some “mountain men” types, and a fair amount of hispanic , well off and not. And seasonal college kids of every color, social status, and whatever. (Traffic is way different in the summer.)

Subaru is the official car, Incas is the best mexican food, and the mall is dead. College in old town has tonnes of quaint, wierd, and interesting stuff. Whatever you want to do, see, or eat, chances are you can find it, not many smaller towns can claim that.

You will find some prejudice against ‘outsiders’ from a fair amount of people, tho some of that will depend on just what your attitude is going in.

Most of my friends there are having work slowdowns, both labor and professional, so be sure you have a job lined up. Many people applying for what few things show up on the wanted postings.

Rent can vary wildly, so can the quality of the neighborhood, so check it out in person before signing a lease.

Overall, I’d say it’s a neat place to live. If not for the work situation, I would still be there. However, it is not the paradise for move ins that long timers seem to think it is.

4

Oh, also tell her to go say hi to Mary. She lives in the big blue house next to yellow bed and breakfast. She’s 84 yrs old, still involved in local politics, and she mows her lawn herself with an old non powered push mower. Just down the street from a woman recently elected to the House of Reps.

Watch out for the blind jogger on Mountain Ave, he never gives any warning and he runs pretty fast. (I’m serious.)

5

Gotta say a few words of love for the New Belgium Brewery. If she likes good beer at all, she could do a lot worse on that front than Fort Collins.

6

I grew up about an hour north in WY, and I spent a lot of time in Fort Collins. It’s a wonderful town - not too small, not too big, plenty of things to do, and only a skip away from the mountains and from Denver. If I ever move back to the area, it would be number one on my list of places to live.

7

My parents moved there as part of their “finding the best place to retire to” jaunt. I know it’s not the same thing since they are living off pension and SS but they pay a reasonable amount ($1200/mo) for a nice three-bedroom townhouse. The university is there so they have a lot of options for cultural and entertainment events. You can see the mountains which is really really cool (I love the hills here but the mountains are impressive there!)

Again, they don’t have to work, and I’ve been there only as a visitor, but it seems really nice.

8

One of the more satisfying things about Ft. Collins can be time spent in the Poudre.

9

Very conservative politically, from what I’ve heard, if that’s an issue for you.

10

Wiki has a good overview: Fort Collins, Colorado - Wikipedia

11

I know, pronounced pooter, which offended any French sensibility I had. I have to smile whenever my parents mention something from there that includes the word.

12

Thank you for your responses they were most appreciated.