OT: Relocating to Colorado

[Flyers Faithful]

Hello Avalanche fans,

Hope everyone is doing well! I saw a post like this recently on the coyote board and figured I’d give it a shot. I’m a 26 yo M Philadelphia Flyer fan who is looking to make a life change.

My wife has been suggesting we move out to Colorado for some time now (she used to spend her summers working out there) and with the way works been lately we are seriously considering the move. I’ve always had an itch to move out there to try my luck at hunting some elk, and with the way works been lately I can’t think of a better time to go out.

Currently I work as an Engineering Technician for a Pharmaceutical packaging company and was wondering if anyone had any insight on what the job market is like in Colorado. I’ve applied to a few spots on indeed but that’s usually hit or miss, so if anyone had any tips it’d be greatly appreciated!


Also, what do Avs season tickets usually go for?

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[Perratrooper]

I wish you all the best, but unfortunately I have no knowledge of Denver. If you decided to move to the Denever of Canada (Calgary) I’d be a bit more help!

 

[Coloradorov]

Upper center balcony tix run about 1400 per seat for the season now, so great value there.

As for job market, it's better than it's been in a decade. I can't speak to a manufacturing engineering tech position, but I work for a growing and desirable Arch/Eng firm, and the industry at large is currently facing a vacuum of experienced, motivated talent. I think it's being referred to as the "hiring war".

 

[JLo217]

Hello Avalanche fans,

Hope everyone is doing well! I saw a post like this recently on the coyote board and figured I’d give it a shot. I’m a 26 yo M Philadelphia Flyer fan who is looking to make a life change.

My wife has been suggesting we move out to Colorado for some time now (she used to spend her summers working out there) and with the way works been lately we are seriously considering the move. I’ve always had an itch to move out there to try my luck at hunting some elk, and with the way works been lately I can’t think of a better time to go out.

Currently I work as an Engineering Technician for a Pharmaceutical packaging company and was wondering if anyone had any insight on what the job market is like in Colorado. I’ve applied to a few spots on indeed but that’s usually hit or miss, so if anyone had any tips it’d be greatly appreciated!


Also, what do Avs season tickets usually go for?

Look in Colorado Springs for work. South Denver too. There are tons of Medical companies moving to CO. Also a ton of Medical Equipment companies moving there.

Another place you could look for work is in the Government sector. Tons of military bases and contractors around.

Colorado Springs seems to be where the majority is for engineering work for some reason.

You can get Avs tickets for pretty cheap. I can get them on Gamedays for 40-50 bucks per seat last minute if you're willing to gamble on going!

If you're pretty open to living in the mountains check out Utah. The job market is exploding there. And honestly is WAY better than CO especially if you want to avoid crowds.

 

[famicommander]

Pro tip: don't move to Utah. It's like Colorado if you surgically extracted all the fun and minorities.

 

[S E P H]

Word of warning is that Colorado is becoming a pretty expensive State, not in daily life, but more so in the housing market and rent. There are good deals you can find around the State, but the best locations are going to be super expensive such as in Denver, Boulder, Ken Caryl, Highlands Ranch (not sure why anybody would live here though), Cherry Creek, Littleton, Greenwood Village, Westminster, Parker, and even southern Aurora. If you want a good deal, you're probably going to have to find a place around Arvada, Thornton, and Lakewood, but even those might be expensive now. Other potential good deals when it comes to housing is looking at Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Broomfield.

 

[flyfysher]

Move to where you don't have to spend a huge amount of time commuting.

 

[Avsrule2022]

Northern Colorado is growing fast (Longmont, Loveland, Ft. Collins) and has a lot of tech and medical companies. Housing is somewhat cheaper and it is usually faster to get to the Pepsi center from the north than the south. Plus there is the AHL Eagles right near lol

 

[McMetal]

Unfortunately, Colorado is full, and there is no more room for transplants.

No, in all seriousness, Colorado's a great place to live. It's expensive, but as Seph said, some of the outlying areas in the suburbs are more reasonable if you're willing to commute a bit. As for jobs, I can't speak to your field specifically, but there's a huge explosion of tech jobs in front range, I'm sure that will be no problem.

As for hockey tickets, I have a partial plan that runs me only $500 or so a year for two seats where you get to pick your games. It's a really good deal, generally speaking regular season tickets are easy to get and inexpensive, although that may change a bit with the team success.

 

[ASmileyFace]

To add on to what others have said, if you are looking to move to the front range (ie Denver/Broomfield/Fort Collins/Colorado Springs) to have easy access to the mountains realize that most of the affordable places to live are generally 1 hour+ away from good hiking, biking, skiing, hunting, fishing ect. People love to think that living in Denver is like being in a mountain town but that is very far from the truth. Salt Lake is a better choice if that is one of your main priorities, but you're giving up on having access to all the wonderful things Colorado has going for it like legal dope, excellent craft beer, and in your case NHL hockey.

To tag onto what @S E P H said, the cost of living in Colorado is quickly rising especially in the more desirable Front Range locations like Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins and their trendier suburbs and districts. Based on your line of work you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a good job, but realize that you may still need to move somewhere cheaper and commute for a long time.

 

[Hennessy]

Most of the elk are on private land. Hunting is like golf in Colorado. Probably cheaper to go to Sweden and get a guide to shoot moose.

Bu tI want to go back to Colorado. Pot and shrooms and nature. Move if you can.

 

[Flyers Faithful]

Thanks for all the advice so far everyone! I’ve been applying all over the state the last couple days. Anyone know anything about the Palmer Lake area?

 

[JLo217]

Thanks for all the advice so far everyone! I’ve been applying all over the state the last couple days. Anyone know anything about the Palmer Lake area?

Its beautiful. Closer to CO Springs than Denver. 20 minute commute to Downtown Colorado Springs. Cute little town kinda crammed into the front range.

Word of warning. Take the snow forecast and double it for Palmer Lake. It builds up in there due to how storms shift around a land feature called Monument Hill.

 

[Hornstar]

Look in Colorado Springs for work. South Denver too. There are tons of Medical companies moving to CO. Also a ton of Medical Equipment companies moving there.

Another place you could look for work is in the Government sector. Tons of military bases and contractors around.

Colorado Springs seems to be where the majority is for engineering work for some reason.

You can get Avs tickets for pretty cheap. I can get them on Gamedays for 40-50 bucks per seat last minute if you're willing to gamble on going!

If you're pretty open to living in the mountains check out Utah. The job market is exploding there. And honestly is WAY better than CO especially if you want to avoid crowds.

Utah is so over crowded now. It's booming. Take I-15 North or south from 8 am till 8pm and see just how awful commuting is.
Look at Glenwood. It's smaller but has a nice feel. Not too many yuppies yet

 

[flyfysher]

Utah is so over crowded now. It's booming. Take I-15 North or south from 8 am till 8pm and see just how awful commuting is.
Look at Glenwood. It's smaller but has a nice feel. Not too many yuppies yet

Palmer Ridge is notorious for getting more snow.

UT is a very insular society with a heavy LDS population. It's extremely conservative. However, southern UT is incredibly scenic.

With respect to CO, it's trending purple. CO Springs has a reputation for being very conservative but Denver and Boulder are very liberal. CO has a reputation for being an outdoors oriented state and having a healthier lifestyle (less obesity).

Both UT and the Front Range in CO are growing exponentially.

If you come to CO and are a frequent user of pot then get a med card if possible. Medical cannabis is a lot less expensive than recreational pot.

My sense of the housing market is that it has cooled in Longmont where I live. But the amount of development here lately is insane.

If you ski then it is best to ski mid-week because it is so crowded and the trip there and back on I-70 is a royal pain in the rear. I gave it up long ago and now just fly fish.

You will come to appreciate the lack of humidity here.

 

[Flyers Faithful]

Palmer Ridge is notorious for getting more snow.

UT is a very insular society with a heavy LDS population. It's extremely conservative. However, southern UT is incredibly scenic.

With respect to CO, it's trending purple. CO Springs has a reputation for being very conservative but Denver and Boulder are very liberal. CO has a reputation for being an outdoors oriented state and having a healthier lifestyle (less obesity).

Both UT and the Front Range in CO are growing exponentially.

If you come to CO and are a frequent user of pot then get a med card if possible. Medical cannabis is a lot less expensive than recreational pot.

My sense of the housing market is that it has cooled in Longmont where I live. But the amount of development here lately is insane.

If you ski then it is best to ski mid-week because it is so crowded and the trip there and back on I-70 is a royal pain in the rear. I gave it up long ago and now just fly fish.

You will come to appreciate the lack of humidity here.

Everything about Colorado seems very enticing. No Humidity? Sounds like heaven! The traffic won’t bother me as much as it would some people. Philly traffic can be unbearable at times.

Driving in snow, now that’s another story....

 

[flyfysher]

Everything about Colorado seems very enticing. No Humidity? Sounds like heaven! The traffic won’t bother me as much as it would some people. Philly traffic can be unbearable at times.

Driving in snow, now that’s another story....

Unlike the East and Midwest, our snow usually melts away within a day or two. Like gone. You'll be amazed. CO weather can be quite changeable although we have like over 300 days of sunshine (some of those days the sun will just peek through the clouds for 10 minutes). You don't really need chains or a 4WD. I got dedicated snow tires (Michelin Xi3 although those are expensive - you don't need to go overboard) and they do the job. In snow, just drive slower and you'll be fine.

I only go to Denver for the Avs games and to make a dispensary run. So I don't commute to work. They have an Express Toll lane you can take but it's too expensive for everyday commuting. It is worth it for my occasional trips.

Colorado Eagles AHL hockey in Loveland is really great. It is a smaller arena and their organization does a very fun, family oriented atmosphere.

Live music is a big deal here. Go to Red Rocks in Morrison or Rocky (Blue) Grass in Lyons.

Don't forget to go to Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park. Get an annual park pass if you go up there a couple of times a year. It's cheaper. Also Kind Coffee in Estes at the junction of Highways 34 and 36 makes the best chai breve and Colorado Cherry Company in Pinewood Springs on Hwy. 36 has the best blueberry pie and cherry streusel. Their hot chocolate is terrific as they make it from scratch. Finally Yorkshire Fish and Chips on Pecos Blvd. and Hwy. 36 has the best fish and chips.

 

[Flyers Faithful]

Unlike the East and Midwest, our snow usually melts away within a day or two. Like gone. You'll be amazed. CO weather can be quite changeable although we have like over 300 days of sunshine (some of those days the sun will just peek through the clouds for 10 minutes). You don't really need chains or a 4WD. I got dedicated snow tires (Michelin Xi3 although those are expensive - you don't need to go overboard) and they do the job. In snow, just drive slower and you'll be fine.

I only go to Denver for the Avs games and to make a dispensary run. So I don't commute to work. They have an Express Toll lane you can take but it's too expensive for everyday commuting. It is worth it for my occasional trips.

Colorado Eagles AHL hockey in Loveland is really great. It is a smaller arena and their organization does a very fun, family oriented atmosphere.

Live music is a big deal here. Go to Red Rocks in Morrison or Rocky (Blue) Grass in Lyons.

Don't forget to go to Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park. Get an annual park pass if you go up there a couple of times a year. It's cheaper. Also Kind Coffee in Estes at the junction of Highways 34 and 36 makes the best chai breve and Colorado Cherry Company in Pinewood Springs on Hwy. 36 has the best blueberry pie and cherry streusel. Their hot chocolate is terrific as they make it from scratch. Finally Yorkshire Fish and Chips on Pecos Blvd. and Hwy. 36 has the best fish and chips.

Thank you for all the information, it’s really sounding like a lovely place to be. It’s seeming more like when rather than if at this point. My wife really has her heart set on moving back to Colorado.

Do they have dispensaries everywhere or just in Denver?

 

[ASmileyFace]

Some counties/towns are "dry " and don't have legal dispensaries, but most do. There are a ton in the Denver/Boulder area though.

I think Colorado Springs doesn't have them, but all the surrounding towns do to compensate.

 

[flyfysher]

Thank you for all the information, it’s really sounding like a lovely place to be. It’s seeming more like when rather than if at this point. My wife really has her heart set on moving back to Colorado.

Do they have dispensaries everywhere or just in Denver?

Some towns don't have dispensaries but you'll have no problems finding them whatsoever. Do a Weedmaps search and you'll see a ton of them throughout the Front Range. PM me and I'll direct you to places that have good prices and such. Just be friendly to all here. Coloradans and Avs fans are great people and very welcoming. Just let your wife know that it has developed A LOT in the last five years she shouldn't expect it to be the same. Come visit first so you don't have unfounded expectations. Now through June is a wonderful time to visit here.

 

[S3rkie]

I moved here from NYC for a job in last July and absolutely havent regretted it for a second. I miss the east coast every so often but the quality of life here is so much higher.

I got my season tickets for 25$ a seat for second row upper level attack twice. It's stupid cheap compared to other markets I've lived in.

 

[McMetal]

Everything about Colorado seems very enticing. No Humidity? Sounds like heaven! The traffic won’t bother me as much as it would some people. Philly traffic can be unbearable at times.

Driving in snow, now that’s another story....

Driving in snow isn't so bad if you just accept that everything needs to happen at half speed. Take turns at half speed, double your time to accelerate, double your time to brake. It's pretty simple. It helps to have an AWD car too. Subarus are the unofficial car of Colorado for that reason, they just handle so well in bad weather.

 

[JLo217]

Utah is so over crowded now. It's booming. Take I-15 North or south from 8 am till 8pm and see just how awful commuting is.
Look at Glenwood. It's smaller but has a nice feel. Not too many yuppies yet

I lived in Ogden/Huntsville for 3 years and it was a million times better than I25/I70/36

 

[henchman21]

Colorado is an exceptionally nice place to live and has a lot to offer... it just scares me how quickly it is growing and how the cost of housing is just skyrocketing across the front range. Hell, it is even heading into Wyoming now.

 

[Hornstar]

I lived in Ogden/Huntsville for 3 years and it was a million times better than I25/I70/36

Ogden is a p***ycat compared to Provo, Sandy etc. It's getting worse and worse. Not saying Denver is easy by no means.