Possibly moving west....how is this area?

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:29 pm

I may possibly be relocating from sunny warm florida to freeze my butt of colorado. The town the job is located in is Highlands Ranch. I did a quick search and saw it is right outside denver, also, it seems like a pretty pricey area.

Any thoughts or insight on this area would be greatly appreciated?

Bryan

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 4:10 pm

Highlands Ranch is yuppy family section of Denver Metro. A lot of HOA rules you may not like also. It is a nice location though.

Compared to Florida, yes, freeze your butt...but overall it is not bad. It is drier here due to altitude. There is so much more you can do here than in Florida (if you like to be active). We have all of the major sports and lesser known ones also (Pro baseball, football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, arena football, rodeo).

AWESOME off-roading!!!!!!

Weather is not as bad as you think. The drier air makes it more comfortable in the winter than in Midwestern states (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, etc...).

Back to Highlands Ranch...........You are closer to the mountains which is great but you don't get the view of the white peaks of the 14ers (term for peaks at least 14,000 ft) like I get in Aurora. It starts your day off just right when you get to view them going into work. Most of my friends live in Highlands Ranch or Littleton (burb sitting next to it)

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:12 pm

Thanks tokyojoe.....

maybe you can offer me some advice.

here's the deal:
I'll be moving out there by myself (if i get accepted for the job)...I'm 27 and single. I'm not much into the yuppies, but i want to avoid the bad areas, i'm sure they are around. any suburbs or areas around there I should look to live in. I like some nightlife, but not into the wild party stuff like back in college.

I will most likely be renting for a bit.

thanks

Bryan

Kugellager · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:24 pm

If you want more affordable than Highlands Ranch you can probably find a decent place to rent in Littleton, SW Lakewood or possibly Englewood...no one particular suburb is 'bad' but there are parts of various burbs you want to avoid more than others...the safety/quality of an area can potentially change in only a few blocks. Avoid renting just off Federal blvd N of Hamden is one area I would avoid.

I am a FL transplant too. I lived in Gainesville the longest and my parents live in Deltona at present. Spent all of highschool and college in FL.

John
];')

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:33 pm

Kugellager wrote:

my parents live in Deltona at present. Spent all of highschool and college in FL.

John
];')

i live really close to deltona...one of my athletes is from there....ever been to the sugar shack???? great pancakes!!

thanks for the info.....anything else from others it much appreciated...been looking at places in littleton and castle rock...they seem to be much cheaper than the ranch.

Kugellager · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:37 pm

Never actually lived in Deltona myself...HS in Boca and then college in G'ville. when I am in Deltona its pretty much for hte holidays...ir down to Davie where one of my sisters lives.

Castle Rock is good too...you are about midway for the northern and southern front range trails. Skyjump136 lives there too.

John
];')

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:47 pm

wow pretty dang cool. i lived in deerfield beach and hollywood. went to school for my MS at florida atlantic, so i was around boca and davie ALOT!!!

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:15 am

If you will be making good money, the Denver Tech area is perfect. Expensive but has a lot of things along with ease of getting to Highlands Ranch (HR) and to downtown (light rail).

I am sure you would prefer to live somewhat close to work. If not, then SE Aurora is a good area. It would be about 30 minutes to work. Not much for nightlife though. Total Suburbia. As John said, Littleton and Englewood are safe bets clsoe to HR. Washington Park would be perfect but way expensive and a good drive to work. Wash Park is somewhat towards the Denver downtown area but not in the downtown area. It is one of the happening spots for singles though bad areas border it.
Parker could be a good option but again, about 30 minute drive to work (dependent of what part of HR you will work. You aren't working at Avaya are you?

KikensJeep · **Posted:** Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:35 am

The only problem with Castle Rock is when the weather turns snowy it could be a pain getting there or to work. We had a lot more snow this year then usual but that just makes having a jeep that much more fun. You might want to look in Englewood, Meridian, or Parker also. I lived in Meridian for a while, its nice and affordable for most. As for nightlife its not there but you can always head to Lodo.
Also one lesser known fact it does get hot out here; last summer we had many days go over 100f.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:27 am

Thanks for all the great info everyone!!! I definately have some research to do if I 100% decide to take this position out there....of course I have to wait and see if the $$$ they offer is right too

Weegie5 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 26, 2007 1:13 pm

I was born and raised in St. Pete and moved out here 3 years ago. Any, uh, Devil Rays fans?

The wife and I live off Federal Blvd and, while half my neighbors' native tongue is Spanish, I love being close to downtown and pretty much all the highways. Unfortunately, downtown isn't very close to Highlands Ranch, but the drive isn't too bad from what I understand, since T-Rex (the widening of I-25) finished last fall.

RespectMyLibertay · **Posted:** Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:08 pm

Oh, you don't want to move here...it's below freezing all year round and I still can't park in my garage with the 3 feet of snow in the driveway :roll:

. Oh wait...you're from Florida, not Cali :oops:

OK, I was just joking KJ West folks.
Honestly, all of the Denver Metro area seems nice to me, nice enough for me to stay here for college. I have to agree with some of the other opinions, though...Castle Rock is right in the middle of all the trails for the most part, but traveling on I-25 with any sort of wet weather is just a nightmare. I mean, it's no L.A., but we have some pretty bad jams without the weather, so when it rains or snows everyone goes 35 on the 75 and we all get nowhere quick. As for the heat, it does get hot out here, but it's all about direct sunlight since there's no real humidity. You can get a tan on one side of your body just from driving in one direction for an hour or two. I'd suggest you look at Littleton (that'd be my pick when I move out), Englewood, or maybe even Parker or Lone Tree. Highlands Ranch is pretty yuppy, but then again...Castle Pines (Village) is ritz!
I'm a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the humidity is comparable to Florida, I imagine. You'll probably find the dryness out here amazing if you don't like your shirt sticking to you and bugs. I especially like what the change in altitude and humidity did to my breathing. Going back to Wisconsin now is like giving myself a cold!

Kugellager · **Posted:** Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:42 am

Jeep4me99 wrote:

I definately have some research to do if I 100% decide to take this position out there....of course I have to wait and see if the $$$ they offer is right too

Another thing to note...The pay out here for the same job in FL...especially N FL...will be significantly higher due to the higher cost of living. For instance, I work for Uncle Sam and I get something like 23% over the base for my grade/level due to the cost of living out here. If I did what I do in FL I would get 15k or so less...You might want to consider that with any offer they made.

Of course wheeling out here is the ultimate.

John
];')

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 5:02 pm

Well I have a second interview tommo with the company in colorado. I have 100% decided to leave my current position. My boss is a complete assh@#$. IF i get the job I'll be there in July. Then I have to learn all about rock climbing!!!! and I guess Ill have to buy winter clothes :shock:

Weegie5 · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 12:35 am

Good luck Bryan. Thanks for keeping us posted. Let us know how it goes.

Jeep4me99 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 03, 2007 6:13 pm

Hey Guys,
I will be in negotiations this week as far as salary for the job in Denver. I know kugellager (your avitar scares the sh#@ outta me) said the cost of living is higher there. I tried looking online for a comparison, some say they are higher, while others say the cost of living is about the same. I plan on living in Castle Rock, it seems the be the cheapest place to rent an apartment.

sooooooooo,
What is the cost of gas out there right now (regular unleaded)?
How are auto insurance rates?
Is there state income tax?
I eat ALOT of chicken...it costs about $1.05/lb for Publix brand, any comparison on that???
Loaf of wonderbread wheat = $2.00 - 2.50 here, similar item there?
Are groceries and stuff like that more expensive since you are more inland?
I tried looking up how much cable costs, its a rip here...is it better to get satelite?
How much do electric underwear cost? :lol:

Just looking for some info for some leverage.....

There are 2 apartment complexes I'm really looking at in Castle Rock, any advice on these?
The Links at Plum Creek - 1100 Plum Creek Pkwy
Echo Ridge - East Allen St (off founders parkway ---metzler ranch)

Any other odd things that may pop up as expenses for guys that moved out there from the east coast?

I will most likely be out there for September of October, just in time to freeze my butt off!!!

THANKS GUYS!!!
Bryan

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:36 pm

When you look at the Denver area, it is about the 8/9th highest cost of living pay for the federal service.

Only these areas have higher Locality Pay higher than Denver/Colorado Springs in the Federal Service locations

San Francisco/San Jose
LA
Boston
Chicago
Detroit
Hartford
Houston
NY
San Diego (about the same)

Rock Lizard · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:30 am

While looking for living quarters, find out if the heat is electric or gas. Gas will kill you during the winter.

Possibly moving west....how is this area?

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