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Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ??
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Denver real estate is just getting more and more ridiculous. Unless the Californians stop moving here, I can't see the bubble popping. So, despite loving it here, the wife and I are exploring relocation possibilities.

I love mountain biking, so access to that is a must. I also XC ski and snowboard sometimes, but that's not essential to be super close to. The wife prefers cold to heat, which has her eyeballing Spokane/ CDA more than I am. We are both teachers, so having access to a few schools is nice for job possibilities. I prefer staying in CO so we don't have to deal with new teaching licenses and whatnot. We will be making the trip up to Spokane/ CDA this summer to check it out. We have already mostly eliminated Utah. We visited Odgen this summer and it was okay, just not in love with the liquor laws of the state and the social/ religious dynamic.

So pros/ cons for those that live in Durango, Grand Junction, Spokane/ CDA (and which one is better?) or some other parts unknown?
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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Tough call. I was born and raised in CDA/Spokane. Currently live in SE Aurora. Love both areas, but if given the choice I'd probably go for Durango. Admittedly I don't knkw anything about Grand Junction other than stopping for gas and a bite to eat.

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The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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Spokane is a no bueno but Iā€™ve heard good things about CDA (white power!).

Durango proper seemed to me kind of a dump but the surrounding areas are unbelievably beautiful.

Grand Junction? Might as well move to central Iowa.

Wyoming?

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [Duffy] [ In reply to ]
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Duffy wrote:
Spokane is a no bueno but Iā€™ve heard good things about CDA (white power!).

Durango proper seemed to me kind of a dump but the surrounding areas are unbelievably beautiful.

Grand Junction? Might as well move to central Iowa.

Wyoming?

What's wrong with Spokane? Seriously- I have no clue about that area at all.

Durango is kinda low rent, but as you point out, the location is amazing.

Grand Junction is not much to look at, and is not highly desirable, BUT unlike Iowa, it is 45-90 minutes from a ton of very cool places (Moab, Vail, Ouray, etc) which is pretty much the only appeal besides having two 5A high schools.
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [mck414] [ In reply to ]
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mck414 wrote:
Tough call. I was born and raised in CDA/Spokane. Currently live in SE Aurora. Love both areas, but if given the choice I'd probably go for Durango. Admittedly I don't knkw anything about Grand Junction other than stopping for gas and a bite to eat.

I have a few former students at Mesa University, and they like living in GJ. Why would you pick Durango over Spokane/ CDA? And how does Aurora compare to WA/ ID?
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
What's wrong with Spokane?



Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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Just cross CdA right off your list.

There is nothing here but potatoes in all of Idaho.

If you do come to visit, please take somebody back with you. I dunno... Maybe adopt an orphan, pick up a mistress, put up a Craigslist add offering a free ride to wherever it is you're headed. Lot's of possibilities here; use your imagination.

All those potatoes need space to grow and thrive, man.

;-)


"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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We just spent a week in Durango and loved it. Typical touristy CO mountain town with decent local college and great mountain biking right out the door. Great fly fishing right thru the town too! How awesome is that?

We'd just bought the wife a new Subie Forrester which seems to be the State Car of Colorado so we fit right in in that respect as seemingly every other car was a Subie

LOTs of neer do wells and corner campers begging around the town tho? There's pot all over CO so i'm not sure whey they seem to have settled on Durango but the place was awash with them. Do they all go south for the winter? I have to maintain my TS clearance so no magic brownies for me--but Ms H got pretty messed up first time she tried a edible.

We paid to go on the 'historic' car on the Durango Silverton railroad and it was GREAT! Historical docent we got that day was retired sheriff who adopted personna of BG Palmer (Civil War veteran) who founded Colorado Springs and built the Durango-Silverton Railroad. What a great day! He did relate that property prices in the area immediately surrounding Durango was over the top insane and he was glad he'd bought property back in the day before the area became popular.

loved our stay in Durango

/r

Steve
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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triguy98 wrote:
mck414 wrote:
Tough call. I was born and raised in CDA/Spokane. Currently live in SE Aurora. Love both areas, but if given the choice I'd probably go for Durango. Admittedly I don't knkw anything about Grand Junction other than stopping for gas and a bite to eat.

I have a few former students at Mesa University, and they like living in GJ. Why would you pick Durango over Spokane/ CDA? And how does Aurora compare to WA/ ID?

Mountains. Love me some Rockies. I left the Spokane/CDA area 30+ years ago. When I return these days, nothing looks the same, except western MT.

Aurora has a great school system, is close enough to Denver and DIA, but easy enough to get away and really be in the middle of nowhere, or at least feel lime you're in the middle of nowhere.

--------------------------
The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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triguy98 wrote:
Denver real estate is just getting more and more ridiculous. Unless the Californians stop moving here, I can't see the bubble popping. So, despite loving it here, the wife and I are exploring relocation possibilities.

I love mountain biking, so access to that is a must. I also XC ski and snowboard sometimes, but that's not essential to be super close to. The wife prefers cold to heat, which has her eyeballing Spokane/ CDA more than I am. We are both teachers, so having access to a few schools is nice for job possibilities. I prefer staying in CO so we don't have to deal with new teaching licenses and whatnot. We will be making the trip up to Spokane/ CDA this summer to check it out. We have already mostly eliminated Utah. We visited Odgen this summer and it was okay, just not in love with the liquor laws of the state and the social/ religious dynamic.

So pros/ cons for those that live in Durango, Grand Junction, Spokane/ CDA (and which one is better?) or some other parts unknown?

I was watching weediquette a few weeks back and they were in Denver. All everyone there could talk about was the new jobs and $$$$$$ pot was bringing to the state. Of course that meant real estate prices were rising along with apt./condo complexes and the homeless were given the boot.

"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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I don't live in Durango, but have two kids going to school at Fort Lewis College. My daughter went there for cycling. Her brother, who's not into that, still went because he loved it when visiting her. I end up spending, in total, around a month a year there.

If I could quit my job now and move anywhere, It'd be Durango. Or just outside of Durango. Perfect town if you like outdoor activities, MTB is top rate. Purg is 1/2 hour away. The town modified the banks of the Animas river through downtown to make for better kayaking runs. Touristy, but not obnoxiously so. Good downtown vibe. Lots of good restaurants. (The claim more per capita restaurants than anywhere else in the US, but I'm skeptical.) Decent music scene -- a good mix of classic rock, jazz (music majors), and folk/bluegrass.

Seriously, one of my favorite places.
Last edited by: AlanShearer: Nov 12, 17 12:21
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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Spokane born and raised, and still here. Iļø love it. Right now Iļø donā€™t see myself moving away in the foreseeable future.

If you come to this area, Iļø would suggest living in CDA, Liberty Lake, Spokane Valley, or the upper south hill areas.

Donā€™t move to: post falls (unless youā€™re up in the hills with the mansions), downtown Spokane, or the north side.

Of course this is going to go for Colorado as well but thereā€™s tons to do around here. Lakes, ski mountains (not like CO admittedly, but fun enough), awesome mountain biking, a good Tri scene.

Cost of living is excellent.

Spokane gets at least and 8.5-9/10 from me.

Duffyā€™s meth house is only applicable in certain areas ;)
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [Steve Hawley] [ In reply to ]
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We paid to go on the 'historic' car on the Durango Silverton railroad and it was GREAT! Historical docent we got that day was retired sheriff who adopted personna of BG Palmer (Civil War veteran) who founded Colorado Springs and built the Durango-Silverton Railroad. What a great day! He did relate that property prices in the area immediately surrounding Durango was over the top insane and he was glad he'd bought property back in the day before the area became popular.

My daughter worked the last few years on the train, I think a few times on that car.

Best time for the train is October, to experience the autumn. The also do a remake of the "Polar Express" in November and December. It's at most a two hour ride to the North Pole, with singing servants in the car and a drunkard. My wife to my son and younger daughter on it. My older daughter worked that night. And I waited at a local bar. It was perfect.
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [AlanShearer] [ In reply to ]
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We really enjoyed the train ride up and were very pleased with the extra $ we spent to get on the 'historical car' to learn about the area, mining, railroading, and 19th century life in CO.



Our docent lecturer for the day. 'Brigadier Palmer' founder of the Springs and the Durango/Silverton Railroad. This guy was a wealth of knowlege and very entertaining on the ride up to Silverton and back down to Durango.




Second week we went up to Basalt and rented a cabin there so i could fly fish on the Frying Pan--famous trout water. What a great time. Towards the end i went onto smaller water near our cabin to fish the bamboo rod i built last June under Bill Oyster's tutelage in Blue Ridge, GA. If i had hooked into any of the monster trout in the Frying Pan proper they would have wrecked my little bamboo 4wt but for small water and small trout she is the sweetness!





/r

Steve
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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triguy98 wrote:
Denver real estate is just getting more and more ridiculous. Unless the Californians stop moving here, I can't see the bubble popping. So, despite loving it here, the wife and I are exploring relocation possibilities.

I love mountain biking, so access to that is a must.

Durango, end thread.
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [talking head] [ In reply to ]
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talking head wrote:
triguy98 wrote:
Denver real estate is just getting more and more ridiculous. Unless the Californians stop moving here, I can't see the bubble popping. So, despite loving it here, the wife and I are exploring relocation possibilities.

I love mountain biking, so access to that is a must.


Durango, end thread.

Who could argue with such a persuasive argument ;)

~Brad
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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My father retired to Durango a few years back. Skied 3 x a week in the winter, fly fished and guided all summer/ fall. He lived a bit out of town , maybe 10 minutes, but he noted to live decently it was $$. I guess the saying was if you wanted to leave Durango with a million bucks, come with 2. He passed, but had been looking to move to a less touristy locale
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [AlanShearer] [ In reply to ]
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AlanShearer wrote:
I don't live in Durango, but have two kids going to school at Fort Lewis College. My daughter went there for cycling. Her brother, who's not into that, still went because he loved it when visiting her. I end up spending, in total, around a month a year there.

If I could quit my job now and move anywhere, It'd be Durango. Or just outside of Durango. Perfect town if you like outdoor activities, MTB is top rate. Purg is 1/2 hour away. The town modified the banks of the Animas river through downtown to make for better kayaking runs. Touristy, but not obnoxiously so. Good downtown vibe. Lots of good restaurants. (The claim more per capita restaurants than anywhere else in the US, but I'm skeptical.) Decent music scene -- a good mix of classic rock, jazz (music majors), and folk/bluegrass.

Seriously, one of my favorite places.

Small world! My son is at Ft Lewis on the XC team. Their cycling team just won the D1 nationals and my youngest is hoping to get on their roster in a few more years.
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [jkca1] [ In reply to ]
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jkca1 wrote:

I was watching weediquette a few weeks back and they were in Denver. All everyone there could talk about was the new jobs and $$$$$$ pot was bringing to the state. Of course that meant real estate prices were rising along with apt./condo complexes and the homeless were given the boot.

The weed money is a smokey issue. With the ridiculous way the state's finance laws are written, all that money doesn't amount to anything- especially for the schools. It really just ends up back in the hands of the population- a grand total of like $20/ year. And I don't think it's the fault of weed that the place is exploding- it really is a nice place to live- minus the increasing congestion, California drivers, and outrageous increases in real estate valuation.
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [ChrisM] [ In reply to ]
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ChrisM wrote:
My father retired to Durango a few years back. Skied 3 x a week in the winter, fly fished and guided all summer/ fall. He lived a bit out of town , maybe 10 minutes, but he noted to live decently it was $$. I guess the saying was if you wanted to leave Durango with a million bucks, come with 2. He passed, but had been looking to move to a less touristy locale

It is a nice town with so much to do, but that is true of many CO towns. It is the most expensive of our options, which is why it is probably the least likely to happen. There's affordable houses there, but they aren't much for the money- especially compared to CDA or GJ.
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [Steve Hawley] [ In reply to ]
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Did that train ride as a kid.

Went through there a few years ago.

Those pics bring back memories.

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [Koala Bear] [ In reply to ]
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Koala Bear wrote:
Spokane born and raised, and still here. Iļø love it. Right now Iļø donā€™t see myself moving away in the foreseeable future.

If you come to this area, Iļø would suggest living in CDA, Liberty Lake, Spokane Valley, or the upper south hill areas.

Donā€™t move to: post falls (unless youā€™re up in the hills with the mansions), downtown Spokane, or the north side.

Of course this is going to go for Colorado as well but thereā€™s tons to do around here. Lakes, ski mountains (not like CO admittedly, but fun enough), awesome mountain biking, a good Tri scene.

Cost of living is excellent.

Spokane gets at least and 8.5-9/10 from me.

Duffyā€™s meth house is only applicable in certain areas ;)

I can find meth/ weed/ heroin busts all over Denver if I looked for it. Thanks for the assessment of your area. The cost of living definitely is a big pull- especially with how similar it is to Denver in the recreation department. How would you rate the schools, if you can?
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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This is where I say live in Spokane Valley/Liberty Lake. Iļø just graduated out of Central Valley School District, and as much as Iļø enjoy bitching and moaning about school ;), itā€™s an absolutely incredible district. We almost moved to post falls during the ā€˜08 recession when condos were dirt cheap, but my parents knew they couldnā€™t leave our school district.

Post falls and CdA school districts are suffering.
Spokane Public Schools are alright, depending on where youā€™re at. Upper south hill would be Ferris which is an amazing school, lower south hill is Lewis and Clark HS, which is a much more diverse, less affluent school. Same with further north, Rogers and Shadle HSā€™s for example wouldnā€™t be my first choice.

Iļø canā€™t reccomend the valley and liberty lake enough. From an education standpoint, every elementary school, middle school, and high school in the CV district is top notch.

And with the other schools Iļø mentioned, none of them are ā€œbad.ā€ Just not as good as CV district :)

Look up Central Valley high school on google maps. Itā€™s on s. Sullivan road. Thatā€™ll give you an idea (:
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [Koala Bear] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you for the insights. I hope I get to be selective about what schools I apply to, but jobs are jobs when first moving into an area. I coach XC and track, too, so pretty much any school with those openings in addition to my content area are high priority.
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Re: Moving possibilities- Spokane/ CDA, Grand Junction, Durango, ?? [triguy98] [ In reply to ]
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triguy98 wrote:
Thank you for the insights. I hope I get to be selective about what schools I apply to, but jobs are jobs when first moving into an area. I coach XC and track, too, so pretty much any school with those openings in addition to my content area are high priority.
Then CV- state and/or district champs almost every year ;)

Itā€™s hard to go wrong here though. If Iļø had to rank it to make it easy,
1. Spokane Valley/Liberty Lake
2. City of Spokane
3. CdA
4. Post Falls
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