So I have wanted to move to CO for about the last 6 years. I finished grad school and applied to a job in CO, which ended up being a headhunter and he no longer had a job in CO but one in Albany, NY where I have been for the last 5.5 years. Ive been to CO many times in the last few years and still am torn on moving there. I am ready to leave my job and find a new one as it is no longer challanging. Here is my list of pros and cons for moving to CO:
Pros:
More active lifestyle
Much better snowboarding, this rejuvinates me in the winter for the coming tri season, I love the dicotomy of snowboarding and triathlon.
Better yearly climate, can actually ride in the winter (in a normal year) and don’t quite get the ridiculous humidity like we get in the northeast.
New Belgium Brewery, I love this place. Fantasitc beer. Enough of a reason to move for that alone.
Buddy from college is out in CO and is on the cycling scene.
Cons:
Girlfriend, who is pretty amazing is in Albany, but we are at different points in our lives and not sure it will even work. She wants to stay here due to family and I almost certanily need to leave for a better job as there are very, very few in my field in this area (actuary if anyone is hiring).
Traffic in Denver Area, I hate traffic. I could commute on my bike to alleviate this but there is also the issue of traffic to the mountains in boarding season. Everyone has to take I-70 so if you board on the weekends you hit lots of traffic… and boarding is a big reason for going there.
Once your out of the mountains (Denver or Fort Collins area), CO is not all that special. It has all the same stuff most towns have (OK big city burrito is qute a bit better than most towns) and does not have the charm the northeast has. You can get to many more places in the northeast within a couple hours of driving. I still think Vermont is my favorite state overall by far. Only wish they had jobs in my feild in any real capacity.
All my family is in the northeast. They will come to vist and flying back is easy but it is still a con.
Even though the mountains in CO are much bigger and the boarding conditions better, the charm of some of the northeastern resorts are much better (Jay Peak… need I say more)
Any comment to sway me either way are much appreciated. I am a week removed from IMLP (my first IM) and recovering still with many belgian beers. I’m finding the recovery much more dangerous than the training… way to easy to consume many, many beers when you don’t have to get a workout in first… and then end up writing long posts on Slowtwitch instead of updating my resume.
Weather in Denver kicks ass compared to the Eastern Seaboard!!!
I moved from NJ and have no regrets. You can train in many sports all year long.
You’ll get a big bang for the buck in real estate here. My house is 2.5 x bigger, 200K less, has 4 x the land, and 1/3 the taxes of my home in NJ.
Flying out is easy. Big airport, lots of flights, no traffic getting there from many spots.
Sorry but VT skiing/boarding doesn’t compare to what’s available here, not even close. I don’t think I ever had a 50-70 degree day in fresh powder in VT, and I skied everywhere.
Fair enough… When I have been at Jay Peak, VT on the good days, I compare it to my average days in Colorado. My favorite trails in VT remind me of CO. Probably just wishful thinking that the mountains in VT rival CO. maybe some trails feel like CO, but only for a bit. And the conditions in the northeast on their best days are still “icy” by CO standards. Seems like on the boarding in CO is a clear winner. And you debunked my traffic issue. What is CO like on the Triathlon front?
beemis,
i was in your situation in 2003 and now call CO home (colorado springs). I’m not sure about the tri scene in Denver, but down here the Saturday morning group ride includes most of the USAT resident team as well as some big names (Andy Potts, Hunter Kemper) to name a few. That being said, I only stay on the group for about two hours before getting completely blown away, so it isn’t like I am riding with them the whole time
As for the snow, that is the main reason I moved here. I now ski (sorry, no “knuckle draggers” here :). The traffic on i-70 isn’t that bad if you leave early enough, and I will put my 50+ days a year while working full time here up against any ski bum on the east coast.
Dude, your eggin’ me on… it burns. Colorado Springs is one place I have not been in the 6 or 7 times I have been out to CO in the last few years. How does it compare to Denver or Fort Collins? Apparently close enough to the ski resorts if you got 50+ days of skiing. My city choice would most likely depend on where I can get a job, as I should be able to get a nice relocation allowance (nobody wants to be an actuary), and paying for the move out there would be a nice bonus.
If you love New England so much, why leave? You can’t tell me Boston or Hartford don’t need actuaries? Boston is a major financial city and Hartford is the insurance capital of the world! Both cities are within 2 hours or less of the key boarding peaks in NE.
I say broaden you search to more of NE, keep the girlfriend, and visit CO on vacation.
Dude… I dropped everything and gave up hundreds of friends and a good sport life and social life in Austin to come here.
I. do. not. regret. it. AT ALL!!!
I am actually in Boulder and am in love with this place. You can make a list all you want but enough of trying to quantify the situation… living life to the fullest is not about quantifying anything it’s about being where you want to be and having a great time.
I live in Colorado Springs as well. I have no idea about the job situation for you. I moved here in 1979 for the skiing. I spent over 20 years logging around 50 days a season. From the Springs it isn’t necessary to get up to the slopes using I-70. Getting to great boarding in Breck only takes a couple hours. The tri scene isn’t quite as good here as it is on Boulder, but it’s not bad. The biking here may be better.
I’ve lived in NE for 30 years. I love it but sometimes think it is time for a change. Hartford and Boston are probalby 2 of the best areas for actuaries, but I would like to chose the city to live in istead of have it chose me becasue it has alot of jobs. If I were to stay in NE I think I would want to move to Northern VT, Central NH or Maine, but my chances of finding an actuarial job in those 3 are probably significantly less than finding one in CO.
Those are great pics! We will have to try that place - all of the hikes we have done (except in Boulder open space parks) have required leashes. Regardless, our dog is convinced that moving to Colorado is the BEST thing that has ever happened to her (apparently being saved from death row doesn’t even come close! ;))
