Seeking the right area of COS for a retired couple (Colorado Springs: fit in, HOA)

[rschlegel]

We are well-educated, bi-racial caucasian/asian, conservative Christians and planning to retire in Colorado Springs. We are seeking the right area and neighborhood for us. We want to live somewhere in the northern section (NW, NC, or NE), near a YMCA, with a mountain view, trails, and parks.

Can anyone recommend an area to consider where we would fit in well with the community?

Should we expect any racial discrimination or coolness toward my lovely Filipina wife?

[AddyLompoc]

I live in the 80920 area code. We have everything within a one mile radius. YMCA, Lifetime Fitness, Lowes, SuperTarget, King Soopers, Safeway, UC Memorial North Hospital, Walgreens, and on and on, including trails and parks. We have a fantastic view of Pikes Peak from our back deck. Colorado Springs has a fantastic library system too.

You and your wife will not experience any problems here.

If you find a house, jump on it. They are selling within a week of going on the market and often $30K to $50K above asking price. Look on Zillow for what is on the market now.

EDIT - I see you have posted several times about where to live in Colorado Springs (I even responded to one post under an earlier name I had). If you have not already, you should visit and look around. In the time since you first started posting, house prices has jumped up at least $50K (and more like $100K in my neighborhood).

[Mike from back east]

Ditto what Addy said. I lived in the area for 11 years and often refer to the cross streets of Research Pkwy and Union Blvd as ground zero for what you seek, to include following Union Blvd over to Royal Pine Dr.

The Pine Creek and Briargate areas are home to many military officers and IMO is tolerant of diversity. My street had Koreans, Chinese and others.

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

I can't imagine you'd have much of an issue with race.

I do think the housing market is starting to cool. If you don't have to buy right now, I would wait just a bit. Houses that would have gone the first weekend are still on the market a couple weeks later in some cases, and my friends in the business have told me that a clear market shift is happening.

[rschlegel]

Thanks for the info.

Our house has also been appreciating rapidly, so we are keeping up with the rising home prices. We are in no hurry to relocate, so we are taking our time, looking at homes online. We visited the are twice, and plan to visit again for a longer stay.

I have my eye on the area south of Woodman, between Union and Austin bluffs, so we could join the Cottonwood Creek YMCA. What do you think of that area?

We are also considering the are near the Wilsons Ranch YMCA.

Can anyone help us in understanding the cultural differences between these areas?

Is there any area that has a high population of retired couples?

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by rschlegel

Thanks for the info.

Our house has also been appreciating rapidly, so we are keeping up with the rising home prices. We are in no hurry to relocate, so we are taking our time, looking at homes online. We visited the are twice, and plan to visit again for a longer stay.

I have my eye on the area south of Woodman, between Union and Austin bluffs, so we could join the Cottonwood Creek YMCA. What do you think of that area?

We are also considering the are near the Wilsons Ranch YMCA.

Can anyone help us in understanding the cultural differences between these areas?

Is there any area that has a high population of retired couples?

Cottonwood Creek Park area and Wilson Ranch area are both nice places that built out around the same times, have similar architecture, and similar demographics. There is no discernable difference in culture between the two. Biggest difference I could think of is one is in a 100 year flood zone, the other is in a 100 year fire zone that burned 8 years ago. Both will have occasional exposure to wildlife. There may be more teenage shenanigans in the Cottonwood Creek area than Wilson Ranch area by simple virtue of the park amenities.

There are not really any retirement heavy areas in Cos. Retirees are spread out throughout the city. Some up north, some down south, some are central, some westside, there are even retirees on the east side. All depends on what they want to be close to and where they lived prior to retirement.

[phetaroi]

I would say the general area around the Briargate YMCA.

[dr.frog]

I'd say that if you want to be around other retired couples, your best bet would be to look for a 55+ community.

I'm still working myself, but my impression is that the city doesn't have great resources for older people. Colorado Springs is a huge city area-wise, but AFAIK there's only one senior center, on the north side of downtown. There are new hospital/medical complexes in the Briargate/Wolf Ranch area, but no public transportation and no library. I'm new to Wolf Ranch and don't know what things might be like in non-pandemic times, but the current rec center and HOA programs seem to be more directed at active young people and children than retirees.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

I would say the general area around the Briargate YMCA.

Ditto. That's in the area I mentioned the other day.

There is large, modern Library near there, on Chapel Hills Dr

[dr.frog]

Yes, that library is a great place with a lot of non-book resources, but it's 5+ miles from my home in Wolf Ranch.... it's the closest branch, but I definitely don't consider it to be in my neighborhood, or really anywhere near it or along the way to any of the other places I go regularly. As I said, Colorado Springs is really spread out, and you'll probably have to make tradeoffs in deciding what amenities you want to live close to. YMCA and trails/parks are important, what else?