Found Loveland, Berthoud, Mead areas appealing (Denver, Boulder: fit in, house, schools)

[In search of Eden]

We just took a road trip from our home in San Jose, CA to Colorado to check out some areas north of Denver. We are married with two children, native to CA and looking to get away from the area and state we are in. No complaints with the weather, just not the place we want to raise a family. We want some room to spread out...a place with acreage that doesn't put us right next door to our neighbors. We are looking for a country environment that still has shopping conveniences within a 15-20min. drive. Where we are now, everything is a 20min drive anyway by freeway (not during rushhour though).

We found the areas of Loveland, Berthoud and Mead very desirable. They offered homes with acreage (1-3acres) in a country setting. All this with a view of the foothills and the beautiful mountain peaks. A realtor told us to stay away from Johnstown b/c of the schools. We drove across I-25 and looked at Windsor briefly but it seemed to be more of the tract home look.

We also looked south of Denver, in Parker, at a friend's recommendation but from the foothills the city view seemed to be mostly rooftops and not the open space/farms that were more present NW in the areas mentioned.

Can anyone offer an opinion on areas/towns to stay away from? An opinion on Larimer vs. Weld County? Also, we heard a couple locals mention "The People's Republic of Boulder" when referring to Boulder. What is the story behind that?

Thanks for reading and thanks for any feedback you can offer.

[jlvs2run]

Originally Posted by In search of Eden

we heard a couple locals mention "The People's Republic of Boulder" when referring to Boulder. What is the story behind that?

A friend who lives there said it's because most of the state is conservative, possibly due to the military influence, and Boulder is more liberal. Perhaps there is more to it than this though and I'd also like to hear more comments about why this might be.

[2bindenver]

very liberal, college-hippie type town. once surrounded by conservatives, less so now. denver is also pretty liberal. We are a purple state.

People in Boulder are fairly self contained, hate going to Denver, too big, too busy.

Boulder has a no growth policy, helping to fuel the suburban sprawl of nearby Boulder County, Broomfield County & north Jefferson County.

I moved here from Sunnyvale 17 years ago. I am raising three kids, I could afford a house here, they are happy. It's all I ever wanted.

[guidonia]

People's Rupublic means different things to different people, partially depending on what your attitude toward Boulder is. It can refer to:

1. While, Yuppie, pseudo-liberalism

2. A city and country government that is extreme in its policies on zoning, property rights, etc. (If it gives you any idea, I consider myself a bona-fide liberal, but often vote libertarian in local elections).

3. Very little ethnic or socio-economic diversity. Poor people live in trailor parks that are right by the road, but not visible.


You'll fit in best there if you are white, good great in lycra shorts, eat organic food, vote democratic, and never question the comfortable nirvana you have helped create.

[small_but_mighty]

Originally Posted by In search of Eden

We just took a road trip from our home in San Jose, CA to Colorado to check out some areas north of Denver. We are married with two children, native to CA and looking to get away from the area and state we are in. No complaints with the weather, just not the place we want to raise a family. We want some room to spread out...a place with acreage that doesn't put us right next door to our neighbors. We are looking for a country environment that still has shopping conveniences within a 15-20min. drive. Where we are now, everything is a 20min drive anyway by freeway (not during rushhour though).

We found the areas of Loveland, Berthoud and Mead very desirable. They offered homes with acreage (1-3acres) in a country setting. All this with a view of the foothills and the beautiful mountain peaks. A realtor told us to stay away from Johnstown b/c of the schools. We drove across I-25 and looked at Windsor briefly but it seemed to be more of the tract home look.

We also looked south of Denver, in Parker, at a friend's recommendation but from the foothills the city view seemed to be mostly rooftops and not the open space/farms that were more present NW in the areas mentioned.

Can anyone offer an opinion on areas/towns to stay away from? An opinion on Larimer vs. Weld County? Also, we heard a couple locals mention "The People's Republic of Boulder" when referring to Boulder. What is the story behind that?

Thanks for reading and thanks for any feedback you can offer.

On Larimer vs. Weld County - Weld County is not well-known for its accessibility and responsiveness to the average citizen, while Larimer County has recently received several awards for its work at promoting government effectiveness and citizen outreach. Larimer County has a reputation for actively supporting open space efforts, preserving agricultural heritage, and respecting the desires of small communities (such as Berthoud) within its jurisdiction. Weld County, on the other hand, has approved large-scale developments that threaten to engulf small towns like Dacono, Mead, and Firestone. Talk to the city planners in any of these communities, and they will give you an earful of how Weld County runs roughshod overy community wishes and desires.

I would recommend Larimer County over Weld, and Boulder County over both. Outside of Boulder (which is a bit too yuppie-ish for my tastes and my pocketbook) there are many charming communities, such as Longmont, Niwot, and Hygiene. These communities have the added benefit of access to the City of Boulder's cultural and commercial offerings, as well as close proximity to mass transit into both Denver and Boulder. Boulder County also has an excellent and well-funded library system, and a truly remarkable number of parks, trails, and open space areas. I highly recommend looking at some of the smaller communities around Boulder, and north of Denver.

Boulder County and Larimer County also have better water rights than some of the communities south of Denver, such as Parker. Many of the communities north of Denver are historic communities, i.e. they have an actual town core and a downtown area, whereas cities like Parker were created by a hodge-podge of urban developers, and lack the feeling of organic, socially-inspired growth found in older areas.

As far as politics go, Parker is EXTREMELY conservative, Boulder County is somwhat more liberal (but less so outside of City of Boulder proper), Larimer County is a bit more right than Boulder, and Weld County sits to the right of Larimer. This is a generalization, of course, as the urban centers in each County, which are home to the University of Colorado, Colorado State, and University of Northern Colorado, vote differently than the outlying County areas.