Pueblo/Colorado Springs

[davsel]

Woodland Park has a Walmart.
Housing is more expensive, but it is a much better place to live than the larger cities.

[HoneyBadger]

Woodland Park has a Walmart.
Housing is more expensive, but it is a much better place to live than the larger cities.

Property taxes alone on any size house in Woodland Park are probably more than her whole housing budget...

[TheGrey]

Great information and suggestions, all. She will certainly appreciate it, just like I do!

I'll let her know about the heat- I think it is the humidity and harsh winters she's trying to avoid. Summers in Minnesota often reach the 90s.

I'l add Colorado Springs, Florence, Canon City, Penrose, Widefield/Security, La Junta and Lamar. I don't know if she's considered Trinidad, so I'll add it to the list.

I'll ask my Mom to check with her and see what else she absolutely needs to have access to; all I know is she needs housing that doesn't exceed $700/month and close to Walmart.
She will likely be happier in a smaller town; she's not from a big city.

I agree that Woodland Park would be a wonderful place for her to live, but it's likely beyond her budget. She can definitely visit, though!

[Spdu4ia]

Living in Colorado Springs I don't know about living in pueblo and it doesn't really seem like a great place to live just driving through but that's just my opinion. I've only just driven through pueblo and from what others Have said it gets hot there and just seems kind of ... Boring. That being said, for $700 a month she wouldn't be in a very nice area in springs. The housing market is really high here.

[hurley842002]

There are Walmarts in La Junta and Lamar as well if she is looking for less expense and smaller.

Are there things she absolutely has to have access to besides a job at Walmart?

Has she considered Trinidad?

Born and raised in La Junta, and i'll never live there again. With that said, it would probably be a pretty decent option for her, as there is a Wal Mart, and housing (literally a house) can be had for $500-$700 a month (last time I checked). The Job market isn't real good in La Junta, so that forces quite a few people to work at Wal Mart, meaning I'm not sure how easy it would be to get transferred to the LJ Wal Mart. Summers are pretty hot, and it's not uncommon for LJ to have the state high for the day. Winters are cold with the wind chill (plains), but snow is fairly infrequent (rain also for that matter). Being in the southeast corner of the state, tornadoes are not uncommon. If I can think of anything else, i'll add it, and if she were to choose LJ, I'd be happy to try and be of more assistance on the in's and out's of the place.

[Zundfolge]

Woodland Park has a Walmart.
Housing is more expensive, but it is a much better place to live than the larger cities.

They're building a brand new apartment complex just up the road from the Walmart in Woodland Park as well ... so there may end up being some affordable housing up there.

Colorado Springs is IMNSHO much nicer than Pueblo, but the $700/mo housing is going to be in the worst parts of town (or down in the Fountain Valley south of town). If she comes to The Springs, just avoid the Walmart on East Platte and she should be safe (the 8th Street Walmart is close to Old Colorado City which may have some housing in her price range and is closer to the mountains if that's why she's coming to CO ... thats why we came here).

There is a Walmart down in Trinidad. I'd much rather live in Trinidad than Pueblo. If she doesn't need to live on the Front Range, there's also ones in Alamosa, Salida, Pagosa Springs, Gunnison, Rifle, Montrose, Glenwood Springs, Avon, Craig, Steamboat Springs and 2 in Grand Junction ... all of which are places I'd rather live in than Pueblo (and many of which should be comparable to live price wise).

I'll let her know about the heat- I think it is the humidity and harsh winters she's trying to avoid. Summers in Minnesota often reach the 90s.

That sounds like Pueblo (only without the humidity).

With the 8th Street Walmart in mind I did find a pretty good apartment for $650 http://ppar.com/search/listing.aspx?q=24217170

The building itself doesn't look like much but its in the middle of a very nice area of middle and upper middle class homes (and right near the Broadmoor area with its million dollar homes and 5 star internationally ranked hotel). Its also only a few blocks from the 8th Street Walmart.

[TheGrey]

Have I told you guys how awesome you are?
This s all great information. I'm going to be taking with her this afternoon, so I'll find out more information at that time.

[BlasterBob]

After living just outside of Trinidad for the past twenty years, we pulled stakes and moved "bag and baggage" to central Illomois (Peoria) last Thursday. We REALLY enjoyed the small town, country atmosphere how ever there is a serious lack of decent medical care/facilities for us older folks. This lack and the sudden over abundance of vagrants, homeless folks and beggars on so many corners coupled with numerous break-ins have made safety kinda questionable. This is most likely due to so blasted many "pot shops". There is a big Walmart in Trinidad and they are quite friendly in that store but all the other negatives have prompted us to haul ass out of Colorado. Perhaps we will eventually run into a cluster of negatives here too but we'll just have to live with them. Good luck!

[Dlesh123]

I have lived in Fountain for 19 years( just south of Security Widefield). There is a Walmart, about half the difference in temperature from the Colorado Springs official temp at the Airport and Pueblo Airport. About 5 cooler than Pueblo, 5 warmer than Colorado Springs. Very large military influence from Ft Carson, but then to me, the planes on final to COS I like to hear and the occasional very loud concussions from Ft Carson are the sounds of freedom to me. Pueblo west is very dry and dusty. If she wants to get away from the cold, Gunnison is not the place. At -51, coldest place I have ever lived, mud season can be miserable as well but what summer there is can be nice.

I grew up around Greeley, there are Walmarts there, but I hear the housing prices are going up, but I am still partial to that area being I grew up on a farm, I like that environment.

Lived in Rocky Ford( down by LaJunta with their Walmart) , enjoyed my time there ( again the farm environment) but not much else going on there. Not much medical care, people there go to Pueblo or more likely the Springs for serious issues or just for shopping. But you definitely find the cheapest prices for housing.

All the places had their politics, it will depend on what else they are looking for; scenery, activities, health care, temperate or more weather extremes and how long of the year for the extremes. Best of luck to them.

[rock_castle]

Pueblo West has its own Walmart. Less crime than Pueblo city. Probably could buy a house in Pueblo West for $700 a month, if she qualifies. No public transportation in Pueblo West. Check realtor.com. Google "Pueblo West". Visit and see if it is her cup o' tea. New houses popping up all the time in my neighborhood. A brand new double wide was put up a few hundred yards from me, it has to be on concrete foundation though. Apartments and mobile homes on the south side. North side is all single family units. Horse and dogs allowed.Rarely any problem snow. Wide open spaces...

This^^
Pueblo West is nice. Stay away from Pueblo itself, though. Big crime problem.