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Boondocker · 08-08-2009, 01:05 PM

Im considering applying for a position in Glenwood Springs, Co. I have been through there on my way elsewhere but do not know all that much about it. For those of you in the know, is it a good place to live? Expensive? Anything a guy should know before moving there? Thanks

dogpound · 08-08-2009, 01:34 PM

Rodney:

One thing to consider is thatisit is right on Interstate 70, one of the main thoroughfares west from Denver. Fairly close to Aspen. Main attraction would be the Hot Springs. On down the canyon a ways towards Grand Junction you have a substantial amount of oil field activity so that will flow over to Glenwood Springs.

I have always liked Glenwood.

What type of position are you trying for?? Anyway, wish you luck and keep Four Corners in mind.

Bob
4CU/CAC
WBCCI # 10105
AIR # 28748

Jack46 · 08-08-2009, 02:55 PM

Been in and around Glenwood a good deal - my daughter lives in Aspen. Seems like a great town. Lots to see and do. Great location right off a terrific stretch of Interstate - motorcyle and Airstream heaven. Don't know much about the cost of living but it will sure beat Aspen.

Aerowood · 08-08-2009, 03:47 PM

I'd move there in a heart beat second if my job was there. It's the type of town that you need to be able to take your job with you, unless you can say "do you want that supersized sir".

COArgosy78 · 08-08-2009, 05:14 PM

Hello - don't know where you have had previous lodgings but I will tell you as best I can about the Roaring Fork Valley area (includes Glenwood Springs). Anywhere in the mountains is going to be more expensive because of cost to get supplies in. Living w/in Glenwood Springs would probably be more expensive than living down valley (say Rifle), but not as expensive as Aspen or Snowmass because it is on I-70. Most workers try to get employee housing as it is cheaper. We have a friend who has continued to live in Carbondale since we lived up there 30yrs ago. He is still in employee housing and tries to make sure he is working enough to keep it. There is FREE bus service w/in GS and there use to be free busing all the way to Aspen for workers (can't say if that is still around). There is a fairly cheap ski area in GS called Sunlight Mountain. It use to be easy to ski (board) there cause all the touristas went to the Aspen/Snowmass area. People are/were very friendly and there are a lot of interesting things for the outdoor enthusiast. A number of nice camp areas. You might check into Carbondale or even Basalt for place to live if commuting to GS for employees by bus is still free.

Boondocker · 08-08-2009, 06:58 PM

Thanks for the replies. Bob, the job is a teaching job at a community college. Leigh, I'm not sure what you mean by employee housing, do you mean workers for the ski areas or what? I think the College may be up the Roaring Fork somewhere outside of town, not sure about that. Where ever I move, its likely to be a step up from Lawton, Oklahoma.

eubank · 08-08-2009, 08:23 PM

Oh, I think you could do a LOT worse than Glenwood! If I were a decade or two younger ...

Lynn

Airstream25 · 08-08-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen Disarray

Im considering applying for a position in Glenwood Springs, Co. I have been through there on my way elsewhere but do not know all that much about it. Thanks

As you probably already know or suspect, the advantages over OK are;

More interesting and varied photo ops
More interesting and varied Airstream camping
Relative ease of changing your climate; too hot? drive a few miles into the mountains, too cold? drive a few more miles down into AZ.
Better hiking and hunting options, fewer tornadoes

Cost of living will likely be higher but may well be worth it.

There is a campground on the south side of I-70 just a mile or two east of the Glenwood Springs. Could be a good place to camp for awhile to check out the area.
Come on out and hook up with a FCU rally somewhere. The two main ones are the Vintage Restoration Rally in the Spring and the Balloon Fiesta in the Fall.

FLYNCLD · 08-08-2009, 10:01 PM

We just spent 5 days with some friends in Glenwood Springs, and it is a great little town! Spendy though, it's true. Got some great press while we were there!

‘Eco-Discovery Tour' rolls into Glenwood Springs | AspenTimes.com

FLYNCLD

65Safari65 · 08-08-2009, 11:18 PM

We lived in Carbondale for a little over a year for a temporary job. It's an interesting little valley- the bright shining point that drives the economy is Aspen at the high end of the valley. Up there, it's all Gucci and Prada, and as you get further out it transitions to Wrangler and Levis. If you are into hiking, fishing, skiing, biking, etc, then you will be in heaven. It's so pretty there that it looks like a fake western backdrop in every direction.
I grew up in the Midwest where winter is gray and grimy. The big difference is that the sun keeps shining all winter long. Another poster mentioned the Sunlight Mountain ski area, which is a great place for locals that want to ski- not to just be seen skiing in the latest gear.
My favorite towns in the valley ended up being Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. The actual hotsprings are amazing- it's a huge (something like the size of a football field) pool that is fed by the springs, and open all year long. The place itself is a survivor from the Gilded Age. They have to cool the water before it goes in- in the winter, you see this continuous plume of steam coming from that part of town. I regret not getting a pass and going more often. There are good restaurants there- the only thing that bugged me a bit was feeling a little trapped in the winter, which is pretty much from October until later April. If you can get to Denver in those months, there is a good chance you won't make it back for work, as they close the pass all the time.
Like others have said, it is very expensive there. Aspen is little LA, and the rest of the valley follows the lead. In '05, we paid $700 a month for a depressing, tiny, subterranean apartment in Carbondale. The sort of apartment where you had to decide if you want a couch or a table because there isn't room for both. There ended up being a line of people waiting to rent it when we were moving away, and the rent was going up. Be sure you check housing before you agree to a salary that sounds good for where you are currently.

Sorry for a long post...

Brad

Boondocker · 08-09-2009, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65Safari65

...........
Like others have said, it is very expensive there. Aspen is little LA, and the rest of the valley follows the lead. In '05, we paid $700 a month for a depressing, tiny, subterranean apartment in Carbondale. The sort of apartment where you had to decide if you want a couch or a table because there isn't room for both. There ended up being a line of people waiting to rent it when we were moving away, and the rent was going up. Be sure you check housing before you agree to a salary that sounds good for where you are currently.

Sorry for a long post...

Brad

That is exactly the kind of thing I need to know about. Clearly there would be a lot of upsides to living in the area that are obvious, its the less obvious things that worry me and I need to know about.

Jack46 · 08-09-2009, 01:00 PM

The "employee housing" I'm familiar with is the program whereby local government acts as broker for properies that are sold to residents who meet certain residency, income, etc. requirements. Pitkin County has one and it is the only way my daughter would be able to own a condo in Aspen. The good news is that pricing is way, way below market, but you agree to a fixed appreciation schedule when selling. Not sure what the situation is in Glenwood, but you should be able to find out. Jack

Gene · 08-09-2009, 03:26 PM

Rodney, Glenwood is a mixed bag. It is not in Pitkin County, but is in Garfield Co. I assume the college is Colo. Mtn. College. It has campuses all over the mountains. I doubt Garfield has any kind of housing program.

Aspen is far up the Roaring Fork Valley and in another dimension otherwise. Glenwood, like many towns out here, does not have a lot of private land and that also pushes rents up. People commute to Aspen from 100 miles away, including from Delta Co. to the south and across a mountain range. Some stay in tents or RV's in the national forest in the summer, and later if they can get away with it.

There are not a lot of RV campgrounds. The one a few miles up the Colo. R. from Glenwood gets bad reviews and has difficult back ins. We have used one in Basalt, about 20 miles up valley from Glenwood. Ones west of Glenwood (and near Glenwood) fill up with gas field workers.

There has been a gas drilling boom in Garfield Co, mostly west of Glenwood. The air can be foul and there has been pollution of underground water there. There's been no drilling close to Glenwood yet. Rifle is the center of it. The Recession has slowed or stopped drilling, but wells will be going for some time with air quality concerns (lots of ozone). Air blows to the east—i.e., Glenwood. Even after the Recession is over, I doubt the boom will continue like it was.

There's no doubt there's a lot going on in and around Glenwood. Carbondale is about 15 miles up valley and is probably majority Hispanic. Aspen can be a 2 hour drive, so don't count on a quick trip for culture. It's in a valley and doesn't get anywhere near the snow ski towns do and the temps aren't that cold compared to Aspen, Vail or Leadville (CMC has a campus there). While the heavy traffic on I-70 causes the state to close the road (traffic means accidents) all too frequently, it isn't "all the time". We only go to Denver once or twice a year, so it's not a big problem and only once did we have to cancel a trip because of weather—and that was because Denver was snowed in also. Grand Junction is about 100 miles west when you need supplies, or there's a Costco about 25 miles east near Eagle. Amtrak has a station there. It's two hours from my house.

Glenwood Hot Springs are expensive unless you have an annual pass. They are nice in the winter, but too hot in the summer. There's a hot spring at South Canyon west of town, but the city owns the land and every time anyone has made a pool there, the city destroys it. The Glenwood HS has a lot of clout in that town. There's one along the Colo. R. east of Glenwood HS, but it may be hard to get to. If you need a root canal, there's a root canal guy in Glenwood who does a great job (Roger Brown).

Glenwood is a nice looking town. I long ago thought of moving there, but didn't, but not for any particular reason. Now it seems crowded to me, but maybe because we live in the middle of no where.

How is your brother doing?

Gene

Boondocker · 08-09-2009, 03:50 PM

Hey Gene, yes the potential job is with Colorado Mt College. Lots of good info to think about, I will probably send in my materials and see how things sort out. My brother passed away late last month. I expect to be back on the road in early September with a general plan to hang in the Four Corners region probably up to Thanksgiving or so.

Gene · 08-09-2009, 03:58 PM

Rodney, sorry to hear about your brother. I understood it was only a matter of time, but that doesn't make it any easier.

I guess I made Glenwood sound not so good. Lots to do there, costs a lot. Interesting area, beautiful sights, interesting people for sure, some good restaurants, cultural opportunities. In other words, just like any town near a resort area.

Gene

Boondocker · 08-09-2009, 04:05 PM

What should I use as a rule of thumb for cost of living, half again as much again as what it cost me to live in Oklahoma? More?

tphan · 08-09-2009, 04:38 PM

Hi Rodney- so sorry about your brother.
Colorado Mt. College is down valley, towards Aspen, several miles out of town, but I know nothing else about it. You might research rents on Craigslist, or a chamber of commerce site. Good luck! -tim

Gene · 08-09-2009, 04:39 PM

Check the classifieds in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent:

Glenwood Springs Colorado | PostIndependent.com News

Of course, newspapers are for old people, so you may use Craig's List (try and wrap your fish in that!).

Gene

eubank · 08-09-2009, 04:54 PM

You know, while you're checking for jobs, check out Grand Junction. Prices are significantly lower there. It's a larger town, can be quite warm in the summer and cold in the winter (temperature inversions happen there), but life on the outskirts can be decent. And they've got a pretty fair-sized college.

Personally, having been stung by very low temperatures and frozen precipitation up here too many times, I'd be wary of places at high elevation. It's no place for the getting-older.

Lynn

Gene · 08-09-2009, 05:03 PM

Don't listen to Lynn about winter. He's just deteriorating quickly. When we were in Angel Fire he was complaining about a mere 5' of snow that fell in a week. What a wimp! Too bad there's no college in Angel Fire where real men could teach.

Grand Junction has Mesa State College. It's hot in the summer, mild in the winter. Just the place for old men. Actually Glenwood is pretty mild, but GJ is quite a drive. In between are the gas fields which should be avoided.

Gene