SperlingViews - Grand_Junction, Colorado

I lived in Grand Junction for 4 years until 2010. It was a great place to be raising my small children since there is a huge amount of things for a family to do. The weekly farmers market is a big event, there are too many city and county festivals that are very fun for kids to even list them all. I was also pleasantly surprised at the high quality of many of the elementary schools. I thought that people were very down to earth and especially friendly in general and more so than any other place I've lived. Also, I never worried about traffic or parking. To save the best for last, the hiking nearby is phenomenal![read more...]

Hi, I am from Piper City, Illinois and been wanting to be closer to my boyfriends family. I'm having a hard time deciding if it's a good idea to move. Right now, I am on disability, public aid assistance and I'm afraid if I move to colorado, I will lose my benefits that I currently have. Is the cost of living higher then Illinois? I need some advice. [read more...]

I have lived in the Grand Valley for over 26 years. I have family and friends, great friends that live here. People that visit here, are astounded by the beauty of the area. It's a beautiful valley with wineries, mountain trails, clear air and many OUTdoor activities. Unfortunately, there are not a whole lot of Family activities to be had. Yes, the valley is beautiful and has some of the most beautiful weather you could ask for. I can see why people are drawn here......for vacation. You need to understand that it is the High Desert and usually, very dry. You can spend a pretty penny having a nice yard because of the lack of moisture. I have very wonderful memories of growing up here. Problem is, I never understood the cost of living here as a kid. Colorado will always be my home, but if you are looking for a great city in this beautiful state, Denver has so much more to offer. The cost of living is too high compared to wages you get here. Right now, our unemployment rate is over 11% with most job opportunities in the fields of retail and oil field. The city is FINALLY improving on roads, as far as access goes. But there is constant road construction. Yea, you get that anywhere...here it's worse. They like to close most of your options to downtown all at once, so it causes your commute to be longer and you are stuck no matter which way you go. It's been terrible for years. They have finished a good majority of the Riverview Parkway that allows better access. This should have been done over 20 years ago. There is one mall and most other retail/shopping is all on one side of town. This makes it a nightmare during Christmas for shopping and overall access to "family activities" (the movie theaters). The Grand Valley sees customers coming from eastern Utah, northern Colorado and as far down as Durango/Farmington making traffic horrible. Nice bowling alley recently closed because they went bankrupt. City finally got an ice rink, and it closed down due to issues with how the rink was built. I believe it was in business for 3-4 years. Now it sits with signs asking for financial help to fix it. I have heard that Grand Junction eats out more than most other cities, per capita. Could be due to the fact, it's really the only thing to do indoors. There is no REC facility in the city, with no hopes of seeing one in the future. House prices are high and you do not get much square footage for the BIG $$$. There has been a HUGE Meth problem here for years. Recently, they have said it's on the decline. Often, big drug busts have taken place here. I-70 runs right through and is an easy way in for drugs and other illegal activities . Educational activities are few and far between. You can only take your kids to the Dinosaur Museum, Western Slope Museum, small Botanical Gardens and local pool so many times, before you wish to have more opportunities. Yes, you have crime where ever you go, but Grand Junction's crime rate is that of a big city. Grand Junction is NOT a big city. People say it's the area you live in. NO, it's really not that. I live with my husband and 3 small children, in a nice neighborhood, with hard working law abiding citizens...and we have been victims of crime twice in 7 years. There is a graffiti problem, fairly high violent crime rate and so on. I would want someone to tell me the real deal about Grand Junction, especially if I was considering living here with a young family. If you must move to the Grand Valley, aim for Fruita, where the house prices are even higher, but at least you have a little bit better of a community. I have heard some talk about the rudeness of people here. I would have to agree with this, but I have to say, I never noticed it so much until I moved 25 miles south of D.C. while my husband was in the military. People were kinder and friendlier out there. Sad, but true. I am a very friendly person and try to find the brighter side of things, but this review is due to my experiences living here for the majority of my life. Do your research and find the real Grand Junction before you decide it's the place for you.[read more...]

My husband has family in GJ and wants to move back there with me and our two girls, and so far reading the reviews has left me a little bit depressed because I havent found anything good about GJ so far and now I am wondering if moving there would be a mistake, he is working now and will be able to keep his job where ever we move so money would not be a problem and I stay at home with our girls so no need for me to find a job but what worries me is reading on the school district, drugs, and price of houses, as I have a daughter who is in kindergarten now and we are wanting to purchase a home, I am wondering if the drugs are as bad as people are saying and will my daughter get the education she needs? and will we be able to afford to buy a home? if anyone would like to give feedback please email me at larsonj85@hotmail.com[read more...]

Looking for some home school families in mesa county[read more...]

Cold in winters, very hot in summer but only for a few months. Lots of sunshine!![read more...]

I have lived in Grand Junction for 10 years. I moved here from Denver with my husband and 3 children. My husband grew up here and we wanted to move here to be close to his family. Though after being here for 10 years I still don't care for Grand Junction. My first reason is the school district. I think the teachers do a good job but the district could do more. My child attends an elementary school within the city limits and had 3 lock downs this past year. Drugs/alcohol is a large problem here. I had one child that got into them at 16 and didn't find much help, so I ended up sending her back to Denver to stay with her Dad to get out of the environment(It worked!) The residents here are not very friendly unless you are a republican, native(of Grand Junction), a christian, or have family here. Jobs are tough to get unless you know somebody and the pay is not that great. There is a lot of low income families here. There is some culture here but it is nothing you would find in a bigger city. My two older children moved back to Denver because they said there was nothing to do here and I believe that. The community won't vote yes for a rec center or even to improve the central Library. I still have a school age child at home and I have a difficult time finding things for us to do with limited programs and facilities. Finally, I think Grand Junction would be a nice place to live if you are retired, but I would consider all of thee above before moving here with a family.[read more...]

I smell a rat. I think someone is trying to repel newcomers to G.J. Biggest meth city, really? Google "biggest meth cities in US" and you won't even see Grand Junction mentioned. Period. Get a life! [read more...]

I love Mesa Valley Vision, GREAT program and fund your childs education! [read more...]

I was born in a small town and have lived in Colorado for over 30 years. Most of my childhood/high school life was in rural/farm/ranch communities. And most of my adult life was spent in suburbs of Denver. Since about 1982 I have wanted to move to Grand Junction where my folks live currently. Denver is great for large cities and a lot to do, but being raised in the country and getting married and wanting to start a family I thought it would be nice to do it there. So in 2004 we had a chance to do this. We picked up , sold everything and moved to GJ. I have visited/vacation in GJ for years prior to this move and was excited. Too excited maybe that is my problem. I still love the valley over all but there is more to it than that. Pros. Great outdoor access, maybe not too much right here, but very close. Great size of town, just about everything you need. Great weather 9 months of the year. Hot in the summer but not too hot at night. St. Mary's is a great hospital, one of the best in my opinion. Good state college (minus the principal) GJ On paper is perfect. Procon: Short but cold winters. Cons: Drugs are a huge problem. Crappy schools, (Fruita is Okay) lazy or poor customer service in many industries, horrible restaurants. Local Government is really kinky, they do a lot of big time Washington style politics in this town. A lot of under the counter kinda deals go on, my buddy gets the perks type of thing. This does not effect me that much but I still do not like that kind of garbage. What does effect me though is that this is the most unfriendly town to new residents I have ever seen. Of course not talking about everyone, but enough to really notice. And from what I have seen, it does not change until you have been here a long time. I hear the same thing from other people that have been here longer than I and shorter than me. "Born and Raised here" is a big deal here. You hear businesses bashing people from Denver and other parts of Colorado all the time. I lived in Denver, but I am not from there. I here "You big city folk" and stuff like that. I say uh, My father was born on an Indian reservation, and I was raised in rural farmland, I am not from the city. I ask: Where were you born? Denver. But I have lived here for 20 years. Very discriminating, not racial, or if it is I do not notice it. Over all a very negative atmosphere for new residents. The longer you are here the easier it gets though. Our intent was to retire here, but we have decided to move prior to my newly born son entering school.[read more...]

Great town, everything you could imagine to do outdoors, literally out your back door!!![read more...]

Although I love living in Whitewater, (a small town outside Grand Junction)I wish that jobs paid better and that there were more of them. And although every place has good and bad points we seem to be moving in the wrong direction here. From great to worse. Right now our pay scale is being artificially inflated by the oil industry jobs, but just as before, they will leave and our cost of living will be higher but with no pay increases for non oil jobs. There was a push in 2001 to increase jobs and pay but it came to nothing. Take a look at this report: http://tiny.cc/olzYC They say the jobless rate is low here but it isn't. The federal jobless rate index isn't based in fact. It's based on how many people are eligible for unemployment not on how many need jobs. I'd say our jobless rate is 20% or higher (worse in the winter). The same holds true for inflation. Here are some government stats: http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.co_grandjunction_msa.htm I've lived through both good and bad times here in GJ. Our worst bust was the last time the shale industry came in. They left in the night (many people weren't even told they wouldn't have a job after that day) owing debts and leaving communities in shambles. You couldn't rent a U-haul within 200 miles of the town. For sale signs were replaced by foreclosure signs. Many are worried that events may repeat themselves. That the oil industry will come in, use us and then leave in the night. But at least this time it seems the local governments and the state are taking steps to prevent another scenario like before. That being said jobs don't pay squat here. Employers are used to people working for next to nothing and that might have been OK in the past when the cost of living was low but it's not OK now. The last oil shale businesses drove housing up and now with inflation and gasoline prices are out of sight. You used to be able to visit the state parks (many for free such as Corn Lake) but that's no longer true. If you want to fish at Corn Lake you have to pay now. When I came here in the 1980's you could rent a 3 bedroom house for less then $250.00...that same house today will run you $1,500.00 or more. I know a guy who has worked at the same place for 10 years and gets a 50 cent raise when he's been spectacular and less when he's not. And his job is considered a good one. Many get 10 cent a year raises. With gas at $4.00 a gallon and propane at who knows we're all being squeezed. Although housing is cheaper in Whitewater and the quality of living is better, we do have a 12+ mile commute to Grand Junction. And the quality will go down because the country commissioners continue to approve EVERY housing project that comes before them. Even in flood plains! So if you buy out here check first. The city does nothing to bring in good paying jobs (in fact I heard they discourage high wages). And it seems that each time we get an industry in here that pays well it goes bust after awhile. There is a mass transit system in Grand Junction but it doesn't go to many of the outlaying areas such as Whitewater. But it is a plus if you live in the city. Our schools cost a lot but give little. Most kids can't add without a calculator and because of the no child left behind laws they are only teaching to the test which means kids are learning less and less. Most will be lucky to find jobs at McDonalds. Not to sound completely negative we do have a great college here. The computer dept beat several bigger schools in competition and there is a great teaching staff. So if you have lots of money this is a great place to live but if you're poor...don't come here. Many people are here simply because they heard there were good jobs and they spent everything getting here and are now stuck. And so comes the phrase "You can't eat the mountains".[read more...]

I have lived in GJ for all my life and the economy here is in its own little world. the cost of living is so inflated over the average income its rather rediculase.[read more...]

Let me begin with the cons; Grand Junction/Mesa County has earned it's reputation fairly: METHa County. There is so much drug use here, it's unbearable. Everywhere you go you'll see a crackhead or an alcoholic. It also has one of thee highest suicide and divorce rates in the country, sad, isn't it? :/ It is HOT in the summers and COLD in the winters. There isn't a lot of things to do still, even though the city is growing rapidly. The pros: the fall is a beautiful time to be in Junction, whether you're strolling down main street in the evening or hanging at Corn Lake. It's fun. You will definitely get that 'home town' feel when you come. Grand Junction is the biggest city between Salt Lake and Denver, so I guess you could say it's a little in between! I would say it's a pretty okay place to raise a family, as I'm still being raised here. (I'm 16.) I mean there are the ghetto parts, but what city doesn't have those? Just stay out of there, too much gang violence..[read more...]

Pros: 1. Low crime rate 2. Excellent outdoor recreation 3. Best air quality in the state Cons: 1. Poor school system 2. High cost of living and housing 3. Unaffordable place to live 4. Huge meth lab problem 5. Rapid growth[read more...]

The energy industry has discovered this part of the west. Natural gas exploration has really compromised the environment in and around Grand Junction. The economy is stronger for this but the increased air pollution, traffic of big trucks and trampling of the forests and high desert are a huge negative. Grand Junction is not a small quaint high desert town anymore. The cost of housing has doubled in the past five years and the outdoors is not the experience it was 5-10 years ago. Gas wells are popping up everywhere and there is no end in sight. Unless you work in the energy industry you will not like where this thing is going. What a shame.[read more...]

I have lived in Grand Junction for over 25 years. The western side of Colorado has always been the least spoiled part of the state as the Front Range-Eastern side (Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo) has gotten to be one big crowded place, bad traffic, dirty air and all the things that go with city life. In the last five years Grand Junction has gotten a dose of this with the growth in the natural gas industry in our area. We now have some better paying jobs but we also have thousands of people moving in for the jobs and they have little or no feeling for the area just the desire to chase employment. Housing costs have gone way up and still most people in GJ don't make much more money than they did five years ago. Not everyone can or even wants to work 80 hours aweek in the oil patch. Most of the newcomers, not all, are undereducated and just here for awhile. Meth is a big problem as well as petty nuisance crimes that are on the increase. Air quality, especially in the winter, has gotten very bad with about 100 very dirty, smokey days per year. Traffic is much worse lately and the city fathers have done a poor job dealing with the growth and the general aesthetics of the area. Lots of idiots in the outlying areas with junked cars and refrigerators in their yards as no local governing bodies seem to want to tackle this. In general the quality of life has greatly suffered in the area that up until about five years ago was still a relatively unspoiled place. I guess no where is Eden anymore.......[read more...]

I lived there for 20 years. I miss it. There's lots to do for out door activities. Great hiking, Audubon trails, LOTS of biking and bike related activites. Tour the Valley is actually a Wine tasting treat. Many local wineries and a meadery. Dinner theater. Local parades. River activities. The downside? The economy. The price of housing is out of line with the income levels for the area. It's odd. IF you have a line on a good job (dual income for families is advised) THEN you'll enjoy it. Otherwise you'll be struggling. St Mary's hospital serves most of the Western Slope with a great facility. Community Hospital is smaller and has a wonderful 'bedside manner' because of it. The schools are varied. Each seems to have their own strengths and weaknesses. Choose carefully. My daughter decided to take a public bus to go back to her old school after we moved across town.[read more...]

The Grand Junction area is one fantastic place to live with many out door activities close to in your back yard. Things such as Hiking the many hundreds of miles on trails or watching the Big Horn sheep in the Colorado National Monument only minutes away. Skiing in the Winter at Powderhorn is only 1 hour short drive from down town. Many more activities like jeeping on backroad trails is only an hour away as is sightseeing in Canyon Lands Nat'l Park located in Moab, Utah 80 miles west on I-70. Grand Junction climate is quite mild with only around 9 inches rain annually. We have beautiful clear skies, mild temperature and enjoy a slow peaceful life style with only less than 100,000 population. There is one major shopping mall and a beautiful restored down town section with restruants and walking/shopping area. Its a fantastic place to retire if you like the out doors activities. As the area grows many cultural activities are becoming popular. [read more...]

The actual housing cost here in GJ is actually a lot higher than suggested here on this site. Sure, you can buy a house in the low 200K's--but this will buy you maybe a fixer-upper or something small in not exactly the best of neighborhoods. Don't even think about trying to find anything cheaper--it does not exist! The same goes for trying to find a place to rent. If you are lucky to find anything with a current vacancy rate of 1.5%, then be prepared to spend anywhere from $1,200 and upwards for a half-way decent townhouse/house in an acceptable neighborhood. Which brings me to the issue of crime. Never before have I lived in a place where drugs and property damage crime has been as bad as in GJ. Our police force here is definitely understaffed and overworked. Think twice before you move out here....[read more...]