New to the area or just visiting.... - 5/31/2013

Download a Visitor's Guide from the City's website - there are a lot of smaller attractions in addition to Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods that are worth checking out!

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The worse city in Colorado - 4/24/2013

This is one of the worse place I ever live in my life. I move here from Texas to get away from the bad crime and the very hot weather. Colorado Springs is a joke here the crimes are terrible and the people are rude and very bad here. Almost everywhere here has a bad customer service and very few good customer service. There are a few nice ones but get this the nice ones are not from Colorado Springs. Very very rude drivers here they ride on your bumper if you don't drive faster than the posted speed limits, they cut you off and give you a finger if you don't drive fast enough. I feel like I am the only one here following the driving laws and speed limits. These military people are very rude and stupid because they are and it not a joke. The air force people are nicer and smarter here but they are not all great. Working for any jobs here are horrible because of horrible bosses and my family works for them. I have been lucky with my job because I have a good manager but it's rare to find a job here with a good manager here. A lot of jobs don't pay very good here like the rest of the country. It's hard to really find a decent job here. They put crap on the roads to melt the snow and ice and it's ruining the paint job on my families cars so I have to use cleaner wax to clean that crap off but it's not prefect. I wish they find something else to put on the road that does not harm the paint. Denver is a little better place to live but I would not live in Colorado anymore soon. The winter is pretty long here and was got the last snow storm on April 23 and still no green leafs yet from trees and grass still yellow. Summer time here is wonderful here that the only thing I like here late spring,summer and early fall is really nice but winter is very cold and long. I like the mountains nearby and the things to do in the mountains but I hate this city but like other parts of Colorado. This summer I am moving to the pacific northwest where Portland or Seattle is. I have been doing tons of research on the pacific northwest area and it's a great place compare to Colorado. I have met six people here from Washington and Oregon here and they told me that they feel homesick here and ready to move back to pacific northwest soon and don't blame them I should have never move here and should have move straight to Oregon or Washington from Texas a year ago. I don't recommend Colorado springs there are much better towns in Colorado if you have lots of money and not have to work here.

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The pros and cons - 4/15/2013

I have something to say about Colorado Springs there is too many issue with this town. I mean no where is prefect but Colorado Springs can be better. The pros about this town, bike riding on trails there lots of trails, camping in nearby mountains, the weather is okay but it's would be nice if it's wasn't so damn windy like a tropical force wind but it's nothing I can do about it. Summer time is really nice not as windy and a lot cooler weather than Texas and Arizona. Nice mountains along the city. The cons are that the crimes are horrible. Terrible drivers here they drive so fast that I feel like I am the only one following the speed limit and obeying the driving laws. People here don't know how to yield and they cut you off and ride on your bumper and there's almost no police catching bad drivers well it's probably because they are so busy catching murderer and drug dealers and thief. But not so much traffic here that a nice thing. When there is snow and ice the city put this crap on the road here that reduce ice is ruining the paint job on the cars I notice that on my families cars and mine not very happy about the stuff they put on the road so I have to wax my car a lot to get rid of the stain and to protect the paint job. But it's help reduce accidents but wish they find something else. Too many rude military people and air force people and they have military brats here. Very few are nice but not many and they talk nasty and dirty I can't stand military people very much. The Colorado people are nicer but there a lot of former inmates living in Colorado springs because of large numbers of prisons in Colorado. That why the crimes are awful here. This summer I am done with this city and moving to Oregon because Oregon is a much better place with nicer people and lower crime and it's prettier in Oregon. Thought about Boise Idaho at first but leaning more towards Oregon. Can't wait to move out of Colorado springs. I would have stay here if things were much better and if there was more better jobs here but there nothing here that pays good. I should have move to Oregon from Texas and not even think about moving Colorado its was a mistake moving to Colorado Springs.

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Streets - 3/6/2013

I have lived in this city since 1970. The street division is the worst! The only way this city steet division knows how to clear the streets of snow is DUMP MORE SAND! They never clean up the school routes. The sand lays on the streets for months and months and causes accidents. Especially within school zones! Even when there is less than an inch of snow on the streets we get tons and tons of sand! They claim they clean it up. Well their managers must be smoking dope, our street rarely gets sweep! Wish the EPA would come down on them hard!

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Can't Wait to Leave - 2/24/2013

I moved here from Denver in 2008 because my new husband was stationed here, and I can't WAIT for him to retire so we can move!! This city has so many problems, I can't begin to list them all: weather that is inhospitable 85% of the year; no snow plows; workers in all industries that are lazy, slow, expensive, and don't give two hoots about the quality of their workmanship; traffic cops every 10 feet with a speed gun but no cops if you need one at your house; drivers that move as slow as possible because they don't have anywhere to go that they care about (plus the cops might ticket them for going 3 mph over the limit!); roads throughout the city designed to slow people down and keep them from getting anywhere quickly; mediocrity at every turn from hotels to restaurants; antiquated traffic light technology - I could go on and on and in fact, have thought about writing a book about the poor quality of workmanship we have received with 98% of our business transactions. It is a fairly large city that wants to operate like a small town and it doesn't work. Either that or city officials want people to leave here as quickly as they came. If you have a choice, move somewhere else unless you like the truly "laid back" and lazy.

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beware renters - 1/23/2013

I was shocked to find out that apartments here charge your water bill the same accross the board whether there are 2 of you living in the apartment or 6. And believe me, there are a lot of ppl. co-habitating in bulk here. Oh, and yeah, my car insurance doubled!!!!! Crime is bad....usually several killings per day here and the jobs pay nothing. It's not THAT beautiful to get robbed legally every month.

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Not Liking it here very much - 12/30/2012

I moved here in Colorado Springs back in Aug of 2012 and regret moving here, its was a little mistake moving here. Too many people here that are from the army,navy and other government type of job people here and most of them are very rude and have no respect. The true colorado people are much nicer. The people from other state with Texas license plate are the very rude drivers and other state too. The job markets here is a joke its hard to find a good job with high pay. There are job here that are available is just that its does,nt pay very good. My family and I have thought about moving to Boise Idaho for a long time and we should have move to Idaho but we thought that we check out colorado springs and see if we like it here or not and we are moving to Boise soon maybe later in 2013. The only thing I like about colorado is the mountains and there is a lot of things to do in the mountains like skiing,camping,bike riding and a lot of sight seeing. Aspen and Vail and some other small towns are very nice in the mountains. If you think about moving to Colorado Springs don't move to the springs because there is other better towns and cities in Colorado. The weather is great here in the summer fall and late springs but winter is very cold and some snow which I don't mind. I used to live in Texas and weather is awful in Texas so the weather is much better in colorado with less rain too. But very glad I moved out of Texas because its was the most boring place I ever live and hot and humid all the time. Part of colorado springs is very nice like the north and west part of town but central and south part of town is horrible with really bad crimes here and its freaking me out a little so I stay away from that area. Like I say we are moving to Boise Idaho because I have visit there before and the people are nice and nicer drivers and you can hang out in downtown Boise and not get rob or hurt there and there is mountains north of Boise and Oregon coast which I love is not far from Boise. I should have done better research on Colorado Spring because its not for me or to my familes here.

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Hiking - 12/30/2012

Many nice parks within the city for hinking year around to include bluffs and forested areas.

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Weather seems more extreme than you'd think - 10/15/2012

I love Colorado Springs! I moved here in January 1968 and now in 2012 I'm 61 and getting ready to retire. Back then the summers were mild, breezy and maybe three weeks in the summer that were really hot, when AC would have been nice. Now you better have it or it is sweltering inside!Temps are over 100 several days during the July-Aug months and it is really uncomfortable. On the other end of the spectrum, the winters can be bitter cold and windy. Not too many days of icy roads but the cold wind can be miserable. Usually one or two snowstorms at best! The winters are just sooo long. They can last from mid-late October, til April. I'm tossing around the idea of moving somewhere else when I retire next April, but don't know where that would be. I don't like extreme dry heat, don't like extreme cold. Any suggestions?

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Best Place in the World to Live - 9/19/2012

I've lived in many places in the U.S. and Europe and I can say without reservation Colorado Springs is the best place I've ever had the privilege of living at. The water tastes great, the view is fantastic, and the weather is fantastic. When I lived there I talked to people from all over the world there and common theme of our discussions is always how great living there is. If it snows one day you can have 60 degree weather the next and be BBQing out back. I hope I can get back there some day. What a fund place to live. I miss it terribly.

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Politics - 6/29/2012

Very conservative city. Single-party politics.

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Colorado Springs - 6/14/2012

For many days out of the year, Colorado Springs is a warm and sunny place to live. However, when it snows, it really snows. The city streets are not plowed well. When it hails, it really hails. Just this week we had a major storm that completely destroyed my mother's beautiful yard and garden, and caused a lot of flooding where I live. The drainage system is obsolete and can not handle the amount of water after it rains or when large amounts of snow melt quickly. It is common to have a major snow storm one day, and sunshine with temperatues in the 60s the next day. There seems to always be a lot of weather-related road construction that makes travelling around town difficult. This is due to the warm, cold, warm cycles the we have, as well as the ancient drainage system. Colorado Springs is also a very windy place to live. We have a short growing season, usually May 15th to Mid-September. We have had snow in both June and August.

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Four sectors of the Springs and where to live - 4/5/2012

The Springs is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on Earth. That's if you drive into the mountains. It has become like many cities. Crime, galore. I live up North in Briargate near the Air Force Academy. It's pretty safe there, but it's expensive. Unfortunately, with my family working non-profit, there is no room for us. Our rent for a tiny apartment has been $950 per month, and is now being raised to $1010. That being said, most places that are extremely affordable and cheap are not in areas you'd want to be living in. There are four areas in the Springs. Up North, Southeast, West, and Cheyenne Mountain area. If you are rich, you'd want to pursue Cheyenne mountain or even the Rockrimmon area. If you are middle of the road and choose the two places not mentioned yet, be prepared for a shock. The Southeast is full of crime. Every bad story in the news comes from down there, and the schools aren't just awful they're dangerous. Knives and guns are not uncommon. Drugs go without saying, but they are bad at every Springs school. The West area is lovely and established. It's not very affordable, but better than Briargate, which is on the other side of the highway. If one chooses Colorado Springs, they have to be prepared for volatile weather, and driving. Nothing wrong with that! Garden of the Gods is only 10 min from me, but to see real Rocky Mountains, and feel as if you're in a forest surrounding it's a much longer drive. Vail is about 3 hours away. Charming to visit, and it's not an overnight trip. If you're active, there are plenty of things to do here, but again, stay away from certain areas. They are unsafe and ugly. It all depends upon $$ as usual! I drive a lot of adults around all over the city during most times of the day, so I can see what goes on the the good/bad areas. Personally, I love it. However I do take drives. If you rely on only hanging out in your neighborhood and being happy, make a lot of $$!

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Thinking about moving from Detroit MI to Colorado. - 1/14/2012

I have a sister out in Aurora, CO who can hook me up with a job at BCBS but my husband is worried about the move. We have a son, we'll be getting pregnant again this spring and our lease isn't up until this fall. I have full faith that we'll be able to do it, especially since BCBS offers childcare services. But of course you don't move out of state without some information. So that's what I'm asking for, can anyone please give me some helpful facts on the Colorado Springs area? Public schools, basic cost of living, safe feeling... we're currently residing about twenty minutes from the D with 700 p/m on rent for a 2bed w basement and 2car garage. That is a pretty good deal here, what's normal out there? Thanks a ton!

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politics in colorado springs - 1/2/2012

Colorado Springs is one of the most physically beautiful cities I have ever lived in. The political/religious climate here, however, makes me very uncomfortable. It has a very Christian/Right Wing dominant culture. There is very little understanding of other points of view.

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Too cold - 10/23/2011

The weather is awesome in summer(no place better). No air conditioner needed for most of summer. But it is cool to cold from September to May. Winter has about average 6 snows, with one being snow shutting down the mall. I like it a bit warmer. The price of gas is always on the low side of average, but rent seems high. Food prices are high average, and no tax on food. Utilities goes up and up each winter, and you'll use a lot of natural gas to heat your home from Sept-May. Oh, and if you happen to buy a summer house or whatever, do not turn your utilities off for more than two years because the city will charge tap fees and tariffs which cost me about $440.00. And then they need building inspectors to check all your services before they turn them on for about $50.00 per service, and they won't inspect until after you had a plumber and an electrician do their inspections, each costing about $350.00. Yeah, and then there was the Stormwater fee we all had to pay for. That was charging for the rain that fell on the square footage of your property per year. You cannot collect the rain or snow but you have to pay for it. Well, they did get rid of that fee because we didn't vote on it. Whew, glad it wasn't a tax. I don't like living here very much. Men seem rude to women here in my opinion, but the water is the best I've ever tasted. I should bottle it and sell it. "Tap, the Springs" and recoup the money the city charged me and for not living in my house.

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considering moving to colorado springs - 10/2/2011

A bit of background on myself is I work in retail making 25k a year. I am a divorced mom of a 7 year old boy. I've lived in the Chicago metro area for my entire life. Cost of living in the Chicago metro area is unaffordable. After my divorce I found myself struggling to survive and had to move back home just to make it in the local economy here. From my readings online, it seems Colorado Springs would be a more affordable place to live. My job is a commission based sales job in a major department store, this store is also in the Colorado Springs area, and my job/salary would be transferable. We always used to visit national parks and such as a child. The mountains and outdoor activity appeal to me moreso than city life. However, I have the following concerns I am looking for more info on: 1. Based on a salary of 25k, would one be able to survive financially in CS? 2. I would know no one and I work odd hours at times (weekends,early mornings,late nights.) What are affordable daycare/nanny options here? 3. I am white, my son is mixed white/hispanic, would this be overlooked and would he fit in here? 4. I am an atheist, but not outspoken about it. Would people still accept me as a divorced, non-church going mom in the community? 5. Anything else about the area would be appreciated. (traffic, crime, and unpredictable weather are all laughable things to me being that I've been accustomed to all this in a metro area my whole life.)

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Previous Resident for 22 yers - 9/6/2011

I moved to Colorado Springs in 1971 and lived there until 1993, when I moved into the mountains, west of Denver. Colorado Springs was a wonderful place to live in terms of climate, low crime, beautiful surroundings and a laid back, small town feel, particularly on its westend and central areas. Over the years its steady, sprawling growth, heavy traffic and limited employment opportunities have negatively impacted the area. When I returned in 2006-2007 the employment opportunities were a nightmare, the traffic was congested on every major thoroughfare and I swore off getting on I-25 all together. Poor city planning, an inability to bring in and retain big companies with stable job opportunities, a crime rate that was shockingly high and a sense of disconnected community (religion vs alternative) existed. It was a sad experience and I left at the end of 2007 with a profound sense of loss for what was once a terrific town.

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Colorado Springs a Secret - 8/3/2011

Colorado Springs has the best climate. Mild summers and usually winters, it is the best kept secret in Colorado.

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Reviews - 5/16/2011

At first glance, I was tempted by the negative reviews of the Springs to skip it as a potential place to live. But when you have spent a lot of time in big cities like Phoenix, L.A. and Philadelphia, you tend to laugh at people that claim that medium sized cities like the Springs has bad traffic and crime. C'mon, give me a break! There has to be a reason why the Springs always gets voted as one of the Top 50 places to live in almost every survey every year.

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