Thoughts of a COS native - 6/29/2024

I grew up in Colorado Springs, left for the military, and moved back in 2008. It is not the same place I grew up in or what it was 15 years ago. High crime, under-developed roads, lack of public transit, high cost of living. First, for those who tout hiking and outdoor life, they're absolutely right. There is no better place. There is some of the best hiking here, bar none. BUT, trails I used to enjoy are overcrowded in the summer months. I used to climb the Incline every summer and have an enjoyable time, but now it's so crowded you may as well be in downtown. When I lived in Alaska, the locals called salmon season in/around Anchorage "combat fishing" because of how many people were throwing a line. Hiking is like that in the summer months. The incidence of wildfires has been on the rise since the Waldo Canyon fire in 2012. The heat and wind are also on the rise. While not currently in a drought, it is a common experience for Coloradoans. I have family who farm/ranch, and it's getting worse. In the city, the cost of living has dramatically increased. Young adults and those in college stay home if they can or have 8 roommates to afford to live. Homelessness is on the rise, and while many talk about the homeless camps downtown off Fountain Creek, the real tragedy is the number of families, children, and elderly experiencing homelessness. There is not enough housing for the people who live here (so please don't add to the problem). There is NO proper help for those experiencing trouble finding a place to live. The current Section 8 application to get on the waitlist (not a home, just the possibility of it) is an online lottery that opens up July 16-18. Gee, so long as you have a chance, right? The roads are also not built for the number of people who live here. Congestion is high, we're one of the worst places in the country for tailgating, and accident incidents are high. We were in an accident on I-25 last summer, and the cops responding said ours was a good case, because no one died. There are city buses, but it can take two hours to get across town from home to job. There is no metro, and there are no plans to build one. Crime is ridiculous and the city cops either don't care or don't do enough. When I moved back in 2008, my car was broken into. Cops did nothing. When my wallet was stolen, when my son's gas tank was drilled into (most like tweekers), when his catalytic converter was stolen, the cops don't even show up. Fill out a form online. When the kids were little we saw a drug deal in the back parking lot of a McDonalds (we lived in the suburbs then). Since then, it's more in the open. As a middle-aged mom, even *I* can recognize the local drug dealer, but he continues to haunt the same area without local police intervention. The stats on the bestplaces crime section are out of date. When my daughter was sixteen, a cop pulled her over when she was driving from school to lunch at a fastfood place. He gave her his card suggesting they date. I've had students racially profiled by the police and harrassed at night. Police shootings are on the rise. One of my students came up to me after a class on the Harlem Renaissance to say, "you know that kid shot in the back in the park? That was my best friend." I don't even know how to process that. Let's just say I'm not a fan. Maybe all this is normal for a "big city," but it's not the place I grew up in, and if I lived elsewhere, I wouldn't move into it. Maybe things will get better, but even as a native, I don't have the patience to wait for it to happen.

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do not recommend - 1/6/2024

Moved here from san diego. All expenses went up with exception to gas. San diego may not have an affordable housing market, but with all others equal san diego is still cheaper than colorado springs. groceries, insurance, and registration.

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Amazing outdoor activities and a great view. - 10/9/2022

Moved here in the summer from one of the hottest places on earth and my quality of life has gone up dramatically. I can walk outside, there are enormous mountains to hike, there are bike lanes and bike paths everywhere, and all of this with amazing mountain views and no fear of heat stroke! The people are far nicer than in my last city and there is far less traffic, though it can sometimes get a little rough during rush hour. I live in the north and I only rarely go downtown, so I don't have any personal experience with the crime rates that other people have mentioned. Anecdotally, I haven't even heard any police sirens since I've been here, which is a massive change from multiple times a night at my old house. Politically, the majority of the city is red leaning but downtown seems a bit more purple or maybe even blue. It's not a particularly strong lean in either direction from what I've seen, no matter where you are in the city. Overall, it's probably about 55/45 con/lib split within the proper city limits, inverted to 45/55 downtown, and then more like a 60/40 split in the GCS metro area as a whole. A mixed bag of ideological backgrounds for sure.

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An Honest Review of an Awesome Place, No Politics - 12/8/2021

I have been in COS on and off for a couple years, finally making the permanent move several months ago. I have lived in Philly, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, and have spent a lot of time in several other cities (Portland, Seattle, Bay Area, San Diego, etc). If you are looking for the short and sweet - here it is: Colorado Springs is the place my wife and I are settling down for the long term because (for us) it really does beat out all the aforementioned places. Man, it's crazy how politics have infested the reviews of this city. The honest truth is that COS is a melting pot. So do not move here thinking it's a conservative stronghold (it's not) and also don't move here thinking it's a liberal paradise (it's not). There are people here that would fit every political and religion stereotype, and I actually like diversity of opinion so think it's a good thing. I also think it's unfair to trash this city because there may be people here or moving here that you don't agree with. So, that aside, why do I like it? I actually am not a cold-weather fan, but I value sun above all else. And damn, does it deliver here. Only Los Angeles has been more sunny for me. This means that while yes, winter days can be below 0 in rarity, the sun usually keeps things bearable during the day. And the cold winter allows for something else - 2hr drive access to world class skiing/snowboarding and other winter activities. In the summer it's perfect, warm and sunny with beautiful nature. The dryness helps year round. Yes, sometimes it gets windy and occasionally hail happens. Access to nature is huge here, so if you like the outdoors you will love it. 30min drive and you are in it. Not sure where some people complain about traffic, anyone that has visited any growing city (hell, even Denver) will know we have it pretty good here. Yes, if you are driving back from the mountains on Sunday expect some traffic, but that is true in literally any in-demand place to live. The coffee and beer scene here is AMAZING. Seriously, the coffee rivals Portland and the beer rivals San Diego. I chose to live downtown, and love it. Walkable, bikeable, and a lot of charm. Tons of development on the south side. New hockey(!) and soccer arena. Honestly a good amount to do considering it's not a "huge" city. This is a dog mecca, it is very easy to have pets here and way more enjoyable than most places. Bear creek - several sq miles of fenced in dog park with a creek (!) and 10 min from downtown!! 99% of the people I meet are super friendly, a nice mix of midwest charm with more directness and honestly akin to the northeast. Great internet!! Cheap 1Gb plans. The parks and open spaces here are world class. Mountain biking? AMAZING. So let's bring it back and be real - downsides. NO city is perfect. So... The suburbs are very bland. Straight up, I would not want to live more than a 15-20 min drive from downtown. Food is.. OK. It's getting better. But for example, when I crave good Chinese/Japanese, I drive to Denver. The "American" food is really good, it's more the non-standard ethnic stuff that's lacking (however there is a bomb Ethiopian place in Old Colorado City, and great Pizza downtown!). Public transit. There really is none. Some busses I suppose, but the lack of heavy rail along the Front Range blows my mind! It would really help I-25 if they just ran a train every hour from Pueblo to Ft Collins through Denver... Cost of living is getting high. Rent right now ~$1,500 for a good 2br. Houses ~$300k for a starter. The city is growing quick, and we need to work to build higher density housing. All the new apartments are a good start (a few hundred being built in the coming years!) but I worry they all skew to "luxury" apartments... BUT, literally every good city is dealing with this. It is 100% not a COS specific issue, but a much larger one. So yeah, this really is a mecca for an outdoor enthusiast who likes a lively downtown, variety of things to do, good libations, amazing coffee, friendly people, and honestly an easy place to live if COL isn't above your means. Plus, Denver is an hour drive away for even more stuff. If that sounds good, move here. I really look forward to spending decades here and watching the place grow :).

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Wake the **** up Colorado Springs!!! - 10/31/2021

These statistics have got to be old or incorrect.. I know that this is a big church town and they have to be covering up the real truth.. I’ve been in Colorado Springs for 5 months and I’ve had my truck Brocken into once and then my tonnaeu cover ripped off the bed off truck another time both times stealing all contents of the cab & bed.. The job site that I work at was just recently broken into where they stole in upwards of $20k worth of tools and equipment. Today I wake up to my room mate saying his truck was broken into and then when he started his truck we noticed that his catalytic converter was stolen.. I then take him to a Ross dress for less to get him a new jacket because his was stolen out of truck… As we are standing inline to purchase a man with a mountain of clothes bolts out the front door.. as the alarms are going off 2 more men and a women exit the front door casually with max items of clothing that each could grab.. sorry to say… but anyone who thinks that this town is one of the safest towns for crime they are oblivious to what is going on around them.. this place is one of the worst I have ever traveled to in many years of moving city to city for my profession.. wake up Colorado Springs!!! Quit sweeping this activity under the mat.. it’s not going away on it’s on and ignoring it is not helping…

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Not what it used to be - 10/3/2021

I grew up in Colorado Springs and over the past 40+ years, I have seen C Springs go from a great town with a few problems, to the mess it is now. Liberals running from California and New York's problems have only brought their problems here. Yes, cost of living is not as bad as California or New York, but it is getting closer to those rates every day. A once quaint, mid-size town, it has become overgrown, commercialized, and traffic is horrible, and this is only increasing. From property to assault, crime is bad and on the rise. People are still relatively nice, but that is fading too. It seems the city officials desire increased expansion at the cost of quality of life, clean air, and a dwindling water supply. There is not a piece of open space that either isn't full of awful-looking apartments, houses stacked on top of one another, a warehouse or gas station, or a sign selling the land so it can be developed into something ugly. All of those people who've moved here to get away from their problems have only brought their problems with them, ruining a once great place to live. My wife and I are debating whether we remain, or are forced to relocate to somewhere similar to what COS once was. Don't move here! If you've moved here recently from CA or NY, please go back.

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Political Trash Moving Here & Complaining. - 9/23/2021

Colorado Springs is a great place, I've lived there the past 11 years and have lived in Colorado my entire life. The problem I am seeing with a lot of these posts are that they're from people who move here from out of state, assuming Colorado Springs will be some haven for their alt-right philosophies and are disappointed to find we're just like any other city. A mix of races, ideologies, and a growing city that brings with it a rise in cost of living. If you're wanting to move here because you think moving simply due to your political views is a smart idea; then please stay out of Colorado Springs. Don't trash it up, or talk trash, because you WASTED your money to move to somewhere based solely on your political views. Yeah, things are getting kinda costly; but we're still cheaper than Denver. And that happens with a booming population. You can't expect the second largest city in the state to have the cheapest rent around. That's just not how it works. No, I am not wealthy; I bust my ass at a retail job to make end's meet. So if I can do that with my meager salary, there is no excuse - especially for someone moving from out of state. with the money to do so, to come here and complain about our prices nor our political stance. Move back if you're truly unhappy.

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BLUE MECCA on the RISE - 9/19/2021

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Colorado Springs. If you're a liberal from Orange County California, like me, COS is absolute HEAVEN. Everything from the LOW real estate pricing (relative to Cali) coffee to the micro brew to the new and unique mom & pop eateries tell me that the Springs is on the RISE. You wouldn't think that reading all the crybaby rants from the Trump conservatives who cannot take the fact their city is now a BOOM TOWN (California 5.0 as the losers call it). If they want to leave I say have at it because frankly, I don't want to be around delusional STOP THE STEAL clowns and ANTI-VAXX lunatics. Like every BOOMTOWN COS is doing its best to accommodate the growth. Sure there will be some growing pains along the way, but I choose to be part of the next BLUE MECCA.

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Colorado Springs is PURE NIRVANA - 9/19/2021

I moved to COS from Orange County, CA. On these forums I read the posts of yeehaws who are either too poor or too conservative to understand what a GREAT place COS is. RELATIVE to Southern California crime, traffic, scenery, cost of living and taxes Colorado Springs is NIRVANA. I have NO PROBLEM with Trump cult members getting the heel out of here and gravitating towards the STOP THE STEAL and anti-vaxx lunatics who make up today's GOP.

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Colorado Springs is PURE NIRVANA - 9/19/2021

I moved to COS from Orange County, CA. On these forums I read the posts of yeehaws who are either too poor or too conservative to understand what a GREAT place COS is. RELATIVE to Southern California crime, traffic, scenery, cost of living and taxes Colorado Springs is NIRVANA. I have NO PROBLEM with Trump cult members getting the heel out of here and gravitating towards the STOP THE STEAL and anti-vaxx lunatics who make up today's GOP.

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wind lovers this the place for you - 9/15/2021

worse place i can think offor weather cold and horrible wind about 8 months out of year can really only depend on warm weather july and august where place along the coast call winds over 74 miles per hour a hurricane in colorado we call it breezy. completely miserable place to live

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Moving Out ASAP - 8/9/2021

We built a summer home (we are residents of NE Florida) just outside COS in 2014 because we wanted the beauty of Colorado without having to put up with the libbies who infest Boulder, Denver, and Pueblo. Sadly, over the past 6-7 years the place has been overrun with blue state refugees from both coasts, so we are selling our place and building a new home down in Custer County where you have a lot of great ranchers who love our country as much as we do.

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Overrated - 4/27/2021

I've spent the better part of 15 years in Colorado Springs and have recently decided it's time to depart. It used to be possible to overlook the many warts of Colorado Springs because the cost of living was reasonable (for reference I'm an electrical engineer), but it's much more difficult now to overlook those items with the rapid and sustained increase in cost of living here. Frankly, the juice is not worth the squeeze these days. Issues: Traffic flow in the city is worse than a backed up airport toilet. There are virtually no major routes north-south/east-west through the city that don't have traffic lights every 1/4 mile. Recently it seems these lights are all uncoordinated and you are constantly driving into red lights. With the increase in traffic and no emphasis (or plan) by the city to try and manage the traffic flow in a sensible way it's miserable. Traffic volume isn't terrible (yet), but I simply don't see any way it's going to improve. The city doesn't have the money to fix major bottlenecks due to lack of planning for the growth here (major intersections at Powers Blvd should have been built as overpasses, etc). Drivers: This seems like a complaint in all major cities, but I travel through the western US a fair bit and Colorado Springs seems uniquely bad now. It's a constant race to see who gets to the next red light first, everyone else be damned. Admittedly, the lights are timed to reward speeders and punish those who drive the speed limit. Turn arrows at major intersections have at least a few cars blatantly running red turns in each cycle (primary flow has a green light and vehicles are still turning). Lots of unregistered vehicles on the road (which you can assume also don't have insurance) and zero enforcement of it. The police are too busy being distracted by the never ending string of convenience store robberies. Roads: A never-ending battle with potholes. I would not want to drive a sedan here. Every major freeze-thaw cycle obliterates the roads and major hail events in the summer also create foot deep craters. Speaking of foot deep craters, the road department just continually slaps new layers of asphalt on the roads so watch out for the communications manholes in the road that are 10 inches below grade. Infrastructure: The city has let developers run rampant and the impacts are starting to be seen. Infrastructure is being pressed to the limit and is breaking down. We've had several large water main breaks recently that disrupted major intersections in town. Drainage is terrible and there are continual efforts to apply fees to residents in order to pay for storm water drainage infrastructure that developers should have had to deal with years ago instead of passing the impacts and costs on to the city and residents. Major thunderstorms in the summer turn roads into torrents of water (conveniently timed during rush hour). Recreation: The idea of pure weekend mountain bliss is completely false. The mountains are overrun with people now. Making matters worse, EVERYONE here is going one direction on the weekends: west into the mountains. There are only three routes west into the mountains for the entire population of the Front Range so you can do the math. If a squirrel so much as squats on the side of the road, traffic is completely hosed and your weekend mountain bliss consists of sitting in traffic for 4 hours each way. Culture: There’s a general lack of culture here compared to other high priced metropolitan areas. Not in terms of the residents, but just the feel of the city and uniqueness. There are no parts of town with their own character, it’s all just suburban sprawl and big box/chain establishments. I could go on and on, but the point is made. I could have recommended Colorado Springs years ago based on the fact that it isn’t perfect but the cost of living was reasonable; that no longer applies. If you’re coming here, seriously consider your options, priorities, and whether your perception of Colorado Springs matches the current reality. If you want to live in a high priced location with minimal culture, poor infrastructure, unceasing sprawl, etc. this is your place. The view of the mountains is nice, but you get used to it after a while. It may be great for some folks that haven’t been exposed to it yet, but I’ve grown weary of it and have chosen to move on. If I had to sum it up in one word: overrated.

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People Keep Moving Here without Thinking - 4/18/2021

I moved here from Denver to marry my wife thinking I would be able to start a life in a new booming city. Little did I know, this was going to turn into California 5.0 [Denver/Boulder=2.0, Boise=3.0, Austin=4.0]. The thing about rising prices in CO is that unlike in Texas where cheap housing or another metro are not far away, we don't have either here!!! That is not to mention the "jobs." Seriously, the dying city of St Louis had more fortune 500s than the entire state until 3 were bought out in the last 5 years so I guess they still do just not headquartered int he city! Think of this before moving here. Yes, the nature is great but who has time for that slaving away on wages that don't keep up with rent. Rent here is now nearing what it is in Denver [$1300 for a place with no working heat or A/C in the Springs so only about $300 away from what it is up North]. You have people working at Wal-Mart for $13/hr paying $1000 per month after subsidies and 6 people to an apartment like its 1890 because rents are doing the same thing as Denver. Homelessness is through the roof. Our state has a serious construction permitting and water resources issues on top of this. Tap fees [not the actual utilities] start at $45k in total. If you aren't making $150k and willing to take a serious pay cut while moving to a state whose median cost is 120-150% of the national average, don't move here. You will not make it in the Springs without family here. This is the most common issue I see in the state in general. As for the Springs, I am already in three third round interviews in Denver with callbacks here asking if I have a TS/SCI like I have $15k to pay for a frigging security clearance. I get 5/7 callbacks for tech jobs up North and 2/8 here. By the time I have 3 job offers, maybe the school system will get back to me with an interview. I am not the only one experiencing this. I know of doctors, lawyers, and software sales folks who I grew up around in Aurora for years who tried moving to Monument to end up in a 2-3 hour commute to Denver every day. That commute costs you $100 per day in gas and wear and tear. FYI, we don't have a train or decent bus system. There is no Metra. None of this growth was planned. As for the other things. Drivers are attrocious. They increase your insurance rates a minimum of $20 per month. Food is better than Denver. So the food and mountains are the only reason for even 1 star. I'm seriously starting to think of getting a remote gig in USD and moving to Vermont/Canada/somwhere that I can actually afford a place to live without being considered a high-risk applicant despite making $45k+ per year with an 800 credit score. Even greater Portland is cheaper if you consider income to price for my industry than this state. I've lived here since I was 10. This is getting ridiculous. Fix the permitting issue [Texas grew the fastest and is more affordable so lets start with that], fix the infrastructure, stop acting like the good times will never end if you are in government. They will. Look at California and Chicago. We are all making those EXACT same mistakes.

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Just another city that has been sold and lost its - 4/16/2021

When I moved to this city, it had changed greatly compared to when I was a child. The city council and Mayors have sold the soul of this city in the name of progress. Traffic is a nightmare and so is the housing market. The city continues to expand at the expense of the infrastructure and water supply. The roads are terribly maintained , the police force are reactive and only arrive after an accident happened. Traffic violations are increasing and so is crime. You can't go one day without hearing about violence, automobile accidents or a shooting. The city prides itself for being an inclusive city, when in fact the city is divided not by race but by economic standing. The political establishment don't care about the older parts of town they only care about the new housing area and the money that brings in to fund the cities expenses and programs. Than of course if you are of a minority and want to experience non-verbal racism than hang out around Woodmen to Monument and just walk around in the stores.

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Not the ‘best place to live’ - 2/8/2021

Well I’ve lived here now for just over three years and there were many things I wished I was warned of before moving. For reference I moved from Tennessee. The positives: nice people, sunny weather, gorgeous nature. The cons: the dry climate-at first this was appealing but when you wake up most every night dying of thirst it gets old living in such a dry place. The food here is not good! It is so difficult to find a good restaurant with a nice atmosphere, good service and excellent freshly cooked food. If you’re a foodie like me this is NOT the place to live. There’s an extreme lack of good dining options. Most restaurants are extremely casual atmosphere with reheated frozen BLAND food and bare bones service. There’s a serious lack of professionalism here. I have a hard time finding a good hairdresser three years later and same for my husband, it’s been three years of meh to bad haircuts! I gave up on getting my eyebrows done because I can’t find anyone good. Even when getting food delivered there’s always a food item missing, no napkins no condiments. I’ve had a hard time finding good doctors...the list goes on. The drivers here are extremely aggressive. They will change lanes with an inch to spare in between cars, weave angrily through traffic, constantly drift in lanes, I’ve been threatened over a parking spot two times!!! It’s not that serious people!! I mean people drive like they’re ready to die here and they do there’s a fatal accident every week in Colorado. There’s a serious lack of diversity like there’s really none at all. There’s no good shopping!!! You have to go to Denver to do that. The pet culture is extreme here. Look I love animals but I don’t enjoy a hike when the trails are covered in dog turds some in plastic bags left behind some just right where you would step. People bring their dogs in restaurants and even grocery stores, this is unsanitary and the employees never do anything about it. If you like to get dressed up on occasion or even everyday you will look very out of place this is a very very casual place. The crime is getting more frequent, the population is exploding to where everything and everywhere is crowded with cars and people and the cost of living is rising daily. With nothing to make up for it.

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Refreshing and Not So Conservative After All - 1/27/2021

Lots of outdoor hiking and beauty, real estate market is hot but affordable compared to the coasts. People and neighbors are for the most part very friendly, even in stores, and there is a "live and let live" mentality and politeness not evident in very big urban centers. Not nearly as conservative as it was a decade ago, given the large numbers of coastal urban professionals moving in. Restaurants are mostly chains, but that is starting to improve with all the people coming for the beauty.

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Everywhere has pros and cons, COS is no exception - 12/17/2020

People who say that CO Springs has heavy traffic, bad drivers, or is congested/crowded.......have CLEARLY never lived in the true sh*thole that is Dallas, Texas - where I moved here from. The Springs has literally no traffic, ever. Maybe my opinion is just biased because I come from Mesquite TX which is truly the most miserable place in this entire country (I swear to god), but COS has been great for me at least. People here must really have no idea what a standard electricity bill looks like in other states. I was used to paying $150-$200 for a tiny one bedroom apartment in TX just for electricity, and around $80 for water, $100 for internet, etc. I SERIOUSLY pay $35 for electricity and $35 for internet and all other bills are included in my rent, which is how it is most places here. Personally I don’t find the rent prices to be that bad either. But with that said, I suppose you could say the rent is kind of high considering the job market. There’s not a lot of jobs here that pay over $15/hr, so if you’re trying to afford a decent place on your own, you may find yourself having to commute to Denver for work. Another major complaint of mine is the crime and drugs. I don’t feel in constant danger but I’ve been harassed/assaulted twice in the one year I’ve lived here and I never experienced anything like that my whole life in Dallas. There’s an insane drug presence here, it’s like half the people in this city are walking around messed up on some sh*t - and I’m not talking about weed, which doesn’t really bother me. Restaurants are sub-par and there’s not a lot of good stores, so that part kind of sucks too. Also not a fan of the hailstorms all summer. So there are downsides, for sure, but this city is beautiful, utilities are super affordable in my opinion, there’s literally no freaking bugs anywhere because it’s so dry (coming from a humid place where I also lived on a lake, the total lack of bugs here is absolutely insane to me), low police presence, no traffic, etc. This stuff all makes it worth it to me.

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GOD'S COUNTRY - 11/27/2020

Lived here for almost 50 years. Love it. Am captured and captivated by our mountain range. Totally love this place, God's place, and am bound by its bountiful beauty. Will stay here until I perish.

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Somewhat overrated - 8/26/2020

The Springs is great if you're an avid outdoors man or are really into psychedelics and weed but the average Joe may have some difficulty living here. The housing market is screwed here; you will be lucky to find a one bedroom apartment to rent for under $900 and forget about buying house for anything under $260,000. This is not a good place to be young and broke but if you can afford a house around the $280,000 - $400,000 range then you will be fine. Colorado Springs has, by far, the worst drivers I've ever seen. Traffic isn't bad in terms of gridlock but people drive like maniacs and will constantly cut you off and ride your ass even 10 mph over the speed limit. I lived in Phoenix for 15 years and have seen almost the same amount of car crashes as I have in the Springs in just a year. This is only exacerbated by how many hills there are combined with the icy roads during the winter. The climate is absolutely phenomenal winters are short(ish) with a moderate amount of snow, the spring is vibrantly green, summers are warm in the day and cool at night and autumn is beautiful with all kinds of yellow and red trees. The UCCS campus has many great programs and is gorgeous and built into the side of hill. There are some spectacular views all throughout the city with hills, mountains and trees adding to the backdrop. The red rocks canyon is a wonderful place to hike and there are many concerts there all throughout the year. Hiking is a favorite activity out here; you can go hiking every day all summer long and still not see all of the beautiful places the mountains have to offer which are only a 20 minute drive out of the city. You would be hard pressed to find a better city for hiking. Pros: - beautiful 4 season climate and weather - hiking and outdoors activities - amazing views anywhere in the city - good healthcare industry - most people and cops are very friendly - garden of the gods is a 10 minute drive from almost anywhere in the city - Denver is an hour drive north Cons: - expensive housing and rent - terrible drivers, some of the worst I've seen - winters can be icy - hail season will give your cars good sized dents if you don't have a garage - the city is overcrowded and not built for the current population size - lack of good and unique places to eat (except for skirted heifer downtown) - there are crime hot spots, do your research on neighborhoods before moving This city is excellent if you are trying to start a family or retire but mediocre at best for those who are young, broke and single. At the end of the day, this city is not for me but that doesn't mean it's a bad city. If you like to hike, smoke weed and enjoy beautiful scenery then the Springs might be for you. If you are like me and don't smoke, don't hike and spend most of your days indoors, then you should try your luck somewhere else.

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