There is a chance (fairly good? Maybe?) that we will be moving to Boulder, CO this summer for DH to go to school there. I have never been there and know nothing. Any information about good places to live, fun things to do, what it's like living there with kids, etc. is appreciated!! 
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I don't have much to say except that the place my husband and I really would like to retire is Golden, Colorado, which is about 20 miles south of Boulder. We love Colorado so much. I would move there in a heartbeat. Good luck!
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@hilsy85: Boulder baby here! Born and raised- anything specific you want to know?
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@Makingbabyw: I guess what it's like living there? Like, how would you describe it? Do you live in the city itself or the burbs? What is the culture like there? What are the people like (I know this would be a huge generalization)? What are winters like? We'd be moving from NYC so it would be a huge huge change...
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So I guess I would say people are much more relaxed in Boulder and way more friendly than NYC (I've only visited shortly). People are BIG into eating healthy, working out, and the environment- it's kind of a running joke that everyone is a treehugger
people spend a lot of time out doors, tons of parks, hiking trails, etc.
I've lived several places- right down town by he campus and pearl street (like an old outdoor shopping mall with some awesome culture), out on city limits as well as in the mountains. It's generally the same but living by campus can be a pain when students are in school:
Winters are mild, we have had really one good snow this year but usually March is the wettest month of the year. It can be super windy too because it's at the foothills of the rockies. Summers are beautiful. All year long it is DRY- we are in the middle of the dessert.
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@Makingbabyw: thanks
Are there a lot of young families there? Activities for kids? How are the schools? We would probably want to live somewhere near the University--is it like frat/party central?
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The schools are excellent- VERRY highly rated in the state and across the nation at all levels. The are many young families- not very many retired people. There are a lot of homeless people because the cost of living is so high- it takes some people by surprise but you get used to it and most of them are very friendly.
There is everything you could imagine for kids- the schools have tons of extra curriculars, manny sports teams, groups for families and kids to do things, community sponsored events. During the summer there is events like the farmers market and the library has fun activities as well.
Around the campus is pretty busy, yes. There are frats and houses rented primarily by students that are wild. BUT you can also live close to campus without being in the midst of that as well- there are neighborhoods of people who want to be close to campus but aren't wild and crazy as well
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@Makingbabyw: thanks!! final questions: how is public transportation? is it a walkable city, assuming we live near campus? is traffic bad around there?
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The bus system is awesome! Most come every 15 minutes and you can get pretty much anywhere you need to go, even denver. Traffic isn't awful either- it takes about 20 minutes to get from the north end of town to the south end of town (farthest points tip to tip) with mild traffic. Unless there is an event (like when a politician or someone comes to campus), then it is a mess
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@Makingbabyw: thanks so much for all your input, I appreciate it!!
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Of course! Any time! If you have questions before your move feel free to contact me!
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Never lived there, but I love it! Jealous!
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Oh how I miss Boulder.
I lived there as a 20-something, so no idea regarding the family life, but it is such a beautiful city & LOVED that I could be hiking within minutes of leaving work.
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@agold: I miss Golden. I was there for 5 years and some of my friends still live there or closeby. I would move back in a heartbeat.
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I loved living in the area! We lived in Lafayette, one of the next towns over, I loved it, except for the cost of living. We spent more time working than playing, but man I loved living there.
If I had a bigger budget, I'd live in new Louisville, very family friendly. With our budget, we could probably afford Firestone or Erie, nice up and coming family communities 20-30 mins away, but much more affordable. I wouldn't want to live in Boulder proper, as it is too expensive for a very small house, and can be pretty noisy at night when school is in session.
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@lemondrop: My sister lived in Lafayette for years and loved it, as did I! I spent loads of time out there! She moved to Longmont a year or so ago but still misses Lafayette.
@hilay85: So I haven't lived there, just been there loads, but if we were ever to move back to the States, it would be to Boulder. Such a lovely, healthy, friendly, outdoorsy city with so much to do! You are a short drive to the mountains with all their skiing, hiking, and wildlife. The Denver/Boulder area gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year as the mountains keep the clouds from getting over until they have lightened up (lost their moisture). Everything is geared towards the great outdoors - cycling, walking, running, sports galore etc! It is a bit more hippie but not in a bad way at all! Traffic in and out of Denver can be a pain in the neck but Boulder has never seemed to be that bad. Cost of living is high, but if you're coming from NYC, it won't be as much of a sticker shock as someone moving there from say, Iowa. There are lots of suburbs around that were small gold mining towns in their own right before becoming swallowed up in suburbia, but a lot of them still retain a lot of their charm.
I seriously love Boulder and like I said, if we ever come back to the US, Boulder is one of the very few places we would consider living (San Francisco being the only other place that would seriously be a contender). I can't give more specifics as I haven't lived there, but between my sister and several friends of mine who have moved to the area, I can say with certainty not a one of them will ever be leaving, they love it that much, and they've all been there for going on ten years or more...
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@lemondrop: @Ree723: thanks! glad to hear such good things.
@lemondrop: you wouldn't live near the university? That's where Dh would be so I figured the closer the better (plus I hate driving so living in a walkable area would be huge for me...). Is it really bad though, like super crowded and frat/party-like?
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@hilsy85: Colorado is wonderful, yes very "treehugger" and some hippies
but honestly it would be a great place to live and to explore for some time. L would LOVE the fresh air and running/hiking. I'm sure it would be a huge change of pace but what a fun thing to get to experience for the kids, a completely different kind of living. We go to Colorado usually once a year or so, it's a decent drive for us, I love it there! the fresh air really does make you feel better for some reason!
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@mrs.shinerbock: I'm glad to know you loved it! Its so beautiful there.
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@agold: we're you at Mines?
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@mrs.shinerbock: No, are you talking the college? I've only been there a because of an uncle in Colorado and my husband loves the golf up there. We are in SoCal and there aren't many climates that we think we could handle, but Golden, CO is just so beautiful.
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I went to school in Boulder, but I lived outside the city in Lafayette, which is about a 15 minute drive away. Boulder is AWESOME! I had a good friend who lived in town and after a couple of years he sold his car because he just didn't need it to get around. The bus system in Boulder is great, and there's buses to Denver throughout the day. It is very family friendly and LOTS of activities to do.
I think you'd want to stay away from living around University Hill because the houses there are completely occupied by students (few families in my experience) and it is kind of frat-like during the school year. That is just one small area though.
The weather is amazing. Although we get snow fairly regularly throughout the winter, it usually is all melted in a day or two. The temperature ranges are wild! You could be in t-shirt/shorts in the morning and have a blizzard by the evening. It's fun!
Is your husband going to grad school? I went to CU Law and my husband got his MBA at the School of Business.
but honestly it would be a great place to live and to explore for some time. L would LOVE the fresh air and running/hiking. I'm sure it would be a huge change of pace but what a fun thing to get to experience for the kids, a completely different kind of living. Reply
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