Help us find a town in Colorado

[crayon]

We are looking at moving (or getting a second home) in Colorado.  A few must haves:

1) good homeschooling group

2)  must lots of nature

3) great views (mts.)  I can not be a "dry" deserty town

4) within 1 hour drive to skiing

5) must have a swim team

6) college town is fine

7) would like- but not need- a farmers market or great downtown

Price is not as important as the town itself.  I do not want to live in a town where people only vacation, I want to find a town that people both love to vacation too and live.

Thanks!

Edited by crayon - 1/12/11 at 2:04pm

[quidfree]

I would check into Grand Junction.

[youngspiritmom]

OMG Boulder, Boulder, Boulder!

1) not sure about the homeschooling thing, but you could do some research

2) AMAZING outdoor opportunities unlike any other place in the country....Boulder Creek, Boulder Creek path, Chataqua, Hiking, Kids Fishing Pond, So much open space, trails, outdoor festivals, extremely bike and pedestrian friendly, Flatirons etc. etc., amazing scenic views

3) Did I mention the outstanding views on the flatirons?? http://media.away.com/images/trip_ideas/denver/co-boulder.jpg

4) There is a bus that goes up to Eldora Ski resort from downtown Boulder, takes about 40 minutes! Other ski resorts not far

5) Many swim teams

6) Amazing college town, University of Colorado is internationally recognized....Boulder is also very educated (is one of the cities with most PhDs for the population etc.) and extremely healthy (gets consistently voted Most Beautiful People)

7) Outstanding farmers market, every week, they're considering getting a facility to do it year round, lots of local farms and CSA....Downtown is AMAZING, pearl street mall, lots of wonderful food etc.

OK, so I'm really trying to sell you on this one.....but Boulder is amazing!! People settle here from all over the world and no one wants to leave. It could be more ethnically diverse (lots of white people) but it has an extremely diverse intellectual, spiritual, and general climate. Liberal, free thinking, creative.

I wish I could raise my kids and family in Boulder from birth until death!

Check it out!!!

[MaWhit]

Check out Alamosa.  It has everything on your list.

[mamadeuna]

Lots of great towns in Colorado, some more on the radar than others. Some possibilities to consider:

1. Grand Junction - meets your requirements except for your not wanting a desert-y place. GJ is the desert, but it is beautiful desert. And we call it the best base camp in the West: You're within 2 hours in any direction of world-class skiing (Aspen, Telluride, Vail, etc), climbing (all over), kayaking and rafting (multiple rivers), and mountain biking (Moab), and within minutes of really great options for the same activities. Actually, our mountain biking is probably on par with Moab's, just maybe not quite as extensive. Great family- and locals-oriented ski area (Powderhorn), up-and-coming college (Mesa State), amazing local agriculture and wine community (the best peaches you'll ever eat...). A couple of swim team options, one of which I know is very competitive; local kids tend to do really well in sports in general against bigger, Denver-area competition. Excellent hospitals, nice downtown, frequent community festivals and weekly farmer's markets. The one thing that may be a challenge, depending on your perspective, is politics. This is a very conservative part of the state, and although that is changing somewhat, liberal-thinking people are still in the minority. So, depending on who you are, that could be a plus or a minus. The progressive part of the community, though, is full of really interesting, vibrant and active people from all over, including lots of wonderful families who seem to find one another quite easily.

Also:

Pagosa Springs

Carbondale

Salida

Alamosa

Steamboat Springs (definitely a resort town, but also a real town and the community of full-time locals is great)

Durango

[mamadeuna]

GJ also has lots of homeschoolers and homeschooling support/$ through Mesa Valley Vision program.

[Reha]

wow, this is such a timely post!!

Can I add a question?  I'm looking for a secular/all-inclusive homeschool community...

does grand junction or alamosa or salida still meet this requirement, you think?  it is so hard to find this info online, I am finding.  I posted on a different thread about durango area, and was told that it is not at all secular homeschool friendly.  :(

I've lived in Boulder before, not interested in living there again, for various reasons.

[chicasmama]

Check out Evergreen or even Conifer. I live in Conifer which is definitely more of a "secluded" feel than Evergreen but I LOVE it. Great place to raise children. Meets all your stated needs.

[mamadeuna]

GJ definitely has secular/all-inclusive homeschoolers, although the numbers are certainly smaller than religiously-oriented homeschoolers. They're here, you just have to look harder and I think they probably do have a good community. I'm on the periphery looking in, but I hear people talking about it, and even more people talking about starting to homeschool, that would be part of the community you are looking for.