Fort Collins or Loveland, CO?

[inkitnow]

Any retirees living in Ft. Collins or Loveland Colorado? We're thinking of moving there - don't want the big city of Denver but don't want a provincial attitude either.

Any tips on the differences between the two? Which is better for over 55?
Thanks for your input. My husband will be working remotely; I'm retired.

 

[Jake46]

They're almost one city. We live on the south side of Fort Collins and Loveland is three blocks away. I'm prejudiced but I think Fort Collins has much more to offer with a great Old Town (shops, restaurants, galleries), CSU and its opportunities for seniors and great medical services. FtCollins.com Loveland is smaller, slightly more laid back and housing may be slightly more affordable. It also has a great hospital (Medical Center of the Rockies) and good shopping at Centerra. You really can't go wrong -- come visit!

 

[walkinwood]

We're interested in that area too for a possible move next year. Our interest started with Boulder, but we're also looking at neighboring towns.

I found a good resource here (if you haven't already)

Colorado Forum - Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum

The main site has detailed information on the towns. You'll find Ft. Collins & Loveland discussed in the Ft. Collins and in the Boulder forums.

We want to move to a townhouse in walking distance to stores/restaurants in an area with a good sense of community. We're planning a trip there later this summer to check it out.

We're currently in NJ (in the greater NYC area) and one of our concerns is the relative isolation of that area from other large cities. Denver is it!

 

[kevink]

We've lived in Colorado for many years: Boulder area mostly, but have spent lots of time in Fort Collins and traveling throughout the state.

Old Town Fort Collins may have what you are looking for in terms of walkability. Boulder certainly does but is much more expensive, though IMO you get what you pay for: much better arts and restaurants, a more beautiful setting and ~100 miles of hiking and biking trails right in the city limits (something no other town in the country offers). It's half an hour into downtown Denver from Boulder, but you probably won't find yourself going there all that often, since Boulder has a pretty complete arts and cuisine scene of its own.

That said, there are some really wonderful neighborhoods in Denver as well, and with light rail and lofts downtown is pretty lively these days. You don't have the trails or easy access to mountains as in Fort Collins or, especially, Boulder, but there are plenty of other advantages.

Hope this helps.

 

[jIMOh]

I have skiied at Loveland and had lots of fun. My aunt and uncle and cousin live in that area. I cannot add anything to the decision, but skiing at Loveland was lots of fun.

 

[Tesaje]

I have skiied at Loveland and had lots of fun. My aunt and uncle and cousin live in that area. I cannot add anything to the decision, but skiing at Loveland was lots of fun.

Umm, the Loveland ski area is quite a distance from Loveland the town, both horozontally & vertically. Estes Park is closer.

I lived near there when I was a kid. Easy access to Rocky Mtn NP. But it is nothing like it was now. Ft. Collins is merging with Loveland. It used to be very distinct. Denver is the big city till you get to KC or Salt Lake. Cheyenne is pretty small.

 

[RunningBum]

I have skiied at Loveland and had lots of fun. My aunt and uncle and cousin live in that area. I cannot add anything to the decision, but skiing at Loveland was lots of fun.

They share the name only. Denver is closer to the ski area than the town of Loveland is.

 

[ronocnikral]

i'll insert my opinion...it's worth what you paid for it.

i'm biased, but my college town of golden, co is awesome. actual golden in the valley, not the suburb stuff. as good of an old town as you get, tucked away in the mts, but very accessible to denver, red rocks, ski resorts, mts and trails. and if you enjoy beer, they have a small brewing outfit there. golden also lacks the traffic that fort collins has. it is a college town, but i wouldn't consider it a rowdy school by any stretch of the imagination. they even built condos dedicated strictly to retirees, right along clear creek.

 

[Tesaje]

i'll insert my opinion...it's worth what you paid for it.

i'm biased, but my college town of golden, co is awesome. actual golden in the valley, not the suburb stuff. as good of an old town as you get, tucked away in the mts, but very accessible to denver, red rocks, ski resorts, mts and trails. and if you enjoy beer, they have a small brewing outfit there. golden also lacks the traffic that fort collins has. it is a college town, but i wouldn't consider it a rowdy school by any stretch of the imagination. they even built condos dedicated strictly to retirees, right along clear creek.

My aunt & uncle lived outside of Golden for years. I have to agree. We used to love taking Hwy 6 up ClearCreek because of all the tunnels. Ok, it was a long time ago & we apparently were easily amused.

 

[inkitnow]

Golden is great...but housing is very expensive compared with Loveland and/or Ft Collins.

 

[Jake46]

Golden is an interesting town but real estate is expensive. Boulder is a unique city with a singular culture and very expensive real estate. Fort Collins/Loveland's real estate is much more reasonable and the culture more Midwest-like.

 

[HFWR]

...and the culture more Midwest-like.

Which may or may not be a good thing...

HFWR, former midwesterner

 

[Westernskies]

I really like Ft. Collins. Loveland feels like a Denver suburb, but Ft. Collins feels like it's own town,small enough that you aren't overwhelmed with traffic and people, big enough to have everything you need, close to Denver if you need a big city fix, sporting events, etc. Also, close to skiing, mountains, outdoor activities. It's also a college town, with all that comes with it, but more importantly, it isn't the Peoples Republic of Boulder.

 

[walkinwood]

I heard that in Ft. Collins (and some other towns north of Boulder) you sometimes get the bad smells from the feed lots (or abattoir? I can't remember which) when the winds are in the wrong direction. Any truth to that?

 

[RunningBum]

I heard that in Ft. Collins (and some other towns north of Boulder) you sometimes get the bad smells from the feed lots (or abattoir? I can't remember which) when the winds are in the wrong direction. Any truth to that?

You might be thinking about Greeley. That's a whole different town from Ft Collins, and not in a good way. Perhaps Ft Collins occasionally gets the Greeley smell.

 

[RonBoyd]

... you sometimes get the bad smells from the feed lots...

Bad smells?!?! Here in the West that is called "fresh country air." The sooner you learn that the better.

(Reminds me of T'Als Wisconsin motto: "Come smell our 'Dairy Air.'")

 

[Jake46]

I've lived in Fort Collins for 3 years and the air is definitely cleaner smelling than any place I have ever lived. Greeley is southeast and 40 miles away and the prevailing winds carry the feedlot smells away from Fort Collins.

 

[Westernskies]

I heard that in Ft. Collins (and some other towns north of Boulder) you sometimes get the bad smells from the feed lots (or abattoir? I can't remember which) when the winds are in the wrong direction. Any truth to that?

It's the smell of BS coming out of Boulder... The cattle are all in Greeley.

 

[walkinwood]

You might be thinking about Greeley. That's a whole different town from Ft Collins, and not in a good way. Perhaps Ft Collins occasionally gets the Greeley smell.

I researched Greeley - that's probably the town I heard about. It has a meat "packaging" plant as well as feed lots. I guess they don't call them slaughterhouses any more.

 

[Dawg52]

It's the smell of BS coming out of Boulder... The cattle are all in Greeley.

I was in Greeley back in the early 80's. Visiting an old college buddy. I couldn't believe how flat and rural looking it was. Of course I thought all Colorado was one big mountain back then.

I need to take another trip out there. Last time I was in CO was 2003. Beautiful country. Escaping the heat and humidity of MS would be nice.

 

[isabella]

We're from California and moved to Colorado back in 2000. We lived in Greeley and I worked in Loveland. Also, spent quite a bit of time in Fort Collins.

Greeley smells to high heaven. It's awful. Fort Collins, as others have mentioned, has a cute downtown area and there are some great restaurants. I found Loveland a bit depressing. Not much there and for some reason it just made me feel sad. Kind of strange.

Anyway, the other thing worth mentioning is that some people have trouble adjusting to the altitude in Colorado. We had lots of problems. My daughter had terrible migraine headaches (almost daily) and my husband and I never felt well. We lasted a year and moved back to California.

Another thing that I didn't like is the really dry air.It makes your skin itch and the inside of your nose feel uncomfortable. It may sound like a small thing, but it can be hard to get used to.

In California we were used to rolling hills and it was too flat in the Greeley/Loveland/Fort Collins area for my taste. There was a kind of desolate feeling that I didn't like.

What we liked about Colorado were the people. Pretty down to earth, nice and not overly concerned with appearances.

I worked with quite a few people who had moved to Colorado from California and loved it. So, I think our experience is not typical, but I have heard of others who had trouble with the altitude and had to leave.