OT: Fort Collins vs Boulder, what do you think?

[Avispa]

For those of you that know these two cities well, what do you think? Is one better than the other? Which one is more bike friendly? Is there a nice bike trail in Fort Collins as there is in Boulder?

What other things can you tell? Good eats? Which one has more to offer of the two?

Thanks! ;)

[Birddog]

One is Campy, the other is Shimano.

Are you trying to stir the puddin'?

Birddog

[Avispa]

One is Campy, the other is Shimano.

Are you trying to stir the puddin'?

No, just an honest question... As I lived in one (B) and don't know the other (FC) so much.

So which one is Campy? ;)

[michael white]

HInt:

The Kool Kids live in Boulder.
The others don't.

[fierte_poser]

For those of you that know these two cities well, what do you think? Is one better than the other? Which one is more bike friendly? Is there a nice bike trail in Fort Collins as there is in Boulder?

What other things can you tell? Good eats? Which one has more to offer of the two?

Thanks! ;)

I lived in Boulder from 94 to 96 while in grad school and then moved to Fort Collins in 96 for a job after I graduated. I'm still in FtC today. :D

Fort Collins' reputation when viewed through the filter of a Boulderite is that of a cow town.

Boulder's reputation when viewed through the filter of a Fort Collinsite is that of a liberal freakville where the inmates are running the asylum.

Seriously, I've lived in both and they are both great places. I prefer Fort Collins today, but I would never have given up going to grad school in Boulder.

Here are the pros of each:

Boulder:
- tighter knit geographically
- more diversity/culture
- RTD buses are very useful for getting around the city
- walking as a mode of transport is viable (see tighter knit geographically)
- superior university
- superior bike shops (see Pro Peloton)
- better shopping
- better restaurants
- closer to skiing

Fort Collins:
- more spread out geographically
- real estate is not made of unobtanium (prices lag the Boulder market by around 5 years)
- city planners deal with growth in a reasonable manner (as opposed to Boulder where any growth is bad growth)
- less traffic
- separated from the urban sprawl that is Denver
- outsiders think we're a cow town and stay away ;)

Both are very bike friendly.

The two main bike paths in Boulder are the Boulder Creek path and the multi-use path that borders the western edge of campus. At least that's my recollection. Both are very nice, although Boulder creek path is crazy nice.

Fort Collins main bike paths are the Spring Creek path, the Poudre River path, and the Mason Street corridor path.

http://fcgov.com/bicycling/pdf/bike_map_9_14_05.pdf

Although I don't mountain bike, I have to believe that Fort Collins has the edge over Boulder in this area. Horsetooth Mountain Park, Lory State Park, Coyote Ridge, Devil's Backbone, and the Blue Sky Trail that connects them all is apparently ridiculously nice.

http://www.larimer.org/parks/bluesky_brochure.pdf

Road biking out of Fort Collins vs. Boulder is probably a draw, although I like the rides out of Fort Collins very much: Rist Canyon, Masonville via Horsetooth, Estes Park via Big Thomson Canyon, Poudre Canyon, Carter Lake, north to Wellington, etc.

Overall and imho, while Boulder might have more tangible assets that impress when a tourist visits the city, Fort Collins' assets are more intangible and impress over the long haul. The quality of life in Fort Collins is superb and I don't want to leave. EVER! :D

Hope this helps. Happy 4th. :beer:

Kent

[BoulderGeek]

I'd probably prefer living in Fort Collins at this point.

I bailed out of Boulder proper in '98 (Burbs of Lafayette, which is pretty isolated for walking, but only 15 minutes from Boulder). Better views, too.

But, I really like the feel of Ft. Collins. I love Coopersmith's, and the Poudre is great in the summer for moto, road and the river itself.

The lack of proximity to the I-70 corridor for ski and winter mountain access keeps me from considering a move there. Not sure of the job impact, too. At least where I live, I can work in downtown Denver, if need be. In the squirrely job market we've seen (because I work in IT), I've needed easy access to Denver.

[ejh]

Loveland, Its inbetween both 1/2 the cost of Boulder and only 30 min away and 5 from Ft. Collins. Eric

[Bud]

They both have their pros and cons. Kent captured many of them nicely in his post. We live outside of Boulder in Louisville, so we can join the liberal freakshow when we want be still stay out of it ;) . Also, we need close access to Denver as that is where my wife works.

That said, we've often thought about living in Ft Collins, as we very much like it there. Back in the early 90's I lived in WY about 2.5 hrs from Ft colins, and at the time I thought it was a liberal place. My how one's perceptions change depending on where you live.

IMHO, compared to most places that one can live in our great country, Boulder and Ft Colins are both miles above the rest in terms of quality of life.

[Avispa]

fierte_poser, thanks so much for the insightful reply... This is what I was looking for to ignite the fire! Also, thanks for the rest of you...

One reason I asked is because of a possible job at CSU. I now work at a University and it would be great to stay in the Higher Ed sector. However, looks like I may have to make a serious decision about a considerable pay cut, in exchange for a better place to live, ouch! Hard one... eh?

Have any of you been faced with a situation like this?

With that said, and I end up taking the job, I promise fierte, I won't spoil the place... ;)

[scrooge]

fierte_poser, thanks so much for the insightful reply... This is what I was looking for to ignite the fire! Also, thanks for the rest of you...

One reason I asked is because of a possible job at CSU. I now work at a University and it would be great to stay in the Higher Ed sector. However, looks like I may have to make a serious decision about a considerable pay cut, in exchange for a better place to live, ouch! Hard one... eh?

Have any of you been faced with a situation like this?

With that said, and I end up taking the job, I promise fierte, I won't spoil the place... ;)

Consider pay-cut, and likely increased cost of living if moving to Boulder.

[Kirk007]

I did Avispa - originally about 65% cut to take a job in line with my beliefs, a more balanced life where I wasn't using most of my available energy just to pursue money and in a smaller community to raise our son (Eugene vs. Seattle). Haven't looked back and wouldn't go back.

The money squeeze was unpleasant at first, and I won't be retiring at a ridicuously early age, but enjoying the journey has been well worth it.

I lived in Boulder and still have friends there; I've spent time in Fort Collins - two good choices.

Greg

[Bud]

My wife and I chose overall quality of life vs income-centric quality of life. After making two very good incomes in Houston for three years, we decided that the place just didn't make us happy. Our beliefs and ideals were definitely out of the ordinary there. The south wasn't the place for us. Now, we can't imagine leaving CO anytime soon. Our quality of life is fantastic, although our income is much less than it was in TX. The people here are great to be around, much more like where I grew up in the midwest.

The bottom line for us is that $ does not equal quality of life. It's only a part of a larger equation.