For the month of July, I was up the mountains in Coal Creek Canyons just 15 mins west of Arvada. All months, we drove and experienced the front range from Ft Collins down to Golden. Wife and I decided that when we retire, we're moving to Arvada. I want to be close to the mountains but also be close to a major airport, city centers for doctors, and every day conveniences. In Arvada, you are 15 mins from the mountains, 5 mins to Golden, 15 mins to Boulder, 10-20 mins to Denver (depending on where you're going) and 45-50 mins to DIA. Yes I-70 sucks but when we are retired, I won't do I-70 during the weekends. I'll be going up to the mountains during the week and leave the weekends to the Denver people.
People bitching about DIA are missing the bigger picture. I fly in and out of small ass airports all the time. From small airports, I can get to the airport 30 mins before my flight and easily get on my plane. But I'm having to make a connection anywhere I go. From DIA, you are flying direct to most US cities that you would want to visit. Fuck connections. I'd rather spend an extra hour through security in DIA than spend 1-3 hours in a connecting airport where I may miss my flight and get stuck there. And then I would still need to fly to the destination.
My thoughts on the front range cities.
- Golden, the city itself is pretty small. Expensive.
- Boulder, great city but it's the most expensive front range city. We would love to retire here but did I mention that it's expensive.
- Anything north of Boulder and you are getting further from the mountains. By the time you get to Ft Collins, you are 30-60 mins from the mountains, depending on where you want to go. Also the cities are basically suburbs of Denver/Ft Collins. Not much character.
- Ft Collins, we really liked the city. Nice walkable dtown area. We just didn't like how far it was from the mountains. Plus when you go, it'll probably be to Estes and RMNP. That area is a fucking zoo and filled with the Yellowstone tourists type of crowd. I want to do gorgeous hikes with fewer people on the trail. RMNP and that whole area are filled with car hike people, people who won't hike more than a mile from their cars. And there are a fuckton of them.
- Arvada is the Goldie Locks of the front range, imo.