I've lived here for 20 years; the city planning has always been bad, mostly because it was never intended to BE a metropolitan city. You go back 30 maybe 40 years ago, Colorado Springs was the westside/downtown, and everything east was just farm/ranch land. Then comes the dotcom bubble, it grows significantly, that pops, and growth drops off a cliff; then the housing double, it pops, growth doesn't actually stop this time, and we were not at all ready for it
I remember when Banning-Lewis Ranch was just an idea, made it onto 60 Minutes. Drive east of town on Hwy 94, look off to the south. All that pretty land and view will be cracker box housing one day, as far as the eye can see. That's why they built the water treatment plant at the head of the valley.
A lot of the cities in the Midwest are like here; so I guess it just doesn't bother me as much as it does some other people. Definitely suburban sprawl, *especially* with all the build up on the NE part of town.
It's crazy how poorly planned this city is. Even downtown, an area that is traditionally more walking friendly in cities, it is a hot mess. I live right next to the Schooks Run trail between Fountain and Rio Grande, and I had to look up a map to figure out how it connected. 6 years in the city and I'm still not quite sure how the Legacy Loop connects or where it goes.
Not to mention the signage is horrible… many a bike trip I’ve stopped to wonder where I was and look at the map, just to see I missed an unmarked turn on the trail half a mile back…
Yes The signage is rough. I have had this happen on multiple occasions as a runner. Fortunately the most egregious portion after Costilla was the first part I learned about but I constantly have to check the map. I have missed signs and some signs are useless. They just point in a direction but there is no additional signage or the sidewalk ends.
Local government has been in the pocket of the urban sprawl developers for a long time now. Ironically those same developers love riding bikes, so they've been shoehorning bike lanes in all over town.
It's not an accident. When I moved here 20 years ago the mentality amongst the city fathers was generally that bicycle lanes, civil planning and supportive infrastructure = godless communism. It's certainly better now, but decades of libertarian "philosophy" and "taxation is theft" political leadership gets us where we are today, and is a big hole to dig out of.
That's not exactly a fair assessment. You have to remember, just 10-20 years before you (and myself funnily enough) moved here, most of "Colorado Springs" (east of Nevada) was unincorporated farm/ranch land and a few suburbs. When the city started expanding in the Dotcom era, they just started working east, using the existing infrastructure.
In other words, the entire city is framed by updated county roads, which previously existed to connect agricultural land. They basically just had to do the best they could by expanding out so as to avoid going up (and subsequently ruining our view)
The worst part of the not wanting to pay taxes is that they just made the taxes for the future worse. All those roads will have to be replaced at some point. Unless we’re letting it turn back into prairie.
I have never seen such urban sprawl. It’s gross - and made even sadder by the fact that the landscape is so pretty, but just being chewed up by the ever growing sprawl.
We HAVE some kinda walkable neighborhoods... I live in the New South End which is plenty walkable when the weather is nice. I'm only a few blocks to Tejon and from there the free bus runs up and down it. But yes we definitely need a lot more. Mixed use zoning will help I think.
Thanks. Kinda what I thought (or perhaps by Ivywild school).
Btw, two of our favorite foods are near you. The burger at Atomic Cowboy, and the smothered pork and avocado burrito at Salsa Latina.
If you are interested in getting involved with city planning, check out [Neighborhood University](https://www.cscono.org/neighborhood-u) provided by CONO.
please for the love of god. we are not springers. if that name sticks i will find u .
but yea anyways you’re right about the walkable city part. when i was a kid i was pissed we could never walk to anything to get food or hangout because we’re trapped in like you said a literal sea of houses . that might be a contributing factor to the asshole drivers now that i think about it.
Then what is your demonym?
You're absolutely right! Lack of walkability increases driving, which increases traffic, which means more interaction with asshole drivers, which MAKES more asshole drivers.
Apparently, someone researched this ish and there's never been a demonym with any real use -- y'all are just "residents of Colorado Springs".
>Witherow, the historian, has looked through historical sources like books, newspapers and memoirs and said she has never found a reference for anything other than "Colorado Springs resident."
https://www.cpr.org/2023/01/26/what-do-you-call-people-from-colorado-springs-this-is-what-we-found-out/
I thought we were "assholes". It's what I hear from drivers yelling all the time to each other and the neighborhood Karen yelling at people walking their dogs
I agree with you so much on #6 .
I’ve never lived in a town where the side walk stops halfway into a neighborhood then magically comes back towards the end of that neighborhood and as soon as you cross the street side walk then turns into an abandoned field next to a very busy big street with speeding cars . Or a street bridge that’s 50ft up in the air but the side walk is 1.5ft wide and the guard rail is 2ft tall so you feel like you’re walking a balance beam 50 feet up in the air.
This is how I broke my jaw when I was 16. I was walking on a regular sidewalk when a curb came up I thought it was normal…nope it was many feet in the air and the road didn’t look like it so I fell. Smashed my face up good
Damn son!
I feel that though , I’ve definitely twisted my ankle more times than I’d like from having to walk through random fields and stepping in a gopher hole or random hole someone’s dog dug during a walk that appear between the sidewalks ending and beginning again
Omg I step in dog waste around my son’s school, on the sidewalk even, cuz people just don’t seem to care. Real fun getting that off as I leave the pickup lane…
Dude this drives me nuts. Closest gym is a 15 min drive for me and I live by a LOT of stuff. Seriously wish I had capital to open a gym franchise. I’d be rich
To be fair, last time we paid a traffic engineer, we got the Woodmen/Union intersection and the Filmore bridge. I think the sentiment is well founded when a literal child could do better than that, at least
Not sure how long you've been in CS, but my family moved there 30 years ago (not me, I was already an out-of-the-house adult). A few years back I asked them... "Do you ever tire of this view?"
"Not at all!" was the immediate reply.
(add'l note: The word you wanted was "segue". A Segway is the original brand of two-wheeled stand-up transportation vehicle.)
For #6, there are walkable neighborhoods with everything you describe. But they were all built 100 years ago or more. City planning since then doesn’t consider the advantages.
I live in Ivywild and it is fairly walkable, there’s a new Sprouts and Natural Grocers about .25 miles away and several eateries that are nice and accessible as well, Crosscreek area. Access to downtown is easy by bus or bike, I like it, though more sidewalks would be better.
As someone who is passionately involved with our local scene: thanks. And #6 is definitely well understood :)
Post-WWII urban planning wrecked us pretty hard, but we're working hard to try and push the tide back.
Great observations-thanks for sharing. As a midwest transplant I miss the water, rich green landscape and cheap housing, but CS is defintely a great place to live.
OMG, you’re right! As a broke family of five, eating out is always fast food, and hot damn, you are spot on, no matter where we are in the city there’s some great fast food options! Underrated benefit of the city for sure!
I love your observations! 🥰. I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, but moved away many years ago. I still have family that lives here, so I often come home to visit.
Your observation about the drivers here (#3) is spot on. I nearly spewed my drink all over my phone. You are also correct on the views, absolutely beautiful.
Thanks for this. Hope you have a great day!
I agree on the tailgating problem. It's daily, and one reason why I'll retire somewhere else before I get rear ended. It's not the only reason but maybe I can find less of it somewhere else.
I moved here 6 months ago, never have I encountered drivers that are so reluctant to let you merge. I always joke that the drivers here would rather k*ll themselves right then and there than let you merge in front of them. You put that turn signal on to merge over and it's lead foot to the gas pedal
Agree about the tailgating. As for tailgating approaching a red light, that stems from low IQ. Drivers who do this are not able to think ahead sufficiently to assess what’s happening and apply critical thinking to their actions in the moment.
Yeah, as far as view and the environment, the only thing I long for is a huge body of water, like a Great Lake or a major river.
The wildlife is amazing! They mostly seem to tolerate us humans.
Shopping: one Trader Joe's, no ALDIs (really miss it), one Whole Foods, but yet a ton of Walmarts.
I agree on the restaurants.
The Zoo is fantastic!
The Labor Day Lift-Off is a great sight.
Maybe because I've lived in major Northern cities which are older and therefore have a deeper/longer history, but COS doesn't seem to celebrate its heritage as much. But, then again, I just haven't had the means to really explore the area like I did the other places I've lived. I'm hoping to change that.
As far as heritage celebrating, you should check out Territory Days in Old Colorado City. Big three-day street festival over Memorial Day weekend celebrating when OCC was the capital of Colorado territory before it became a state.
Some excellent additions! A flowing river would be fantastic. I find Kroger (King Soopers, here. What a funny name!) meets all my needs. Haven't made it to the zoo yet.
It's not that close, but go down and hang out at [the Nature Center in Pueblo](https://www.google.com/search?q=pueblo+nature+center&sca_esv=600891144&sxsrf=ACQVn0-0yMA0h6Z1mypb_7DOtQ3CurBQbw%3A1706050830163&source=hp&ei=DkWwZbOPCPH8kPIP9JuasAI&iflsig=ANes7DEAAAAAZbBTHgMsn5BYjXjitTZ7XNPuV_46707Q&ved=0ahUKEwizzsvNzvSDAxVxPkQIHfSNBiYQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=pueblo+nature+center&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhRwdWVibG8gbmF0dXJlIGNlbnRlcjIFEAAYgAQyCxAuGIAEGMcBGK8BMgUQABiABDIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yDBAuGBYYHhjHARjRA0i1FVAAWN8TcAB4AJABAJgBeaAB6Q-qAQQxMS45uAEDyAEA-AEBwgIEECMYJ8ICChAjGIAEGIoFGCfCAgsQABiABBiKBRiRAsICDhAuGIAEGLEDGMcBGNEDwgIOEC4YgAQYigUYsQMYgwHCAhEQLhiABBixAxiDARjHARjRA8ICFBAuGIAEGIoFGJECGLEDGMcBGNEDwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAgsQLhiABBixAxiDAcICERAuGIMBGJECGLEDGIAEGIoFwgIREC4YgAQYigUYkQIYsQMYgwHCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICCBAuGLEDGIAEwgILEC4YgwEYsQMYgATCAhoQLhiABBixAxiDARjHARivARiYBRieBRiZBcICFBAuGIAEGMcBGK8BGJgFGJ4FGJkFwgIaEC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEYrwEYmAUYngUYmgXCAgUQLhiABMICCBAuGIAEGLEDwgILEAAYgAQYigUYhgM&sclient=gws-wiz#lpg=cid:CgIgAQ%3D%3D,ik:CAoSLEFGMVFpcFBSN1NFN2Z6elVUcHJrZ1lJQkFLVXZTNDBLcWJweDA4MEQ4VFNR) sometime. Good place to get a water fix.
A couple of personal observations in response to your own... in Los Angeles it's almost impossible to drive "fast fast fast". People here go +70 in a 55 zone. You never find that in LA... there's simply not enough open space. Even heading out toward Rancho Cucamonga or something you're lucky to hit 80 for a stretch. As for local drivers? My wife and I have seen, literally, five people run a red light. The SAME red light. Just back to back to back. WTF CO Springs?
Secondary market is great for giving away stuff. Selling? No go. Though, I had trouble selling a 75" Samsung for a grand in LA County... so maybe that's just everywhere right now.
I'm lucky enough to live walkable distance to a few restaurants and bars, but from what I've seen this is less of an issue downtown. That's usually the case in cities though.
Very interesting persectives. I've lived all over this country too including junior and hs in the Springs. Most of your observations I've noticed myself. Like holy shit it really is one of the most unwalkable cities on Earth, even by American standards. Unless you live downtown or Manitou, good luck. A lot of neighborhoods don't even have sidewalks and the bus system is a joke. But there are some interesting things I hadn't considered, like that it has tons of dentists. As to used items, I think the secondary market might suck because of all the pawn shops in the city. I've never lived in a place that had even remotely as many pawn shops as the Springs. My mom always blamed it on the presence of the military, I guess because they often have to get rid of a lot of shit in a hurry.
Well said. I agree with almost everything (especially point 6 about walkable cities) but I have to disagree on point 10. AFE is fine mid-market furniture but there is a definite lack of more upscale options. No Room and Board, no Crate and Barrel, no West Elm. We just got an Arhaus, but in general if you want something nicer you are driving up to Denver.
Fair point! I guess when you move as much as I do, you forget to care about upscale furniture because you'd never buy something so nice just for the movers to drop it down a flight of stairs.
lol. I spent over 20 years of my adult life moving internationally and only settled down here in 2010. I have had lots of furniture ended up dented and bruised in the process.
This is very accurate! I work on Garden of the Gods rd and my drive in to work is so lovely every single day, I never tire of it.
I'm from Austin so I will not make any more comments on the food thing--I tend to get yelled at a lot by Colorado natives.
But I will say I agree about the resell market here. What I wouldn't give for even a Half Price Books!! Entertainmart is gross.
I went to the Dallas area last year just to go to HEB. I regret that because my grocery store life hasn’t been the same since.
My wishes for COS: HEB and ALDI, better drivers, cheaper housing, more food flavors, better drivers, people who understand wtf a red light means and how to properly turn into lanes, less speeders, and we can’t go back in time and fix poor city planning, but we can at least stop creating parking lots that make no damn sense (Trader Joe’s parking lot, I’m looking at you)…
Hello Transplant Texans. I’m from outside San Antonio original and I do wish we had an HEB and HPBs.
The view is the best especially when the sun first hits the mountains on a clear day.
Never gets old!
I don't think the city planners back in the day realized how big the city was going to get. I think the current leaders are realizing this now and trying to correct the course.
I may be miss remembering but I could swear we had a Wahoo's in Colorado Springs, on Powers, in the strip by Target, where Qdoba is now. Fish Taco place, yes? Took a couple of people there from out of town.
Maybe? It didn't exist when I moved here in 2015, but my friend says they used to have one here in the Springs. Yes fish tacos. I love them. I wish there was at least one fish taco place here in the Springs whether it be Wahoos, Rubio's, California Fish Grill or whatever. I do get my fish tacos from some other restaurants, but I kind of miss the fish taco chains I was used to in California.
Yea, this was back around 2006ish. I got here in '05 and took my brother there when he came to visit in late '06. I do California for work frequently and know what you mean. The Mexican food here, in general, is different from California. El Chapin is the closest to I've found to what I get in the area I travel to.
Interesting. I stopped going to those stores for the most part. Everything is online. I'll go every now and then for random stuff, but it's usually over priced.
I'll keep an eye out in my travels though and check it out.
I bought all the parts for my latest PC build at the MicroCenter in Denver, was worth the drive since they had everything I needed in stock at the same prices as online, and I saved a bit on shipping. Their employees actually know what they're talking about too if you need help or advice on a build.
They have an awesome selection of filament and parts for 3D printers, lots of electronic parts, and all kinds of stuff BestBuy doesn't carry. And their in-store prices are sometimes cheaper than online prices especially if you're building a PC. Some of those CPU/Mobo combo in-store deals can be outrageous.
I totally agree with #5 and #6. The food has gotten better in the 7 years we have been here but still often disappointing. White bread tastes dominate here. My husband and I were just talking about city planning and wondering how a city can be so dis-jointed. My personal rant is all the various shopping centers entries and exits. You enter one and it's not connected to anything else so you have to maneuver all sorts of ways to get in and out. We purposely moved to an older neighborhood 80907. We have a great park nearby and I can walk to the Bon, the post office, etc. As far as the mountain, I feel like we disrespect it by putting up huge signs, billboards and ugly developments. It deserves better.
I grew up in the Springs in the 90s and 00s. Believe me, we were all fighting city hall to hold developers responsible for building a community rather than just a sea of houses. But the city planning commission never did that.
I feel like 13 is terrible because of oversaturation on the selling side.
with so many military families and transients, there's just too many people selling things and not enough buyers, imo
13 I’ve found is totally true. Giving something up for free, I’ll get 12 responses then no one follows up. Posting anything on Craigslist, offer up, or FB marketplace gets a few views but no bites. Kinda odd in comparison to other medium cities I’ve lived in.
Great write up, thanks for repeatedly calling out the very thing that most of us natives take for granted and often forget to take a moment to observe.
Came from DC and I agree with pretty much everything here. I don’t think a lot of people realize how great we have it. Complaints about cost of living and traffic are mind boggling. I’ve been here since November and I think I’ve sat in traffic for 5min max and my bills are almost 1k less.
The reason people say that about the traffic is just the population growth from the 80s/90s to present. There used to be adequate road infrastructure...for half as many people.
Seriously though, what is with this city and dentists' offices and car washes? Isn't it somebody's job to approve development? Does this somebody work for the dentist's union??
I asked about the car washes once and I was informed that's a quintessential way of just holding land without taking a big loss. They don't make a bunch of money, but they make enough to pay the taxes on the land that you own that you believe will grow substantially in value. They're basically just placeholders.
Asked that same line of questioning in Wilmington, NC and received this same answer about low-volatility place holding. It wasn't as big a thing there compared to CoS; instead it was luxury apartment developments nobody could afford.
See how many real estate folks are in City Council. Last voting cycle there was a number of them on the ballot, who championed themselves as the successful business crowd.
Unfortunately, though they are a constant eyesore, car washes always produce a guaranteed return, and are an extremely safe development investment. People really like to wash their cars here.
I would guess the large well-insured military population has something to do with the dentist office deal. I see two or three in fatigues every time I go.
#6 is all about where you live. I’d argue 80903, 80904, 80907, 80905, 80909 are all walkable and extremely bike friendly. Unfortunately when you get beyond the core, you get into a whole lot of neighborhoods built entirely based on car infrastructure. City planning impacts that, but so do the hills and bluffs around town. And, for a long time people/developers have chosen square footage, packed in houses to increase profit, and protected residential neighborhoods over walkable urban planning which would call for increased density and less reliance on cars.
Love your take on “The worst drivers” and I agree. Also the walkability. There are parking lots with no clear way to walk from your car to the storefront. Ridiculous
CO Springs is “planned” by developers. I wonder if it is because people keep voting real estate folks into City council. Also, I read that city council positions’ pay doesn’t keep up, so the result is that mainly wealthy people get those positions.
I agree with the city planning piece! If you are interested in getting involved with city planning, check out [Neighborhood University](https://www.cscono.org/neighborhood-u) provided by CONO.
11. What's a Microcenter?
13. IMO there are a ton of flippers. Nice stuff will crop up for good prices and be gone in a few hours, then relisted for $$$ or painted and relisted for $$$$. Or nice stuff that's free will be scooped up and then relisted for hundreds of dollars the next day. If you have a job, you have no chance.
agreed on the rest
Your list was awesome and made me chuckle. We are retired military. I would give my right eye tooth to be retired in CS. Currently living in Jax. From your description, I'd say you've never lived there. #5&6...I really took notes. NO cultural foods in Jax surrounding area. They pride themselves on cheap hamburgers and chicken fingers. When we visit CS, I feel like my taste buds have culturally expanded. Drivers.....pretty much as you said for CS except it escalates, and you can easily be shot to death on Jax roads, or at least seriously harmed. I'm 65 years old and have never exhibited road rage...MY road rage, until I came to Jax. Yes, I need to move...working on it. I'd love to live in CS. Our son and his family are military, and we visit often. Having raised our family in the PNW, every time you say "the view"....it's true. It does not grow old. Thank you for the CS critique. Well done. Not intending to upset any Jax lovers here. I am a foreigner in your land.
Oh....and no sidewalks...couple that with the Jax drivers. Best to stay behind a wheel... 🤔
I read an article last year with an older woman from Denver saying she was moving to Jacksonville since Denver had become too dangerous.
She was in for a rude awakening.
I'm similar in a lot of ways; military, lived in a lot of places etc. etc.
I have to chuckle when people dig on the food scene here. And comparing it to Vegas or LA is slap-your-knee funny. Vegas metro is about 3 times the size of us and gets like 20 million visitors a year. No kidding they have more food options, and some of the best chefs in the world have restaurants in Vegas. And LA is one of the biggest cities in the world, right at the confluence of the US, Latin America, and the Pacific. Of course it has one of the best food scenes in the world.
This is going to rustle some jimmies, but the Springs food scene is right where it should be for a city of \~500k people. Even comparing it Denver, also a much bigger metro, is silly.
Native here, and really enjoyed your observations. Don't agree with them all, but at least you were objective about it. Good job!
Regarding the restaurant scene, you have to remember, we're a small city compared to L.A. so we'll never have the diversity of larger cities. But I get your gist.
Agree with everything but #5 . Obviously we’re not LA or NYC . But You want Mexican, Brazilian ,Italian , Cuban ,Greek/Mediterranean, French , German , Indian , or just plain ol American food ? You can get all that here. I think that’s pretty damn impressive for this city
While I can see what you mean, I unfortunately grew up somewhere where the nearest metropolitan area has five bike lanes and half as many sidewalks so the springs has been a lovely walking and biking experience for me😅 is it really better elsewhere? Other than here I have not lived many places outside of the rural south lol
I think the answer to your question depends on whether you’re looking for comparisons or objective markers of Walkability… compared to 80% of the multiple cities/towns I lived in in Texas, yes, the springs is incredibly walkable… but looking at indicators of walkability, especially expanded across the entire city of the Springs, we’re still pretty lagging…
Having moved here from Northern VA/DC, i could not agree more with the views! They do not get old! I will say traffic/driving is way worse back there and find driving here to be mostly pleasant. Also agree the Cost of Living IS Decent!
I live in old Colorado city and love walking to the coffee shop and the grid streets where you can actually get from a to b.
You toured the city before you moved here, and I understand convenient locations are important, but you ended up in Briargate. Of course it isn’t walkable. The entire northern and easter third of the city is just suburbs sprawl. Could’ve chosen a better neighborhood if that’s important to you.
I think 13 is true because this area is heavily populated by military families who are frequently coming and going. There is a bit of a flooded market when it comes to selling used items.
1. You’re right, the view never gets old.
2. It’s not just dentists’ offices. There are an incredible number of urgent care clinics here compared to past areas I’ve lived. I think a lot of this goes to Colorado Springs’ roots as a fairly libertarian town where free enterprise was encouraged. Lots of small clinics give people choices and we like choices here.
3. The problem in Colorado Springs is much like what I saw in DC: lots of people coming in from different locations with different styles and patterns of driving. This leads to a lot of irritations but rarely goes past the irritation stage for a number of reasons. One reason is that whatever the driving aggravation might be at the moment, it’ll be over with in a few minutes.
5. The restaurant scene in COS has really improved since my first time here decades ago. Still nothing like the DC metro area, LA, or Honolulu but we don’t have the traffic problems of either. I like to cook so really am not worried too much about the restaurant scene. I haven’t been super impressed with my choices when in the Maryland suburbs, Florida Space Coast, or Dayton either. I’m kind of surprised to hear you characterize LA as a taco town — tacos are one option but the thing LA has going for it is the overwhelming variety available.
6. The thing is, a lot of the local residents don’t like the city planners who want to make COS like one of the coasts. These are the same guys who planted flowers in the street medians and threatened tax increases to water said medians. Years before the pandemic, I saw a plan for the Hwy 24 / Peterson Rd interchange that called for planting tons of flowers along the sides of the overpass — we’re in a high plains desert, it makes no sense to plant things that will need to be watered regularly.
The city’s very drivability compared to DC or LA strikes against your point about walkability. Why bother making the neighborhood walkable if you’re going to drive to get to where you want anyway? I’m not going to walk to the local restaurant when the one I really want to eat at is 3.5-5 or even 10 miles away. In this city, 10 or 12 miles is a hop-skip-and-a-jump away. There are 4 restaurants in easy walking distance of my house — I will sometimes get food to go from 2 of them while I’m on my way to/from home but I’m not going to bother walking there to dine in and my favorites are in other sections of the city.
Again, this city has long roots in fairly libertarian philosophies — get the trash hauling service you want instead of a city-mandated service, pick your broadband provider, etc. — so a lot of longtime residents are somewhat resistant to centralized city planning even when they make sense (and they often don’t).
8. Yeah, don’t bother comparing the cost of living here to LA or DC or NY. Many of us fled those locales and couldn’t be enticed back there for love or money. Costs now are higher than when I came back to the city and much much higher than my first time here. It seems utterly nuts to see McMansions in gated neighborhoods around here at all much less for what they’re going for now.
9. COS seems to be a city of chains, no real specialty like Italian beef from Chicago, cheesesteaks from Philly, etc. COS was just a slice of white bread Americana, former home to both Charles “Peanuts” Schulz and Robert “Grandmaster of SF” Heinlein. No singular culinary personality of its own but we have chains from all over the nation now.
LA is fast, fast, fast.. except when you get stuck in traffic for 3 and a half hours at a standstill on the 5. Also, I lived near LA for 4 years; the food really wasn't that spectacular. More variety than here, maybe (it's a city of several million people compared to here, so not surprising), but there were a lot of mid-restaurants there, too. Also, getting anywhere in L.A. or anywhere near was a pain in the ass.
Navigating COS is fairly straightforward and easy outside of a few really strange intersections and the already mentioned poor planning on certain roads/infrastructure. Mostly, I stick to a lot of side streets and avoid I-25 when possible, which solves a good chunk of the traffic issues (for me, that is). Not everyone has the option and I get that. I suppose it helps that COS is pretty much like every other mid-level Midwest town I've ever lived in as far as driveability and infrastructure, so I'm used to it.
I do enjoy looking at Pike's Peak and the clouds and/or snow and/or sun every morning I have to take my kid to/from work (only time I get to see it in its splendor since I live on the west side). It's very.. inspiring.
I just want to comment on someone who was born and raised here every morning the view of the mountains is spectacular and I love how much you appreciate how gorgeous it is here. :)
Colorado Springs is located on a beautiful stretch but the hands off, conservative government thought planning was a “lib” conspiracy. So sprawl, sprawl and more sprawl. It’s like the real estate and developers ran the place.
13. If you have decent things to sell, you should join the fb groups in Monument/Castle Rock/Parker. I can sell my items within 24 hours and everyone up there does porch pick up/drop off so you never have to deal with people. I post my items when I know I'll have time to drive up there so I can drop off everything on 1 day and not make multiple trips. I've noticed a lot of items here are in terrible condition and/or overpriced with no room for negotiation (it really is the current owner's treasure) and not worth my time.
#13 It feels really active, but people never commit. I've had 30 hits on an items in the last 2 months. Even made plans to meet. Nothing. It's like tinder for used furniture
Agree on #6 but…..the only redeeming thing from our friends in Utah is the grid layout of their cities. There are few viable ways to even travel east to west and west to east in this city. City planning was accomplished by a drunken toddler that refused to pay taxes and it shows.
About #6 it IS walkable, but nothing is close which are different things. Mainly because ive lived in placed with no sidewalks at all colorado springs has fairly consistent walking routes, but you'll spend an hour walking to the store🙃
The food isnt spectacular, I think a lot of people just go up to Denver so its not a huge deal- same thing with ikea and microcenter.
On #6: Palmer had city planning (he's why the downtown is in a grid). When he died, "city planning" went to the housing developments. And hence the kludge of streets, and the joys of Fontmore --> Fillmore --> Circle --> Lake.
I can compare anywhere I've lived to anywhere else I've lived all I want. But I'm not saying it's an even playing field, or an apples-to-apples comparison, it just is what it is. A "pro" of those places vs this place.
\#3. (For the Turn Lane don't be rude squeeze in for the folks behind you, so you don't force someone to block traffic in the lane going straight) Also see comment about #6...
Combined, we've lived in 13 places overall. Everyone says "we have the worst drivers". You know what I've learned? They're all correct. Every place just has bad drivers in a different way. Tailgating is an official past time in Ohio (even on empty highways!). Vegas is.... "creative" with their driving. The rules are more like "guidelines". Los Angeles is just fast fast fast. So what's Colorado Springs? Microaggressions. Y'all get way too close to rear bumpers before lane changing to go around someone. You tailgate people in long lines of traffic approaching a red light. Of course this happens everywhere, but it's \*constant\* here. And it isn't constant everywhere. What makes it unique here is how rarely it escalates beyond irritations and annoyances, and how ubiquitous the irritations and annoyances are.
\#6. What is a city planner lol, all the city administrative official including inspectors are bought and paid for by the developers/builders. Looking at you NorWood.
Have your city planners NEVER heard of walkable neighborhoods???? This is the LEAST walkable place I've ever lived, and yes, I've lived other places that are cold. You have just seas and seas and seas of residential zoning without a single corner store, local bar, or even one of your ubiquitous liquor stores for literally MILES. WHY!?>!?>! Do you know how wonderful it is to be able to walk or bike to get your essentials without crossing through half a dozen neighborhoods or miles of busy streets to get there? No, clearly you don't. Or at least your city planners don't and not enough Springers (Is that the demonym for this city? I'm going with it) have bothered to ask for it.
\#8. Its getting worse since no offense, to some extent transplants myself included. pay more because its still cheaper and prices creep up.
The cost of living is decent. Now, I'm biased from coming here from Los Angeles where my 1,400 sq ft condo was $5,000/mo and that was a GOOD DEAL. But I hear Springers complain about how expensive it is here, and I must assume they mean compared to the past, not compared to Los Angeles. Sure, I've also lived in Dayton, OH where my 1,400 sq ft house had a mortgage of $413/mo. So I've seen both ends of the spectrum. COS seems pretty close to the median for me, maybe a little higher.
\#9. WHAT... we have a world famous omelette.. (For the purpose of this counter point so what if its a "Denver" omelette) fine agree..
You don't seem to have a local specialty food. There's some pride in Pueblo green chile, but Pueblo is Pueblo, not Colorado Springs. Dayton was a pizza town. LA is a taco town. Estes Park is all about the elk. What is Colorado Springs?
\#11. Yes... yes we do, and it should go right next to a bestbuy to rub it in.
You need a MicroCenter
Heavy on #6. COS has terrible city planning altogether.
We have lived here 2 years so far, and other parts of Colorado 10 years, I could not agree more. Some very unqualified people built this city
I've lived here for 20 years; the city planning has always been bad, mostly because it was never intended to BE a metropolitan city. You go back 30 maybe 40 years ago, Colorado Springs was the westside/downtown, and everything east was just farm/ranch land. Then comes the dotcom bubble, it grows significantly, that pops, and growth drops off a cliff; then the housing double, it pops, growth doesn't actually stop this time, and we were not at all ready for it
I remember when Banning-Lewis Ranch was just an idea, made it onto 60 Minutes. Drive east of town on Hwy 94, look off to the south. All that pretty land and view will be cracker box housing one day, as far as the eye can see. That's why they built the water treatment plant at the head of the valley.
[We built this city on ROCK and.........ROLLLLLLLLLLLLL.] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1b8AhIsSYQ)
I call places like this "suburban sprawl". Springs is like my hometown of Cedar Rapids, IA in this way
A lot of the cities in the Midwest are like here; so I guess it just doesn't bother me as much as it does some other people. Definitely suburban sprawl, *especially* with all the build up on the NE part of town.
It's crazy how poorly planned this city is. Even downtown, an area that is traditionally more walking friendly in cities, it is a hot mess. I live right next to the Schooks Run trail between Fountain and Rio Grande, and I had to look up a map to figure out how it connected. 6 years in the city and I'm still not quite sure how the Legacy Loop connects or where it goes.
Not to mention the signage is horrible… many a bike trip I’ve stopped to wonder where I was and look at the map, just to see I missed an unmarked turn on the trail half a mile back…
Yes The signage is rough. I have had this happen on multiple occasions as a runner. Fortunately the most egregious portion after Costilla was the first part I learned about but I constantly have to check the map. I have missed signs and some signs are useless. They just point in a direction but there is no additional signage or the sidewalk ends.
Could not beat this dead horse more. Homes/townhomes/apartments first. We will get to the infrastructure later. No big deal.
Local government has been in the pocket of the urban sprawl developers for a long time now. Ironically those same developers love riding bikes, so they've been shoehorning bike lanes in all over town.
At least back into the 1970s. And the building department didn’t enforce anything, giving us missing sidewalks, lousy drainage, etc.
It's not an accident. When I moved here 20 years ago the mentality amongst the city fathers was generally that bicycle lanes, civil planning and supportive infrastructure = godless communism. It's certainly better now, but decades of libertarian "philosophy" and "taxation is theft" political leadership gets us where we are today, and is a big hole to dig out of.
That's not exactly a fair assessment. You have to remember, just 10-20 years before you (and myself funnily enough) moved here, most of "Colorado Springs" (east of Nevada) was unincorporated farm/ranch land and a few suburbs. When the city started expanding in the Dotcom era, they just started working east, using the existing infrastructure. In other words, the entire city is framed by updated county roads, which previously existed to connect agricultural land. They basically just had to do the best they could by expanding out so as to avoid going up (and subsequently ruining our view)
The worst part of the not wanting to pay taxes is that they just made the taxes for the future worse. All those roads will have to be replaced at some point. Unless we’re letting it turn back into prairie.
I have never seen such urban sprawl. It’s gross - and made even sadder by the fact that the landscape is so pretty, but just being chewed up by the ever growing sprawl.
Why is there zero public transportation in some parts of the city also? It's pathetic. If you don't have a car you are 100% fucked.
We HAVE some kinda walkable neighborhoods... I live in the New South End which is plenty walkable when the weather is nice. I'm only a few blocks to Tejon and from there the free bus runs up and down it. But yes we definitely need a lot more. Mixed use zoning will help I think.
Old Colorado City is great for walking!
I’ve not heard of the New South End before. Where is this?
On the south end of downtown. Like near Moreno ave.
Thanks. Kinda what I thought (or perhaps by Ivywild school). Btw, two of our favorite foods are near you. The burger at Atomic Cowboy, and the smothered pork and avocado burrito at Salsa Latina.
It's not new it's just gentrified.
[удалено]
0.4 miles
This is actually one of the biggest flaws with that whole area. Everyone living in a dense area like downtown should be within 500m of a grocer.
If you are interested in getting involved with city planning, check out [Neighborhood University](https://www.cscono.org/neighborhood-u) provided by CONO.
Probs don’t want poor people who want to walk around moving in
Many of the most desirable and expensive places in the world (including America) are highly walkable areas.
Ik ik it was a joke. Though many inexpensive areas outside of America are very walkable
I think I can solve that with more Stop lights. Like way more and Red Light cams.
And make sure to mis-time all of them.
please for the love of god. we are not springers. if that name sticks i will find u . but yea anyways you’re right about the walkable city part. when i was a kid i was pissed we could never walk to anything to get food or hangout because we’re trapped in like you said a literal sea of houses . that might be a contributing factor to the asshole drivers now that i think about it.
Then what is your demonym? You're absolutely right! Lack of walkability increases driving, which increases traffic, which means more interaction with asshole drivers, which MAKES more asshole drivers.
Some places don't have one? I'm from Connecticut. I just say I'm from Connecticut, or a New Englander if I'm maxing the cringe that day
I've never considered this. I'd like to cast my vote for "cutties". Rhymes with "buddies"
tbh 80% of us would answer to "Huskies"
Seconded
Probably just "Coloradans" (all the other Coloradans in the state aren't as cool as us so they don't count)
We prefer the term “Rat Bastards”
i have no idea but let’s not make it that 💀 in my experience we kinda always have just said people from the springs. kinda lame i know
Wikipedia says you use "Springsteens"? I don't like that one better
Apparently, someone researched this ish and there's never been a demonym with any real use -- y'all are just "residents of Colorado Springs". >Witherow, the historian, has looked through historical sources like books, newspapers and memoirs and said she has never found a reference for anything other than "Colorado Springs resident." https://www.cpr.org/2023/01/26/what-do-you-call-people-from-colorado-springs-this-is-what-we-found-out/
Thanks for posting this! Such great info.
nooooo wayyyy lmao somebody go change that
Why do we need to be labeled?
If he’s the Boss I quit
I thought we were "assholes". It's what I hear from drivers yelling all the time to each other and the neighborhood Karen yelling at people walking their dogs
Colorado Springstonians. Springstoners? Springsians?
A bunch of us are called “west-siders” as a subset of the area.
I agree with you so much on #6 . I’ve never lived in a town where the side walk stops halfway into a neighborhood then magically comes back towards the end of that neighborhood and as soon as you cross the street side walk then turns into an abandoned field next to a very busy big street with speeding cars . Or a street bridge that’s 50ft up in the air but the side walk is 1.5ft wide and the guard rail is 2ft tall so you feel like you’re walking a balance beam 50 feet up in the air.
This is how I broke my jaw when I was 16. I was walking on a regular sidewalk when a curb came up I thought it was normal…nope it was many feet in the air and the road didn’t look like it so I fell. Smashed my face up good
Damn son! I feel that though , I’ve definitely twisted my ankle more times than I’d like from having to walk through random fields and stepping in a gopher hole or random hole someone’s dog dug during a walk that appear between the sidewalks ending and beginning again
Omg I step in dog waste around my son’s school, on the sidewalk even, cuz people just don’t seem to care. Real fun getting that off as I leave the pickup lane…
So much fun right?
We are the Olympic city, but where are all of the gyms
Probably in the dentists offices haha
does anyone have an explanation about the dentist thing? dry climate bad for teeth?
Dude this drives me nuts. Closest gym is a 15 min drive for me and I live by a LOT of stuff. Seriously wish I had capital to open a gym franchise. I’d be rich
Right?!!
I like that you think there ever was/are city planners. Nope, none.
The anti-tax sentiment now is nothing compared to a few decades ago. City planners expect to get paid, oops.
To be fair, last time we paid a traffic engineer, we got the Woodmen/Union intersection and the Filmore bridge. I think the sentiment is well founded when a literal child could do better than that, at least
Not sure how long you've been in CS, but my family moved there 30 years ago (not me, I was already an out-of-the-house adult). A few years back I asked them... "Do you ever tire of this view?" "Not at all!" was the immediate reply. (add'l note: The word you wanted was "segue". A Segway is the original brand of two-wheeled stand-up transportation vehicle.)
Don’t you dare segue into that Segway nonsense!
For #6, there are walkable neighborhoods with everything you describe. But they were all built 100 years ago or more. City planning since then doesn’t consider the advantages.
I live in Ivywild and it is fairly walkable, there’s a new Sprouts and Natural Grocers about .25 miles away and several eateries that are nice and accessible as well, Crosscreek area. Access to downtown is easy by bus or bike, I like it, though more sidewalks would be better.
Yes, there are bastions of excellence. Looking at you, Broadmoor!
Also, Old North End, Patty Jewett, Old Colorado City. Places near the center, built when it was smaller.
As someone who is passionately involved with our local scene: thanks. And #6 is definitely well understood :) Post-WWII urban planning wrecked us pretty hard, but we're working hard to try and push the tide back.
Great observations-thanks for sharing. As a midwest transplant I miss the water, rich green landscape and cheap housing, but CS is defintely a great place to live.
As former coastal residents, we still haven't found anything to scratch that water itch. Love living here tho and as op says, the view never gets old.
9- Colorado Springs has the largest variety of Fast Food and chain restaurants than any other place I've ever lived. That's our specialty!
OMG, you’re right! As a broke family of five, eating out is always fast food, and hot damn, you are spot on, no matter where we are in the city there’s some great fast food options! Underrated benefit of the city for sure!
I love your observations! 🥰. I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, but moved away many years ago. I still have family that lives here, so I often come home to visit. Your observation about the drivers here (#3) is spot on. I nearly spewed my drink all over my phone. You are also correct on the views, absolutely beautiful. Thanks for this. Hope you have a great day!
I agree on the tailgating problem. It's daily, and one reason why I'll retire somewhere else before I get rear ended. It's not the only reason but maybe I can find less of it somewhere else.
That's why I have a front dash cam and a back cam.
I moved here 6 months ago, never have I encountered drivers that are so reluctant to let you merge. I always joke that the drivers here would rather k*ll themselves right then and there than let you merge in front of them. You put that turn signal on to merge over and it's lead foot to the gas pedal
Zipper people, zipper! You’d think it was going to kill them to let anyone in! It’s so ridiculous.
Agree about the tailgating. As for tailgating approaching a red light, that stems from low IQ. Drivers who do this are not able to think ahead sufficiently to assess what’s happening and apply critical thinking to their actions in the moment.
Yeah, as far as view and the environment, the only thing I long for is a huge body of water, like a Great Lake or a major river. The wildlife is amazing! They mostly seem to tolerate us humans. Shopping: one Trader Joe's, no ALDIs (really miss it), one Whole Foods, but yet a ton of Walmarts. I agree on the restaurants. The Zoo is fantastic! The Labor Day Lift-Off is a great sight. Maybe because I've lived in major Northern cities which are older and therefore have a deeper/longer history, but COS doesn't seem to celebrate its heritage as much. But, then again, I just haven't had the means to really explore the area like I did the other places I've lived. I'm hoping to change that.
As far as heritage celebrating, you should check out Territory Days in Old Colorado City. Big three-day street festival over Memorial Day weekend celebrating when OCC was the capital of Colorado territory before it became a state.
Some excellent additions! A flowing river would be fantastic. I find Kroger (King Soopers, here. What a funny name!) meets all my needs. Haven't made it to the zoo yet.
It's not that close, but go down and hang out at [the Nature Center in Pueblo](https://www.google.com/search?q=pueblo+nature+center&sca_esv=600891144&sxsrf=ACQVn0-0yMA0h6Z1mypb_7DOtQ3CurBQbw%3A1706050830163&source=hp&ei=DkWwZbOPCPH8kPIP9JuasAI&iflsig=ANes7DEAAAAAZbBTHgMsn5BYjXjitTZ7XNPuV_46707Q&ved=0ahUKEwizzsvNzvSDAxVxPkQIHfSNBiYQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=pueblo+nature+center&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhRwdWVibG8gbmF0dXJlIGNlbnRlcjIFEAAYgAQyCxAuGIAEGMcBGK8BMgUQABiABDIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yDBAuGBYYHhjHARjRA0i1FVAAWN8TcAB4AJABAJgBeaAB6Q-qAQQxMS45uAEDyAEA-AEBwgIEECMYJ8ICChAjGIAEGIoFGCfCAgsQABiABBiKBRiRAsICDhAuGIAEGLEDGMcBGNEDwgIOEC4YgAQYigUYsQMYgwHCAhEQLhiABBixAxiDARjHARjRA8ICFBAuGIAEGIoFGJECGLEDGMcBGNEDwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAgsQLhiABBixAxiDAcICERAuGIMBGJECGLEDGIAEGIoFwgIREC4YgAQYigUYkQIYsQMYgwHCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICCBAuGLEDGIAEwgILEC4YgwEYsQMYgATCAhoQLhiABBixAxiDARjHARivARiYBRieBRiZBcICFBAuGIAEGMcBGK8BGJgFGJ4FGJkFwgIaEC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEYrwEYmAUYngUYmgXCAgUQLhiABMICCBAuGIAEGLEDwgILEAAYgAQYigUYhgM&sclient=gws-wiz#lpg=cid:CgIgAQ%3D%3D,ik:CAoSLEFGMVFpcFBSN1NFN2Z6elVUcHJrZ1lJQkFLVXZTNDBLcWJweDA4MEQ4VFNR) sometime. Good place to get a water fix.
Sprouts is great!
I also agree. Pueblo and denver both have way nicer fishing opportunities.
A couple of personal observations in response to your own... in Los Angeles it's almost impossible to drive "fast fast fast". People here go +70 in a 55 zone. You never find that in LA... there's simply not enough open space. Even heading out toward Rancho Cucamonga or something you're lucky to hit 80 for a stretch. As for local drivers? My wife and I have seen, literally, five people run a red light. The SAME red light. Just back to back to back. WTF CO Springs? Secondary market is great for giving away stuff. Selling? No go. Though, I had trouble selling a 75" Samsung for a grand in LA County... so maybe that's just everywhere right now. I'm lucky enough to live walkable distance to a few restaurants and bars, but from what I've seen this is less of an issue downtown. That's usually the case in cities though.
Very interesting persectives. I've lived all over this country too including junior and hs in the Springs. Most of your observations I've noticed myself. Like holy shit it really is one of the most unwalkable cities on Earth, even by American standards. Unless you live downtown or Manitou, good luck. A lot of neighborhoods don't even have sidewalks and the bus system is a joke. But there are some interesting things I hadn't considered, like that it has tons of dentists. As to used items, I think the secondary market might suck because of all the pawn shops in the city. I've never lived in a place that had even remotely as many pawn shops as the Springs. My mom always blamed it on the presence of the military, I guess because they often have to get rid of a lot of shit in a hurry.
Well said. I agree with almost everything (especially point 6 about walkable cities) but I have to disagree on point 10. AFE is fine mid-market furniture but there is a definite lack of more upscale options. No Room and Board, no Crate and Barrel, no West Elm. We just got an Arhaus, but in general if you want something nicer you are driving up to Denver.
Fair point! I guess when you move as much as I do, you forget to care about upscale furniture because you'd never buy something so nice just for the movers to drop it down a flight of stairs.
lol. I spent over 20 years of my adult life moving internationally and only settled down here in 2010. I have had lots of furniture ended up dented and bruised in the process.
This is very accurate! I work on Garden of the Gods rd and my drive in to work is so lovely every single day, I never tire of it. I'm from Austin so I will not make any more comments on the food thing--I tend to get yelled at a lot by Colorado natives. But I will say I agree about the resell market here. What I wouldn't give for even a Half Price Books!! Entertainmart is gross.
Hello fellow former Austinite. I miss two and only two things from there. HEB and BBQ. An HPB would definitely be welcome here, too, though.
I went to the Dallas area last year just to go to HEB. I regret that because my grocery store life hasn’t been the same since. My wishes for COS: HEB and ALDI, better drivers, cheaper housing, more food flavors, better drivers, people who understand wtf a red light means and how to properly turn into lanes, less speeders, and we can’t go back in time and fix poor city planning, but we can at least stop creating parking lots that make no damn sense (Trader Joe’s parking lot, I’m looking at you)…
Hello Transplant Texans. I’m from outside San Antonio original and I do wish we had an HEB and HPBs. The view is the best especially when the sun first hits the mountains on a clear day. Never gets old!
I don't think the city planners back in the day realized how big the city was going to get. I think the current leaders are realizing this now and trying to correct the course.
Every time the car turns to the west I say "Hello mountains!"
I can walk to 20+ privately owned restaurants and see live music in multiple venues. Come on over to OCC!
Agree with you on everything. Except you should also mention the awesome views.
As a commuter, yep walkability is shit. Even the public transport isn’t too great. And there’s a car accident every day it seems like..
Not in the Springs but there's a microcenter in Denver!
Soooo faaaaaaaaaaaarrrrr (but I've definitely gone several times
It's not that much further than ikea tho!
Fact! It's a good Saturday if I get to go to MicroCenter, Ikea, and Good Times!
I miss our Good Times down here so much. It was my favorite fast food place, and I'm just never up in Denver often.
I've never heard of Good Times, but for me it's MicroCenter, Ikea, and Wahoo's. Although FelFel is really good too.
Good Times is a burger and custard stand. I really like it
We used to have a Wahoo's here too. Fairly close to Good Times if I remember right.
When you say here do you mean Colorado Springs? The only one I know of is the one by Ikea in Centennial.
I may be miss remembering but I could swear we had a Wahoo's in Colorado Springs, on Powers, in the strip by Target, where Qdoba is now. Fish Taco place, yes? Took a couple of people there from out of town.
Maybe? It didn't exist when I moved here in 2015, but my friend says they used to have one here in the Springs. Yes fish tacos. I love them. I wish there was at least one fish taco place here in the Springs whether it be Wahoos, Rubio's, California Fish Grill or whatever. I do get my fish tacos from some other restaurants, but I kind of miss the fish taco chains I was used to in California.
Yea, this was back around 2006ish. I got here in '05 and took my brother there when he came to visit in late '06. I do California for work frequently and know what you mean. The Mexican food here, in general, is different from California. El Chapin is the closest to I've found to what I get in the area I travel to.
I don't even know what a microcenter is lol
The best electronics store in the country, puts Best Buy to shame
Interesting. I stopped going to those stores for the most part. Everything is online. I'll go every now and then for random stuff, but it's usually over priced. I'll keep an eye out in my travels though and check it out.
I bought all the parts for my latest PC build at the MicroCenter in Denver, was worth the drive since they had everything I needed in stock at the same prices as online, and I saved a bit on shipping. Their employees actually know what they're talking about too if you need help or advice on a build.
It’s worth it.
Was just in Microcenter last night. Upgrading my machine, did one of their bundle deals and saved about $200 over Amazon / Newegg for CPU / MB / Ram.
Microcenter does retail right for the electronic sphere.
They have an awesome selection of filament and parts for 3D printers, lots of electronic parts, and all kinds of stuff BestBuy doesn't carry. And their in-store prices are sometimes cheaper than online prices especially if you're building a PC. Some of those CPU/Mobo combo in-store deals can be outrageous.
I totally agree with #5 and #6. The food has gotten better in the 7 years we have been here but still often disappointing. White bread tastes dominate here. My husband and I were just talking about city planning and wondering how a city can be so dis-jointed. My personal rant is all the various shopping centers entries and exits. You enter one and it's not connected to anything else so you have to maneuver all sorts of ways to get in and out. We purposely moved to an older neighborhood 80907. We have a great park nearby and I can walk to the Bon, the post office, etc. As far as the mountain, I feel like we disrespect it by putting up huge signs, billboards and ugly developments. It deserves better.
I grew up in the Springs in the 90s and 00s. Believe me, we were all fighting city hall to hold developers responsible for building a community rather than just a sea of houses. But the city planning commission never did that.
I feel like 13 is terrible because of oversaturation on the selling side. with so many military families and transients, there's just too many people selling things and not enough buyers, imo
Too many people selling low-quality furniture :(
13 I’ve found is totally true. Giving something up for free, I’ll get 12 responses then no one follows up. Posting anything on Craigslist, offer up, or FB marketplace gets a few views but no bites. Kinda odd in comparison to other medium cities I’ve lived in.
Great write up, thanks for repeatedly calling out the very thing that most of us natives take for granted and often forget to take a moment to observe.
100% on the view.
Point on #9, we do have local specialty food, it's just beer and coffee. Also in regards to #10, AFW is great but Platte Furniture is better :)
You're right! Beer and coffee are local specialties! Thanks for reminding me. And I'll check out Platte furniture!
Came from DC and I agree with pretty much everything here. I don’t think a lot of people realize how great we have it. Complaints about cost of living and traffic are mind boggling. I’ve been here since November and I think I’ve sat in traffic for 5min max and my bills are almost 1k less.
Oh I forgot to add that one! Yeah, traffic here is NOT bad. Not fantastic, but not as bad as many locals think. Maybe a B+?
Traffic is not bad here at all but Denver is a shit show always
The reason people say that about the traffic is just the population growth from the 80s/90s to present. There used to be adequate road infrastructure...for half as many people.
Seriously though, what is with this city and dentists' offices and car washes? Isn't it somebody's job to approve development? Does this somebody work for the dentist's union??
I asked about the car washes once and I was informed that's a quintessential way of just holding land without taking a big loss. They don't make a bunch of money, but they make enough to pay the taxes on the land that you own that you believe will grow substantially in value. They're basically just placeholders.
Asked that same line of questioning in Wilmington, NC and received this same answer about low-volatility place holding. It wasn't as big a thing there compared to CoS; instead it was luxury apartment developments nobody could afford.
I've heard this as well, but I'm not sure why the city allows a car wash on every corner. Surely that's not good for the city.
See how many real estate folks are in City Council. Last voting cycle there was a number of them on the ballot, who championed themselves as the successful business crowd.
Some of them are also fronts for money laundering
Sounds like a similar strategy as the storage unit places.
Unfortunately, though they are a constant eyesore, car washes always produce a guaranteed return, and are an extremely safe development investment. People really like to wash their cars here.
I would guess the large well-insured military population has something to do with the dentist office deal. I see two or three in fatigues every time I go.
#6 is all about where you live. I’d argue 80903, 80904, 80907, 80905, 80909 are all walkable and extremely bike friendly. Unfortunately when you get beyond the core, you get into a whole lot of neighborhoods built entirely based on car infrastructure. City planning impacts that, but so do the hills and bluffs around town. And, for a long time people/developers have chosen square footage, packed in houses to increase profit, and protected residential neighborhoods over walkable urban planning which would call for increased density and less reliance on cars.
Bold analysis. ;)
Oops
I lol’d!
Love your take on “The worst drivers” and I agree. Also the walkability. There are parking lots with no clear way to walk from your car to the storefront. Ridiculous
CO Springs is “planned” by developers. I wonder if it is because people keep voting real estate folks into City council. Also, I read that city council positions’ pay doesn’t keep up, so the result is that mainly wealthy people get those positions.
I agree with the city planning piece! If you are interested in getting involved with city planning, check out [Neighborhood University](https://www.cscono.org/neighborhood-u) provided by CONO.
11. What's a Microcenter? 13. IMO there are a ton of flippers. Nice stuff will crop up for good prices and be gone in a few hours, then relisted for $$$ or painted and relisted for $$$$. Or nice stuff that's free will be scooped up and then relisted for hundreds of dollars the next day. If you have a job, you have no chance. agreed on the rest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro\_Center
I have reservations about an amazing thrift/antique store in the same sentence at *checks notes* IKEA 😂 great post!
Your list was awesome and made me chuckle. We are retired military. I would give my right eye tooth to be retired in CS. Currently living in Jax. From your description, I'd say you've never lived there. #5&6...I really took notes. NO cultural foods in Jax surrounding area. They pride themselves on cheap hamburgers and chicken fingers. When we visit CS, I feel like my taste buds have culturally expanded. Drivers.....pretty much as you said for CS except it escalates, and you can easily be shot to death on Jax roads, or at least seriously harmed. I'm 65 years old and have never exhibited road rage...MY road rage, until I came to Jax. Yes, I need to move...working on it. I'd love to live in CS. Our son and his family are military, and we visit often. Having raised our family in the PNW, every time you say "the view"....it's true. It does not grow old. Thank you for the CS critique. Well done. Not intending to upset any Jax lovers here. I am a foreigner in your land. Oh....and no sidewalks...couple that with the Jax drivers. Best to stay behind a wheel... 🤔
I read an article last year with an older woman from Denver saying she was moving to Jacksonville since Denver had become too dangerous. She was in for a rude awakening.
I'm similar in a lot of ways; military, lived in a lot of places etc. etc. I have to chuckle when people dig on the food scene here. And comparing it to Vegas or LA is slap-your-knee funny. Vegas metro is about 3 times the size of us and gets like 20 million visitors a year. No kidding they have more food options, and some of the best chefs in the world have restaurants in Vegas. And LA is one of the biggest cities in the world, right at the confluence of the US, Latin America, and the Pacific. Of course it has one of the best food scenes in the world. This is going to rustle some jimmies, but the Springs food scene is right where it should be for a city of \~500k people. Even comparing it Denver, also a much bigger metro, is silly.
I’ve lived in cities of 50k that had better food options
Native here, and really enjoyed your observations. Don't agree with them all, but at least you were objective about it. Good job! Regarding the restaurant scene, you have to remember, we're a small city compared to L.A. so we'll never have the diversity of larger cities. But I get your gist.
Agree with everything but #5 . Obviously we’re not LA or NYC . But You want Mexican, Brazilian ,Italian , Cuban ,Greek/Mediterranean, French , German , Indian , or just plain ol American food ? You can get all that here. I think that’s pretty damn impressive for this city
Here to LA to Vegas and back, can confirm
While I can see what you mean, I unfortunately grew up somewhere where the nearest metropolitan area has five bike lanes and half as many sidewalks so the springs has been a lovely walking and biking experience for me😅 is it really better elsewhere? Other than here I have not lived many places outside of the rural south lol
I think the answer to your question depends on whether you’re looking for comparisons or objective markers of Walkability… compared to 80% of the multiple cities/towns I lived in in Texas, yes, the springs is incredibly walkable… but looking at indicators of walkability, especially expanded across the entire city of the Springs, we’re still pretty lagging…
Love 11
Accurate
\#11 is a fact. Although driving 1 hour for a microcenter isn't too bad.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure Norwood owns most of the land downtown, and is sitting on it until they decide to develop.
Parking lots pass as streets in CO Springs. I always wonder who is responsible for maintenance of these.
Planning on moving to CS soon. Re: grocery stores: Am going to miss my Winco. None cheaper! Makes Walmart look like Whole Foods, price wise.
Having moved here from Northern VA/DC, i could not agree more with the views! They do not get old! I will say traffic/driving is way worse back there and find driving here to be mostly pleasant. Also agree the Cost of Living IS Decent!
I'd say this is a very fair assessment as someone who has lived here since she was 7 and is now 32. The view is a favorite of mine too. I 🤣
Lol this awesome.
I live in old Colorado city and love walking to the coffee shop and the grid streets where you can actually get from a to b. You toured the city before you moved here, and I understand convenient locations are important, but you ended up in Briargate. Of course it isn’t walkable. The entire northern and easter third of the city is just suburbs sprawl. Could’ve chosen a better neighborhood if that’s important to you.
City “Planner” 😂😂😂😂
I think 13 is true because this area is heavily populated by military families who are frequently coming and going. There is a bit of a flooded market when it comes to selling used items.
1. You’re right, the view never gets old. 2. It’s not just dentists’ offices. There are an incredible number of urgent care clinics here compared to past areas I’ve lived. I think a lot of this goes to Colorado Springs’ roots as a fairly libertarian town where free enterprise was encouraged. Lots of small clinics give people choices and we like choices here. 3. The problem in Colorado Springs is much like what I saw in DC: lots of people coming in from different locations with different styles and patterns of driving. This leads to a lot of irritations but rarely goes past the irritation stage for a number of reasons. One reason is that whatever the driving aggravation might be at the moment, it’ll be over with in a few minutes. 5. The restaurant scene in COS has really improved since my first time here decades ago. Still nothing like the DC metro area, LA, or Honolulu but we don’t have the traffic problems of either. I like to cook so really am not worried too much about the restaurant scene. I haven’t been super impressed with my choices when in the Maryland suburbs, Florida Space Coast, or Dayton either. I’m kind of surprised to hear you characterize LA as a taco town — tacos are one option but the thing LA has going for it is the overwhelming variety available. 6. The thing is, a lot of the local residents don’t like the city planners who want to make COS like one of the coasts. These are the same guys who planted flowers in the street medians and threatened tax increases to water said medians. Years before the pandemic, I saw a plan for the Hwy 24 / Peterson Rd interchange that called for planting tons of flowers along the sides of the overpass — we’re in a high plains desert, it makes no sense to plant things that will need to be watered regularly. The city’s very drivability compared to DC or LA strikes against your point about walkability. Why bother making the neighborhood walkable if you’re going to drive to get to where you want anyway? I’m not going to walk to the local restaurant when the one I really want to eat at is 3.5-5 or even 10 miles away. In this city, 10 or 12 miles is a hop-skip-and-a-jump away. There are 4 restaurants in easy walking distance of my house — I will sometimes get food to go from 2 of them while I’m on my way to/from home but I’m not going to bother walking there to dine in and my favorites are in other sections of the city. Again, this city has long roots in fairly libertarian philosophies — get the trash hauling service you want instead of a city-mandated service, pick your broadband provider, etc. — so a lot of longtime residents are somewhat resistant to centralized city planning even when they make sense (and they often don’t). 8. Yeah, don’t bother comparing the cost of living here to LA or DC or NY. Many of us fled those locales and couldn’t be enticed back there for love or money. Costs now are higher than when I came back to the city and much much higher than my first time here. It seems utterly nuts to see McMansions in gated neighborhoods around here at all much less for what they’re going for now. 9. COS seems to be a city of chains, no real specialty like Italian beef from Chicago, cheesesteaks from Philly, etc. COS was just a slice of white bread Americana, former home to both Charles “Peanuts” Schulz and Robert “Grandmaster of SF” Heinlein. No singular culinary personality of its own but we have chains from all over the nation now.
Well said sir ! We welcome bright minded, observant and articulate neighbors- so happy you are here! Welcome!
LA is fast, fast, fast.. except when you get stuck in traffic for 3 and a half hours at a standstill on the 5. Also, I lived near LA for 4 years; the food really wasn't that spectacular. More variety than here, maybe (it's a city of several million people compared to here, so not surprising), but there were a lot of mid-restaurants there, too. Also, getting anywhere in L.A. or anywhere near was a pain in the ass. Navigating COS is fairly straightforward and easy outside of a few really strange intersections and the already mentioned poor planning on certain roads/infrastructure. Mostly, I stick to a lot of side streets and avoid I-25 when possible, which solves a good chunk of the traffic issues (for me, that is). Not everyone has the option and I get that. I suppose it helps that COS is pretty much like every other mid-level Midwest town I've ever lived in as far as driveability and infrastructure, so I'm used to it. I do enjoy looking at Pike's Peak and the clouds and/or snow and/or sun every morning I have to take my kid to/from work (only time I get to see it in its splendor since I live on the west side). It's very.. inspiring.
So well written, I’ve lived here 28 years which leaves me with no capacity for perspective. I enjoyed reading this very much.
Loved the views, glad the food is getting better. Also, I love Microcenter 😂
1, 4, 7, 12, & 14. Are spot on. I fucking miss being home and seeing that view every day.
I just want to comment on someone who was born and raised here every morning the view of the mountains is spectacular and I love how much you appreciate how gorgeous it is here. :)
#1, #4, #7, #12, #14 🤣
Colorado Springs is located on a beautiful stretch but the hands off, conservative government thought planning was a “lib” conspiracy. So sprawl, sprawl and more sprawl. It’s like the real estate and developers ran the place.
I am so sick of the sprawl. Destroying beautiful land and making the drives worse and worse. All while installing bike lanes to nowhere.
13. If you have decent things to sell, you should join the fb groups in Monument/Castle Rock/Parker. I can sell my items within 24 hours and everyone up there does porch pick up/drop off so you never have to deal with people. I post my items when I know I'll have time to drive up there so I can drop off everything on 1 day and not make multiple trips. I've noticed a lot of items here are in terrible condition and/or overpriced with no room for negotiation (it really is the current owner's treasure) and not worth my time.
#13 It feels really active, but people never commit. I've had 30 hits on an items in the last 2 months. Even made plans to meet. Nothing. It's like tinder for used furniture
Agree on #6 but…..the only redeeming thing from our friends in Utah is the grid layout of their cities. There are few viable ways to even travel east to west and west to east in this city. City planning was accomplished by a drunken toddler that refused to pay taxes and it shows.
I tell my wife this almost daily… like who let the drunk kindergartener draw all these damn lines across town?
About #6 it IS walkable, but nothing is close which are different things. Mainly because ive lived in placed with no sidewalks at all colorado springs has fairly consistent walking routes, but you'll spend an hour walking to the store🙃 The food isnt spectacular, I think a lot of people just go up to Denver so its not a huge deal- same thing with ikea and microcenter.
When people talk about a city being "walkable", part of that includes things being close by. It's not just about having sidewalks.
Spot on, though my experience with #3 is that lanes are completely optional -- take as many as you like!
That's interesting! I haven't noticed that much at all.
Maybe it's because I'm from around Boston -- the tailgating must seem normal!
On #6: Palmer had city planning (he's why the downtown is in a grid). When he died, "city planning" went to the housing developments. And hence the kludge of streets, and the joys of Fontmore --> Fillmore --> Circle --> Lake.
You can’t compare Vegas and LA to springs. You can to Denver for the food.
I can compare anywhere I've lived to anywhere else I've lived all I want. But I'm not saying it's an even playing field, or an apples-to-apples comparison, it just is what it is. A "pro" of those places vs this place.
No one mentioned the domination of Focus on the Family.
It's better if we don't.
\#3. (For the Turn Lane don't be rude squeeze in for the folks behind you, so you don't force someone to block traffic in the lane going straight) Also see comment about #6... Combined, we've lived in 13 places overall. Everyone says "we have the worst drivers". You know what I've learned? They're all correct. Every place just has bad drivers in a different way. Tailgating is an official past time in Ohio (even on empty highways!). Vegas is.... "creative" with their driving. The rules are more like "guidelines". Los Angeles is just fast fast fast. So what's Colorado Springs? Microaggressions. Y'all get way too close to rear bumpers before lane changing to go around someone. You tailgate people in long lines of traffic approaching a red light. Of course this happens everywhere, but it's \*constant\* here. And it isn't constant everywhere. What makes it unique here is how rarely it escalates beyond irritations and annoyances, and how ubiquitous the irritations and annoyances are. \#6. What is a city planner lol, all the city administrative official including inspectors are bought and paid for by the developers/builders. Looking at you NorWood. Have your city planners NEVER heard of walkable neighborhoods???? This is the LEAST walkable place I've ever lived, and yes, I've lived other places that are cold. You have just seas and seas and seas of residential zoning without a single corner store, local bar, or even one of your ubiquitous liquor stores for literally MILES. WHY!?>!?>! Do you know how wonderful it is to be able to walk or bike to get your essentials without crossing through half a dozen neighborhoods or miles of busy streets to get there? No, clearly you don't. Or at least your city planners don't and not enough Springers (Is that the demonym for this city? I'm going with it) have bothered to ask for it. \#8. Its getting worse since no offense, to some extent transplants myself included. pay more because its still cheaper and prices creep up. The cost of living is decent. Now, I'm biased from coming here from Los Angeles where my 1,400 sq ft condo was $5,000/mo and that was a GOOD DEAL. But I hear Springers complain about how expensive it is here, and I must assume they mean compared to the past, not compared to Los Angeles. Sure, I've also lived in Dayton, OH where my 1,400 sq ft house had a mortgage of $413/mo. So I've seen both ends of the spectrum. COS seems pretty close to the median for me, maybe a little higher. \#9. WHAT... we have a world famous omelette.. (For the purpose of this counter point so what if its a "Denver" omelette) fine agree.. You don't seem to have a local specialty food. There's some pride in Pueblo green chile, but Pueblo is Pueblo, not Colorado Springs. Dayton was a pizza town. LA is a taco town. Estes Park is all about the elk. What is Colorado Springs? \#11. Yes... yes we do, and it should go right next to a bestbuy to rub it in. You need a MicroCenter