Colorado Springs, CO

A mixed bag

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I have mixed feelings about my hometown. The scenery is great for a city of half a million. There are few major cities in America where one can be a short drive from hiking trails, mountains, waterfalls, canyons, and urban amenities.The crime rate, while increasing, is nowhere near as high as Aurora or Pueblo, and it is lower than that of Denver. Shopping for most stuff is easy. Grocery costs are below the national average. Downtown has way fewer amenities than the Nortbern and Eastern parts of town. There aren't any true ghettos in the Springs, but areas south of Pikes Peak Avenue and east of Circle Drive tend to be more dangerous than the rest of the city.

Car ownership costs are low here, but car insurance rates are increasing. Public transportation is very limited- Capitol Metro does not go north of Interquest or east of Tutt, and does not go anywhere near TV the Springs airport, although it does connect to the State's Bustang system, which does connect to Denver's RTD and the Denver airport. Air service is limited at the Springs airport. What used to be a low cost option to Stapleton International is now a 4th rate cousin to DIA.

The job market here is great for military (5 military installations), ex-military (numerous defense contractors in the area), and those with a post-bachelors education. It is very bad for those without a college education. Certain companies dominate the non-college job market- most non-graduate locals like me have worked at a call center, the recently shuttered Western Forge warehouse, and the Broadmoor (which is owned by the same family that runs the Gazette local newspaper, the main indoor arena, and the only paid-admission waterfalls in the area). Fail at those jobs and you get blacklisted (despite what Pikes Peak Workforce says, that is a major problem here for lower income and disabled workers).

Healthcare is pretty decent. There is a children's hospital and UC Health runs the major trauma center. Peak Vista is a good option for lower income and the uninsured. Aspen Pointe has good programs for low income and those with mental issues.

The cost of living used to be below the national average, but it is above average now due to soaring housing costs. Rents have nearly doubled in the last 5 years. Housing prices have doubled in that time- my childhood home took 35 years to go from $75k to $150k in worth, and only 5 years to double to its current value of $300k. Most housing east of Powers and north of Woodmen also has to deal with steep HOA fees. Apartments around $500 a month and houses under $150k were common 5-10 years ago and are nonexistent now.

A warning to potheads- while it is legal to smoke weed here, it is illegal to sell or purchase recreational weed in Colorado Springs. Prescription weed is legal, and pot smoke is a major problem at certain businesses and apartment complexes.

Colirado Springs is a good place for families, but for many singles, this is a horrible place for finding love. The military presence means there are way more single males than females. That is bad news for most males, but good for single females and the LGBT community, whose numbers here have grown exponentially since the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was reversed.

Contrary to our national image, the Springs is evenly divided between evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics, and the non-religious. The evangelicals have more influence than their actual numbers in town. There are several religious radio stations for evangelicals, an over-the-air EWTN TV and radio station for Catholics, and even a local Christian Music station that isn't run by K-Love, Air-1, or IHeartRadio (that is an extreme rarity in radio).

Due to a combination of marijuana, former military, and rising housing costs, poverty is rapidly increasing. The city does not provide assistance- most public assistance is through overstretched non-profits and the state of Colorado, and single adults are ineligible for cash assistance. Homeless shelter resources are restricted to the Salvation Army and the Springs Rescue Mission, and in the winter, there are usually not enough beds. There are far more low income and homeless recources in Denver than in the Springs, and most Springs residents who find themselves homeless are better off taking a Bustang to Denver to get help.

Politically, this is a Conservative town with Libertarian leanings. The Antifa/BLM protests and occupations are not popular here. City and County budgets are intentionally tight. People here are generally tolerant, but modest. I've had an evangelical landlord, a gay landlord, LGBT and Green Card and evangelical coworkers, all without conflict.

The weather is very changeable. It is not unusual to see snow in April and May- although it usually melts by the next day. Black ice can be a problem in the winter. The climate is semi-arid, with rain being limited to April through September, and small (1-6 inch) snowfalls the rest of the year. This is not a climate that is good for lawns, and Xeriscaping is encouraged by the utility company. It can get in the 90s in Summer, although it is more often than not in the 80s with minimal humidity. Normal Winter lows are in the teens, although the highs are usually in the 40s. Water restrictions and drought are fairly common. The climate conditions (and discarded joints and cigarettes) can produce wildfires. The two biggest wildfires in Colorado history destroyed homes in Colorado Springs and caused mass evacuations in 2012-13, but most big wildfires are restricted to the mountain areas west of town. Summertime thunderstorms are common- but damaging hail is a much bigger problem than flooding. The mountains west of town usually mitigate the extreme weather and tornado threat. Areas 20-30 miles east of town are much more likely to see tornadoes and damaging hail than the Springs. Earthquakes are very rare here- which is one of the reasons why NORAD's mountain bunker at Cheyenne Mountain was built here.

The altitude takes a while to adjust to- altitudes average between 6000-7000 feet depending on the neighborhood, and most parts of town have a view of a certain famous 14000 foot mountain. Cooking recipes require different instructions due to the altitude. Blood clots and thickens much easier at this altitude, which can cause problems for untreated heart patients. And thanks to the altitude, people of the same mass weigh less in Colorado Springs than at sea level. Athletic training is more difficult here than at lower altitudes, which is why the US Olympic Training Center is in town. Fitness activity is way above the national average, although it is lower than in Denver or the ski areas of Colorado. Obesity rates are lower than the national average.

This should cover most of the pros and cons of living here in Colorado Springs.

13 0

Strong in the crime vibes...

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I was recently(2019) in Colorado Springs for a little over half a year before moving away. My short stay was interesting and not in a good way.

I lived in relatively nice apartment complex in one of the “safer” neighborhoods (I am not going to directly name the area or apartments) and for a short while things appeared and felt safe and normal. Until one day, while bored, I was reading local news on my phone only to see this apartment complex featured in a video thumbnail for: “Colorado Springs Neighborhood plagued by burglaries/theft”. Apparently the previous Sunday, weirdly around 2pm in the afternoon, half a dozen cars got burglarized and a couple stolen. The very next day a man was shot and killed in the parking lot at around six in the morning and local news crew that had just been there filming that previous day were back to shoot the new crime scene, suspect still at large. The following weekend a 19 year old girl was shot and killed at a small nightclub right across the street. The ”funny” thing is, someone could have stood at the front office of this apartment complex and could have been witness to each of these crimes. I heard the gunshots that killed the girl at the club, followed by the squealing of tires from what sounded like several vehicles from inside my apartment. I didn’t even know for sure that they were gunshots until the next day as this happened at around 1am but I specially remember the squealing of tires, thinking that it was a race maybe and the cars backfiring.

That’s just the start of it, it’s honestly baffling to me. The liquor store at nearest major intersection was held up at gunpoint followed by the closest gas station immediately after (This is scarcely considered news in Colorado Springs I would learn, as it happens at least twice a day somewhere in the city). The Mountain Mikes Pizza manager was shot and survived (one block down the road, bank in same parking lot was robbed shortly after). A mother left her infant child in a hot car near the park behind the complex with the intention of smothering it. People were being robbed at gunpoint by people in roaming vehicles for their cellphones and personal belonging after dark in the area, one man was shot and grazed but lived. This is all within a mile or two and within a period of three weeks. Casually talking to one of my neighbors one day she mentioned that was currently in the process of taking a previous tenant to court over her seven year old son getting stabbed by that tenant’s similarly aged son with a knife over a dog. Also, pedestrians routinely get ran over and killed all over town, weekly at least.

On a bit of a tangent, some nights, one of the multiple military bases would do some testing/training exercises which would create eerie ambient noises, sometimes low hums and rumblings, sometimes thunder that sounded like it was coming from the ground off in the distance, sometimes pops. Writing that makes it sound like Colorado Springs is a Lynchian Industrial nightmare straight out of Eraserhead. If that’s your thing and you like true crime and are looking for the full “true crime” immersion experience, then Colorado Springs might be for you! =)

I still get local news on my phone after leaving Colorado Springs which is actually why I am here writing this. Today in the news some guy calling himself Jesus stabbed eight people including a pregnant lady in Colorado Springs. Lovely...

My favorite recent story however was about a bank robbery that occurred in Colorado Springs right before Christmas. This guy robbed the bank and then proceeded to throw the money into the air before yelling “Merry Christmas!”; So, I don't know WTF to say besides good riddance Colorado Springs!

P.S Honestly terrible drivers, unbelievably bad. Cannabis related industries are out of control and present every other block. Lastly, people are not the friendliest.

12 -2

New resident, now trying to leave

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I moved here thinking Colorado Springs would be a great place to raise a family. I believe I made a mistake in thinking that. I live on the North side of the Springs (the safe side) but in the 5 months I’ve lived here, my vehicles have been vandalized 3 times. The crime has increased significantly (grand theft, assault, murder). The parks are great but it’s become the Wild West again. My family and I are already looking to relocate in the middle of next year. The roads are not maintained very well in the winter, be prepared to spend a significant amount of time sitting at red lights, and many of the people are downright rude. It’s a shame that such a beautiful place can be ruined by the actions of ignorance and selfishness.

7 -2

Perspective from a Colorado Native

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To be honest we have seen more homeless and crime since Colorado has legalized recreational marijuana. People moved here thinking they could get a job with the new weed market but failed to realize that most businesses would employ locals first. I have also noticed a large influx of black Americans moving here for the weed. I don't smoke weed and I was one of the majority who voted against legalization of recreational in Colorado Springs so we wouldn't have half the problem of Denver. I'd rather carry a firearm since I spent a decade in the Army.
We have 4 military bases (Carson, AFA, Shriever, Peterson) and the soldiers are from all over the USA. Most don't know how to drive in cold weather so that adds to the problem. I have a newborn so I am a defensive driver who abides by speed limits but other people could care less. If you are doing 55 in a 55 they honk and pass you doing 70 like you are re***ded when in fact it's them. The posted speed limit is for "safe weather driving conditions" so if it's snowing and below freezing you should cut your speed by half according to the DOT. Not these clowns who have no clue what black ice is and have never driven on it.
Housing and county tax assessment is borderline scamming. I purchased my own home almost a decade ago and my mortgage was about 1k$ per month. Now in 2019 the market is low but the county assessed my home value at over double what I paid for it. So my taxes have increased significantly and I had to get more insurance meaning my escrow went off the charts. My mortgage is now 1800$ per month so I am forced to sell since that's half my monthly income now. Not something I wanted to necessarily do but seems inevitable.
Between the cost of living, crap job market, dumb people/soldiers, atrocious drivers, lack of pothole repair, legalized weed, constant tax increases, and terrible schools Colorado Springs has become a terrible place to live. I'm glad the county is essentially forcing me to sell so I can leave this place. Colorado Springs is not what it was a decade ago. Anyone who says it's nice here hasn't been here for long or is lying through their teeth (or smokes a lot of weed and has blinders on).

14 -4

GREAT Living Here

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This is my adopted home. High altitude helps with overheating in warm months. We have 4 seasons to enjoy, activities. Mountain and city views everywhere.

1 -5

Looks can be deceiving

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From the outside it looks like paradise...until you look a little closer. Basically the only things Colorado Springs has going for it is breathtaking views, clean air...for now, and... that's about it. Minuses include low paying jobs, overpriced rents and real estate, high crime, low IQ, lack of diversity and culture, HORRIFIC DRIVERS, a handful of decent restaurants, franchise food city, the dumbest most illiterate cross section of people to knuckle crawl the earth.

21 -5

ghastly place to live

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I am a Colo Native, and have lived in other cities in Colorado, been living here in Co Spgs for 35 years, and this place has his the bottom low trashy place to live, it was once a nice and decent place and I'm not sure what caused all these wild people to move here, maybe it was the lure for legal marijuana- as now there is a marijuana dispensary on almost every block it is very excessive, then the drivers are like zombies who are out to kill you, I get cussed out and flipped out multiple times a day because I am not speeding or tailgating or racing to the next red light, I have been crashed into 3 times this year by these zombie people. The pay and cost of living is ridiculously out of range with the housing and affordability. The homeless situation is so bad the police are asking for ideas from the community on what they can do with all of them on every single corner begging for money. The racism is very strong and every race seems to hate the other. The schools are terrible and way below national school grades. The military are all returning and have PTSD they drive like they are still on the war zone out to kill other drivers with their big trucks and raised up with large tires-there are 5 military bases here. I pray I can move out of this city very soon and do not like it here at all. I have a great boss and have been working medical collections for 20 years and love what I do but this city is so bad it will ruin anyone from wanting to live here. Oh, and the city planning and excessive construction on every street is like playing the video game frogger and try not to blow out your alignment and axle , and don't even think of trying to merge over into the next lane due to to construction blocking lanes-because drivers wont let you in-even if you use your signal, and then they'll honk and cuss you out.

22 -3

What happened to Colorful Colorado

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Colorado Springs was once a nice place to live. It seems the last three years have pulled us down. Cost of living has gone up and wage does not. No large corporation's to support the influx. TERRIBLE, SCARY AND DOWN RIGHT DANGEROUS DRIVERS.

19 0

Believe all the negative reviews

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Anyone who tells you Colorado Springs is a horrible place to live is telling the truth. Anyone who thinks highly of Colorado Springs is behind a smoke screen.

15 0

Welcome to Colorado!

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We have 2 year's living here and I'm still missing MO, if you want to fight for good place for living and spend a lot of money come to Colorado Springs.... I never know a place where you're gonna be discriminate for your lovelys pets, all the agencies have a list like for 14,20 breeds of dogs that it's impossible to found a place for living, plus they are not cats lover neither, plus the rate of lease(super high), etc etc. The city it's definitely not good, homeless everywhere, criminals, racist, well you have all. Yes beautiful mountain, everyone taking care of running, bicycling, walking... yeah but still you feel the difference, too much noise for a small city, too aggressive, the schools are very for the below average and just 2 district are good, if you are lucky maybe you leave in those districts.Please consider other better places for living if you can if not, well welcome and resist.

7 -3

Get me out of here.

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I moved here almost 3 years ago and I am moving soon with my family. Let me start by saying I moved from Washington state to here... now when I mean Washington state I mean the part that had the Aryan Nation close by and had to endure there marches. I mean I really thought I understood what hate was... boy was I wrong! You see this city is the most rasist place I've ever been. You see my family is a family of the world I have nieces and nephews of every color and I love them all. My son never even knew that you could separate people by the color of there skin into categories until he learned in school about segregation, he knew them only as family. We moved here and we could live with the pot holes, the lack of good pay and high rent... but we can't live with the hate. Here the racism is universal. The white people hate the black and Hispanic... the black people hate the Hispanic and the white... and the Hispanic people hate the white and black. My family would walk into a Hispanic store and the other customers would walk over and remove things from our shopping cart until we left. We would walk into a black owned store and be asked to leave. We would walk into a white owned store and see others being stalked and pressed to leave. We made friends with some and during conversations they would bring up how you don't date outside your color... I'm talking millenials and generation X people saying this and was horrified. My 15 year old son comes home and tells me how much he hates it here because all he hears all day at school is rasist comments and hate slang. He told me "the kids in my generation here are slimeballs, all they say is the N word and hurt people."This is not the place to raise children and had I known before how ugly the people here were inside I'd have never come.

11 -9

The colorado dump

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Drifters everywhere, power plant coal fired downtown. Horrible city. Health care is the worst imaginable. Traffic on i25 is unbearable. Whoever wrote road signs in this city should be stopped from working immediately. I Like military folks but the whole town is like a tick on the back of military stuff and , sorry , but the standards of living are those of poor soldiers. Here pizza hut is considered a restaurant, there is no furniture store really. Churches run the show. People drive like idiots and shooting killing etc are way above average America. It is a horrible backward place.I told you so: the place sucks stay as far as you can.

11 -3

Horrible people living in a beautiful place.

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Let me start by saying my family and I are not wealthy. We may be lower middle class at best so we don't have the means to live extravagantly in the best neborhoods like some of these people. Even if we did those homes here are outrageously overpriced and I wouldn't waste my hard earned money. We have lived in Colorado Springs for over two years now and we've progressively grown to hate this place with a passion. Most of people here are complete trash with no integrity or respect for anything or anyone. Everyone I've met is either a criminal, a weird loser with a unexplainable since of self worth, or a almost completely brain dead stoner and the only exceptions seem to be military personnel. Homeless people are literally on every corner begging and doing drugs. Colorado Springs doesn't enforce imagration laws either so this place is crawling with illegal immigrants as well. Traffic is always horrible and the roads are filled with giant pot holes. I've spend hundreds if not thousands on vehicle repairs from just driving around here. There are little lounges all over the city where literally anyone can walk in and buy marijuana or concentrates smoke them then turn around and drive. Concentrate if you don't know already is a extremely potent chemically made marijuana wax substance that has been know to cause brain damage in users. It's definitely not something that should be legal anywhere and if you were to see someone smoking it and you've never seen it done then you would automatically think meth or crack. You would imagine with so much bad that rent would be cheaper but it's way overpriced as well. Everyone lives so close to each other it's ridiculous. I can currently hear my junky neibors coughing off some concentrate from our bedroom. Also it seems everyone here has a dog they allow to crap anywhere without ever picking it up. In every grassy area i've seen anywhere in this city has had crap everywhere on the ground so definitely don't ever let the kids play in the grass at the park. The weather here is completely unpredictable to say the least. We've seen everything from massive hail storms that damage everything to one hundred degrees temperatures to massive forest fires and blizzards. All the food establishments that are normally good everywhere else are not good at all here due to lack of decent employees. The only good things about Colorado Springs, Colorado is the views of the mountain and the military bases and that's it.. If any of this has offened anyone then you're probably like most people who live here. STUPID. We will be moving as soon as humanly possible and will never return.

11 -5

Native of 44 years thoughts on Colorado Springs

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Hey guys,Lived here my whole life. Yep, it has changed alot in those 44 years. But so has this world, right? I feel like it is a place where you can have a taste of everything. If you love the outdoors, you can do that anywhere here. If you are an artsy person, we have museums and places to go for that. If you are into sports we have college and professional with in an hour from here. Youth sports is great here. If you love music, well we have some great local venues and then we are an hour away from bigger stuff. Only complain I have heard is that there is not alot here for singles. I wouldn't know, been married for 24 years. But I would say that Denver is an hour away if you need major clubbing. I have heard our downtown is getting better for that. We have alot of military here. SO there is plenty of diversity. I think Colorado Springs is a well rounded community. The only thing we are really missing is a beach.

9 -13

Colorado Springs CO City Review

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Having lived in Colorado Springs (Often referred to as The Springs by its citizens)for nearly 5 years, I have learned to love the variety of activities which this sunny and outdoorsy city has to offer.If you're the type that loves the outdoors and are planning to live in The Springs you will most definitely fall in love with it. Mountain biking, fishing, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, running, road biking, swimming, locations for all of those can be reached within five to ten minutes of wherever you may be living in the city. Furthermore the city's climate is ideal for all the mentioned outdoor activities. Almost 300 days out of the year are dominated by sunny weather, so a planned hike being cancelled due to the rain will only rarely occur.

However, even though this city does have plenty of outdoors activities to offer, it fails to provide an energetic and vibrant nightlife, or one at all for that matter. The city is dominated mostly by miles and miles of a suburban landscape and has very little to offer for the metropolitan loving kind. Clubs and Bars are rare and aside from activities such as skiing or snowboarding not much is offered for the young inhabitants of the city, this truly is a city solely for the outdoors lover.

Like every city experiencing a rapid and tremendous spurt growth in population, The Springs finds itself unable to augment its infrastructure accordingly due to the swift sprawl. The ultimate result are clogged up roads and highways. Combined with the already quite unfriendly road culture of the city this can get annoying really quickly.

6 -1

Nice Place Gone Bad

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I've lived here since 1993 and it was a nice place then. Now it's a place I wouldn't recommend for anyone. My 3 main reasons for despising this town are Crime, Dangerous Drivers and Lack of Activities. The crime in this town has gotten out of control. I personally believe it's due to all the gang and drug activity. It's definitely not a safe town to live in anymore especially for a family raising children.

Now for the drivers here. People here drive so bad that it's dangerous even just walking across the street. Don't believe me look it up and see how many people have been run over just crossing the street (in a cross walk) including a mother pushing her baby in a stroller. They speed, cut in and out of traffic and blatantly run red lights. Last Valentines day I bought my wife a new car and literally 5 hours later she was side swiped and they sped off never to be seen again. Last month I was out in Missouri vacationing. While shopping I was talking to a guy and he asked where I was from. As soon as I told him Colorado Springs he said "Yeah that's the place where no one stops for red lights" and continued on at how him and his wife came here to visit and were glad to leave.

Activities in this town are scarce. You wouldn't think so considering it's a town of almost 500,000 people. Yes the mountains are here and very beautiful to drive and hike through but as far as stuff to do in town hang it up. There are lots of parks here but the most beautiful and historic ones have turned into homeless camps and are very unsafe. The homeless and vagrants have flooded the downtown area and will literally get physical with you if you don't give them money. Back to lack of activities, there are no large water parks, no amusement parks nothing. There is Memorial park which has a small lake and a jogging trail around it but again very unsafe. Females get sexually assaulted and people get mugged for money, cell phones and I Pods when walking or jogging around it. They have the Hot Air Balloon Classics here which are absolutely amazing to see, well I guess I should have said they use to have them here. This is the last year for the Balloon Classics. Due to city politics the Hot Air Balloon Classics said they would no longer have it in Colorado Springs and would find a different town to hold it in. It's amazing to me because while I was vacationing I visited towns that were a quarter the size or less that had tons of activities compared to Colorado Springs.

Over all this town has gone down hill BAD!!! It is a very boring and unsafe town to live in. Don't get me wrong the mountains are absolutely beautiful but I think I'd rather live somewhere nicer and just vacation in the mountains.

9 0

The Unexpected Springs In Colorado

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I traveled to Colorado Springs recently and I have to say that I did not expect to have so much fun in the city. I was a bit hesitant, at first, to visit the city because I would rather go to the bigger cities---those which so much more history, so much more art scenes, and definitely more popular. But having arrived at Colorado Springs, I decided to give the city a chance. And I am glad I did.

First of all, there are so many tourist attractions that it was definitely difficult to narrow down which ones my family and I were going to visit. From the art scenes to shopping centers to dining hotspots and family-oriented locations, the selections offered by Colorado Springs seem endless. In the end, we decided to pick the locations which were highly recommended by travel guides. One such location is the Pikes Peak Ascent. The view is breathtaking! We learned that during the month of August, runners from all over the globe would come to the place for the best challenge yet. I have to say, it was indeed quite a challenge! And so, the next day, we opted for something less tiring so to speak. It was time to try the dining hangouts that Colorado Springs took pride in. Mind you, we could not cover everything in a day. So, within the duration of the trip, we tried to squeeze in the restaurants that we heard were worth trying out. The King's Chef Diner is definitely one for the books. They have the best burger and fries I have ever tasted! Coming in close second is Joey's Pizza. The thin crust pizza wonder was so delicious I almost forgot I was on a diet.

When it comes to the local art scenes in Colorado Springs, I found the art exhibits most fascinating. They usually have several shows and one which I enjoyed immensely was the Modbo "Art on the Streets". Their Fine Arts Center is also one worth visiting. Of course, any trip will not be complete without shopping. For me, the top three shopping centers in Colorado Springs is the Chapel Hills Mall, the first & main Town Center, and of course, the Promenade Shps at the Briargate Parkway. What's really enticing about the Promenade Shops is its outdoor setup. It's also a complete one-stop-shop. It has almost everything you're looking for.

2 -2

So blessed to live in the Springs!

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I am an author and prone to use many words. Boy! I can use a lot when talking about Colorado and the Springs! Despite that I will try to be concise. I moved here from Southern California and have lived in Texas, Las Vegas and Tennessee but none of them have been home like Colorado. I have lived here in the Springs for almost 9 years and frankly, can't imagine living anywhere else! The beauty in itself is enough to make me want to stay. I have lived in the Smokey Mountains (which are beautiful) and lived in Lake Arrowhead, California (which is in the mountains of So Cal.) But there are NO mountains that I personally have seen that are like the Rocky Mountains! There is truly a majesty that blows me away every day, even after seeing them for 9 years. And there is an atmosphere created by those same mountains that makes for the most incredible skies I have ever seen. And RAINBOWS?! I have never seen so many, not just rainbows, but DOUBLE rainbows, in my life! The lightening storms (which some find frightening) are just awe inspiring to me. It was only after moving here that I witnessed horizontal lightening zig zagging across the sky for the first time and have witnessed it many times since. It is like watching the finger of God! In the fall, taking a drive up into the mountains to see all the yellow aspen trees dancing in the breeze! It is just amazing! Ok, I will stop about the beauty.......

The people here have been just as much of a blessing to me as the physical beauty. This is a real melting pot of people from many of the states however, Texas and California seem to be the most common. But despite the big cities we have come from, there is a kindred feeling of wanting to get away from the cold, harsh and crazy lifestyle of the city. That is what's so perfect for me about living here. I want the convenience of the city but the warmth and quality of people that come from the country. That is precisely what you get here. People here are more grounded, loyal to the USA and it's roots, more God-loving and more into family than anywhere I have lived in a very long time (Texas and Tennessee were in the early years of my life.)

So, to sum it up. If you want beauty, a climate that gives you all the seasons but temperately so, great people and all the convenience of the city.....this is it! But now that I have expressed my passion for this wonderful place I call home, please don't move here because we are quickly outgrowing our city. Just come for a nice, restful visit! :-)

4 -2

Colorado Springs, CO - Amazing Scenery

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Attractions8/10

Community9/10

Nightlife7/10

Dining7/10

Shopping7/10

I used to live in Colorado Springs, and I still make time to visit every year. The thing that I like best about Colorado Springs is that, while it is a sizable city, it has the friendliness and feel of a smaller town. It's an easy place to navigate, since most of Colorado Springs best restaurants, shopping centers and attractions such as the Air Force Academy are right off of Academy Boulevard, the city's busiest street. What many visitors don't know is that Colorado Springs also has an interesting old downtown area, complete with historic buildings, shopping, and some of the city's best Thai and Vietnamese restaurants.

The best thing about Colorado Springs, though, is the dramatic scenery and how easy it is to get to the mountains from the city. The view of the Rocky Mountains from Colorado Springs is amazing. You can see Pikes Peak and dozens of other peaks from anywhere in the city. You are also just a short drive away from historic mountain towns such as Manitou Springs, and skiing, camping and hiking.

3 -1

Name	Grades	Students	Proficiency
Tca College Pathways	7 - 12	497	80%
Thomas Maclaren State Charter School	6 - 12	343	74%
The Vanguard School (high)	9 - 12	258	72%
Chipeta Elementary School	PK - 5	474	68%
Cheyenne Mountain Elementary School	KG - 6	343	65%
The Classical Academy High School	9 - 12	619	65%
James Irwin Charter Elementary School	KG - 5	519	65%
Challenger Middle School	6 - 8	810	63%

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