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Fort Collins, Colorado
Anyone considering a retirement in a
pretty, healthy, mid-sized and growing city might want to consider Fort
Collins, Colorado. This college town is gaining recognition as a
great place to live, for people of all ages. Situated on the high
plains north of Denver, but with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, the city
enjoys four distinct seasons, but each one is enjoyable and
"usable," meaning that there are few days of the year you need
to stay indoors, unlike other locations where it can sometimes be too
cold or too humid to venture outside.
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Fort Collins was founded as a
military outpost and stayed that until Colorado State University
(then Colorado A&M) was established in the 1870s.
Today, CSU is Colorado's second largest university system and
brings an eclectic mixture of people to the area. With a
population of about 100,000, Fort Collins is a nice compromise
between small town and large city. There are plenty of
amenities here, from art galleries and theater to hiking in
stunning Rocky Mountain National Park. Downtown has a
classic main street and is an historic district. This is
an outdoor-oriented city (as is most of Colorado), so seniors
considering retiring here might keep that in mind. For
serious shopping, dining or theater, Denver is just 60 miles to
the south.
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taken seriously, which keeps skyscrapers to a minimum (no one
wants to block the mountain views). This attention to city
planning should keep Fort Collins a livable city well into the
future.
Overall, the cost of living is slightly higher than the
national average.
Housing prices have shot up within the last few years (as
they have most everywhere), but condominiums and town homes are
less expensive and available. Rental units are usually
taken up by students.
Poudre Valley Hospital, with 250 beds, is here. Major
health care facilities of all kinds are in Denver, about an hour
away.
Summer temperatures are usually in the 80s and 90s with very
little rain. Falls are cool with shimmering blue
skies. Winters are relatively mild, with temperatures
ranging from the 30s to 50s. It can get very cold
but doesn't often. It does snow, but often the snow has
melted by the next day. Occasionally, there are heavy
snowstorms or blizzards, but again, the snow doesn't stay around
very long. Colorado
has nearly 300 days a year of sunshine. |
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