Ten Things You Should Know Before Moving to Colorado Springs

Even though Westword is based in Denver, we consider the entire State of Colorado to be our beat.

That's why we write so frequently about Colorado Springs — and why our attention was grabbed by the recent Estately post "25 Things You Should Know Before Living in Colorado Springs."

Turns out plenty of items on this roster corresponded to things we've covered over the years — including all ten of those spotlighted here. Our original posts are linked in the captions for each photo.

Continue to count down our ten favorites, featuring Estately text — and to read the site's complete list, click here.

Number 10: Kim Jong-un wants to make the city go boom
Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea, has evil plans for Colorado Springs. According to a 2013 North Korean propaganda video, the city was singled out as one of four targets for a potential missile strike. Luckily, North Korea’s geography skills are terrible, and the map had Colorado Springs surprisingly located in Louisiana....

Number 9: Possible UFO hotspot?
According to statistics from the National UFO Reporting Center, Colorado Springs is the site of more than 11% of all UFO sightings in Colorado. Perhaps this is why UFO Phil (pictured above) has announced plans to construct a full-sized limestone pyramid and power plant atop Pikes Peak. Despite a design he claimed was given to him by aliens he was unable to recruit enough volunteers to haul the necessary 2.3 million limestone blocks to the top of the mountain.

Number 8: Fairly conservative for a city
Cities tend to be liberal bastions, but Colorado Springs has traditionally been more conservative. In 2013, the city was named the 2nd Best City for Conservatives to Live by Estately, but in recent years the area’s Democratic voters are growing in number faster than Republican ones. Much of the the downtown area and westside votes Democrat, but the city still has many conservative bonafides…

• Conservative organization Focus on the Family is headquartered there and its founder James Dobson calls the city home
• Leonard Peikoff, heir to the Ayn Rand estate, lives there
• Conservative author and commentator Michelle Malkin moved there recently
• Wisconsin Governor and presidential candidate Scott Walker was born there
• In the 2012, Republican primary El Paso County was won by Rick Santorum. In the general election the county voted 58.9% for Mitt Romney, and just 38.54% for Barack Obama.

Number 7: Gun violence
Violent crime is relatively low in Colorado Springs, but that doesn’t mean you’ll never hear shots fired. In April, a local man was cited by the police for taking his computer into the alley and executing it with eight shots at close range with a handgun.


Number 6: Garden of the Gods
Speaking of the gods, the city is near the Garden of the Gods Park and its towering sandstone rock formations. The park has miles of trails for biking and hiking, lots of pretty rock formations to photograph, and ample rock climbing routes. Not a bad thing to have in your backyard.

Number 5: Variety pack of colleges and universities
Colorado Springs is home to a wide variety of four-year colleges and universities, including Colorado College, the United States Air Force Academy. Colorado Technical University, Nazarene Bible College, and Paul Mitchell the School Colorado Springs. So whether you want to be a minister, a fighter pilot, a stylist, a diesel mechanic or a poet/barista the city’s diverse higher education scene can set you on the right path.

Number 4: The great, great outdoors
Colorado Springs routinely shows up on lists of the best cities for outdoor recreation. It’s abundant sunshine and low cost of living make it far easier to get out and enjoy the nearby wilderness, skiing, whitewater rapids, towering mountains, multisport trails, and more. This article could have easily just been 25 Amazing Outdoor Activities Within Miles of Downtown.

Number 3: The Goose is on the loose somewhere in Colorado Springs
Hall of Fame pitcher Goose Gossage was born in Colorado Springs, and continues to make his home there. During his 22-year baseball career he pitched for nine different teams, struck out 1,502 batters, and cultivated the kind of iconic facial hair people these days can only dream of.

Number 2: Looking to meet single Olympic athletes in your area?
Do you have what it takes to win a gold medal in the sport of love? The city is home to the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center, a 35-acre complex that provides housing and training facilities to more than 500 athletes and coaches at a time. This abundance of future Olympians provides your best chance to meet the next Lolo Jones or Ryan Lochte.

Number 1: Great place to start a new life
Thousands of people have made new lives for themselves in Colorado Springs, but none so famously as Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The popular TV series starred Jane Seymour as Dr. Michaela “Mike” Quinn, a physician who leaves her Boston life behind for one in the Wild West town of Colorado Springs. Despite hardships, she keeps her heart open and somehow love finds its way… in the form of a rugged outdoorsman named Sully.
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.