New to Colorado

Hello Everyone,
I'm new to the Colorado Springs area (military obviously) and was looking for any and all advice about the area. Not so happy with the CS paper - waaaaaaay to conservative. Love the view - beautiful. I've seen quite a few political bumper stickers driving around both pro * and sane (meaning anti *). What is the political climate here? I'm used to being surrounded by republicans and was hoping to find a liberal oasis in Co. Too much to ask? Any opportunities to volunteer? Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated.

mw

It is sliding towards red now.

Or at least somewhat bluish.

Be that as it may, since you're in Colorado Springs, I'm sorry to tell you that you're in the very worst part of the state in terms of politics, at least in terms of the Front Range, where all the people are.

I live in Denver, which is sane over all, although the southwest side, where I live, has been getting redder for years. Boulder is beautiful and politically very sane. Try to drive up there and spend a day in that city, if you can. You'll probably like it.

true for all time!

Welcome to DU, militarywife!

At least you have an "oasis" here.

Some Coloradoans will jump on to tell you all about Colorado Springs.

and I don't mean just Colorado. There are progressives there, though, you just have to look for them. Health food stores area always good places to start, as is the local UU church. Both will have progressive news and places to volunteer.

Other than that, clean out your fridge and decorate Dobson for me, willya?

Colorado Springs is wingnut central, due to Focus on the Family and the amount of retired veterans and military in the area.

Check out The Inedependent paper for a counter to the right-wing shillery that passes for a newspaper here.

With old downtown a close second. I presume you're at Peterson?

The closer you get to Manitou Springs (west out Hwy 24) the saner the town gets politically, but it's not so good for the skeptic. Still, Manitou is a nice place and the Loop restaurant has one of the world's best seafood chimichangas. Be warned, however; summer in Old Colo City and Manitou is Tourist Season and they all get milked. Winters are better, but some businesses close up. The North and east ends of town are strip and chain store hell. Oh, and YES, Academy wanders from Southeast to Northwest as it goes through town. (It took me three weeks to figure that one out....) Get a map and put it in the glove box and remember - the mountains are always to the west!

Poor Richard's books and pizza on Tejon is a good place to get away from the fundies. It was my haven when I lived in Colorado Springs 6 years ago. Another sane place is next door at Compleat Games (but beware.... it's easy to be sucked in if you're even marginally inclined towards gaming.)

Colorado is a solid purple right now, and will be a battleground state according to the DNC and the Colo. Dem Party. The El Paso County Dems are just getting reorganized for Ref C & D (measures to buy Colo. time to fix our budget crisis) as is the rest of the state, but I've met some of the officers down there. They're good people. Colorado went to The Horrible Statistical Anomaly by about 100,000 votes (really not much) but the General Assembly is Dem as are a lot of the Federal seats.

I'm in Boulder now, but you'll live.... Really, Peterson is no worse than Ft. Campbell or Ft. Hood or Yuma Marine Corps Air Station.... (I'm not helping matters, am I?) It's base and Base life is base life where ever you go.

Thanks for all the info, I will definitely check out the Independent (funny name that) to counter the horror of the paper. Purple is good, better than red. If it is close, I may have to become a resident (it's only one, but my vote doesn't count in my homestate much).

mw

El Rey de Pollo
522 South Academy Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80910

This is southwest from the Academy Blvd. and Airport Rd. intersection, in a strip mall by the Satellite Hotel (the tallest landmark around there). Not only are their bbq ribs and chicken to die for, but the owner makes the guacamole fresh when you order it. Ymmmm!

If you like hiking, but don't have the time to get up to the mountains, avoid tourist-laden Garden of the Gods and enjoy a much more private walk through the same rock formations at the newly opened Red Rock Canyon Park. It's so new that relatively few people know about it. http://www.springsgov.com/Page.asp?NavID=5191. Another very nice, easy hiking area is south of the Springs at Fountain Creek: http://adm.elpasoco.com/parks/r_parks/fcrp/Fcrp.asp. Great bird watching, plus you may see beaver, otter, and white tail deer. Very pretty!

I agree with the poster, above, who wrote that the closer you get to Manitou Springs & Old Town, the more liberal. But there are a few other bastions of sanity. If looking for volunteer opportunities, you might try
The Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission: http://www.ppjpc.org/
The Colorado Springs/El Paso County ACLU: http://www.aclu-co.org/chapters/co_spngs/co_spngs.htm
Be The Change USA: http://www.btc-usa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=42

Welcome to Colorado! :hi: Sure, the Springs is home to Focus on the Family and the Promisekeepers, but I know a lot of progressive lefty people living there who refuse to abdicate such a beautiful place to the extreme right. America the Beautiful was written atop Pike's Peak, which means to me that the Springs is rightfully claimed by all Americans, left and right.

There are a bunch of small Mexican eateries that no one has ever heard of out here but they are great when you find them. Not much gets me down to the Satellite hotel area, but if something does I will need to give that a try.

I spent 5 years at Fort Carson, and I recently got out of the Army. I live just up Ute Pass on US24 in the rural town called Divide.

The Springs is very conservative, overall, and has much more than its fair share of Christian Fundamentalists. Colorado as a whole is "red," but depending on where you go, it is very blue. Most mountain communities and resort areas are very green and liberal, as is Boulder. I think Denver is sort of half and half.

I didn't spend much time in the Army, but from what I've seen and heard, the Springs is still one of the best "Army Towns" that you can be in. Although the Springs is very conservative, it is a large enough town for you to find your niche. I lived down there for about a year before I moved to the mountains, and I always found good people. Stay away from the eastern part of town, and most of the northern parts. Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs are great, and have lots of culture.

I love it here because I'm an avid climber, and I don't frequent the cities of the Front Range very much. If you are into the outdoors, you will absolutely love it here. Every conceivable outdoor activity is available within driving distance.

Enjoy your time here.
-ed

I moved to the Springs when I was 3 and have been here ever since (now 31). It is a conservative hellhole but there are pockets of civilization. I noticed someone mentioned the Independent newspaper. Great choice. It comes out every Thursday and is thoroughly enjoyable (I love reading Hazlehurst, not always liberal, but always fair). Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City were mentioned and I like those areas as well (I love Front Range Barbecue in Old Colorado City), but they can also be inundated with tourists.

If I have my choice, I usually only go out to eat downtown or in Old Colorado City or in Manitou. You are more likely to find locally owned, non-chain type places in these locales. I am a fan of the Olive Branch, Jose Muldoon's, and Michelle's. There are a couple places to eat around town that are kind of whole-in-the-wall, such as the Roman Villa on North Nevada across from KMart (sigh).

As for volunteering, I regret I have been remiss in that department myself. I have started to look out for some dem meetings and I might attend one of the functions they have over by Colorado College in the near future (Paninos? Italian Restaurant is the location I believe). I believe there will be a tree-planting opportunity coming up on the mountain scar soon (unless that has already happened, I hope not).

Activity-wise, hiking is great. Red Rock Canyon was mentioned which is new and very nice. The Garden of the Gods can be a little too popular, but is still beautiful. Other hikes are the Manitou Incline (brutal from what I hear), Barr Trail which takes you up Pikes Peak, and Waldo Canyon which can be accessed from Highway 24 not far from Manitou Springs. Palmer Park is surprisingly nice considering the roads built in and the fact that its in the middle of town.

When I was younger I used to bike all over town. I recently got a new bike and I have discovered that the trail system, while not great, is drastically improved. I take the Evergreen (or Santa Fe) train downtown all the time now. I live up by UCCS and the Templeton Gap Trail takes me right to the Evergreen trail...it's wonderful.

Speaking of UCCS, there is talk of massive improvements to the area. As I have lived around UCCS since 1984 I am very excited about this. I am not so excited, however, when I hear Home Depot, Lowe's and other chain names bandied about. UCCS desperately needs a "college life." Introducing dorms helped (although I hated them when I went to school there, they made parking a bitch), but more needs to be done. Coffee houses, book stores, clubs, etc. would all be welcome, though I would prefer they were locally owned (the losses of McKenzie-White booksellers and, more recently, Chinook Bookstores were heartbreaking). CC seems to have a little bit better idea of how to do the whole college thing. The college thing that I refer to isn't just for college kids. A good, well-rounded school can provide ample opportunity for everyone (CU boulder rockets to mind). CC has little more going on with the Fine Arts center nearby, the Numismatic Museum, Monument Valley Park, etc.

I rarely head up north unless I take my toddler daughter to Chapel Hills to play in their playground during inclement weather. My company is going to be moving up North (past the Oracle building) which depresses me as our current location on Garden of the Gods provides easy access to downtown (at least before Cosmix), the Garden of the Gods, Ute Valley Park, Marigold's Cafe, and Mollica's. The north and east ends of town are brutal; chains and sprawl as far as the eye can see. The only things that take me out east are movies (the Peak downtown is nice too) and the Sky Sox.

This has gone on far longer than I intended. I hope I gave some ideas and didn't get too political. I love this town...I just hate what it has become (my Mother-in-Law works for Focus...she knows better than to bring it up). Welcome, and I hope you can help bring some sanity.