living in Vail/Aspen

I agree spraying the forest isn't practical and in most cases, nature should be allowed to take its course.

Since I contributed to highjacking this thread I'll make amends by posting a picture of an F40.

-F
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Back on topic a bit, I have lived in Aspen and loved it...but watch the culture aspect. I don't know you or know your socioeconomic means, I'm sure you are well-off to even be considering such a move. But Aspen does not have a super-diverse population, economically speaking. There are the super wealthy, the working class (locals) and the 6-to-a-bedroom-ski-bum crowd. Don't get me wrong, I envy every one of them to be able to live in Aspen but after about 6 months or so, it may wear on you. I notice you are coming from Arizona, possibly a suburban area (?) with lots of kids and access to the real world. Aspen, one of my favorite spots on earth, is not the real world. Neither is Vail. Sorry just my .02

DarkStar

 

Glad it helps, and remember mine is just 1 guys opinion ;-) And if I sound negative, take it with a grain of salt. This is just my experience.

Ski towns are a wonderful place to vacation and seem idyllic. Like you about 15 years back my wife and I had dreams of making a living in Aspen with our kids (they were very young then). Everyone gets along just fine in Aspen...the weather is great, the outdoor sports are second-to-none. There is little to no traffic. Housing is expensive, but not prohibitively so. I love to bike, ski, party, and all those kinds of things. I had spent 3 years living in Boulder and had a season pass to Vail. So I loved Colorado, and the mountains relatively well...Aspen was the place.

After our move, the primary struggle I had to deal with was my subtleness of my priorities changing as a family man, and no longer finding as much benefit from the ski-town life. With a wife and kids, we found an overwhelming lack of "people like us" who were raising families and falling in the same socioeconomic ranks. We were a young family, both college educated, a few years out of school with carreer aspirations and young kids to tend to. At the time I was also preparing to attend grad school long-distance. The fact is you just won't find many of those kinds of families in Aspen (maybe a few, but there just aren't that many). The families you find will be (1)small tourist-serving business owners, (2)granolas, or (3)very wealthy. (flame suit on...)

I'm generalizing, but you get the idea?

Also, if you are a working stiff like I am and you move to Aspen, you will join the ranks of the working class--albeit I'm sure in your case it would be the upper-class working class...working class in Aspen include all kinds of people but mostly servicing wealthy tourists. Not a bad thing, but something to keep in mind if you work in high-tech, banking, law, medical, etc.

If you are independently wealthy (and many of you reading this are), my points don't apply. But I hope that helps, and let me know if you would like any more information.

DarkStar

 

Living here I agree. You wanna be with folks with kids who aren't millionaires go down valley to Carbondale or more appropriately Glenwood Springs.

Most of the kids I see here are with nannies.

There are many people my age...60+, mostly retired. There aren't very many young people that can afford housing here unless they are in subsidized housing which is approaching half of the housing here.

Best place I've ever lived.

 

Aspen. A home on Red Mountain's Willoughby Way (near the base) sold for $20.75 million.

Snowmass Village in Two Creeks subdivision was $14.5 miilion.

Volume is off but some pricey places are still being bought.

Life is good.

 

Yes. I agree. If you've got $20.75MM or $14.5MM in your pocket to spend on an Aspen vacation home...

CW

 

We probably would have settled for a bunny with a pancake on its head. But, this'll do.

CW

 

Very well stated and true, and one reason we have decided on summit county...more "average " people, although that is changing with the rapidly rising real estate prices as build approaches in the next 5 years.....

 

I was going to post a picture of Enzo guy with a pancake on his head but I didn't bother to search for it.

Here's a picture of the mountains above Breckenridge to keep things on track. The snow will be here before you know it.

-F
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Well I don't live in a $20 million house or $14 million house. I don't live in a house.

But I have been to 59 classical music events since June 20th and if I go to all that I have tickets for I will have 71 under my belt by August 17th.

And I have a Ferrari that melts my butter every time I drive it.

I love hiking here every day.

I'll be fly fishing after the music festival is over and the tourists leave.

And then skiing in November.

Life is good.

Real good.

 

PNH,

What I meant is that if you have $20MM to throw at a vacation house, life probably isn't terrible. Different problems for sure, but it's arguably easier to be happy when you don't have to worry about how to pay for the basic necessities of life. Money surely doesn't make people happy, though. There's also a point past which it becomes just a luxury. Bigger house(s). Nicer car(s). Own jet and yacht v. charter. Whatever. Certainly nice and possibly worth chasing the dream for, but not necessary.

And, I think you'd find that Vail has many activities during the Summer, and one can be as busy in Vail as you are in Aspen.

CW

 

Ron,

I think you'll find this in all affluent areas, though. Doesn't matter if it's Greenwich, Palm Beach, Nantucket, Aspen, Vail or wherever. Nothing inherently wrong with it, and nannies can be extraordinarily helpful, but parents need to remember that the buck still stops with them. They will always have parental obligations that can't be abdicated to some hired helper. That's just bad parenting.

CW

 

I met a woman at a concert. Asked where she was from, she said origianlly from the Netherlands by now is a chef and has her own catering business in Manhattan. Asked her if she was vacationing in Aspen. She said no, she was a summertime full time cook for a family in Aspen. She cooks six days a week for a husband and wife. this was her day off. the couple has three houses...one in NY and one in Fla. they flew her out on their private jet.

She volunteered that the couple's daughter also has a house in Aspen. She is glad that she was not cooking for her as she has four childred and FIVE nannies fo cook for. Apparently one nanny is off while each child has their own nanny. One wonders how much time the mother and father spend with these children.

When I go to the park it reminds me of Central Park in NYC with so many children with nannies.

It's a brave new world.

Back before they invented water, I was brought up by a stay at home Mom and none of my friends had a nanny.

 

I don't know what Vail has to offer in the summer. I am sure there is lots to do.

Aspen has nine weeks of classical music with an event every day (sometimes 5 a day) which I like. I also like living on a creek (can't hear construction or traffic noise) and I like being able to walk everywhere. the grocery, liquor store, hardware store, cleaners, post office, ect. are 2 to three blocks away. the airpor is only 3 miles away and we have a hospital. And we have a couple dozen world class restaurants within walking distance or we can take the free shuttle. No worries about DUI cause I don't take a car to dinner.

Life is good.

We had a real nice free rock concert in Rio Grande Park this afternoon.

Life is real good.

 

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Alright, we get the point!!1 How can life be bad in the colorado mountains?? and with a 360 ferrari no less!!!!!

 

not normal...just interesting.

out of some 6,000 residents we never have over 100-200 private jets at the airport.