In 2004 USA Today ranked Charlottesville as the best place to live. In 2006 CNN Money ranked Fort Collins, CO as the best place to live (with many Top 10 finishes since then). I never thought I would have the chance to move from one "Top Ranked" city to another but here I am. Each of these cities definitely has its perks. Personally, I can't say which is best just because of the relative time I've spend in each (10 years vs 6 months) but I have definitely formed some impressions.
I think this is a good time to reflect on the pros and cons of these two fine cities while "The 'Ville" is still fresh in my mind and "FoCo" is still fresh and new.
First, an easy one...Weather.
This is really a tough one. As a cyclist, it's really hard to beat the Central VA winter. With winter lows typically in the 20's you can pretty much ride 50 weeks out of the year without too much trouble. If it gets really cold (for VA) then you can just ride in the woods, somewhat protected from the wind. As long as there isn't snow on the ground, you can suit up and do some riding.
On the flip side, we have Colorado winters. BRRRR! For example, January 1, 2011 the mean temperature was 6 degrees (F) with sustained winds of 22MPH. There's no way to be on a bicycle in that kind of weather. In contrast, the mean temperature was 48 degrees in C-ville.
But now...6 months later. It's about 70-80 degrees here in the fort with pretty low humidity, while my Virginia friends are suffering with 90-100 degree weather and so much moisture in the air it feels like a steam room. I guess weather is not so easy. I think the lesson here is that we are going to have to pick up skiing.
More to come...
