Longmont : Colorado

Located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and approximately 30 miles northwest of Denver, Longmont, Colorado, has been recognized as an “All American City” and a “Best Places to Live” town. It has been recently ranked #23 in the “Top 100 Best Places to Live” by Livability.com, for it's thriving art scene and quality health care. The bike-friendly community, with a population of approximately 90,000, offers art galleries, art walks, exhibits and events, and boasts a community-wide emphasis on healthy living with its Live Well Longmont program. It is also home to several outdoor recreation venues including skydiving, biking, hiking, and golf, has an award-winning library, and a community college. Picture of Downtown Longmont, Longmont Public Library, and Reservoir West of Longmont , are courtesy of Wikipedia and Billy Hathorn. 

The housing choices are diverse in Longmont from golf course communities, to historic Old Town Longmont.   Prospect New Town, is a new urbanist project with many types of housing and prices. Zillow reports the median sale price is about $340,000 in mid-2016.

Longmont is an outdoorsy community that offers many types of recreation including hiking, biking, and golf, with skiing nearby.  The town hosts several art venues, festival and concerts and farmer's markets.  It is home to a community college,  a symphony orchestra, museums, and a hospital. The town sponsers a Live Well Longmont program that includes programs, events and classes to encourage healthy living.

High cost of living; cold, snowy winters

Retirees who want a biking community that also offers golf, hiking, and an array of activities would enjoy living here.   The town also has museums, restaurants, breweries, galleries and health care facilities.

 Longmont has a mixed workforce of both blue-collar and white-collar jobs. Due to its proximity to the Rocky Mountain National Park, it is also home to many recreational and tourist-related businesses, along with a thriving craft brewing industry.  St. Vrain Valley Schools is the largest employer.

The average January temperature is 28 degrees, July's average is 76 degrees. Longmont gets an average of 34 inches of snow annually.

Longmont is an artsy town with a state-designated Longmont Downtown Creative District that features many galleries, art exhibits and shops; paved walkways connects to more than 75 works of art located around the town; the vibrant downtown offers many restaurants and popular breweries; the town is also home to three golf courses, several parks, museums, and to a symphony orchestra.