The Appeal of City Park

Out for a ride at the intersection of Jackson and Oak next to City Park....

City Park is a popular area for many reasons.  It really is the quintessential heart of residential Old Town.  Old Town shops and restaurants are 12-14 blocks away, a very nice stroll along wide residential streets full of Old Town homes and the park itself is large.  There is Sheldon Lake, City Park Pool, City Park Nine golf course and the wide green expanses of the park itself.  I live close to the park and like many of the area residents, find myself walking around the lake or through the park at least a few times a week, often times more.

One thing that makes Old Town fun is the mix of eclectic sites and sounds you are bound to encounter.  For example, I was coming home a few days ago and saw 3 horses plus riders at the northeast intersection of the park.  A couple times a year we usually see a horse and wagon go by, but I can't remember the last time I saw just horses.  This really is pretty normal for Old Town and that is what makes it such a great place.

Best Food Time of The Year In Fort Collins

Being a consumer of good eats, one of my favorite times of the year is upon us.  The annual Fort Collins Great Plates event kicks of March 1st and goes for two weeks.  This is a great time of year to try out some new restaurants or just enjoy some old favorites.

New to the list this year (or at least I think this is their first year) is Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar.  I can't say enough good about this place....happy hour is fantastic, food is great, and the service has always been top notch. 

My old favorites include many but I think the deal at Coopersmith's is one of the best values of all.  Their NY strip is usually priced at the nearly $25, well at least close, and you get TWO for this price.  The poolside pizza deal is great as well.

Tasty Harmony has seem great things to offer and let's not forget Canyon Street Chophouse.  I haven't had their Great Plates special but their bone in ribeye and all of their other steaks are not to be missed.  If you go, be sure to get an order of the truffle fries and I like the wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon bits.

Gotta run.....I am getting hungry!

Wait, in my haste for food I nearly forgot the link:
http://downtownfortcollins.com/dba.php/greatplates/

Fort Collins Weather

My better half and I both grew up on the East Coast.  I am originally from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, a beautiful part of the country.  I spent my childhood in a very small town of around 200 inhabitants, of which I knew 199 of them.  I hedge my bets a little bit because every town has that reclusive citizen that you see once a year...maybe, but never really get a chance to exchange words.  They like their privacy and so be it.  We had a blinking caution light, a post office and a country store.  It was so country in fact, that you could buy items on credit which meant that the elderly owners would pull out their spiral note book and write your name down with the amount you owed.  Maybe once a week or once a month you would pay off your tab, but I digress.

I bring this up because every time I speak with family or friends or anyone about living in Colorado they always say, "The winters must be so cold and snowy.  I don't know if I could handle it."  They are always surprised when I respond by saying the winters are actually easier in Fort Collins then where I grew up in Virginia and then I proceed to tell them why.  My admittedly unscientific logic (although I do have a background in science) to why Fort Collins winters are more hospitable than winters in Virginia revolves around four variables: temperature, humidity, sunshine, and precipitation:

Temperature:  On average, January is the coldest month in Fort Collins according to Wikipedia with the average daily temp at 29F.  In comparison, here is the info for a town near where I grew up.  The average for January here is 31F....pretty darn close.

Humidity:  This one is a bit tougher to get the numbers, but let's use personal experience.  Humidity in VA, high.  Humidity in Colorado, low.  I always refer to winter's in VA as having a damp, penetrating cold.  The kind that cuts right to the bone.  Not necessarily snowy or icy, but just wet and cold.  Colorado has very low humidity in both summer and winter.  The result is that 30 degrees in VA feels way colder than 30 degrees in CO in general because of humidity.

Sunshine:  Bottom line, we get a lot more of it!  It is also more intense since we are at around 5000 ft here.  This means, it feels very nice and warm in the sun, even when the outside temp is cold.

Precipitation:  If it falls in the winter, it is usually snow.  None of that freezing rain or rain at 36 degrees that makes it even colder than snow, and our storms generally don't last longer than a day.  We are rarely socked in for gray days on end like can happen on the east coast.  There is nothing like a nice, fresh blanket of snow and a great sunny day to take advantage of it.

So, winters here are really very nice....but don't tell everybody.

FHA fee increases start April 1st

Just a tidbit for those folks anywhere in the country that are thinking of buying a property using an FHA loan.  As of April 1st those loans are going to be more expensive, so it may be worth acting now if you are making a purchase in the next 6 months or so.  

The below is excerpted from Jill Hartman at Premier Mortgage Group Fort Collins-

I wanted you to be aware that FHA will increase its annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP) by 0.10 percent (from 1.15% to 1.25%) for loans under $625,500.  Upfront premiums (UFMIP) will also increase by 0.75 percent.  The UFMIP will be increased from 1 percent to 1.75 percent of the base loan amount.  This increase applies regardless of the amortization term or LTV ratio.  FHA will continue to permit financing of this charge into the mortgage.  This is quite a significant increase and is effective April 1, 2012 which means your lender must assign a case number before April 1^st in order to use the current, lower amount.

Here is a link to the press release from the FHA:


http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=%2Fpress%2Fpress_releases_media_advisories%2F2012%2FHUDNo.12-037

Christmas Trees Options in Fort Collins

If you are new to town or have been here for many years you may not be aware of all the different options for Christmas trees.  I have a background in Ecology and am concerned about my impact on the environment, so I have always felt a bit torn when facing the Christmas tree dilemma.  Nothing screams the holidays like a fresh cut Christmas tree, covered in lights and ornaments forming the centerpiece of your holiday season.  However, I always think about where that tree came from and feel those pangs of post holiday guilt when I drop it off at the Christmas tree "recycling center".  The good news is that there are some conscientious options right here in our own back yard. 

We have a great program here put on through the Canyon Lakes Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest.  You can go cut your own Christmas tree up near Red Feather Lakes.  Now, I know your next thought....but Erik, you think it is great to go cut a tree down in the national forest.  Isn't all the logging and clear cutting a problem?  Not in this case.  This is a specially designated area that is an old clear cut that is in a rejuvenation phase.  The young trees are coming in very thickly and need to be thinned.  By properly choosing your tree, you are actually making a healthier forest by allowing room for the remaining trees to grow properly, stretch their limbs, so to speak. 

You can get all the details by HERE.  For $10, pack a picnic lunch and hot chocolate, and take your family and friends, dogs, cats, parakeets, up to the cutting area near Red Feather and choose your tree.  The dates are Dec. 3rd-11th.  You can buy permits there BUT ONLY ON THE WEEKENDS.  For a during the week cutting, pick up your permit from the Ranger Office in FC before you go.

This is a great program and lots of fun.  If you can't make it all the way to cut your own, then head out to the tree lot beside the Bellvue Bean.  They cut trees from the same area of the national forest and you can get some great hot drinks and food from The Bean while you are there. 

When choosing your tree always think about where that tree is from.  A fir shipped in from Washington or Oregon may be pretty, but think of the impact of shipping that tree across the country.  Choose a local tree and a local supplier when making your purchase. 

Also, a live tree that you can plant after the holidays is also a great option.  I am sure one of the local nurseries would be thrilled to help you out.

Here is to Happy Holidays!

Fort Collins Schools

We are really lucky here in Fort Collins to have great schools.  It is a testament to the Poudre School District that there are so many options.  The PSD School Choice programs allows families to select the school that best meets their child's educational needs.  For a serious overview go to THIS PAGE and click on the link to download the "Educational Choices" overview near the bottom of the page. 

School options in the area include Standards-Driven Curriculum Schools, Special Focus Schools (bilingual immersion, gifted and talented, and science, the arts, or technology focused), Core Knowledge Schools, International Baccalaureate Schools, Advanced Placement and Post-Secondary and Career Credit Options. 

I think one reason for the quality of our schools is the collective brainpower of the community.  Fort Collins as a city has a very high percentage of residents with post-secondary degrees.  Here are some stats from a survey of the most educated cities in the US.  Fort Collins is fifth on the list. 

Graduate and/or Professional Degree: 16.66%
Bachelor's Degree: 24.39%
Associate Degree or Some College: 31.81%
High School Diploma: 20.43%

 

All of this secondary education means that residents understand the value of education and support it both in the schools and at home.  These people volunteer in their child's schools and when the teacher wants to have a special section on Geology, they don't just show a video, they bring in little Susie's dad who happens to be a Geology Professor at CSU.  When they take the field trip to the Aquarium in Denver one of the chaperones is little Johnie's mom who is a Professor of Marine Biology.  

All of this and the best news is that these schools are all public!

Fort Collins in the 8 Healthiest Housing Markets in Builder Magazine

As those of us that live here know Fort Collins is a great place to live.  This is good news for the housing market as 2012 is shaping up to be a strong year.  Check out this summary of an article in Builder Magazine where Fort Collins makes #2 on the list

 Article Excerpt:  "Many of the housing markets projected to have the biggest gains into 2012 tend to be the home to major universities, strong private sector employment, or have nearby military bases, according to a list of the healthiest housing markets by Builder Magazine."

We have both a major university and a strong private sector here in Fort Collins and unemployment is on the decline with the Unemployment Rate at 6.0% for September 2011.  This is down from a high of 8.5% in January 2010.  A positive growth outlook and declining unemployment all point towards rising home prices in 2012.  Time to enjoy these historic low interest rates while you can.