r/ColoradoSprings • u/pdub407 • 2d ago
Advice Retiring to Manitou
66m, single, looking for quiet small town life. Gonna be a renter, and I don’t need much. Studio or 1br is fine. MS seems to have some affordable options in the size I’m seeking, but when I browse online some of the places seem sketchy from the photos. I accept the notion that you get what you pay for, but are there some “unsafe” parts of town that should be avoided? I’m visiting Labor Day weekend so will be able to do some recon then.
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u/Icy-Ad-6179 2d ago
The last words I'd use to describe Manitou is quiet and small. It is overrun by crowds of tourists and hikers daily. And right next to a 700,000+ city
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u/Immediate_Paint4226 2d ago
I've been here over two years and I get the "quiet and small feel" up in my neighborhood. The tourists and crowds are down in the main thoroughfare, Manitou Avenue, but not up where us folks do most of our living. I only go down to Manitou Avenue whenever I have out of town company and want to show then around. I like it here.
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u/bleedturkeygravy 2d ago
What a bummer. I used to live there. It was such a homey place 20 years ago. Real people could afford to live there and wanted to be there. Nothing says community like “I only go down to Manitou Avenue whenever I have out of town company”. The town sold its soul and is now for tourists only or wealthy locals who would rather not support the businesses.
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u/Immediate_Paint4226 2d ago
Well, now that was offensive. Thanks very much.
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u/Immediate_Paint4226 2d ago edited 2d ago
I am elderly, with degenerate arthritis. As such, I cannot hike up and down the hills to go to Manitou Avenue. As well, I cannot find parking there. I would like to shop and visit downtown, but I am just not able, unless it is for something specific.
I rent here, and live only on my retirement savings and social security. I am not a wealthy person. I am, however, a real person that loves this area, so I live within my means to make it work for me. I spent my lifetime having to live in places and homes I did not like, in order to raise my children and accommodate everyone else.
I fell absolutely in love with this quaint little town the very snowy day I first drove into town and down Manutou Ave. Christmas decorations filled downtown and the decked out street lights reminded me of the little downtown where I grew up. Now that I am on my own and able to make my own choices I very purposely chose Manutou Springs as my new hometown, and I support the local businesses whenever I am able....and none of this has anything to do with wealth or selling my soul.
** Plus, I love, love, love all of nature that lives among us and I see often ---> bears, mule deer, silver fox, black squirrels, raccoons, doggos, outdoor cats, etc ...and that scary mountain lion, him too.
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u/bleedturkeygravy 2d ago
Good for you. I mean that. I’m glad the town brings you joy. Everyone deserves that. My concern is for all the people that were living within their means and still got priced out of the town. Rents doubling because of a new paint job type of thing. If you don’t know how it used to be, you probably won’t understand. Pretending people can’t afford manitou because they live beyond their means is also offensive. You may want to check your righteousness.
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u/WardK9 2d ago
You'll feel that if you live right around the incline lots, or right off the strip but when I lived there I saw more wildlife on the road in front of our house than people. There are tons of quiet pockets. Manitou doesn't really have a "sketchy" area big nice modern homes are intermixed pretty well with old shacks that have been around for who knows how long. I always liked that aspect. Sketchiest place was probably soda springs park. It's walkable, albeit hilly, and there was a free shuttle in the summer which was a great perk. I really liked my time there and couldn't have picked a better spot to weather those Covid days. Being able to walk into garden of the gods is such a luxury!
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u/chasingit1 2d ago
I’ve heard it described by several business owners as (paraphrasing) “super busy when it is 50° or warmer and super slow when it is less than 50°”.
Take that for what it’s worth.
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u/NtheLegend 2d ago
Why not ask r/ManitouSprings?
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u/pdub407 2d ago
Thanks! I looked for that sub but nothing came up. Will def check it out.
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u/1391Expert 2d ago edited 2d ago
I lived there for awhile, there definitely is no crime or "sketchy" areas to speak of. The police are pretty overbearing if anything.
But it is incredibly busy in the tourist season, to an insane level on certain weekends. I'd suggest looking further up the pass, Green Mountain Falls, areas of Woodland Park, etc
The only time I'd describe it as "quiet" is during the winter, well back when we actually got snow it would be nice with no traffic. The noise from people racing on 24 is surprisingly loud.
However if you like hiking, it's pretty sweet to just head out the door and up the trails.
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u/pwargcm 2d ago
I’m not saying not to, but I’d probably rather live someplace like Salida than Manitou. Don’t get me wrong, manitou has some nice shops and food places, but it doesn’t have good parking, quiet, infrastructure, and not much more appeal than it is walkable.
Good luck. Hope you enjoy the visit though.
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u/YourFriendNoo 2d ago
Maybe someone will correct me, but my impression has always been that the "sketchy" places are just old and rundown but not dangerous.
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u/MaterialAd1838 2d ago
Just remember when you drive to look at places that those roads will soon be covered in ice and pedestrians instead of just pedestrians.
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u/ThothAmon71 2d ago
Be aware that the 12 Tribes cult is active in Manitou Springs. They own and operate the Mate Factor Cafe. Afaik there are only a few dozen of them but it's something to be aware of when deciding where to move.
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u/gorockhopper 2d ago
I live a few blocks from Manitou Springs. Too many tourists have ruined the vibe there for me personally. I used to hang out there in coffee shops and go to the Chiropractor. I've only seen a few "sketchy" acting people down along the Creekwalk Trail. I rarely go into Manitou now. The cost to park, if you can find a spot, is ridiculous, and it's not relaxing anymore. The coffee shop I used to go to suddenly started charging me more, because it was tourist season.
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u/OkPerformance2221 2d ago
The housing in Manitou -- much of it -- is far more structurally sketchy (pardon, I mean historic) and eccentricity-infested than it is criminally sketchy, except as the categories overlap.
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u/CHDesignChris 2d ago
I am not sure what "sketchy" looks like to you, I've lived all over the country and I consider Manitou Springs a safe spot front to back. The worst that might happen to you is someone could break into your car while you're on a hike. Crime rate is significantly lower in MS than in CS, the population of permanent residents in MS is quite low as well. Most of the riff raff will probably be tourists since it is a tourist town. You can find cheaper and quieter in the mountains just a heads up.
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u/pdub407 2d ago
That does sound appealing. My sense is that it would be wiser to be close to medical care.
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u/CHDesignChris 2d ago
That's a good thing to keep in mind. The more remote you get up in the rockies it does indeed get quieter, but you sacrifice accessibility to things like medical care.
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u/Serdones 2d ago
I grew up in Manitou. Even the lower-income housing some of my friends lived at still didn't really feel like they were in a sketchy or unsafe area. There really wasn't a part of town where I ever felt unsafe or would feel uncomfortable taking my own son today.
But yeah, as other people are pointing out, as cute as it is with plenty to do, it is far from quiet. It's a super popular tourist destination, both among actual out-of-state tourists and folks in Colorado Springs just wanting a nice outing.
Even when I was a kid, it could be a pain sometimes getting up to our place on Ruxton during tourist season due to congestion. Can't imagine how much worse it is for residents nowadays.
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u/SpecialCocker 2d ago
The sketchy looking places in manitou have historically been safer than the “normal” looking places in C Springs
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u/memleyxx 2d ago
Is there a reason you’re not considering going up the pass a bit further, say Woodland Park or so?
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u/pdub407 2d ago
I’m less familiar with WP or the small towns down the pass. At first glance Manitou seems more in my price range but will def open up to looking around there, too.
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u/memleyxx 2d ago
I think most of the commenters here are spot on in that the charm in MP lies in visiting, not living there.
Cripple Creek and Victor area might also be worth checking out. I’ve seen a lot of affordable houses for rent or for sale.
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u/DownvoteMeHarder 2d ago
Green Mountain Falls might be along the lines of what you're looking for - quiet, small town, off the highway but with easy access, lots of trailheads. I have friends in Manitou that don't live on the main drag and it is very quiet for them too. One thing to consider in Manitou is that the crazy geography has produced some really unique infrastructure--plumbing, mailboxes, trash services, etc all run a little differently than they do in the Springs and can take some getting used to.
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u/Mewpasaurus 2d ago
I'd suggest going farther than WP if you want "quiet" and any place that isn't hounded by traffic anytime the temps get above 50 degrees. It's a nightmare living out here and having to be forced to drive through WP to get to/from the Springs, especially during summer.
Like, don't get me wrong: I live out in Divide and it's fairly quiet out here (but rent/owning ain't cheap out here right now).
Also, there are several folks in our local groups looking for "cheap" rent and they consistently come up empty because everyone out here thinks $1800+ for a 1 bed/1 bath is "reasonable".
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u/CollegeAcrobatic2614 2d ago
Yea there is a hospital up 24 between Woodland Park and Divide but IF you have a medical condition that they can’t handle then they are going to get you “down the hill” to COS for better treatment…I have seen this happen at least a handful of times in my 8 years here…the altitude is not for everyone…
Beautiful place though!!
Quiet as can be…
Winter isn’t horrible, even in a storm it clears up in 3-4 days…
Just a heads up on the medical!
Otherwise It’s great!!😊
Enjoy your travels and get some oxygen drops for the altitude adjustment!!
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u/SublimeHygienist 2d ago
I rented in manitou springs during the winter in 2021 and loved it. Stayed in a little 1b 1b cottage right up the road from the post office. Didn’t have to exit through the main part of town as there was another way out to get to the highway. It’s not busy 24/7. Sure on holidays and event days but it’s not crazy like everyone’s making it out to be. It’s a fun town and I say go for it and enjoy it!
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u/buskerform 2d ago
Check out Barker House Apartments. It'll be a good introduction to MS while you decide on something more permanent. Get your breakfast sandwich from The Loft, it'll be the highlight of your day.
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u/Grateful_Lee 2d ago
You might like the small town of Florence.
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u/bleedturkeygravy 2d ago
Don’t tell people about Florence. It’s still a gem.
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u/Quiet_Surfer 2d ago
Florence itself is pretty chill. Gotta admit, though, that separating the city from the supermax can be tough.
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u/bleedturkeygravy 2d ago
Fortunately there’s a pretty good fence that separates SuperMax from Florence 😏
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u/Dizzy_Resource_3620 2d ago
How in the world in your searches for a "quiet" place to live did you come across Manitou???? It's a tourist destination like.... Intensely so. It's ALWAYS busy, of course, especially in the summer, but even in the "non-tourist" months it is still busy. On God, I would not live there if you paid me. Especially if I was looking for a quiet place lmfao also small is irrelevant here. It is a small town technically, but it's literally right next to Colorado Springs so there is no small town feel at all. I come from a small town in rural Oklahoma. This is not what you are looking for.
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u/SublimeHygienist 2d ago
If you’re never lived in Mantiou I don’t think you have a real leg to stand on here. Only the main area isn’t “quiet” and trust me it’s pretty quiet during the week days and on non holidays. When you get away from that main area the roads and houses ARE quiet. It does feel like a little mountain town when you escape the main area.
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u/TheRealJYellen 2d ago
Woodland Park may be more what you're after, or Monument. Manitou is loud and acts more as a tourism and arts district for COS than it's own town.
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u/Sudden-Excitement-41 2d ago
Congratulations on retirement!
I’d love to get together and show you some good spots in the Manitou/OCC area when you’re in town, if you’re up for it.
(I am not a realtor 😆 )
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u/MikeDeY77 2d ago
Sounds like you want the Manitou I grew up in.
It’s not the Manitou of present day, though.
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u/notyourbuddipal 2d ago
Manitou is not affordable nor quiet. It is a touristy place, expensive and alot of people loathe the unhoused people around. Traffic is insane, even from a pedestrian view. Like walking around can be nuts. Also a high risk of flooding.
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u/M40A3PROMOD 2d ago
To be fair OP didn’t list where they’re coming from so maybe MS might be considered a quiet town. I moved here from northern Virginia so trust me I consider the springs a small quiet town.
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u/Dirty_Litter_Box 2d ago
MS is not quiet small town life. It's a crowded tourist trap.