If you’re considering moving from a big city to a small Colorado mountain town, you probably have many of the same concerns my wife and I had before we made our move from Frisco, Texas, to Evergreen, Colorado. We left a population of 210,000 and settled into Evergreen’s humble population of around 9,300. We had tons of questions about what our life would be like and how it would change. Let’s discuss the five most asked questions and tackle some of these worries together.
Question #1 Can I shop in Evergreen?
When we lived in Dallas, anything and everything we wanted was at our fingertips. Now that we are in Evergreen, we found value in shopping locally and supporting small business rather than in big box stores and completely shifted the way we shopped. My family and I know the names of the store owners that we shop at, and they know us! Downtown Evergreen has an amazing group of retailers that sell clothing, food, and art. Since moving to Evergreen we find that we shop less frequently and value being outdoors as an activity rather than going to the mall or Target. We have found that 90% of everything we need is right here in Evergreen. If Evergreen does not have it then it is only 25 minutes to Golden/Lakewood where there are plenty of big box stores, movie theaters and restaurants. The other option is Amazon, and they usually deliver it to our front door within 2 days. Overall I can say that living in a smaller mountain town like Evergreen has not effected our ability to get what we need. Heck, we probably spend less money as a result of not having all the conveniences.
A fun few shops in Evergreen include:
Boone Mountain Sports: A family-owned sports retail business where you can rent skis, and buy shop for clothing you will need living in the mountains.
Nelly Belle: Home/garden shop for handmade, vintage & decorative housewares & trinkets, plus plants & flowers.
Marmalade Artisan Jewelry: A jewelry and fashion store that attractions visitors from all across the country.
Outbound Mountain Gear: A community-based mountain bike, ski, and snowboard shop with excellent customer service...and more!
Question #2 What will my social life be like?
You may be wondering if people in Evergreen just stay cozy and hide in their cabins and how easily it will be to make friends in the area. One of the coolest things my wife Claudine found was that people would drop kids off at school then go skiing for the rest of the day (Echo Mountain is just a 25-minute drive from Evergreen). Outdoor sports and recreation is a convenient way we get to mingle with Evergreen locals. While most of the retail stores will close late afternoon there are still some options for live entertainment such as Little Bear Saloon, The Wild Game(a small Main Event or Dave & Busters), and Cactus Jacks. My wife and I typically meet friends for coffee, walk around the lake, and go ice skating and skiing in the winter. We shifted the way we socialized, and we are so much happier. There are also tons of social groups and community events where you can meet new people or visit with friends regularly. Look in to The Evergreen Newcomers Group which is a great way for seniors to get plugged into the community. The Evergreen chamber maintains a list of local events and activities.
Question #3 Are the schools good?
Will you have to sacrifice your children’s education to live in small mountain town? Absolutely not. In fact, Evergreen schools are ranked top in the state of Colorado. Evergreen spans two counties, Jefferson County and Clear Creek County. There are four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school in Evergreen. There is also a charter school – Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen as well as a strong homeschool community. Students in Evergreen consistently score above the state average on standardized tests, and the district offers a variety of extracurricular activities and sports programs. Evergreen high school has about 1,000 students and as of 2022 is ranked 16th out of 245 Colorado High Schools. Generally speaking, schools in Jefferson county are ranked 9/10, which lands it in the top 20% of all Colorado public schools.
Question #4 What is the culture like?
If you’re coming from a big city like us, you might be used to going to big museums, plays, and concerts. Evergreen is known for its strong artists/creative community. There are art galleries, live entertainment, with local mic nights and art sculptures that change out every June in downtown Evergreen. You can look forward fun activities like listening to live music at Colorado’s rowdiest mountain bar, Little Bear Saloon, or attending the 57th annual Evergreen Fine Arts Festival in August that showcases artists from the surrounding Denver area.
Along with the Fine Arts Festival, the Evergreen community hosts a variety of events every year that are unique to the Evergreen area, including:
- Oktoberfest: Music, dancing, and, of course, beer.
- Jazz Festival: 3-days long and one of the country’s most popular jazz fests.
- Big Chili Cook-off: Raising funds for Evergreen’s volunteer firefighters one bowl of chili at a time.
- Halloween Walk: Store owners open their doors as kids parade down Main street in their costumes.
- Holiday Walk: Jam-packed Friday night complete with a tree lighting, photos with Santa, ornament making, and more.
- Evergreen Lake Summer Concert Series: Open-air, live concerts each Wednesday
- Dam Duck Derby: A rubber duck race hosted downtown with food, music, and over 3,500 attenders.
- Rodeo Parade: A weekend of horses, carriages, marching bands, floats, more, pass through downtown Evergreen.
- Heart of the Egg Scavenger Hunt: Annual easter egg hunt hosted at Buchanan Ponds.
- Evergreen Plunge: Jump into the near freezing lake to raise money for a good cause.
- Skate The Lake: New Year’s Eve event with ice skating, fires and s’mores, DJs, and food trucks.
Question #5 Will I miss living in the city?
It can be hard to watch your old friends on Facebook posting about the life that you used to have. It was definitely an adjustment for my family, but at the end of the day, we were trying to experience life differently, and we accomplished just that. We’ve never regretted our move to Evergreen Colorado.
We moved here to be more active and experience all the benefits of the great outdoors. Moving to Evergreen has changed our lives for the better, and we’re grateful our kids have gotten to grow and experience life in the mountains.
If you have any questions about Evergreen, please reach out!
