Railyard Leadville construction

[summitrunner]

Leadville is a Superfund dump I go far out of my way just to avoid driving through it. Glad you folks who live there like it. It does seem to have nice trail systems though mountain biking and Nordic skiing are tough at 10,000 feet. I thought Leadville was where the housekeeping staff and concrete workers for Vail and Summit live 10 to a single wide.

What a Superfund site in Leadville is a historic landmark in Breck, Aspen, Keystone, etc. The city is killing it, and the paper just reported how happy the EPA is with the recovery. What was something like 30 sites in the 80s and 90s is down to three? Huge celebration!

As said before, it isn't hard to ski, run, or mountain bike when you're used to it. The breadth of the valley makes it relatively flat when compared to Summit, Eagle, Garfield, or Pitkin Counties.

I'm disappointed in your portrayal of my neighbors. People that work in those industries are my students and are desperately trying to improve their and their families' lives. What is the difference in any ski town's trailer parks? What do you think the trailer park looks like in Breck on Airport Rd, Summit Cove's trailer park near Keystone, the trailer park outside of Avon and Aspen, etc.? What is the difference between Dillon, Silverthorne, Gypsum, Minturn, Glenwood Springs, Oak Creek, Carbondale, Rifle, New Castle, Silt, etc. and Leadville? Leadville has many service industry, seasonal, utility, construction, mining, police, fire, teachers, professors, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. workers. It is really expensive to live in Breck, Vail, Aspen, etc. Do you have a problem with blue collar workers that live/love to ski, hike, snowboard, mountain bike, run, etc. but can't afford Aspen, Breck, or Vail? Is it unreasonable to blame anyone for living in a trailer if they can't afford anything else? Is it unreasonable to blame anyone for living in a trailer with the best view of the Sawatch Range in the state? Perspective is everything...your view of Leadville is not a positive one and I may never be able to change it, but you are always welcome to come to Lake County, explore, experience, and celebrate. Again, if you're lost on any of our trails, we'll help you find your way and let you buy us a beer.

[Barnold41]

Leadville is a Superfund dump I go far out of my way just to avoid driving through it. Glad you folks who live there like it. It does seem to have nice trail systems though mountain biking and Nordic skiing are tough at 10,000 feet. I thought Leadville was where the housekeeping staff and concrete workers for Vail and Summit live 10 to a single wide.

What a Superfund site in Leadville is a historic landmark in Breck, Aspen, Keystone, etc. The city is killing it, and the paper just reported how happy the EPA is with the recovery. What was something like 30 sites in the 80s and 90s is down to three? Huge celebration!

As said before, it isn't hard to ski, run, or mountain bike when you're used to it. The breadth of the valley makes it relatively flat when compared to Summit, Eagle, Garfield, or Pitkin Counties.

I'm disappointed in your portrayal of my neighbors. People that work in those industries are my students and are desperately trying to improve their and their families' lives. What is the difference in any ski town's trailer parks? What do you think the trailer park looks like in Breck on Airport Rd, Summit Cove's trailer park near Keystone, the trailer park outside of Avon and Aspen, etc.? What is the difference between Dillon, Silverthorne, Gypsum, Minturn, Glenwood Springs, Oak Creek, Carbondale, Rifle, New Castle, Silt, etc. and Leadville? Leadville has many service industry, seasonal, utility, construction, mining, police, fire, teachers, professors, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc. workers. It is really expensive to live in Breck, Vail, Aspen, etc. Do you have a problem with blue collar workers that live/love to ski, hike, snowboard, mountain bike, run, etc. but can't afford Aspen, Breck, or Vail? Is it unreasonable to blame anyone for living in a trailer if they can't afford anything else? Is it unreasonable to blame anyone for living in a trailer with the best view of the Sawatch Range in the state? Perspective is everything...your view of Leadville is not a positive one and I may never be able to change it, but you are always welcome to come to Lake County, explore, experience, and celebrate. Again, if you're lost on any of our trails, we'll help you find your way and let you buy us a beer.

Thank you. Glad I'm not the only one who thought this comment was uncalled for...

[speth]

I’d happily live there and hope it doesn’t change too much, ala BV and Salida (last 5-10 years) and Frisco before them.

I haven't been to Byoona Vista in a few years, but I was sad last time to see the new ticky-tacky houses being built down by the river. I think Leadville will change less, given the rougher climate and distance to the nearest ski lift.

Might be an interesting one: https://coloradosun.com/2019/07/08/modu ... ena-vista/

[HikerBox]

I like all the great Leadville support in this thread - always considered it a cooky kind of mountain town instead of the Disney-land of Vail or Breck. My coworker who lives up there describes a lot of newcomers as work-from-home IT types and this development seems targeted to them in a way - no need to remodel an 1800s era house when you can get a turnkey place nearby with high speed internet. Those kind of jobs aren't mining related or tourism related and are great for a town like Leadville long term. Sure the development will inevitably look out of place and there are places that could be developed in the existing grid but long term this will be great for Leadville.

[Vadim34]

I am somewhere in the middle of this debate. I feel that Leadville has a lot of opportunity to build affordable housing and there is a way to make the Main Street slightly more modern and cozy while maintaining its old mining town charm. Most likely it won’t even turn into Vail or Aspen, but there are many opportunities to make it slightly more appealing.
Interesting fact about Leadville that I found out while reading a book about CO is that at its booming mining time, it was the third wealthiest town in US, I didn’t fact checked this, so not sure how exactly it was measured, but many very wealthy people used to live there which is really cool!

[madbuck]

I don't like the new development development (sic), but I don't understand people that dislike Leadville in comparison to Vail or Summit Co (or Missouri).
I guess that's an opinion, and we all have one.

No need to convince people, but I'll take hardscrabble weirdness over pre-packaged wealthy comfort any day.

[justiner]

I think I'm just pessimistic that there will actually be affordable housing out of this. Maybe that's just watching Front Range politics go on around here. I could totally see myself living in Leadville. Especially if they also build that climbing gym at Poverty Flats! Climbing gyms don't really jive with, "Affordability" tho. Kind of a luxury thing.

[summitrunner]

I could totally see myself living in Leadville. Especially if they also build that climbing gym at Poverty Flats! Climbing gyms don't really jive with, "Affordability" tho. Kind of a luxury thing.

There is a great one in town at the college. It is free to use for community members.

[SuperiorTrailHiker]

No need to convince people, but I'll take hardscrabble weirdness over pre-packaged wealthy comfort any day.

Tourist here, who visits for a week ar a time to hike. I've been to Vail, Aspen and Breckenridge, and vastly prefer camping outside of Leadville at Twin Lakes to all of them.

Luckily I am old enough that I will not have time to run out of fun things to hike while staying in or near Leadville, so I'll never have to pay Breckenridge rates again. Count me in for the cold showers at the RV park, I like Leadville the best.