Is Lyons a fun place to live for a climber in their mid 30s?

Hi, I’ve climbed in St. Vrain Canyon in Lyons a few times and liked it. I’m considering moving there and trying to get an idea of the social scene.

Is there anything to do in Lyons for a single climber in their mid 30s (i.e. me)? Would I need to venture out to Boulder, Denver, etc. for meaningful social connections?

I work in Boulder and I imagine a daily commute over 36 wouldn’t be too bad. Lyons location seems prime for access to climbing in both Boulder and Estes Park. The walkable downtown seems better than nearby Longmont. The creek and views seem cool too.

I like climbing and hanging out with climbers - do any climbers live in Lyons?

Thanks!

Ain’t nothin’ to climb in the South St. Vrain for the next year. CO7 is closed, man. 

Not Closed: Lumpy, RMNP, Boulder, Big Thompson, etc...

Scout Rock is also still accessible in S. St. Vrain, at least as of last night (and I drove there to confirm).

John DiMatteowrote:

Scout Rock is also still accessible in S. St. Vrain, at least as of last night (and I drove there to confirm).

Several other areas off the main road or above the closure area, but in the SSV book are open.
Only miles 23-29.5 are closed. Refer to Gillette's book for the position of each crag.

What I can't comment on is the area night life, but you'd be 15 min from Longmont, 20 min from Boulder, and 30 Min from Estes Park.

Did Boulder ever get a dance club to replace Absinthe House?

Oooh, while I’m busy distracting myself with this thread, I should note that when I arrived in CO, I was struck first by how many people climbed (skied, rode bikes, hiked, ran, backpacked, kayaked, etc.) and second by how hard it was to find trustworthy/capable people to do those things with. Eventually I figured out something that another thoughtful soul independently mentioned to me the other day: unlike in some places where climbing (etc.) is less popular and thus has a more niche culture, in Colorado, these activities are practiced by a much larger population. Thus climbers are not virtually guaranteed to be cultural outliers with consequent strong identities and codes of conduct, but rather members of a broad population whose characteristics (skill, integrity, experience, identity as climbers, etc.) are much more likely to be randomly distributed. In NY or NC, never mind WV, if you climb, you are more likely to be a climber; in CO, you’re more likely to be someone who climbs. Make sense? Some places, if you want to climb, you have to find a mentor and pass through certain gates; out here, you can equip yourself at any corner REI and be on some rock somewhere in no time. This isn’t a dig at CO climbing or climbers, and simply because there are so many climbers (etc.) out here, the top 2% of the distribution is still a larger group than other places with fewer climbers overall. I actually enjoy some aspects of widespread, if less elite, climbing adoption in the general population; after all, if outdoor adventure improves life, it should, at least theoretically, be an overall good that more people do it, right?  But it does affect the nature of the experience that follows that comment, “Oh, so you climb, too?”

I lived in Lyons for 5+ years.  Cool place to be if you like climbing, biking etc…

Not much night life and limited restaurants.  Locals seem to keep to themselves.  Boulder, Longmont, and even FoCo are close though.

Lyons is cool but a little on the sleepy, or slow, side of things. Basically no night life and generally a little older population than you will find in Longmont or Boulder. You'll also find more climbers in Longmont and Boulder, as well as climbing gyms. Being in a similar situation as you I considered Lyons and ultimately decided on Boulder which looking back on I think was the correct call

Thing about Lyons is that it is still one of the very few reasonably affordable areas in the front range. Unless you can and are willing to drop high six to low seven figures on a marginal property or have fifty roommates, Boulder/Golden/Longmont are not. 

Population 2200.  That’s like 20 climbers.  But Boulder has more than that in its pinky toe, so the area in general is good for climbers.

When I lived in Boulder, the climbing crew I knew pretty much all lived in Longmont.  And they all seemed to also sky dive.  I assume that community still exists.

There’s not much for a mid 30s guy in Lyons however if you hold out a few years I hear the low 40s people really love it there. A whole new world of opportunities.