OZY: Colorado Springs is “thriving,” “young,” and “affordable”

After recently being recognized in the media for its booming airport and startup culture, Colorado Springs is in the headlines once again–this time for being a hipster hotspot with an affordable cost of living.

This online feature in OZY highlights Colorado Springs as a “thriving” city with an affordable average home price and a beautiful mountain backdrop. Reporter Nick Fouriezos makes a statement with the story’s title: “Forget Denver. Colorado Hipsters Should Head Here Instead.”

“Picture life in Colorado: living in the shadow of the mountains with America’s peak outside your window, good food and music just a few feet from your doorstep and an affordable apartment to boot. Definitely you’d move to Denver, right? No, you want to be in Colorado Springs, an hour south.” -Nick Fouriezos, OZY

Beyond the city’s thriving economy, the piece recognizes Colorado Springs’ big city amenities with a small-town feel, young demographics, and unique culture and dining–including such hotspots as Ivywild School, Story Coffee, Ohana Kava Bar and IV by Brother Luck.

Fouriezos writes that Luck–a Food Network-featured chef–was lured to Colorado Springs, and he’s working to develop the city’s “fine dining scene.”

“It’s transitioning — there’s this craft movement,” Luck says. “It reminds me a lot of Portland or Austin.”

The story is featured in OZY’s States of the Nation series, where reporters are traveling the country to “uncover the people, places and trends that are reshaping the nation, one state at a time.”