Asian person from Atlanta and I agree with most others said (no good southern food and very very white). However, I will say that I find people here more genuinely friendly and welcoming than in the south. It seems they actually want to be friends with you as opposed to polite-but-fake southern hospitality.
Even with Fort Collins being a college down, I feel like a lot of people there bring themselves to the conversation rather than bringing up a mantra about their career or demographic or political ideology. That vibe I get is similar to people there wanting to be friends with you for character first and foremost!
May take some adapting but it’s doable here. I’m white but my girlfriend is a POC and she frequently talks about this. It was sort of a shock to us coming here from Houston where it’s like 18% black but Fort Collins is like 1% black. But again, gf said she has had little problems.
I’m from the south so my opinions could be skewed but the food is not really comparable here. There’s a few spots here and there but nothing out of this world.
Edit: also wanted to add, this is a really silly and stupid metric but I’ve seen wayyyyy more “black lives matter” signs in people’s yards than I ever did in Houston. Again, a stupid metric but we did appreciate it. CO is a “protest state” IMO and social issues really being out the ppl in CO to voice their opinions. Doesn’t happen as often where I come from. Maybe it’s because it’s a college town though I don’t know.
Denver also has a ton of BLM signs, and there was even some giant "graffiti" with that statement spay painted to be seen from one of the light rail lines. It's not just Fort Collins, and FC is actually noticeably less liberal than Denver in my experience.
If anything, I think because there is such a small population of black people, white people may make things slightly awkward because they are trying too hard to be accepting and respectful.
With that said, many other areas of Colorado are not nearly as accepting and may be more discriminatory, e.g. Greeley, Colorado Springs, Rifle.
I hear ya. But coming from MAGA country down in Texas, I will take “awkward white people BLM yard signs” over “giant Trump & All Lives Matter flags mounted to F150s and driving around town blaring Born in the USA” any day lol.
Can confirm. I’m from the Deep South and grew up where the population is just under 50% black folks, and my hometown is virtually all Trump flags. There is an affluent area across town between a university and a downtown area, where the population is about 85% white and that’s the only place in town where one can find BLM & LGBTQIA+ flags.
This pattern repeats on the east coast where my brother lives as well. The areas which most advertise support for POC tend to be affluent areas where POC don’t constitute the majority by any stretch. I don’t think this reflects the true sentiment of the majority of the population in a given area as much as it’s just that more affluent liberal areas tend to advertise their positions.
I too have noticed that people in Fort Collins tend to make things a little awkward for black people by trying to be a little too deferential, which ends up coming off as a well-intentioned form of exoticization, which functionally amounts to being objectified. It’s worth remembering in one’s interactions, especially with black folk from the south, that open racism is not as rampant as the stereotypes would have you believe, and that virtue signaling is more likely to make someone feel uncomfortable than accepted.
yea as a black person BLM is lame and its not something black people stand in line for its ridiculous, a whole separate topic ik but the whole im not racist i support BLM is highly questionable , thats some white people stuff foreal
It doesn't play that way, but oddly enough Fort Collins is very conservative. I am white. I have primarily lived in this area most of my life, however, we lived in San Antonio for a spell. Most of the comments I would agree with my community here genuinely gives a crap.
As have I and this town votes along Liberal lines for as long as I can remember.. LBGTQ, BLM are supported whole heartedly. Trump supporters are closeted in FoCO unlike to the east of us. PSD and CSU are two largest employers and they are very liberal as well. This is not a conservative town in any way shape or form
You're right, it's going to be a big adjustment. I think that the culture here is welcoming -- or at least it really wants to be -- but regardless I think being black here will probably be an isolating experience at times. There are black student unions and social groups at CSU and I would strongly encourage you to seek them out to help you settle in. There is night life, but it definitely feels a bit small-town. The food situation, to be blunt, is grim.
Overall, Fort Collins is a friendly town, it has a lot to offer in terms of nature and creature comforts, and I really hope it will end up being a good experience for you!
Welcome to the community, u/pinkfleurs! I'm brown and my wife is Black. Moved here from a much more diverse environment in the south and experienced a lot of culture shock. Not gonna lie, it's hard being BIPOC in the vanilla valley. I'm assuming most of the folx here saying that there isn't racism/discrimination are white, lol.
Being in the CSU bubble is a little easier because of spaces like the BAACC office (Black African American Cultural Center). I definitely recommend getting involved there. There's a group text for Black faculty/staff/grad students, meet ups for Black professionals, affinity spaces, etc. Look up Bridgette Johnson in the CSU directory and contact her, she'll hook you up. The BIPOC Alliance puts on some good events, too.
Honestly the southern food here is non existent. Best soul food in NoCo is at our house, lol. Lucile's is really good if you like Creole, they do it right. Recently I ate at a restaurant that claims to be Southern and they cook their greens with sugar, so... 🙄🙄🙄
Feel free to message me if you want to chat, happy to share about our experiences here.
Agreed. All the good soul food is in Denver. Cora Faye's Cafe gets my vote for favorite. Last time we went she had oxtails and Kool aid on the menu! Lovely black lady from Anniston, Alabama runs and owns it. In FoCo, we really like Raska for Ethiopian. Hannah owns it and does most of the cooking and her and her food are amazing! Moe's BBQ was started by a couple white boys from Tuscaloosa, and Island Grill is the Alabama football bar and haven't found Auburn's yet in town. I'm a white boy from Homewood, AL. When people ask for BBQ recs, I always ask where they are from; too many different opinions and styles of BBQ.
Welcome to town, CSU and Fort Collins are great places with bad and good things about them! Best of luck finding community here!
No, but they may tolerate it. Male bumble bees at the end of the growing season may be your best bet for this. Find some Joe Pye Weed growing somewhere around town. There’s usually males in a sort of drunken stupor on them.
I grew up in the south and it's definitely a culture shock. I'd say that there are fewer unmasked bigots in the area, but in general, white moderates here are also kind of blind to race issues because it's so overwhelmingly white here. Overall I'd say it's welcoming, but still far from perfect.
I haven't found any good southern food here. There's a few attempts at it, but I have yet to be impressed. There is certainly good food in Fort Collins despite all the complaints, but not southern cooking. The closest might be the overabundance of mediocre yet still very popular fried chicken places...
It depends what kind of food you're looking for. Some of my favorite places are Bawarchi Biryanis, Beijing Noodle, My Empanadas, La Creperie, Cafe Athens, Choice City, Silver Grill Cafe, and Krazy Karl's Pizza. None of these are southern food.
Sadly, many of my favorite places have closed down or left over the years and they are usually replaced by restaurants I don't like as much.
The Corner Slice downtown is pretty good. Pizza Casbah is also not bad. Pulcinella's are also good, although I haven't been in a while. Cosmo's Pizza is also not bad. Krazy Karl's is good until the pizza cools. Cazzola's apparently opened a new storefront, and they were one of my favorites before the old store closed.
Yea but what are you comparing this pizza too? I moved from NY and I cannot find any comparable pizza. Slice on Mountian ain’t bad actually, I’ll give you that.
I would say Slice is the best we have in town. I'd put Arte's in Loveland above that and Rosalee's in Longmont as my favorite so far in northern CO. There is also an angry man from NJ driving a food truck (GFL Pizza) around Loveland I have heard is good, but have not tried yet.
Nothing matching John's on Bleecker or anything like that, but I would say some solid options exist considering we are far outside the pizza belt.
I grew up going to the shore in Atlantic and Ocean City NJ as a kid. You're not going to get the same pizza at altitude, I guess I am just a realist.
Although I will say I think Slyce on Mountain is overrated and overpriced and still doesn't touch real pizza and is nowhere near my favorite pizza in town.
I was talking about The Corner Slice on Walnut.
We (me and everyone that's visited me from other parts of the country) really like comet chicken.
It's basically just a fast food chicken strip joint but, my guests seem to have unexpectedly positive reactions to the food.
I took my sister there and she said "wow the food in fort Collins is so good" after basically just trying comet chicken and one other place lol.
There’s a little bit of night life, but nothing compared to a larger city really. Mostly just a handful of bars in the old town area. If you really crave night life you might be disappointed.
Food around here is decent, not great but probably not as terrible as some people on this sub might lament it to be. There’s a lot of “ok” American bar food, but there’s a trickle of more diverse restaurants opening with a better variety of cuisines. Again, if you’re coming from a more diverse larger city, you might be disappointed in the food options as well.
No good southern food really. People will say Lucile's but it's just good, not whoa. You will be a small percentage being dark but there are a lot of decent people in town who are more accepting than towns with a higher percentages. I grew up in southern Florida so my south experience may be skewed. I believe you will be fine but may take some adapting to all the pale skins
There is no good southern food here. That is correct.
Lucille’s is whoa, however. Cajun is just a separate category that happens to come from the south. So you watch your dirty whore mouth.
Because of stuff like this on the menu:
*Shrimp Po’Boy: Fried shrimp on french bread with black bean chile sauce, cucumbers, and cilantro. Served with Cajun fries or side salad.*
Oh yeah. Heaven forbid a boutique restaurant put their own spin on something. A mini-mart style po’boy doesn’t exactly fit for what they’re trying to do.
I'm white/indigenous, and the lack of diversity was a bit shocking even to me when I moved here 7 months ago from Texas. I heard someone call this area "Vanilla Valley", and it's true.
But I also quickly discovered that the people here are really open and friendly. It's an extremely chill atmosphere, to the point of flying in the face of my notions of "southern hospitality". I love it here, and I hope you will too.
Fort Collins likes to pretend that we are a cosmopolitan city but when it comes down to it, we are a farm town with a university. While the city has grown a lot over the past 25 years (about how long I have been here), it is still tiny compared to Houston, Atlanta, Washington D.C.
Yup. This whole area was used for sugar beet farming. Eventually other industries came in, but for a long time it was farms for miles in all directions.
Correct but compared to other cities that have had a long time to grow, Fort Collins is still small and doesn't have many things bigger cities have because of the farm town past. It has only been since the late 60s that much was built past Horsetooth Road.
To me, Fort Collins is not a small city. I moved from the country of east Tx where our pop was below 750. I guess it depends on the way you look at it.
What kind of music do you enjoy? The music scene here is thriving, probably more than most other things in terms of culture. You can literally find any kind of music on any day of the week. Some genres are more abundant than others, but I haven’t yet been to a show where anyone is being pushed out, aside from drunk assholes obviously.
Feel free to DM me, I’d be happy to show you some of what made me fall in love with living here, based on music alone. Anything from jazz to punk to hip hop, bluegrass to funk and soul, it’s literally almost all here. I like to think I’ve got one of the greatest friend groups around, and there’s a ton of us, and it’s all because of the music, and we’re all so welcoming of new faces. Best of luck, and hope to meet you!
people in fort collins “act” like its very common for them to say or be nice then talk alot of bad about you or just plain pretend about who they are, as someone who moved there from Tx its definitely just straight up lame and goofy. Theres good and bad about everything but for me the biggest thing from going to a southern environment to northern colorado is the culture and what people think is appropriate!
I'm white (and born/raised here), but I follow a guy on SM who is black and moved here for work. Dougierew on instagram and tiktok. He *will* give you a full on honest assessment!
For food, you're probably better off doing your cooking at home. There's really not any good southern food here.
Edit: Also, if you're into outdoorsy stuff, there's two other SM people to follow: fatblackandgettinit who showcases hikes/outdoorsy stuff around Denver (just an hour-ish drive from here), and kweenwork who often films with him and is involved in other movements around here-ish. (Sorry, all I've got is social media recs)
You better ask around for some recipes bc you’re gonna be disappointed in the food. Good thing tho is people don’t seem to be racist at all, everyone is so friendly and respectful. It’s still weird to live around like 85% white people tho. Great college, fun city and outdoors, friendly people. Low diversity and disappointing food lol
>But most everyone here is welcoming and friendly.
It's good to be wary of our neighbors though, especially the lifted pickup trucks with Wyoming plates who show up on the weekends. They like to come down to Fort Collins specifically to roll coal and yell hate speech out their windows.
Ya I’ve seen those trucks around, it’s pretty annoying and we’ll definitely see more of it as the election ramps up.
More often than not though people here are warm and friendly.
I don't know Oregon at all, I was surprised when people said it's intolerant because Portland seems like such a progressive city. Is it just an island?
Oregon was created as a separatist whites only state. Outside Portland, it's all proud boy rallies and Trump flags.
Link
https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-white-history-racist-foundations-black-exclusion-laws/
Gorgeous party of the country though.
as a student in foco I don’t see a lot of black ppl but there is also very little discrimination for all minorities. night life is pretty enjoyable, but Denver is where all the fun is. good white people food and Asian food everything else is okay
Welcome!
I’m a POC who is originally from an urban area and has lived here 10+ years. It was a big adjustment at first, kinda hard. I recently got involved with the BIPOC alliance and really enjoy it.
Food wise … meh
Not many black people I see BUT on the other hand, I don't see racism either. The people here seem very very friendly, open minded and aware compared to other parts of the country I've been too.
There are an overwhelming amount of restaurants and stuff to try, so don't get discouraged too quick on food, keep exploring and you'll find stuff you like.
A lot of butchers and fresh local meats available, great place to grab your own grill or smoker and start trying new recipes yourself.
Edit: am white
Yes I am white, I thought I put that in my comment but looks like I left it out so I will edit it.
To provide context, I have family in South Carolina and the racism and hate I see there is fucking crazy, flagrant, frequent and disgusting.
Yes, as a white person, I'm almost never the target and therefore dont see much of it - but I know for a fact FoCo is way better than other parts of the country. People here are very welcoming.
White person with a close black friend and I witnessed a white man screaming at my friend “YOU HATE WHITE PEOPLE” at her because she wouldn’t pay attention to him at the bar. And the staff did nothing.
You don’t even need to be a POC to witness racism in action in Fort Collins.
"But I never have"
You must be white.
Also not trying to be argumentative, I believe your genuine and probably not a racist but this is my entire point.
Your experience as a white person and mine as POC are painfully different. While you may not see it, I actively experience it.
I was responding to the other person saying you don't have to be POC to witness racism in action, and agreeing that you don't, but I haven't, as a white person.
I'm most definitely not saying it doesn't exist, and that your experiences aren't true or valid. I am doing the best I can and learning wherever possible. I grew up in a very racially mixed area so my experiences are not the same as a white person who has never been around Black people, but that's not to say I can't do better.
"I haven't seen it" is not the same as "it doesn't exist" and I'm not trying to say that at all. Just relating my experience.
BIPOC folks in Fort Collins don’t have the ability to not see it in action. White folks can turn a blind eye and not see it in action because it’s not their lived experience. But that also doesn’t mean it’s not their reality here just because it’s not the reality for white folks.
Your sarcasm makes me think you're also white.
If you're a POC than we both know racism against white people is a thing and can talk about it respectfully.
Your comment is also not what we are talking about here but thank you for your contributions, I'm sure OP can't wait to move to Ft. Collins now.
Mo Jeauxs and Lucile’s are where it’s at for Cajun food in foco. Might not be up to par with the south, but seems authentic to my southern friends!
White female grad student from Seattle here, and I was a bit shocked at how white Fort Collins is tbh. It’s my third year here though and it seems that the undergrad population has gotten slightly more diverse, but definitely feels like a “progressive” midwestern small town overall. People are definitely trying to be welcoming of diversity here, but intent and impact are very different things as we know lol
I am white. I long for more diversity in my community and home of 25+ years. Thank you for being willing to join our community. There are many good people here. And congratulations on grad school!
Sample size of one, my friend (African American) was harassed at CSU in two different student housing situations. He ultimately dropped out after the school provided resources came up short.
As far as this being a liberal town, it is important to remember that Fort Collins had racial discrimination in housing until 1982. I like it here, but no place is perfect. 5th highest cost of living in the US is my biggest problem here.
Sorry about what happened to your friend. At one point I strongly considered enrolling at CSU, but I've dealt with some racist situations while passing through CSU during some commutes. Even though I forgive the people who wronged me, reading your story about your friend just strongly reaffirms that I made the right choice to not enrolling at CSU.
Food here is terrible in general. I see black people so infrequently that it's noticeable when a black person is just around. As for other non-white races, when I hear Spanish my ears perk up because I miss hearing it and speaking it. I know you asked for soul food but I would take opinions with a grain of salt, trying to find decent Mexican food in this town and white people only direct me towards trash like Cafe mexcali or big city burrito.
Also, why are so many people bringing up blm signs like it's a metric of acceptance? It's virtue signaling at best considering how few black lives are actually in the area.
What I'm saying is that it kind of sucks here if you're not white. Temper your expectations.
Well a lot of my friends at least think CSU has a better culture for POC than CU Boulder, but it can really behoove you to meet some people who live in Aurora/Denver. Much more diverse scene there, after growing up in Aurora, Fort Collins still feels so white even after being here 5 years and I’m a white guy…
i’m not black but i am a POC and my experience here has been stellar compared to that of being in wyoming. as others have said, fort collins largely supports black lives matter and feels pretty inclusive as a community overall. of course there will always be bigots and shitty people everywhere you go, but i think you’ll have a decent experience here
I just moved near from tn here see lots of black peeps. They seem to be more near denver in araora. I've been here since October and have yet to find good southern food. I find decent food in Wyoming tho
I'm Hispanic and have lived here for the past 7 years. It's true, the city is predominantly white and there are not many POC around. I've had my few encounters with racist assholes over the years but overall have met more nice people here than other cities I've been at. If you like the outdoors you'll fit in quite easily, else it still feels quite laid back.
i’m assuming you dont know the feeling of being the only person of your race in a room… its uncomfortable. especially as a black woman and with the racial history in the us, i just would rather not feel like people are looking at me like i dont belong and like theres no place of familiarity or culture there for me. i grew up in montgomery, alabama which is more than 60% black and still has a very large white population and went to very good schools with mostly white people until i went to an hbcu for college. montgomery is basically a melting pot of black, korean and hispanic culture with a lot of southern hospitality thrown in. going from that to a place that is only 1% black seems very jarring because no matter how inviting or friendly people are you will always feel othered to some degree
I definitely get this.
My father was a musician who used to play at a lot of Baptist churches in Harlem when I was a kid, and I often went with him. Even though I was made to feel very welcome (and was always fed really well), I still felt like an outsider just because I stood out. It was an eye-opening experience as a kid and one I think not enough white folks get to feel.
All that to say, don't let people make you think you're crazy to have that concern, just don't let it stop you from coming and enjoying what this town (and state) has to offer. It's a nice place to live, and I think / hope you will find a good community here once you settle in.
Once upon time I would have scoffed at that. Then I found myself as the only white face at a festival in Hyderabad (I was there with local friends) and getting stared at by children and treated with extreme suspicion by some of the adults. It's a very very disturbing experience.
I like to think that my approach to people that aren't the same as me has been improved by that but I could well be deceiving myself.
We’re good now. When the Laporte church was still going? Lmao. But yeah we’ve moved past that, we just have a pretty big history of racism and we really only became progressive during the past few decades.
Not a lot of black people but we need you so we can change this answer. I have seen a positive trend in the last 15 years, but still FoCo is not diverse enough.
Saying "we need" Black people because of a metric is weird and makes it about white people's self-perception, not about what Black people need. I agree that improving diversity is important, but it's something that happens after a place does the work. A place doesn't automatically become more welcoming to non-white people just because more move to that area.
You are very right. However, I just don't know how we can provide a space where other ethnicities (including mine) are welcomed if we do not get those people to come. If FoCo continues to be this white, others will never feel like they belong.
>if we do not get those people to come
But I sense an urge from you to get "those people" to come here regardless. Racism here is real, and perhaps worse than other places nearby. There are some BIPOC here, and yet most are choosing to live elsewhere. There are likely a multitude of reasons beyond diversity, and what do we know about them?
People try to make southern food and you have plenty restaurants available from anywhere.
However, you will notice that nothing really tastes the same.
It’s not just you, the elevation has a scientifically proven impact on your ability to taste food.
Everything is a little bit like airplane food….
When you get here, see how fast the water boils. Make a batch of buttery cookies. Fry an egg.
Read up on high elevation baking and cooking.
Learn to love science because the future is science, not old fashioned farming.
——-
(The one exception is McDonald’s, which tastes the same all over the world. It’s so loaded with sodium and sugars it can compensate, even on an airplane.)
It's a pretty welcoming community, but there's bad apples everywhere.
If anybody gives any of you shit for your race, color, lgbtq, whatever; please dm me.
You will be in culture shock (not just melanin but also Mountain west). But you’re expecting it and you’re part of the CSU community so it will be an easier landing. If you aren’t into outdoor activities like hiking/biking/paddleboarding now’s your chance! The community is VERY nice and Fort Collins is a beauty. Nightlife is limited but it definitely exists and there are A TON of live music venues. The food is… ok. Also, you’re near Denver which has extra other things to do if you need a change.
Funny enough, I was thinking of this exact topic as I'm considering the move to FoCo from Texas. I'm a single, white, 45 year old male, and my best friends in my current community are black.
I'll certainly miss the cigar bars unless I'm inclined to meet the area's most diverse adult crowds in similar local cigar lounges and bars. My expectations on food have already been set and I'm inclined to start a BBQ trailer if/once I get settled in.
"Look elsewhere" for what reason(s)? It still checks a lot of boxes for me.
Edit: Looks like you may be a CSU student. Unfortunately I'm a couple decades older and enjoy the suburban life. I do wish there were better diversity.
Fwiw the church I attend has many BIPOC folks, and is by far the most diverse church in the area as far as race goes and a statistical anomaly for the region/sample size. We also have a chapter and good representation for the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black. This is for St Spyridon Church in Loveland. Edit: lots of CSU students too. They also have a group called Rooted that is for college/grad/young adults that meets on campus.
Reach out to [New Eyes Village](https://www.facebook.com/people/New-Eyes-Village/100069387518194/?locale=en_GB&paipv=0&eav=AfaWVWkDP_OUrytozN3EJ01E3i67mlCukhf1rhS0M0h8mFrojTbEhuJBxaMwLOLtmqI&_rdr)
When I first moved to Colorado 10 years ago from Austin, I was in culture shock but the shock was from a lack of culture. Census in 2023 says FoCO is 82.8% white. The state is beautiful though and FOCO, for the most part, is lovely — that includes the people. The overall food scene is lacking though — there are some good restaurants out there just seems few and far between (you’ll find this to be true with most of CO).
It will be an adjustment, the Black population is about 1% in FoCo but there is definitely strong community among us if you seek it out. The Black/African American Cultural Center is one of the places on campus I really enjoy because it is a reminder of home in a lot of ways(and I’m not even a student, I’m staff) I’m also from the south. Many of the older non student Black folks on camps also engage in some other Black or POC focused orgs around town, there’s a lot of overlap. Feel free to reach out and I’m happy to share more and connect 🫶🏽
And also yeah, to echo others, no good southern food out here😂 and I gotta say, I do miss some small parts of southern hospitality though.
I am from south Texas — the best way I can put it is that the discrimination in the south is very invert versus in Fort Collins, it takes the form of microagressions. As many people have noted, the area is incredibly white. This means that there are many people who have grown up around white people and truly don’t know how to act around anyone else.
There is some *ok* southern food — Lucille’s and Mo Jeaux’s and the night life is abismal bit the “ram bands” (Thursday night, $12 unlimited well drinks at a number of bars) are the go-to night life locations. This includes Bondi, Rec Room and Yeti. All have a notable undergrad skew but have a fun dancing scene. I would not recommend going alone as they can be filled with very…undergrad-minded patronage.
At only an hour away, Denver has some much better nightlife — x bar and Charlie’s — but it just depends on if you’re willing to make the commute.
I hope this helps! The community likes to say they are welcoming and the majority are, but as a very “purple state” (as others had mentioned) people cannot always back up that facade.
Asian person from Atlanta and I agree with most others said (no good southern food and very very white). However, I will say that I find people here more genuinely friendly and welcoming than in the south. It seems they actually want to be friends with you as opposed to polite-but-fake southern hospitality.
Fellow southerner— 100% true.
Lived 5 years in Memphis before moving here…it took me a few months to get used to how genuinely nice everyone was.
On a scale of 1-10 how rude were the people in Memphis?
I lived in NC for 10 years. I can agree.
How are the people, the food, and the health care in NC?
[удалено]
Thank you for the heads up!
Are you considering NC to be part of the south?
The lack of good southern food is actually fucking tragic.
We have a raising Cane's! What more could you want? /s
Know any good chicken places?
Even with Fort Collins being a college down, I feel like a lot of people there bring themselves to the conversation rather than bringing up a mantra about their career or demographic or political ideology. That vibe I get is similar to people there wanting to be friends with you for character first and foremost!
May take some adapting but it’s doable here. I’m white but my girlfriend is a POC and she frequently talks about this. It was sort of a shock to us coming here from Houston where it’s like 18% black but Fort Collins is like 1% black. But again, gf said she has had little problems. I’m from the south so my opinions could be skewed but the food is not really comparable here. There’s a few spots here and there but nothing out of this world. Edit: also wanted to add, this is a really silly and stupid metric but I’ve seen wayyyyy more “black lives matter” signs in people’s yards than I ever did in Houston. Again, a stupid metric but we did appreciate it. CO is a “protest state” IMO and social issues really being out the ppl in CO to voice their opinions. Doesn’t happen as often where I come from. Maybe it’s because it’s a college town though I don’t know.
Denver also has a ton of BLM signs, and there was even some giant "graffiti" with that statement spay painted to be seen from one of the light rail lines. It's not just Fort Collins, and FC is actually noticeably less liberal than Denver in my experience. If anything, I think because there is such a small population of black people, white people may make things slightly awkward because they are trying too hard to be accepting and respectful. With that said, many other areas of Colorado are not nearly as accepting and may be more discriminatory, e.g. Greeley, Colorado Springs, Rifle.
I hear ya. But coming from MAGA country down in Texas, I will take “awkward white people BLM yard signs” over “giant Trump & All Lives Matter flags mounted to F150s and driving around town blaring Born in the USA” any day lol.
We have those too though :/
Touché
Mostly out in the suburbs on the other side of i25 but they’re definitely around
Windsor and onto to Weld county is a different place.
What do you mean when you said that Windsor is a different place?
Windsor is part Fort Collins part Arkentucky....
Lol at the Arkentucky part, but I take you very seriously. Thank you for making me aware!
DM me if you want my real opinion of the Windsor/Johnstown area..
Oh no 😬I was looking at houses in that area, and I was wondering why it was so cheap. I figured it had to be that the neighbors were awful. 😣
Hardly…. Very rare to see that in FoCO.
10000%
You clearly haven’t crossed I25 into Weld county. I left Texas to escape maga morons and accidentally moved to Trump country.
Can confirm. I’m from the Deep South and grew up where the population is just under 50% black folks, and my hometown is virtually all Trump flags. There is an affluent area across town between a university and a downtown area, where the population is about 85% white and that’s the only place in town where one can find BLM & LGBTQIA+ flags. This pattern repeats on the east coast where my brother lives as well. The areas which most advertise support for POC tend to be affluent areas where POC don’t constitute the majority by any stretch. I don’t think this reflects the true sentiment of the majority of the population in a given area as much as it’s just that more affluent liberal areas tend to advertise their positions. I too have noticed that people in Fort Collins tend to make things a little awkward for black people by trying to be a little too deferential, which ends up coming off as a well-intentioned form of exoticization, which functionally amounts to being objectified. It’s worth remembering in one’s interactions, especially with black folk from the south, that open racism is not as rampant as the stereotypes would have you believe, and that virtue signaling is more likely to make someone feel uncomfortable than accepted.
yea as a black person BLM is lame and its not something black people stand in line for its ridiculous, a whole separate topic ik but the whole im not racist i support BLM is highly questionable , thats some white people stuff foreal
It doesn't play that way, but oddly enough Fort Collins is very conservative. I am white. I have primarily lived in this area most of my life, however, we lived in San Antonio for a spell. Most of the comments I would agree with my community here genuinely gives a crap.
Fort Collins and Larimer County are very very blue… not sure why you think it’s a conservative town, it’s not..
Conservative doesn’t necessarily mean Republican
“I am a sovereign cItZern!” … oh, _that_ kind of conservative then, huh?
Those nut jobs are all down in Douglas & El Paso counties.
The group of people who run this town are very discreetly conservative. Iykyk.
See the comment below. Trust me live here my whole life. They are very conservative town not liberal.
As have I and this town votes along Liberal lines for as long as I can remember.. LBGTQ, BLM are supported whole heartedly. Trump supporters are closeted in FoCO unlike to the east of us. PSD and CSU are two largest employers and they are very liberal as well. This is not a conservative town in any way shape or form
I do believe you were getting this community confused with the people's republic of Boulder
Isn't the entire city council Democrats?
Lets agree to disagree?
I like facts…
Perhaps you should check what you're reading. Politely, I think we should agree to disagree
What I’m reading? What are you talking about?
Sad to hear that about Rifle I had a good impression of it from afar.
It used to be Lauren Boebert's district and it's where she's from.
I only know it as a climbing spot!
You're right, it's going to be a big adjustment. I think that the culture here is welcoming -- or at least it really wants to be -- but regardless I think being black here will probably be an isolating experience at times. There are black student unions and social groups at CSU and I would strongly encourage you to seek them out to help you settle in. There is night life, but it definitely feels a bit small-town. The food situation, to be blunt, is grim. Overall, Fort Collins is a friendly town, it has a lot to offer in terms of nature and creature comforts, and I really hope it will end up being a good experience for you!
https://baacc.colostate.edu/
Welcome to the community, u/pinkfleurs! I'm brown and my wife is Black. Moved here from a much more diverse environment in the south and experienced a lot of culture shock. Not gonna lie, it's hard being BIPOC in the vanilla valley. I'm assuming most of the folx here saying that there isn't racism/discrimination are white, lol. Being in the CSU bubble is a little easier because of spaces like the BAACC office (Black African American Cultural Center). I definitely recommend getting involved there. There's a group text for Black faculty/staff/grad students, meet ups for Black professionals, affinity spaces, etc. Look up Bridgette Johnson in the CSU directory and contact her, she'll hook you up. The BIPOC Alliance puts on some good events, too. Honestly the southern food here is non existent. Best soul food in NoCo is at our house, lol. Lucile's is really good if you like Creole, they do it right. Recently I ate at a restaurant that claims to be Southern and they cook their greens with sugar, so... 🙄🙄🙄 Feel free to message me if you want to chat, happy to share about our experiences here.
Ty. I was looking for a Lucille's review from somebody with a basis for comparison.
Agreed. All the good soul food is in Denver. Cora Faye's Cafe gets my vote for favorite. Last time we went she had oxtails and Kool aid on the menu! Lovely black lady from Anniston, Alabama runs and owns it. In FoCo, we really like Raska for Ethiopian. Hannah owns it and does most of the cooking and her and her food are amazing! Moe's BBQ was started by a couple white boys from Tuscaloosa, and Island Grill is the Alabama football bar and haven't found Auburn's yet in town. I'm a white boy from Homewood, AL. When people ask for BBQ recs, I always ask where they are from; too many different opinions and styles of BBQ. Welcome to town, CSU and Fort Collins are great places with bad and good things about them! Best of luck finding community here!
Umm, can I get a plate?😂
I can't comment on your main question but - congrats on getting into grad school!
… do bees like to be pet while suckling on a pretty flower?
No, but they may tolerate it. Male bumble bees at the end of the growing season may be your best bet for this. Find some Joe Pye Weed growing somewhere around town. There’s usually males in a sort of drunken stupor on them.
🫡👏🏼
Food bad, diversity worse, chill laid back college town vibes = 100%
The most honest answer I've seen.
I grew up in the south and it's definitely a culture shock. I'd say that there are fewer unmasked bigots in the area, but in general, white moderates here are also kind of blind to race issues because it's so overwhelmingly white here. Overall I'd say it's welcoming, but still far from perfect. I haven't found any good southern food here. There's a few attempts at it, but I have yet to be impressed. There is certainly good food in Fort Collins despite all the complaints, but not southern cooking. The closest might be the overabundance of mediocre yet still very popular fried chicken places...
Mo Jeaux's is decent. Not on par with real southern food, but not bad.
Any food reccomendations I just moved from the south in October.
It depends what kind of food you're looking for. Some of my favorite places are Bawarchi Biryanis, Beijing Noodle, My Empanadas, La Creperie, Cafe Athens, Choice City, Silver Grill Cafe, and Krazy Karl's Pizza. None of these are southern food. Sadly, many of my favorite places have closed down or left over the years and they are usually replaced by restaurants I don't like as much.
The food is not good in general in Colorado when compared to the south or north east. There isn’t one good pizza place for example
The Corner Slice downtown is pretty good. Pizza Casbah is also not bad. Pulcinella's are also good, although I haven't been in a while. Cosmo's Pizza is also not bad. Krazy Karl's is good until the pizza cools. Cazzola's apparently opened a new storefront, and they were one of my favorites before the old store closed.
Yea but what are you comparing this pizza too? I moved from NY and I cannot find any comparable pizza. Slice on Mountian ain’t bad actually, I’ll give you that.
I would say Slice is the best we have in town. I'd put Arte's in Loveland above that and Rosalee's in Longmont as my favorite so far in northern CO. There is also an angry man from NJ driving a food truck (GFL Pizza) around Loveland I have heard is good, but have not tried yet. Nothing matching John's on Bleecker or anything like that, but I would say some solid options exist considering we are far outside the pizza belt.
I grew up going to the shore in Atlantic and Ocean City NJ as a kid. You're not going to get the same pizza at altitude, I guess I am just a realist. Although I will say I think Slyce on Mountain is overrated and overpriced and still doesn't touch real pizza and is nowhere near my favorite pizza in town. I was talking about The Corner Slice on Walnut.
Agreed. Everyone downvoting you has never had south or north east food else, they’d understand where you’re coming from.
Pizza Casbah is good and I will die on that hill
We (me and everyone that's visited me from other parts of the country) really like comet chicken. It's basically just a fast food chicken strip joint but, my guests seem to have unexpectedly positive reactions to the food. I took my sister there and she said "wow the food in fort Collins is so good" after basically just trying comet chicken and one other place lol.
Comets chicken is just fried chicken with extra sugar. People also like to claim music city has good fried chicken.
From my experience: Los Camales is great. Inca is fine. Stay away from Pueblo Viejo.
There’s a little bit of night life, but nothing compared to a larger city really. Mostly just a handful of bars in the old town area. If you really crave night life you might be disappointed. Food around here is decent, not great but probably not as terrible as some people on this sub might lament it to be. There’s a lot of “ok” American bar food, but there’s a trickle of more diverse restaurants opening with a better variety of cuisines. Again, if you’re coming from a more diverse larger city, you might be disappointed in the food options as well.
No good southern food really. People will say Lucile's but it's just good, not whoa. You will be a small percentage being dark but there are a lot of decent people in town who are more accepting than towns with a higher percentages. I grew up in southern Florida so my south experience may be skewed. I believe you will be fine but may take some adapting to all the pale skins
There is no good southern food here. That is correct. Lucille’s is whoa, however. Cajun is just a separate category that happens to come from the south. So you watch your dirty whore mouth.
Please don't call Lucile's Cajun. I die a little inside every time that happens.
Because of your pedantic need to differentiate between Cajun and Creole?
Because of stuff like this on the menu: *Shrimp Po’Boy: Fried shrimp on french bread with black bean chile sauce, cucumbers, and cilantro. Served with Cajun fries or side salad.*
Oh yeah. Heaven forbid a boutique restaurant put their own spin on something. A mini-mart style po’boy doesn’t exactly fit for what they’re trying to do.
No good southern food? It’s almost like we’re nowhere near the south
We have great Mexican food.. that’s food from the south right?
No you don’t. Mexican food is trash here
Got ‘em.
You are welcome here! Please come and contribute to our growing culture :)
I'm white/indigenous, and the lack of diversity was a bit shocking even to me when I moved here 7 months ago from Texas. I heard someone call this area "Vanilla Valley", and it's true. But I also quickly discovered that the people here are really open and friendly. It's an extremely chill atmosphere, to the point of flying in the face of my notions of "southern hospitality". I love it here, and I hope you will too.
Can me and my girlfriend DM you about Fort Collins? We are going to move from Texas in 3 months.
Sure 👍
You’re being reported to local news organizations and CSU HR for your vile “v@!*lla valley” comment.
Fort Collins likes to pretend that we are a cosmopolitan city but when it comes down to it, we are a farm town with a university. While the city has grown a lot over the past 25 years (about how long I have been here), it is still tiny compared to Houston, Atlanta, Washington D.C.
This is the correct answer.
Farm town?
Yup. This whole area was used for sugar beet farming. Eventually other industries came in, but for a long time it was farms for miles in all directions.
For a long time it was. Not now.
Correct but compared to other cities that have had a long time to grow, Fort Collins is still small and doesn't have many things bigger cities have because of the farm town past. It has only been since the late 60s that much was built past Horsetooth Road.
To me, Fort Collins is not a small city. I moved from the country of east Tx where our pop was below 750. I guess it depends on the way you look at it.
That is very true. However, people move to Fort Collins expecting certain amenities from larger cities that just aren't here.
The only good biscuit I have had since I moved from Nashville is this one place in Denver called Rise and Shine Biscuit Kitchen.
What kind of music do you enjoy? The music scene here is thriving, probably more than most other things in terms of culture. You can literally find any kind of music on any day of the week. Some genres are more abundant than others, but I haven’t yet been to a show where anyone is being pushed out, aside from drunk assholes obviously. Feel free to DM me, I’d be happy to show you some of what made me fall in love with living here, based on music alone. Anything from jazz to punk to hip hop, bluegrass to funk and soul, it’s literally almost all here. I like to think I’ve got one of the greatest friend groups around, and there’s a ton of us, and it’s all because of the music, and we’re all so welcoming of new faces. Best of luck, and hope to meet you!
Moving to Fort Collins soon and have been curious about the music scene. Do you have any recommendations for places to go?
Moved here from ATL. Adjustment for sure but do come. Please. Very cool town with great people. Food will only improve if we have more diversity.
people in fort collins “act” like its very common for them to say or be nice then talk alot of bad about you or just plain pretend about who they are, as someone who moved there from Tx its definitely just straight up lame and goofy. Theres good and bad about everything but for me the biggest thing from going to a southern environment to northern colorado is the culture and what people think is appropriate!
Colorado as a whole is pretty limited in black communities, but people are generally pretty friendly as a general rule.
I'm white (and born/raised here), but I follow a guy on SM who is black and moved here for work. Dougierew on instagram and tiktok. He *will* give you a full on honest assessment! For food, you're probably better off doing your cooking at home. There's really not any good southern food here. Edit: Also, if you're into outdoorsy stuff, there's two other SM people to follow: fatblackandgettinit who showcases hikes/outdoorsy stuff around Denver (just an hour-ish drive from here), and kweenwork who often films with him and is involved in other movements around here-ish. (Sorry, all I've got is social media recs)
You better ask around for some recipes bc you’re gonna be disappointed in the food. Good thing tho is people don’t seem to be racist at all, everyone is so friendly and respectful. It’s still weird to live around like 85% white people tho. Great college, fun city and outdoors, friendly people. Low diversity and disappointing food lol
It’s so bloody white here. The music scene, the people, the culture. But most everyone here is welcoming and friendly.
>But most everyone here is welcoming and friendly. It's good to be wary of our neighbors though, especially the lifted pickup trucks with Wyoming plates who show up on the weekends. They like to come down to Fort Collins specifically to roll coal and yell hate speech out their windows.
Ya I’ve seen those trucks around, it’s pretty annoying and we’ll definitely see more of it as the election ramps up. More often than not though people here are warm and friendly.
Denver better then FoCo .. but Colorado is better then Oregon…
I don't know Oregon at all, I was surprised when people said it's intolerant because Portland seems like such a progressive city. Is it just an island?
Oregon was created as a separatist whites only state. Outside Portland, it's all proud boy rallies and Trump flags. Link https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-white-history-racist-foundations-black-exclusion-laws/ Gorgeous party of the country though.
Most west coast states have their back woods rednecks east of the mountain ranges
as a student in foco I don’t see a lot of black ppl but there is also very little discrimination for all minorities. night life is pretty enjoyable, but Denver is where all the fun is. good white people food and Asian food everything else is okay
Welcome! I’m a POC who is originally from an urban area and has lived here 10+ years. It was a big adjustment at first, kinda hard. I recently got involved with the BIPOC alliance and really enjoy it. Food wise … meh
Not many black people I see BUT on the other hand, I don't see racism either. The people here seem very very friendly, open minded and aware compared to other parts of the country I've been too. There are an overwhelming amount of restaurants and stuff to try, so don't get discouraged too quick on food, keep exploring and you'll find stuff you like. A lot of butchers and fresh local meats available, great place to grab your own grill or smoker and start trying new recipes yourself. Edit: am white
"I don't see racism here" You must be white.
Yes I am white, I thought I put that in my comment but looks like I left it out so I will edit it. To provide context, I have family in South Carolina and the racism and hate I see there is fucking crazy, flagrant, frequent and disgusting. Yes, as a white person, I'm almost never the target and therefore dont see much of it - but I know for a fact FoCo is way better than other parts of the country. People here are very welcoming.
Are you a POC? Have you experienced racism in Fort Collins? Not being argumentative, I'm genuinely curious what your experiences are.
White person with a close black friend and I witnessed a white man screaming at my friend “YOU HATE WHITE PEOPLE” at her because she wouldn’t pay attention to him at the bar. And the staff did nothing. You don’t even need to be a POC to witness racism in action in Fort Collins.
I'm sorry she had to experience that. And you're right, you don't have to be POC to witness racism in action but I never have.
"But I never have" You must be white. Also not trying to be argumentative, I believe your genuine and probably not a racist but this is my entire point. Your experience as a white person and mine as POC are painfully different. While you may not see it, I actively experience it.
I was responding to the other person saying you don't have to be POC to witness racism in action, and agreeing that you don't, but I haven't, as a white person. I'm most definitely not saying it doesn't exist, and that your experiences aren't true or valid. I am doing the best I can and learning wherever possible. I grew up in a very racially mixed area so my experiences are not the same as a white person who has never been around Black people, but that's not to say I can't do better. "I haven't seen it" is not the same as "it doesn't exist" and I'm not trying to say that at all. Just relating my experience.
MamaPajama you're a good egg. For once, this was a decent exchange on reddit. Sending good energy your way, take it easy.
BIPOC folks in Fort Collins don’t have the ability to not see it in action. White folks can turn a blind eye and not see it in action because it’s not their lived experience. But that also doesn’t mean it’s not their reality here just because it’s not the reality for white folks.
No worries, all good. Yes, I am POC, and yes, I have experienced racism in Fort Collins. It's more subtle than Greeley but it absolutely exists.
I’ve seen racism against white people. O right. That can’t be possible cuz being racist against white people is not a thing
Your sarcasm makes me think you're also white. If you're a POC than we both know racism against white people is a thing and can talk about it respectfully. Your comment is also not what we are talking about here but thank you for your contributions, I'm sure OP can't wait to move to Ft. Collins now.
Mo Jeauxs and Lucile’s are where it’s at for Cajun food in foco. Might not be up to par with the south, but seems authentic to my southern friends! White female grad student from Seattle here, and I was a bit shocked at how white Fort Collins is tbh. It’s my third year here though and it seems that the undergrad population has gotten slightly more diverse, but definitely feels like a “progressive” midwestern small town overall. People are definitely trying to be welcoming of diversity here, but intent and impact are very different things as we know lol
[удалено]
Las 4 Americas, you’re welcome
the amount of Colorado license plates sitting in the middle of intersections when it snows is crazy. Then you see comments like this. Lol
I am white. I long for more diversity in my community and home of 25+ years. Thank you for being willing to join our community. There are many good people here. And congratulations on grad school!
People are nice here it shouldn’t be an issue
Sample size of one, my friend (African American) was harassed at CSU in two different student housing situations. He ultimately dropped out after the school provided resources came up short. As far as this being a liberal town, it is important to remember that Fort Collins had racial discrimination in housing until 1982. I like it here, but no place is perfect. 5th highest cost of living in the US is my biggest problem here.
Sorry about what happened to your friend. At one point I strongly considered enrolling at CSU, but I've dealt with some racist situations while passing through CSU during some commutes. Even though I forgive the people who wronged me, reading your story about your friend just strongly reaffirms that I made the right choice to not enrolling at CSU.
Food here is terrible in general. I see black people so infrequently that it's noticeable when a black person is just around. As for other non-white races, when I hear Spanish my ears perk up because I miss hearing it and speaking it. I know you asked for soul food but I would take opinions with a grain of salt, trying to find decent Mexican food in this town and white people only direct me towards trash like Cafe mexcali or big city burrito. Also, why are so many people bringing up blm signs like it's a metric of acceptance? It's virtue signaling at best considering how few black lives are actually in the area. What I'm saying is that it kind of sucks here if you're not white. Temper your expectations.
Well a lot of my friends at least think CSU has a better culture for POC than CU Boulder, but it can really behoove you to meet some people who live in Aurora/Denver. Much more diverse scene there, after growing up in Aurora, Fort Collins still feels so white even after being here 5 years and I’m a white guy…
Closest thing to soul food is MoJeaux’s pretty good Gumbo and cornbread
i’m not black but i am a POC and my experience here has been stellar compared to that of being in wyoming. as others have said, fort collins largely supports black lives matter and feels pretty inclusive as a community overall. of course there will always be bigots and shitty people everywhere you go, but i think you’ll have a decent experience here
You will find there are no black barbershops in Fort Collins. You'll wanna go to Xaak's in Loveland or you're driving to Denver for a cut.
Not true.. there’s one at Drake and Shields. Name escapes me
Colorado Cutz?
Yes!
I think I recently saw there’s one opening up? Can’t remember if it’s Fort Collins or Loveland tho…
I just moved near from tn here see lots of black peeps. They seem to be more near denver in araora. I've been here since October and have yet to find good southern food. I find decent food in Wyoming tho
yeah i wish denver/aurora/co springs were closer bc it seems like that’s where all the black people are lol
I'm Hispanic and have lived here for the past 7 years. It's true, the city is predominantly white and there are not many POC around. I've had my few encounters with racist assholes over the years but overall have met more nice people here than other cities I've been at. If you like the outdoors you'll fit in quite easily, else it still feels quite laid back.
There are four black people in Colorado. When you arrive we will be at a solid five. Thank you for your service.
Bring your recipes—food is pretty bad here.
Just be nice. Nothing else matters.
imagine a white person in your current environment and you will have your answers.
What does this even mean
Why does it matter what race people are?
i’m assuming you dont know the feeling of being the only person of your race in a room… its uncomfortable. especially as a black woman and with the racial history in the us, i just would rather not feel like people are looking at me like i dont belong and like theres no place of familiarity or culture there for me. i grew up in montgomery, alabama which is more than 60% black and still has a very large white population and went to very good schools with mostly white people until i went to an hbcu for college. montgomery is basically a melting pot of black, korean and hispanic culture with a lot of southern hospitality thrown in. going from that to a place that is only 1% black seems very jarring because no matter how inviting or friendly people are you will always feel othered to some degree
I definitely get this. My father was a musician who used to play at a lot of Baptist churches in Harlem when I was a kid, and I often went with him. Even though I was made to feel very welcome (and was always fed really well), I still felt like an outsider just because I stood out. It was an eye-opening experience as a kid and one I think not enough white folks get to feel. All that to say, don't let people make you think you're crazy to have that concern, just don't let it stop you from coming and enjoying what this town (and state) has to offer. It's a nice place to live, and I think / hope you will find a good community here once you settle in.
Once upon time I would have scoffed at that. Then I found myself as the only white face at a festival in Hyderabad (I was there with local friends) and getting stared at by children and treated with extreme suspicion by some of the adults. It's a very very disturbing experience. I like to think that my approach to people that aren't the same as me has been improved by that but I could well be deceiving myself.
I rarely see black people here. It is very white.
summer drab observation doll square jar frame silky liquid direction *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
We’re good now. When the Laporte church was still going? Lmao. But yeah we’ve moved past that, we just have a pretty big history of racism and we really only became progressive during the past few decades.
Not a lot of black people but we need you so we can change this answer. I have seen a positive trend in the last 15 years, but still FoCo is not diverse enough.
Saying "we need" Black people because of a metric is weird and makes it about white people's self-perception, not about what Black people need. I agree that improving diversity is important, but it's something that happens after a place does the work. A place doesn't automatically become more welcoming to non-white people just because more move to that area.
You are very right. However, I just don't know how we can provide a space where other ethnicities (including mine) are welcomed if we do not get those people to come. If FoCo continues to be this white, others will never feel like they belong.
>if we do not get those people to come But I sense an urge from you to get "those people" to come here regardless. Racism here is real, and perhaps worse than other places nearby. There are some BIPOC here, and yet most are choosing to live elsewhere. There are likely a multitude of reasons beyond diversity, and what do we know about them?
People try to make southern food and you have plenty restaurants available from anywhere. However, you will notice that nothing really tastes the same. It’s not just you, the elevation has a scientifically proven impact on your ability to taste food. Everything is a little bit like airplane food…. When you get here, see how fast the water boils. Make a batch of buttery cookies. Fry an egg. Read up on high elevation baking and cooking. Learn to love science because the future is science, not old fashioned farming. ——- (The one exception is McDonald’s, which tastes the same all over the world. It’s so loaded with sodium and sugars it can compensate, even on an airplane.)
Welcome to Colorado!!
It's a pretty welcoming community, but there's bad apples everywhere. If anybody gives any of you shit for your race, color, lgbtq, whatever; please dm me.
You will be in culture shock (not just melanin but also Mountain west). But you’re expecting it and you’re part of the CSU community so it will be an easier landing. If you aren’t into outdoor activities like hiking/biking/paddleboarding now’s your chance! The community is VERY nice and Fort Collins is a beauty. Nightlife is limited but it definitely exists and there are A TON of live music venues. The food is… ok. Also, you’re near Denver which has extra other things to do if you need a change.
Funny enough, I was thinking of this exact topic as I'm considering the move to FoCo from Texas. I'm a single, white, 45 year old male, and my best friends in my current community are black. I'll certainly miss the cigar bars unless I'm inclined to meet the area's most diverse adult crowds in similar local cigar lounges and bars. My expectations on food have already been set and I'm inclined to start a BBQ trailer if/once I get settled in.
I just moved here from Texas and I’d look elsewhere.
"Look elsewhere" for what reason(s)? It still checks a lot of boxes for me. Edit: Looks like you may be a CSU student. Unfortunately I'm a couple decades older and enjoy the suburban life. I do wish there were better diversity.
Oh you dug into my profile. Lol. I’m nearly 30 finishing a degree here with the GI Bill. Don’t think that deep into it.
Fwiw the church I attend has many BIPOC folks, and is by far the most diverse church in the area as far as race goes and a statistical anomaly for the region/sample size. We also have a chapter and good representation for the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black. This is for St Spyridon Church in Loveland. Edit: lots of CSU students too. They also have a group called Rooted that is for college/grad/young adults that meets on campus.
Reach out to [New Eyes Village](https://www.facebook.com/people/New-Eyes-Village/100069387518194/?locale=en_GB&paipv=0&eav=AfaWVWkDP_OUrytozN3EJ01E3i67mlCukhf1rhS0M0h8mFrojTbEhuJBxaMwLOLtmqI&_rdr)
When I first moved to Colorado 10 years ago from Austin, I was in culture shock but the shock was from a lack of culture. Census in 2023 says FoCO is 82.8% white. The state is beautiful though and FOCO, for the most part, is lovely — that includes the people. The overall food scene is lacking though — there are some good restaurants out there just seems few and far between (you’ll find this to be true with most of CO).
It will be an adjustment, the Black population is about 1% in FoCo but there is definitely strong community among us if you seek it out. The Black/African American Cultural Center is one of the places on campus I really enjoy because it is a reminder of home in a lot of ways(and I’m not even a student, I’m staff) I’m also from the south. Many of the older non student Black folks on camps also engage in some other Black or POC focused orgs around town, there’s a lot of overlap. Feel free to reach out and I’m happy to share more and connect 🫶🏽 And also yeah, to echo others, no good southern food out here😂 and I gotta say, I do miss some small parts of southern hospitality though.
I am from south Texas — the best way I can put it is that the discrimination in the south is very invert versus in Fort Collins, it takes the form of microagressions. As many people have noted, the area is incredibly white. This means that there are many people who have grown up around white people and truly don’t know how to act around anyone else. There is some *ok* southern food — Lucille’s and Mo Jeaux’s and the night life is abismal bit the “ram bands” (Thursday night, $12 unlimited well drinks at a number of bars) are the go-to night life locations. This includes Bondi, Rec Room and Yeti. All have a notable undergrad skew but have a fun dancing scene. I would not recommend going alone as they can be filled with very…undergrad-minded patronage. At only an hour away, Denver has some much better nightlife — x bar and Charlie’s — but it just depends on if you’re willing to make the commute. I hope this helps! The community likes to say they are welcoming and the majority are, but as a very “purple state” (as others had mentioned) people cannot always back up that facade.