Why you'd want to live in Manitou Springs

Manitou Springs defies easy categorization. It is a city of fewer than 6,000 permanent residents that draws more than two million visitors per year. It is a place where Victorian-era commercial storefronts share a block with independent art galleries, spa retreats, and craft breweries. It sits at 6,400 feet above sea level, pressed between the sandstone walls of Fountain Creek Canyon and the rocky lower slopes of Pikes Peak — and yet it remains just a 10-to-20-minute drive from downtown Colorado Springs' full range of urban amenities. For the right buyer, this combination is extraordinary. For buyers who need a conventional suburban lifestyle, it is worth understanding clearly before falling in love with the views. Manitou Springs was founded in the 1870s as a health resort built around its natural mineral springs — carbonated waters that bubble from the ground throughout the city and gave it the nickname 'Saratoga of the West.' The mineral springs still flow today, accessible from public kiosks along Manitou Avenue, and they remain a defining characteristic of a city that has always embraced its unusual identity with confidence. The downtown historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the architecture throughout the city reflects layers of development from the late 19th century to the mid-20th — a visual complexity that photograph well and adds genuine character that no new development can replicate.