Can i get some opinions on fort collins, colorado?

For what you are looking for you really can't go wrong anywhere from downtown Denver (Lodo) all the way up to Ft. Collins. There are so many great areas in that northern front range. Stay away from Greeley. It has more of a farming community and plains feel than a front range feel. Plus the smell in winter time is uh, less than agreeable. (livestock) As far as rental prices go, typically the further towards the mountains you are, the higher the rent. So while Boulder is a nice city, its housing is much, much higher than Superior just to the east which is higher than Erie just a little further east. Northern Suburbs of Denver like Northglenn, Westminster, and Thornton are all nice but they are suburbs and feel that way. Starbucks and super targets along side master planned communities. If you are considering Loveland I would also have a look at Longmont. It really depends on what you want. All of those communities, except perhaps the northern suburbs of Denver, have older smaller homes that would be affordable and trendy new apartment buildings converted from old brick canneries or the like. What Ft. Collins would offer over the others except for Boulder is that it is a college town and has the feel of a college town. What I did was got a place on a month to month and then explored as much as I could before I eventually bought a house with a killer view in Frederick. I really like downtown Louisville, LaFayette, Longmont, Loveland, and Ft. Collins. Good luck! You will love it out here.