Brookside

Brookside, Colorado lies just southeast of Canon City by about 10 minutes. This area still has some uranium contamination, or what the Navajos used to call the 'yellow death.' This contamination has been found to cause cancer, birth defects, bronchitis, infertility, and arthritis. Although the majority of the mining was done in the 50s and 60s, there is still concern over what is still around from that time as uranium never completely decomposes. This is very unfortunate because the area itself is very pretty. Brookside lies on both sides of the Arkansas River and you can see lush greenery all around. I really like how this area is laid out in that the houses are close to neighbors, but nobody is on top of someone else. They all have nice sized yards with large trees. Most of the homes are single family houses, but there are a couple of mobile homes here as well. Driving through town you pass corn fields and open spaces which gives the illusion of being in the country. There are a couple of abandoned houses and a church around town, a sign of those who have chosen to leave I suppose.

The major industry in Brookside is construction and the median household income is $62,605 which is a good deal above Colorado's average. You can also purchase a single family detached home here for around $251,493 so in comparison to the rest of Colorado the cost of living is pretty much the same, it's the cost to someone's health which needs to be weighed before living here. There are currently 233 residents who are willing to take that chance. Outside of housing there isn't much to do here. There are no restaurants or shopping, although Canon City is just a few minute drive away.

Brookside is a community between Canon City and Florence along the Arkansas River. Brookside is home to about 200 people and most of the properties are ranches. Most people in the area are employed at the high security prison or in the Springs or Canon City or even Pueblo to the east.

The average household income is reported to be about $34,000. There are apartment complexes in Brookside most going for between $700-$900/month. Homes in the area go for about $200,000 on average.

Brookside is not far from the uranium contamination a bit closer to Lincoln Park towards Canon City. The area is not that bad but the summers are dry and dusty, the surrounding mountains to the west are beautiful and the Arkansas River Canyon just west of Canon City is within 30 minutes from Brookside.