Relocating from Scottsdale to Boulder (Denver, Westminster: house prices, live, prices)

[history nerd]

Originally Posted by Diorzmom

I'd like to say this has been asked so many times in this forum however i still need some insight on relocating from Scottsdale AZ to Boulder CO. A year ago I was promoted with that promotion came relocation from Chicago il to Scottsdale Az. Initially, I was excited. I was beginning to get tired of the crowds and rat race of Chicago. I was looking for something slightly slower paced and easier living. I had visited Scottsdale a few times before I really liked it. I thought it would be different and a break from the severe winters that Chicago is known for. I was looking forward to the move. Now I knew az was nowhere near as sophisticated as Chicago but I'm not hard to please so I knew I would adapt.

Colorado meets the criteria that led you to Scottsdale... But is that really what you want?

Originally Posted by Diorzmom

I couldn't have been more wrong. Arizona (in my opinion) is awful a place with zero culture, and honestly not the place for me.

It's going to depend what you mean by "culture" is culture a unique mindset that belongs to a specific place and people? If so perhaps there is a culture and you just don't care for it. Or are you one of those people for whom culture means certain specific things such as art museums and classical music? If so a college town like Boulder will provide some of those things but not as much as a major metro like Chicago.

Originally Posted by Diorzmom

When I moved to Scottsdale I had no idea Scottsdale was considered "high end". Some of the shopping, restaurants, and boutiques are nice but the attitudes of these people doesn't scream
Wealth. At least the wealth I'm used to seeing in Chicago. U may see a person driving a Porsche, with a Hermes bag and that same person wouldstep out of that Porsche with her Hermes bag with bad roots, dirty feet, horrible liver spots, and an iq of a potato sack. But that's another discussion for another day. I am leaving in seven months. Thankfully my job is allowing me to head back to Chicago OR Boulder. I will visit Boulder in a few weeks before I make my final decision. I have been to Denver and aspen and enjoyed my stay. I'm not looking for Chicago. Maybe a scaled down version.

Boulder is a wealthy area... but not "high end" I don't think. If you dislike being surrounded by wealth it probably isn't the pace for you. The wealthy people not really caring about fashion is a western thing and is likely to be similar in CO as AZ but the markers of wealth are going to be different. Porsches aren't really as much of a status symbol here as being able to ski, eat healthy and do outdoorsy stuff so the culture of the wealthy tends to be a bit different.


Don't expect a smaller Chicago. Chicago is Chicago and there really isn't another place like it.

Originally Posted by Diorzmom

I am 32 year old female with no kids and a busy job. I am African American and Jewish. I date interracially. I have a masters degree in international business and enjoy art, traveling, books, and music. I don't believe everyone needs a college degree. Nor do I judge people all of the time. However I would like to live in a place where there isn't a fast food joint on every corner. Where I can maybe take the train to work sometimes. Where there are visible libraries and when I pay cash I don't have to recount my change EVERYTIME. A place that has four seasons ( I miss winter and warm
Sweaters and colorful falls). A place that values education and Tax dollars are used towards the city.

Boulder and Colorado in general isn't really big on trains and public transit. Boulder is about bikes. If you want to bike rather than drive that is what the town is made for. There is a lot of local business in boulder and certainly not fast food on every corner (at least in the heart of town) in that sense it would probably be preferable to Scottsdale which has a much more suburban vibe.

Boulder is a college town so access to libraries/art/etc. shouldn't really be a problem.... (Not on the same scale as Chicago)

Originally Posted by Diorzmom

Scottsdale is nice for a different person. I'm quite conservative I still have liberal values progression and change means a lot to me. Having said that would Boulder/Denver be a good fit or should I head back to Chicago. Thanks

Ummm... What does it mean to be "conservative" with a "liberal values progression?" I've never heard anyone describe their beliefs in that way before. Do you mean socially liberal/fiscally conservative or something?

Boulder has a reputation for being comically liberal in a sort of hippy dippy or more recently bougie latte liberal type way. Depending on what you are trying to describe your mileage may vary.

[MsMetal]

Not trying to be argumentative, but culture, in Broomfield? I've spent a lot of time in Broomfield, culture is not a word that comes to mind. Upper middle class typical suburban area with a big popular mall & lots of office parks. IIRC there is an auditorium, so there may be some concerts. I mean, Broomfield is perfectly nice, but you're not going to find much culture there. I daresay with the college, you'd find more musical events, theater productions & even museums in Boulder proper.

[Diorzmom]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond I genuinely appreciate it. I think I'll go back to Chicago. I think any place else would be a compromise. I guess what I mean by culture is maybe diversity but not necessarily race or ethnic terms. Denvers outdoorsy lifestyle by definition culture that reflects the city. I would enjoy that aspect however if that's the energy that drives the city then no! I guess diversity is something I enjoy. However when you say diversity ppl think race. But diversity for me extends beyond race and ethnicity. I like variations. Not cookie cutter places. Or places that lacks everything and it's simply existing. No growth no change and no progression.

People often accuse ax of being very racist. I haven't experienced any racism really however I have dealt with ppl that are under exposed and limited ( u can find them anywhere). Az is ultra conservative in a manner of speaking. The powers that be are simply ok with things as they are mo growth no economic expansion nothing.. u can feel and see those stifling ideals throughout the city. It's not harmful or bad but it's a way of life that's not conducive to me. I am wAy more conservative that I am liberAl. However my liberal side won't allow me to get comfortable in a place that moves slow, thinks slow and has no concept of time.

Boulder sounds nice however I will go back to what suits me

Thanks

[Lostinspace78]

I'm from Chicago and live in Boulder. From a political standpoint I don't think it really matters where you are on the spectrum because everyone is generally pretty cool. People really take their health and outdoor activities serious here. The food in Boulder sucks imho and it doesn't get much better in Denver. There is money here but everyone drives Audis and Subarus and wears North Face and lulu so it is not really in your face.

Housing is expensive but it keeps certain demographics out which is fine in my book. There is no sense of suburbia from an economic or attitude standpoint which I like. There is not much culture here unlike in Chicago. Be prepared for that. Denver may have a little more but not by much. Generally people move here because of high paying jobs and either learn to love the outdoors or learn to appreciate but not love it.

I like Boulder and find the people very nice and my wife and kids lead a very active and healthy life. I've learned to appreciate being able to climb 14ers every weekend but Chicago is where I wished I lived.

[brightdoglover]

Originally Posted by Diorzmom

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond I genuinely appreciate it. I think I'll go back to Chicago.
Boulder sounds nice however I will go back to what suits me

Thanks

Best wishes to OP. It is wise to know what works and what works less. Choosing to go back to a place you once left makes a very different experience than being there and thinking you want to leave. Trust me on this one! It's a whole new and wonderful experience of that place.

[Thoreau424]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

Choosing to go back to a place you once left makes a very different experience than being there and thinking you want to leave. Trust me on this one! It's a whole new and wonderful experience of that place.

Absolutely! I've found a 180 degree shift between what I thought about where I used to live and now. But I wouldn't have seen that unless I moved away and gained that perspective shift. Sometimes it takes that.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by Diorzmom

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond I genuinely appreciate it. I think I'll go back to Chicago. I think any place else would be a compromise. I guess what I mean by culture is maybe diversity but not necessarily race or ethnic terms. Denvers outdoorsy lifestyle by definition culture that reflects the city. I would enjoy that aspect however if that's the energy that drives the city then no! I guess diversity is something I enjoy. However when you say diversity ppl think race. But diversity for me extends beyond race and ethnicity. I like variations. Not cookie cutter places. Or places that lacks everything and it's simply existing. No growth no change and no progression.

People often accuse ax of being very racist. I haven't experienced any racism really however I have dealt with ppl that are under exposed and limited ( u can find them anywhere). Az is ultra conservative in a manner of speaking. The powers that be are simply ok with things as they are mo growth no economic expansion nothing.. u can feel and see those stifling ideals throughout the city. It's not harmful or bad but it's a way of life that's not conducive to me. I am wAy more conservative that I am liberAl. However my liberal side won't allow me to get comfortable in a place that moves slow, thinks slow and has no concept of time.

Boulder sounds nice however I will go back to what suits me

Thanks

I think you made the right choice. You seem to love Chicago and what it offers. (which is a lot!) You also tried other places and learned to be honest with yourself about the things you want and don't want in a city. For the record, I live in the greater Phoenix metro and I cannot dispute your observation about Scottsdale (which I like) or the general vibe of Arizona. Good luck with your move back to Chi-town!

[grad_student200]

Originally Posted by Diorzmom

I'd like to say this has been asked so many times in this forum however i still need some insight on relocating from Scottsdale AZ to Boulder CO. A year ago I was promoted with that promotion came relocation from Chicago il to Scottsdale Az. Initially, I was excited. I was beginning to get tired of the crowds and rat race of Chicago. I was looking for something slightly slower paced and easier living. I had visited Scottsdale a few times before I really liked it. I thought it would be different and a break from the severe winters that Chicago is known for. I was looking forward to the move. Now I knew az was nowhere near as sophisticated as Chicago but I'm not hard to please so I knew I would adapt.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Arizona (in my opinion) is awful a place with zero culture, and honestly not the place for me. When I moved to Scottsdale I had no idea Scottsdale was considered "high end". Some of the shopping, restaurants, and boutiques are nice but the attitudes of these people doesn't scream
Wealth. At least the wealth I'm used to seeing in Chicago. U may see a person driving a Porsche, with a Hermes bag and that same person wouldstep out of that Porsche with her Hermes bag with bad roots, dirty feet, horrible liver spots, and an iq of a potato sack. But that's another discussion for another day. I am leaving in seven months. Thankfully my job is allowing me to head back to Chicago OR Boulder. I will visit Boulder in a few weeks before I make my final decision. I have been to Denver and aspen and enjoyed my stay. I'm not looking for Chicago. Maybe a scaled down version.

I am 32 year old female with no kids and a busy job. I am African American and Jewish. I date interracially. I have a masters degree in international business and enjoy art, traveling, books, and music. I don't believe everyone needs a college degree. Nor do I judge people all of the time. However I would like to live in a place where there isn't a fast food joint on every corner. Where I can maybe take the train to work sometimes. Where there are visible libraries and when I pay cash I don't have to recount my change EVERYTIME. A place that has four seasons ( I miss winter and warm
Sweaters and colorful falls). A place that values education and Tax dollars are used towards the city.

Scottsdale is nice for a different person. I'm quite conservative I still have liberal values progression and change means a lot to me. Having said that would Boulder/Denver be a good fit or should I head back to Chicago. Thanks

I was born and raised in Arizona and went to college in the Midwest at well known Catholic college with an overexposed football team (you'd know the name). I am very familiar with Chicago and took most of my flights from Phoenix to O'Hare as an undergraduate then took a bus to campus.

I am from Arizona and love Scottsdale. I am a Native American and mountain runner. My ancestors were in this area before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 1500s. So I am a pure Arizonan. I absolutely prefer Scottsdale to Chicago and Florida. I was at the latter for 14 years and recently returned.

I do not believe you will like Boulder. I worked in Denver/Boulder for four years. It is a great place for outdoor athletes and has the four seasons. But it is about 90% white and not very conducive to minorities. You say you are African American and Jewish. I think culturally and ethnically you would feel out-of-place. I did even though I was an extreme mountain runner. In my prime I could run up Longs Peak from the Ranger Station in less than 3 hours with a heavy backpack. Then from the "Keyhole" I ran back down in a round trip of about 5.5 hours. Boulderites who hike Longs Peak know about the "Keyhole" and Longs Peak.

Even though I am Native American known for its mountain running culture, I still felt-out-place in Boulder. It was not blatantly "racist" per se but just socially isolating. I honestly think you would be happier back in Chicago. The part of Colorado that has institutional racism is the university system with the law school and medical school. There are many white students who resent the minorities in the admitted classes because of the belief that they only got in because of affirmative action. So the policy is very highly unpopular in either subtle or blatant ways. The stigma was most definitely there. The medical school also had colorism - racism based on skin culture. As a Native American registered as full-blooded, it became clear to me the medical school preferred the part-white, mixed blooded Native Americans who don't look indigenous and lost the culture (unable to speak the indigenous language). So colorism was a problem within the minority office at CU (ironically) and affirmative action was disdained.

To be fair, Boulder was mostly mellow and liberal. It was not an environment of hate or anything like that. It was just socially and culturally isolating. I just did mountain running and played basketball at the CU Rec Center a lot as my "social life".

Back in Scottsdale, my large extended Native American family is here. Tomorrow I am going to my niece's birthday party. Out in Boulder I'd just be alone and "too rezzed out" to fit in.

I recommend Chicago. You'd probably be happiest on Michigan Ave. shopping with friends and family this holiday season near the old Marshall Fields and Company. I went there in the 80s as a college freshman (LOL) at 18 with my college friends from the midwest and east coast - the Irish Catholics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBBOMLURSGA

[oping00]

I am originally from Chicago and now live here in Phoenix,AZ and I can tell that even though it was time to move on I absolutely hate Phoenix. I live in Snottsdale and let me tell you this is one of the most boring places I ever lived and the heat is unbearable. If I could split my summer in Chicago or NY and winters somewhere other than AZ I would do it.

I am also looking at Denver and liked it and thought the people were fine.

[LHS79]

Growing up here in CO. the nickname for CU was always "The University of California- Boulder".

Many come here for school (from there) and then they never leave.