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How could anybody say that San Diego is more densely built than Denver? Look at all the space and parking lots in-between San Diego's highrises compared to the virtually fully built, lowrise occupied space in-between and around Denver's highrises? Furthermore, this is only half of downtown Denver. It's not even close. Sorry. Denver is much more urban.
I've made that point before, and though it's not a popular one among Denver-boosters, it's probably true. Denver really is more similar to Kansas City than it is to, say, Seattle, San Diego, or even Minneapolis.
Agreed, I have found Minneapolis to be much more aesthetically pleasing than Denver. Better architecture, less smog and haze, more lush and green, nicer people (to Denver's credit most of the rude people are from LA/SF).
Nice......the only other post worthy of a response simply because it doesn't mention number of highrises and population density.
I'd say Hillcrest is more vibrant and happening than Capitol Hill. It also seems more visibly gay than CP. This weekend they are inagurating a 65 foot gay flag on the main drag. Right in front of the nation's first gay brewery.
As I posted I lived in North Park and to be more precise it was near Texas Avenue and Lincoln which is considered part of the gay area. I loved it and that was one of the reasons I picked San Diego for grad school. The pride fest is fun in the summer and I was always in Hillcrest on the weekends to Numbers or The Brass Rail etc. However the big difference between the gay scene in San Diego and Denver is Denver is the largest city in a multi state region thus seems to be a magnet for gay people who want to leave there little town but not really leave the region. That really makes the gay scene much larger then you would expect to find. For example over 200,000 people attend the gay pride festival every year and its one of the largest in the nation. San Diego on the other hand has to compete with LA and San Francisco and even Palm Springs. So while it has a great gay area and scene its really on a different level then Denver's is.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
I'd give the edge to SD here just because we have easier access to outdoor activities. I live less than 15 minutes from the beach and 10 minutes from hiking trails that reach the highest point in the city. Both of which can be a pit stop before or after work.
This really falls into the category of what someone likes to do. Denver is close to the mountains, hiking trails and excellent skiing but no beach. So if someone likes the beach they will not like Denver. When I lived in San Diego I can count on two hands the amount of times I was at the beach in the 5 years I was there cus I am not a beach person and the only time I went was when my friends made me. So for me I prefer the outdoor activities Colorado has over California any day.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
I agree here, although I think there are more different areas to explore in SD
I think you would be surprised. Denver has a lot of neat areas to explore and enjoy much like San Diego does.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
DU and USD are in the same category, but I'd put UCSD in a tier above CU.
Im not sure about that. CU Boulder is a great university then you have CU in Denver with the CU Medial Center that is one of the best in the nation. I am not saying CU is better but I would not say a student who gets a degree from UCSD could have bragging rights over a student who got a degree from CU in Denver or Boulder and I did not go to either school so this is not a alumni talking just to bring up his university.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
Suburbs are the same everywhere, right?
Agreed and that was the point I was trying to make. I live in a city of 110,000 people and even our suburbs are the same. Houses and shopping areas (yawn). In my opinion what makes a city nice is its urban areas.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
Colorado is too dry for my tastes.
Ya like San Diego gets a lot of rain. Both states are about as dry as a place can be with out being in the dessert.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
Totally disagree with you here. Denver is way too isolated to me. No where to drive for long weekends. SD is close to LA/Palm Springs and 5 hours away from Vegas.
Denver is isolated from large metro areas but there are plenty of places one can drive to for a long weekend. Colorado Springs is less then a hour away and is a tourist town with many things to do including the Boradmore hotel. Pueblo is about two hours away with some of the best festivals in the nation and best Mexican food along with the state fair. Fort Collins is about a hour with CSU and a nice downtown. Then you have the mountains with Summit County, Aspen, Winter Park etc. Then about 8 hours away is Santa Fe New Mexico with its art and culture scene and Albuquerque New Mexico. The big difference is if you want to fly to large cities in Denver is not bad but from San Diego to the east coast its a trans continental flight and takes all day.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
DIA is much larger, but I think the freeway system in SD is better.
Denver has I-25, I-70 and C-470 and E-470 that is a loop around the MSA. Along with 6th Avenue that is a freeway and Santa Fe Ave that is a freeway in parts and I-76 finally the Boulder Turnpike. My point is its not hard to get around the Denver MSA. Then they are doing a lot to extend the light rail. I am not saying San Diego has a bad highway system as I never had a hard time getting around but I can honestly say I don't think its better then Denver's.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
You can find the same same stores everywhere, really. For upscale shopping, SD is better. We've got Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Carolina Herrera, Kate Spade, Bloomingdale's, among others.
I am most likely the wrong person to talk about high end stores as I don't shop at them. I am kind of odd in that respect as I have no problem spending hundreds of dollars for a good dinner or thousands of dollars for a business class ticket to Europe but only shop at JC Penny, Dillards and even *gasp* Walmart. However I will say that Denver has some nice high end stores at 3 of its malls. Park Meadows, Cherry Creak Mall and Flat Iron Mall. Keep in mind San Diego high end stores only serve the San Diego area while the Denver high end stores serve the entire state of Colorado and beyond.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
While SD's museums are nothing to write home about, Balboa Park does have the largest cultural complex west of the Mississippi River. I will say our live theater scene is pretty good. Lots of productions originate here and make it to Broadway.
umm no. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is the Second largest in the world. I have posted the link before but will again.
The Denver Performing Arts Complex (sometimes referred to locally as "The Plex," "The DCPA" or simply, "Denver Center") located in Denver, Colorado, is the second largest performing arts center in the world after New York City's Lincoln Center. The DPAC is a four-block, 12-acre site containing ten performance spaces with over 10,000 seats connected by an 80 ft tall glass roof. It is home to a Tony Award-winning theatre company, Broadway touring productions, contemporary dance and ballet, magnificent chorales, a major symphony orchestra, internationally acclaimed opera and more.
I drive 100 miles to see the major Broadway shows they have as I have season tickets. Think about it again in California the San Diego culture scene only supports the San Diego MSA while the Denver arts scene supports the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond. Its almost like comparing apples to oranges here.
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Originally Posted by sdurbanite
And my pick is SD. I find SD more interesting than Denver, in most areas. We've got better ethnic restaurants and markets, and just more things to see and do on your day off. The craft beer scene here is just as good, if not better than Denver's. More variety and areas of nightlife to choose from, also.
I do agree that depending on one's preference, either city is great.
I think we agree its mostly based on personal preference but I have to say I was not impressed with the restaurant choices in San Diego especially for a MSA so large. Denver in my opinion has much better restaurants and I enjoy going out to eat more in Denver then I did in San Diego.
Last edited by Josseppie; 07-17-2012 at 12:23 PM..
Cherry Creek is actually the most-visited destination in Denver. But it's also only a small section of the city, most of which is nothing like Cherry Creek.
Yes, that does describe Aspen ..and that population is buying second homes in Creek these days more than ever ( one can only stand snow for so long before they need some warmer temps within reach)..why do you see the same eateries/shops/galleries in both areas or is that a cosmic mistake. Having lived in both..I think I know the dealio by now. Aspen-Cherry Creek = interchangable biz,people,culture..Who do you think is paying 500-1500 psf. in Creek..people from Limon?
Last edited by Scott5280; 07-17-2012 at 12:03 PM..
Im not sure about that. CU Boulder is a great university then you have CU in Denver with the CU Medial Center that is one of the best in the nation. I am not saying CU is better but I would not say a student who gets a degree from UCSD could have bragging rights over a student who got a degree from CU in Denver or Boulder and I did not go to either school so this is not a alumni talking just to bring up his university.
UCSD is a higher ranked and more prestigious university than CU overall, it's just not very well known. The average incoming freshman has around 4.04 GPA from what I remember.
National University rankings (UCSD, CU Boulder)
ARWU: 12, 24
Forbes: 39, 217
USNWR: 37, 94
Washington Monthly: 1, 58
Global University rankings (UCSD, CU Boulder)
ARWU: 14, 32
QS: 77, 142
Time: 32, 77
UCSD is a higher ranked and more prestigious university than CU overall, it's just not very well known. The average incoming freshman has around 4.04 GPA from what I remember.
National University rankings (UCSD, CU Boulder)
ARWU: 12, 24
Forbes: 39, 217
USNWR: 37, 94
Washington Monthly: 1, 58
Global University rankings (UCSD, CU Boulder)
ARWU: 14, 32
QS: 77, 142
Time: 32, 77
I see your point I just don't think UCSD is in a separate tier then CU is. Now Stanford sure but not UCSD as its a public state university. Because of this I just don't think graduates from UCSD can brag about their diploma over one a graduate got from CU.
Last edited by Josseppie; 07-17-2012 at 12:44 PM..
Denver is really pretty much KC but closer to the front range. No one has really pointed out anything amazing about Denver that can't be found in other cities.
I'd actually put it a step below Portland, now that I think about it.
People have posted numerous time things that could be considered "amazing" about Denver. You just don't wanna see it because you simply don't like Denver, and that's okay. However, no one wants to hear the same rant over and over again.
As I posted I lived in North Park and to be more precise it was near Texas Avenue and Lincoln which is considered part of the gay area. I loved it and that was one of the reasons I picked San Diego for grad school. The pride fest is fun in the summer and I was always in Hillcrest on the weekends to Numbers or The Brass Rail etc. However the big difference between the gay scene in San Diego and Denver is Denver is the largest city in a multi state region thus seems to be a magnet for gay people who want to leave there little town but not really leave the region. That really makes the gay scene much larger then you would expect to find. For example over 200,000 people attend the gay pride festival every year and its one of the largest in the nation. San Diego on the other hand has to compete with LA and San Francisco and even Palm Springs. So while it has a great gay area and scene its really on a different level then Denver's is.
Different level than Denver's? Hardly. I just checked the gay pride websites for both SD and Denver, and Denver's claims to have the 7th largest parade, while SD claims to be the 4th largest. I'd say both are exaggerating their rankings but whatever.
This really falls into the category of what someone likes to do. Denver is close to the mountains, hiking trails and excellent skiing but no beach. So if someone likes the beach they will not like Denver. When I lived in San Diego I can count on two hands the amount of times I was at the beach in the 5 years I was there cus I am not a beach person and the only time I went was when my friends made me. So for me I prefer the outdoor activities Colorado has over California any day.
My point was that I can get to the beach and hike a mountain trail a lot faster than you can. Most people in Denver can't just sneak in a mountian hike after work and before dinner, at the end of the day.
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I think you would be surprised. Denver has a lot of neat areas to explore and enjoy much like San Diego does.
I agree, but SD just has more things to do and places to go.
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Im not sure about that. CU Boulder is a great university then you have CU in Denver with the CU Medial Center that is one of the best in the nation. I am not saying CU is better but I would not say a student who gets a degree from UCSD could have bragging rights over a student who got a degree from CU in Denver or Boulder and I did not go to either school so this is not a alumni talking just to bring up his university.
I think sav858 proved my point about UCSD, so I won't add anything more. I also checked the college ranking of CU Denver at US News and World Report, and it was ranked even lower than SDSU. How is that one of the best in the nation?
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Agreed and that was the point I was trying to make. I live in a city of 110,000 people and even our suburbs are the same. Houses and shopping areas (yawn). In my opinion what makes a city nice is its urban areas.
Agreed again.
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Ya like San Diego gets a lot of rain. Both states are about as dry as a place can be with out being in the dessert.
I should have been more clear and said I was talking about the air, not precipitation.
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Denver is isolated from large metro areas but there are plenty of places one can drive to for a long weekend. Colorado Springs is less then a hour away and is a tourist town with many things to do including the Boradmore hotel. Pueblo is about two hours away with some of the best festivals in the nation and best Mexican food along with the state fair. Fort Collins is about a hour with CSU and a nice downtown. Then you have the mountains with Summit County, Aspen, Winter Park etc. Then about 8 hours away is Santa Fe New Mexico with its art and culture scene and Albuquerque New Mexico. The big difference is if you want to fly to large cities in Denver is not bad but from San Diego to the east coast its a trans continental flight and takes all day.
Colorado Springs? Pueblo? Ft. Collins? No thanks, none of those places sound like weekend destinations to me. The mountain towns might be fun once in awhile, I guess. 8 hours away? If that's the case, then you can add San Francisco, Yosemite, Mammoth Mountain, Sedona and the Grand Canyon to places that are "close" to SD.
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enver has I-25, I-70 and C-470 and E-470 that is a loop around the MSA. Along with 6th Avenue that is a freeway and Santa Fe Ave that is a freeway in parts and I-76 finally the Boulder Turnpike. My point is its not hard to get around the Denver MSA. Then they are doing a lot to extend the light rail. I am not saying San Diego has a bad highway system as I never had a hard time getting around but I can honestly say I don't think its better then Denver's.
Never said it was hard to get around Denver, only that the freeway system in SD is more extensive and modern, ie, wider and faster.
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I am most likely the wrong person to talk about high end stores as I don't shop at them. I am kind of odd in that respect as I have no problem spending hundreds of dollars for a good dinner or thousands of dollars for a business class ticket to Europe but only shop at JC Penny, Dillards and even *gasp* Walmart. However I will say that Denver has some nice high end stores at 3 of its malls. Park Meadows, Cherry Creak Mall and Flat Iron Mall. Keep in mind San Diego high end stores only serve the San Diego area while the Denver high end stores serve the entire state of Colorado and beyond.
Like I said earlier, shopping is shopping. Just pointed out that SD has more high end shopping options.
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umm no. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is the Second largest in the world. I have posted the link before but will again.
The Denver Performing Arts Complex (sometimes referred to locally as "The Plex," "The DCPA" or simply, "Denver Center") located in Denver, Colorado, is the second largest performing arts center in the world after New York City's Lincoln Center. The DPAC is a four-block, 12-acre site containing ten performance spaces with over 10,000 seats connected by an 80 ft tall glass roof. It is home to a Tony Award-winning theatre company, Broadway touring productions, contemporary dance and ballet, magnificent chorales, a major symphony orchestra, internationally acclaimed opera and more.
I drive 100 miles to see the major Broadway shows they have as I have season tickets. Think about it again in California the San Diego culture scene only supports the San Diego MSA while the Denver arts scene supports the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond. Its almost like comparing apples to oranges here.
That complex sounds amazing...good for Denver!
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I think we agree its mostly based on personal preference but I have to say I was not impressed with the restaurant choices in San Diego especially for a MSA so large. Denver in my opinion has much better restaurants and I enjoy going out to eat more in Denver then I did in San Diego.
How long ago has it been since you lived in SD? Lots of new restaurants have popped up in recent years so I wouldn't dismiss SD's dining scene if you haven't lived here in the past 3-5 years.
Wait, North Park is busier than LoHi? Since when? And of all the neighborhoods in Denver, Washington Park (an older established neighborhood filled with single family homes and upper-middle class families), is your favorite? Not exactly what I'd expect from someone with "urbanite" in their name. It honestly doesn't sound like you've ever spent any real time in Denver, if ever.
BTW, those neighborhood comparisons are not apples to apples except for maybe Hillcrest and Capitol Hill in which it's quite a stretch to say one is more vibrant than the other. Why stop at just two Denver neighborhoods and then go on to list a plethora of San Diego ones? What about other vibrant Denver neighborhoods like the Golden Triangle, Five-Points, Cheeseman Park, or Uptown? How about the E. Colfax corridor?
About those mountain views in Denver.. You can't see the Rockies from downtown Denver because Denver has (like most cities) buildings and skyscrapers that block the view, not because the Rockies aren't impressive (hilarious). You can't see the ocean from downtown San Diego, does that make the Pacific Ocean less grand?
Let me share my honest opinion about San Diego's topography. As I've stated previously, San Diego's beaches are about the most overrated beaches in the United States. I don't even think they're in the top 5 within California. That's probably the most honest thing anyone's said thus far in this thread about San Diego's scenery. I've traveled to enough US beaches to feel confident in stating that. But I'd bet you wouldn't consider that as honest a description of San Diego's setting that you have ever read although it's about as honest as vegaspilgrim's or your view of Denver's scenery.
Lastly, stating that posts are only worthy of a response if they don't mention number of highrises and population density is ridiculous. These characteristics are what makes cities, you know, cities. You seem to be stuck on natural scenery considering the ocean seems to be San Diego's strong point. Don't let your homerism disregard important facts like density, # of highrises, tallest buildings, etc. just because these are Denver's strong points. Some would argue that natural scenery is the least important aspect of what makes a city a city. But to each his own. Each city has strong points and weak points but I feel you're really reaching to put San Diego on top.
When skimming through this thread, it's basically two pages of facts and thirteen pages of why San Diego's scenery is so great in comparison. It's all relative. To someone in Honolulu, San Diego looks like a dump. The topic is Denver vs. San Diego, not Denver scenery vs. San Diego Scenery. Aspects like highrises and density are just as important a topic as any.
I'm flattered that my opinion of Denver is so important to you. Is it a coincidence that you joined City-Data around the same time that this thread was created? I think not. You don't live in Houston, you are just a desperate Denver homer in disguise. And what's up with the time stamps of your posts last night, did you even get any sleep last night or were you waiting for me to respond so you can pounce on it immediately? I have a visual of you typing furiously with smoke coming out of your ears.....LOL
In response to some of your questions....
-Since you won't believe me, here's a post from someone who lives in Highlands now and looking to move to North Park that was posted in the SD forum yesterday:
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Originally Posted by doo-zee
Funny you mention that. We actually live in Highlands right now. NP feels a lot like Highlands, in fact. It's like Highlands on steroids.
-Street views from the hearts of both Hillcrest and Capitol Hill, which looks more vibrant to you? I know the Hillcrest image is older, and imagine the one of Capitol Hill is too.
-I do love that you call San Diego's beaches overrated considering Colorado is landlocked. Wow.
-You really need to get over that fact that Denver is not an attractive city. It's ok, really. We've established that Denver has taller and more highrises, but what you don't realize is that the skyline is not pretty. Boxy and bland is what I'd call it. Don't be mad that even though SD's skyline is short and stubby, it's still more attractive.
-A quick tidbit regarding Lodo vs. Gaslamp. Here's a list of the Top 100 grossing nightclubs, bar and lounges in America. Notice that 7 of them are in San Diego, with only 1 listed from Denver. What's that about?
I see your point I just don't think UCSD is in a separate tier then CU is. Now Stanford sure but not UCSD as its a public state university. Because of this I just don't think graduates from UCSD can brag about their diploma over one a graduate got from CU.
I think you need to accept the fact that CU is known more for beer bongs than crunch time at finals. You guys are not UCLA or Berkeley, or even UCSD. Let it go.
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