Denver vs Seattle for Established Tech Professional (live, best, cost)

[James332]

I am seriously considering moving to Seattle or Denver this spring and have been considering a move for well over a year now. I work in technology (infrastructure, specifically virtualization) and will begin an active job search in the new two months and will not move without a signed job offer. I currently live in Charlotte and would like to move to a more liberal city, preferably one larger or more urban than Charlotte. Charlotte has been an awesome city that I would recommend, but I’m not sure I want to lay down long-term roots here.

I’m into cycling including mountain biking, road rides, and in general to get around town on the single-speed. I’m a very casual day hiker but that’s something I’d like to get more serious about. I’m a runner who enjoys runs through neighborhoods. I love craft beer and don't really like suburbs that require cars although I do own a car. I am about to turn thirty and am single. I have visited Seattle in the late fall before and really liked the area despite some overcast weather a few days. I spent time in Lower Queen Anne, downtown, Bell Town, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, and First Hill. I have visited Denver in late fall and also liked it as well, although it definitely had a different vibe. I visited downtown/LoDo, Capitol Hill, Golden, Boulder, and Fort Collins. Some thoughts on both:

Seattle
As soon as I got on the train from the airport, Seattle to me felt like the large urban west coast city that my heart it set on. I really liked how dense Seattle was, the fact that we never needed a car and explored central Seattle and were completely entertained for four days speaks to that. People seemed friendly enough, more so than San Francisco. I sensed no “Seattle Freeze”. We had chats with random people at bars easily.
+ Loved the density of the city and ability to take train to airport
+ Feels like a big city compared to Charlotte
+ The general vibe I got was a more laid back version of San Francisco, still very liberal but not radically so
+ Larger area than Denver metro, within three-day weekend range of Portland and Vancouver (…and Whistler!!)
+Gorgeous city with all of the water
+No income tax (which would save me thousands of dollars here in NC)
-Mountain biking trails are not as accessible as in Denver or Charlotte
-Higher housing costs
-Public transit is getting better, but not as extensive as Denver

Denver
I loved how “outdoorsy” Denver felt, and I went riding on trails four different days during my visit and was amazed by the quality. A “light blue” trail here is the east coast equivalent of a dark blue / easy black. I grew up in the Midwest and have lived in the south for several years now and I noticed that Denver people felt like they were Midwesterners who spent a few years on the west coast, then settled in the Front Range, which is a HUGE compliment. People seemed down to earth and friendly like in the Midwest, but more progressive in their attitudes. I liked Boulder’s open space, but I didn’t care for the city much, way more cars and strip malls than I expected. I spent my last day in Fort Collins and loved Old Town and the breweries. Fort Collins is what I thought Boulder would be like.

+ Feels more progressive than Charlotte with significantly better light rail
+ Downtown has better density than Charlotte, not as much as Seattle
+ Really liked the people
+ Very bike friendly, lots of bike lanes that are actually getting used
- Has winter weather that I do not miss from the Midwest, but from what I’ve read it’s fairly mild
- Downtown/LoDo felt five to ten years ahead of Charlotte, but not as developed as Seattle
- I worry that after a year or two Denver won’t feel big enough for my tastes
- Outside of Front Range, not close to other major cities

What I like about both cities is that they seem willing to invest in infrastructure (transit, proper city planning, etc) and have moderately progressive to liberal populations. These are both cities that I think will continue to grow into the next century and outpace other cities in the US.

I've lived downtown in Charlotte since I moved here and I would likely live downtown or in a nearby neighborhood my first year in Seattle or Denver. I’m fine with a studio apartment for now and the next few years likely, but I think I’ll eventually want a bit more space, maybe a row house or a small house with more room for bike storage and a car. Wherever I end up, being able to walk to a grocery store, a pub, etc and with roads that are bike friendly are big advantages.

Can anyone who has lived in both, visited extensively, or who is in the tech sector provide any additional feedback that could help me make a decision and perhaps recommend neighborhoods? Seattle has two tech power houses (Amazon and Microsoft) but I’m leaning more towards working for a small consulting firm starting out. I may just apply to jobs in both and end up where I get the best offer but I would very much appreciate any insights.

[DevanXL]

You seem pretty set on Seattle. If I were you I would just go with my guy. Seattle not only has the powerhouses but smaller companies (Valve, Expedia, PennyArcade, Zillow, etc) plus hundreds of start ups! You should have no trouble finding an opportunity. The most up coming neighborhoods in the city are South Lake Union (Where amazon is building it's new HQ), Capital Hill, and Ballard in my opinion. Lots of stuff to do. If you live in the South lake Union neighborhood you can always ride the S.L.U.T into the city center.

[YIMBY]

I've travel for work and have been to Seattle, Denver, and Charlotte. There is a lot more opportunity and tech professionals in the Seattle area than Denver. One thing I love about Seattle is its location to Vancouver, Portland and nature. You really can't go wrong with either though, especially when compared to Charlotte.