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I'm heavily biased as I'm a 3rd generation Seattle native. But I've done a ton of domestic travel. And been to Denver dozens of times.
Let's try to look at this objectively though.
1. Recreation.
Denver has mountains and rivers and better snow skiing,although Whistler and Crystal are both not that far and very nice.
Seattle has mountains, rivers, fresh water lakes in the city, and salt water with ocean access not that far. With the huge edge in water activities...
Sports teams are a wash, although Denver has an NBA, they have no college football team in town. (UC is in Boulder)
Both cities are close to gambling. Although Seattle is but 180 miles from Portland and 110 from Canada. Denver is close to C. Springs and Boulder and that's it.
Advantage Seattle
2. Weather Denver gets way more sunshine than does Seattle. But it also gets much colder, a lot more snow and much hotter. So that becomes a preference.
Need lots of sun? Then it's Advantage Denver
Like cool summers (75, no humidity and no bugs) and mild winters (45 and rain)? Then it's Advantage Seattle
3. Humidity.
Denver is done dry. And if you're used to having a moderate amount of humidity, their air takes some getting used to. Did for me. I swear the first week or so I felt like a reptile shedding its skin.
Seattle's humidity is funny. Very humid in the late fall through early spring when the temps are cool, so it's has little impact in that way. Summers in Seattle are very dry, but nowhere near as dry as Denver.
That's another preference.
4. Cost of living.
Seattle is more expensive to be sure.
Advantage Denver.
5. Scenery
Again this is a preference thing, but the predominance of water and trees make Seattle tough to beat.
Advantage Seattle
6. Food.
With the incredible bounty of fresh seafood at your doorstep, along with the incredible produce that grows there, fruit from Eastern WA, Seattle also wins out handily IMO.
7. Shopping
This would have been a draw except for the Pike Place Market. Denver has nothing remotely close to it.
Lived in DENVER for a year and here's my two cents:
Weather: Mostly sunny, super dry, but sometimes extreme w/snow, tornadoes, hail, lightning, you name it.
People: Cool and distant, bordering on snobby depending on what part of town you're in. Not a lot of "huggyness" in my experience. Equal parts "have's" and half-wits. Equal parts uber-liberal and uber-conservative.
Recreation: Outdoor paradise. You've got the city and the Rockies as your backyard. 'Nuff said.
Sports: Awesome place for fans. First class venues like Coors Field and Invesco Field.
Entertainment: Most headliners will play Denver because the music fans are excellent here. Live theater, film, etc. all available here.
Business: Not the most welcoming business environment, IMO. Thin job market if you don't know people.
Cost of Living: Reasonable for most incomes.
Biggest Downside: At least six hundred miles from the next major metro area. Get ready to put lots and lots of mileage on your vehicle. Fortunately, DIA is a great hub for getting places.
SEATTLE: I've only visited so I'm not going to opine, other than to say my impression was that it was beautiful but the people seem a little strange. Every day was like 'casual Friday'.
Seattle isn't that bad. It has the ocean, ferries, a ton of aquariums, many bike paths and even the famous Space Needle. And you can't find that in Denver. But it rains. A lot. Almost all the time. Seattle is blessed with every DAY of sunshine it gets. If you want sunshine every single day, I would go to Denver. I lived in Seattle for 3 years and the rest (before and after) I lived in Denver. I find it funny how they call Seattle the "Bicycle Capital of the Northwest", and Boulder is a great biking town as well. Denver has great skiing, snowboarding, and a beautiful, majestic view of the mountains. Seattle has a great view of the mountains but you have to be high above the treeline to actually see them because there are a LOT of tall trees in Seattle. Which I didn't like that much. Seattle is a great place for tech, and Boeing is in Seattle too. I don't think there is even close to as much technology in Denver as there is in Seattle. But if you enjoy taking your bike to a terrain park, Boulder just opened a new kick-ass terrain park in east Boulder called the Valmont bike park, featuring routes, wood ramps, and other awesome stuff. Your choice.
I feel that I would like the weather (by a lot) in Denver and the people much more than in Seattle.
But I feel as if in Seattle I would like the what the city offers and the location much better.
Have to go with Seattle on this one. It's just closer to a lot more (ie. Vancouver, Portland, Mountains, Ocean) and as a city it is more aligned into what I like. If I ever leave Chicago it would be for somewhere near the coast, definitely not inland. And Denver is almost as far as you can get when it comes to the ocean.
which city is better in terms of culture, and a walkable downtown? I guess by culture I mean anything from book shops to bars/pubs.
Can't really speak for Seattle, but Denver has a large array of bars and pubs downtown (specifically in the lodo neighborhood). I just went to downtown Denver 2 days ago, and there were tons of people walking around the 16th street mall area. Many restaurants, stores, and bars. Very walkable area if you ask me.
which city is better in terms of culture, and a walkable downtown? I guess by culture I mean anything from book shops to bars/pubs.
Can't really speak for Seattle, but Denver has a large array of bars and pubs downtown (specifically in the lodo neighborhood). I just went to downtown Denver 2 days ago, and there were tons of people walking around the 16th street mall area. Many restaurants, stores, and bars. Very wakable area if you ask me.
Yea, one isn't really going to be at a loss for bars/pubs in Seattle. Its also pretty strong in microbrewery.
But honestly Denver and Seattle are pretty much equal... You'd have to use other criteria to decide which works out for you-- like weather/climate, jobs, landlocked/coastal, et. c
Seattle for me. Love the Pacific NW. Miss it. I grew up in Montana and lived in Portland and Seattle. I prefer the Pac NW over the Rockies, although both are great (and beat where I live now).
i like Denver but Seattle has more ooomph to it..has somewhat more character, more of a "marine/ forest feel" than a "wild west prairie feel"
Seattle people are all wearing fleece and flannel, i remember Denver people wear ALOT of denim
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Seattle vs Denver
