Anyone from AZ move to colorado lately (Denver, Pueblo: unemployment, scorpions)

[jaada]

Just wondering how you like it and if it was a major adjustment for you.

[CCCVDUR]

Originally Posted by jaada

Just wondering how you like it and if it was a major adjustment for you.

Great question. Also, what do you think of the people up there? Are they friendly? Welcoming? Do they understand and respect your opinions, beliefs, and future goals?

Do people seem happier because the unemployment in various cities is 3.5%-7%, vs. 8.0% and well over in Arizona towns?

Do the locals hire newcomers, or is the system incestuous (as it also is in Arizona, meaning: "improperly intimate or interconnected: "Press-politics relations are notoriously incestuous" (Boston Globe)."

[azfam]

I look forward to the responses you get - we are planning a similar move at the end of the school year.

[zenkonami]

Lived in AZ for around 13 years before the last few in CA, so I'll tap in a couple pennies.

So far people seem quite nice in Denver, though also quite reserved. Arizonans are probably more "friendly" overall. On the other hand it seems like people are more focused out here on their passions and interests than in AZ.

Don't know about the hiring situation yet. Still searching for more regular work at the moment and it's slow going.

I miss the friendly people of AZ and I miss the desert quite a bit (the Sonoran Desert is a genuine national treasure.) That said, I don't miss the lifestyle...people say that Denver is still a driving town, and while true, you can still take a walk around your local park, or down Cherry Creek, or Highline Canal...plus, Denver actually has a pretty vibrant downtown for a city of it's size. Add to that bicycle culture, several colleges (large and small) and more interesting weather (compared to the Southwest), and it's a pretty dramatic difference.

That's my compraison of Phoenix to Denver for ya (in the extremely short time I've lived here.) I couldn't tell you much about other CO cities, or rural or mountain living. I'll leave that to someone more qualified.

[jaada]

anyone else from az?

[tfox]

If you're looking to move to Metro Denver, you might get more responses if you post in the Denver forum.

[froggin4colorado]

I don't consider myself an Arizonan anymore, but lived there for 8 years (1986-1994). I moved to CO in 1994 and just moved out to VA in Aug of 2009. When I lived in AZ, we lived in a small mining town called Kearny, AZ. My dad worked at the mine and mom taught school. My parents were from Iowa so AZ was a big adjustment. I honestly prefer CO over AZ mostly because of the climate. You can be outside in CO all 4 seasons. Pueblo is a bit more like AZ so if you feel like you might AZ, try Pueblo. It is drier and will hit triple digits in the summer. There is even cacti in Pueblo! There are rattlers in the Pueblo area, along with the scorpions and black widows. Up in the wetter and greener parts of the state, you will get out of that dry arid climate.
Others I know who have lived in AZ have really enjoyed CO. It isn't a huge adjustment and many of them are shocked that it isn't snow packed in the winter. Also, several comment how "not cold" it is when it snows. They expected it be colder I guess.
When visiting PHX, I feel the news is a bit more violent than Denver's. PHX seems to have a pluthera of murders to pick and choose from daily to discuss on the nightly news. Denver does have its share of crime, but it seems like they get to talk about every one of them every week versus having to pick and choose which ones to talk about today. I also noticed that some parks are closed in PHX during the day due to the gang activities and such. I don't believe Denver does this.
I would regard CO schools as being better than Arizona's though- based off of a teacher's perspective and standards.
Granted its been years since I have lived in AZ and don't visit that often. However, its a small perspective for you.