relocating from nyc - help! (Denver, Westminster: best neighborhoods, apartments, rent)

[kathyNYC]

i'm a single, 26 year-old female, relocating to denver from nyc. i don't know much about the city, only have visited a few times. moving out there on a whim without a job and/or knowing many people. looking for a change of pace...need a break from the crazy, hectic nyc lifestyle.

timing is this october.

-where are the best neighborhoods (downtown) for young, single, active people? price range $1000-1500/month
-how far in advance do i need to start looking for an apartment?
-what is the job market like? -- advertising/PR
-is it easy to meet new people? where are the best places to do so?
-recommendations on outdoor clubs/organizations and/or gyms in the city

thanks!
kath

[ColoWeb]

Hi Kathy,

I think I can answer a few of the questions.

For best place, I would say LoDo (Lower Downtown area) would be among the top of the list. There it draws the younger crowds.

With apartments, it really would vary from place to place but to be safe you can start a few months ahead of time to get a “feel” of the current situation. It is summer now and many people are moving in/out also many of the college birds are effecting the market.

You said you visited a few times. Are you planning to visit again? If so, see if you can setup a few interviews. Perhaps you can start sending out the resumes a month or two before you move.

Best of luck with your move.

[tfox]

It sounds like you're looking more Denver's city-center neighborhoods.

The previous poster mentioned LoDo, which is a good choice for some, and in your price range you could probably afford an apartment there, if just barely. LoDo is, however, Denver's epicenter of bars and nightlife. Personally, I think it would be a little bit too noisy and crazy to actually live there, not so much from crime, but just from the hassles of thousands of often drunken party crowds in that area.

However, I personally feel that you may be better off in some of the nearby neighborhoods in either Central Denver or in Northwest Denver. In Central Denver I'd recommend looking at Cheesman Park, Congress Park, or Governor's Park (which is part of the Capitol Hill neighborhood), as well as others nearby. In Northwest Denver you might want to look at the Highlands area. You should be able to easily rent an apartment, rowhouse, or small detached house in these neighborhoods in your budget. All these neighborhoods "hikeable" or at least "bikeable" to downtown Denver.

As for how far in advance; the apartment market is not very tight right now, so I'd say no need to start looking more than a month in advance. You could probably arrange to stay in a hotel for a few days and concentrate on the neighborhoods you like until you find a place.

[awsun1980]

Hi, Kathy,
That is quite a move--I, too, am a transplant to Colorado-as you can tell by my name lol-I'm sure you will love it here, it's beautiful.

I live far from Denver, but am planning on moving there in the fall, so I will also need to find a good neighborhood/apt to live in.

I'm an expert on moving into new apts, I've done it so many times lol. My advice to you would be to start looking no more than 1 1/2 months early. From my experience, unless the apt you're trying to move into requires their residents to give a 60-day notice, then they won't be able to tell you whether or not they have an apartment available. I doubt Denver's any different. Depending on when in October, I would start looking in August. I drove out here middle of last July & moved September 8th.

Feel free to PM me! Good luck on your move!

[kathyNYC]

so from what i've heard, both on this site, and through others, is that LoDo is the best place for young people. i'm concerned that it will be TOO young...is it mostly recent college grads or is it more so people in thier late 20's/early 30's?

i am also concerned about the noise and "non-stop party" reputation the neighborhood has. are their more residential, quieter areas of LoDo than others?

if i don't end up in LoDo, where is another good option?

thanks for your feedback!

[Katarina Witt]

I would not say LoDo is "the" best location for young people. My DD is in grad school in Denver and her classmates live all over the place, mostly on the east side b/c she goes to the Health Science Center. She lives near DU, some of her friends live in Wash Park, and some other areas on the e. side whose names I don't know. I would say the east side, plus the Highlands area on the NW side are your best bets.

[dj32]

i agree with tfox and pittnurse- highlands, capitol hill, uptown/city park are all great areas and you will get more for your money than Lodo. You also may be able to get an apartment at the upper end of your range in Riverfront. I dont' think you'll see that the people LIVING around you are all recent college grads (can't afford it) but you will definitely see(and hear) them out at the bars at 2am! If I were 26, and had no kids yet, I would definitely pick Highlands.

[JonnyG]

Kathy -

Welcome! I moved from NYC exactly 3 years ago. You will love it here but there will be a bit of an adjustment period! It took me about 6 months. Then it was about 65 and sunny for a whole week in February and I was sold!

The best recommendation would be to spend a week out here checking out the neighborhoods. There are so many. And so different than NYC. Unless you live in LoDo, or blocks close by, you will be getting in your car a lot. I wouldn't live in LoDo - overpriced and a bit of a meat market scene at night on the weekends. I would check out all the neigborhoods within 3-4 miles of the city center - Highlands, Park Hill, Capitol Hill, Wash Park, U of Denver area. Lots of great young people to meet in all those neighborhoods. You'll find a lot of small, unimpressive houses in those neighborhoods as well though - built about 100 years ago and slowly getting knocked down and rebuilt. You've find living out here that the neighborhoods are intergrated nicely into the city - it's not like NYC where you have Manhattan on an island and you have to go over a bridge to get to the suburbs. The suburbs are essentially part of Denver. And the nice suburbs that don't consider themselves Denver like Cherry Hills are so close to Denver that it is a bit odd. Like if Greenwich, CT was situated in Brooklyn or Harlem.

You also find that the city's cooler neighborhoods are still quite diverse. Familes, singles, seniors, all living with each other, which is cool. Your best bet for the greatest concentration of the single under 35 crowd is probably a loft. A lot of the older now gentrified neighborhoods will remind you of east coast suburbs - on a grid, leafy green trees with sidewalks - always reminds me of back East - but they are also often just a few blocks away from less affluent neighborhoods. It's a little odd, and crime sometimes is a factor. I have friends that have given up after the 3rd break-in and moved 20 minutes south to Littleton or Highlands Ranch, or north to Westminster.

Job market is iffy here. You will find there is a lot of competition for openings because people are moving here in great numbers, plus the people that grew up here generally went to college close by and plan to spend the rest of their days here. And I don't blame them! There are some top notch Ad and PR agencies though.

I would consider buying a condo, townhouse or loft a few blocks away from Denver, like a friend of mine who just moved here from the Jersey shore, or renting in the $1000 neighborhood, and saving some money. There's lots of desirable new construction close to downtown. There's no need to pay $1500 in rent. $1500 will get you something nice though. It would even get you a 2000-2500 sq. ft home down in Highlands Ranch!

You will love it here. The people are great. It's a little startling when someone isn't giving you attitude every 5 minutes, especially in the service industry. It's amazing what 300 sunny days a year will do for a person's disposition! You will meet many people and they will invite you out to do things all the time - you will feel at home before you know it!

[DPS007]

JonnyG - great writeup. You provided a lot of good information here. I, like Kathy, am looking to relocate to Denver in 6 mths - coming from Boston though. It sounds like there are some great neighborhoods - like Highlands. One concern I have is over safety/crime. What are the more safe neighborhoods to live in? I am a s/w/f age 26 looking for a younger (not too young- late 20's/30's) crowd but also want to feel safe in my neighborhood to run/bike etc.

[lovethebigcity]

I'll be moving soon (end of Aug./beginning of Sept.). I thought about moving into downtown, but I really couldn't afford it (I'm in my late 20s). Espec. when you factor in rent & I also have a car (& the cost of car insurance). I've gotten an apartment south of Denver in Lone Tree. I'll be right near the Light Rail so all I have to do is hop on it & I won't have to worry about parking when I go to work downtown. I do like how each area of Denver & the surrounding suburbs are unique & you see mixes of people living among each other.