Moving from DC- Weighing options, want a beautiful & active city! (Denver: fit in, cliquey)

[kjw43]

I’m a 23 y/o single female and have been working in DC for about a year- looking for a change. I find DC slightly unfriendly and too work-obsessed. I’m weighing the plus and minuses between Denver, Charleston, Nashville, and possibly Austin or San Diego...

I’m really big into outdoor activities and one of the most important factors to me is aesthetics of a city AND surrounding area. Meaning I appreciate tree lined streets, nice architecture, and it’s a plus if the city has some historical depth to it. It is also important to have a place that’s “alive” at night; Not a huge partier, but definitely love having the option to grab a drink any evening & not be the only person in a place! Denver is appealing to me for its active and generally young population, as well as the surrounding countryside & towns. This puts it at the top of my list right now. BUT I’m not a skier…

I don’t know much about Nashville, and I’ve been told Charleston is like a larger Annapolis (where I was raised- and love!). Basically I want to live in a fun, beautiful, energetic city with the option of retreating to the countryside for some horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, etc. I’m going to do more research on my own but I would really appreciate any insight from people who have lived in any of these locations- or if you think any other places fit the bill, please suggest! Thank you!

[vegaspilgrim]

Stay where you're at for at least another year or two, build up some more experience on your resume, then potentially start thinking about moving to other places.

[Brian_M]

I'd say that Denver probably won't be someplace you love and you're going to want to stick to the east coast. I spent 4 years in DC and another 5 in Atlanta (with LOTS of travel up and down the Appalachians via motorcycle), and off the cuff, it sounds like you'd fit into one of the larger metro areas in the SC/NC/TN area.

Thanking back (I was in DC from 1995~late 1999), I feel that DC was more friendly than Denver. Denver people might be more Polite, on the surface, but are much more fickle/clickish about meeting someone new than what I remember in DC... or it could just be that I have changed. It is decently easy (on par with Denver) to escape DC to the west, there's just not the same Volume of traffic/people who do so in DC (again, it's been a decade since I was there so that may have picked up some). Thankfully I wasn't involved with any workoholics in DC, everyone I knew only worked because they needed the money to afford to play how they wanted to play (mostly motorcycle racing, though a group of us did lots of brew-pub touring through the winter).

Probably the best bet for you would be to stick it out in DC long enough to be able to take several week-long vacations to your top-3 picks, then a follow-up trip to whatever you feel shakes out as #1.

[woob]

aside from a few neighborhoods (lodo, baker) denver is not an aesthetically pretty city. it is surrounded by ugly bland suburbs for about 10 miles in every direction, but once you get beyond them, the land is truly beautiful. boulder sounds more like your style- young, active and aesthetically pleasing.

[JDBattleMC]

I cant imagine in any major city you would ever be alone in a bar, that being said Denver isnt a big drinking city - not compared to NYC or Chicago. The bar scene here is pretty...cliquey.

Denverites are very polite, but I would say that there are a LOT more douches here than in other cities I've been to - and they are good looking douches at that. At least if a douche looks like he walked off the set of Jersey Shore you can look down your nose at them.

I would agree with woob, Denver isnt an architecturally pretty city. There are few neighborhoods that are pleasing to the eye, the architecture is horrible throughout the state, and the truly desirable neighborhoods are incredibly pricey to get into - especially at 23.

[ragerunner1]

I think Denver might fill what you are looking for. Here are some links (I think you can post links on this site) to photos I have taken of some of Denver's urban neighborhoods and surrounds areas. Pictures speak louder than words. Cost wise Denver is a lot cheaper than most east coast cities and I think its has some very good architecture (historic and new) with a lot of tree lined street neighborhoods. The city is also one of the cleanest major cities I have visited.

Capitol Hill (south east of downtown) - Urban Denver - Capitol Hill (Denver's Most Dense Neighborhood) - SkyscraperPage Forum

Pearl Street Mall (downtown Boulder) - Boulder, CO - Pearl Street Mall Experience - SkyscraperPage Forum

Golden Triangle (south of downtown) - Urban Denver - Golden Triangle Neighborhood - SkyscraperPage Forum

Uptown/17th Neighborhood - Urban Denver - Uptown/17th Street Area and City Park Neighborhood - SkyscraperPage Forum

Highland Neighborhood (west of downtown) - Urban Denver Neighborhood - Highland - SkyscraperPage Forum

Cherry Creek Area (Denver's top shopping district) - http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=169895

Pearl Street Neighborhood (southside of Denver) - Urban Denver - Pearl Street Neighborhood, TOD, Transit Station - SkyscraperPage Forum

New Urbanist Neighborhood in the Denver area (including Stapleton) - New Urbanism in Denver/Boulder - SkyscraperPage Forum

Here are few post of the natural beauty of the state and some areas near Denver.

Southwest Colorado and National Parks - Southwest Colorado - Trains, Bikes, Towns and National Parks - SkyscraperPage Forum

Georgetown/Fall in the Rocky's - Georgetown, Colorado - National Historic District/Fall in the Rocky Mountains - SkyscraperPage Forum

[movementarian]

Originally Posted by kjw43

I’m really big into outdoor activities and one of the most important factors to me is aesthetics of a city AND surrounding area. Meaning I appreciate tree lined streets, nice architecture, and it’s a plus if the city has some historical depth to it. It is also important to have a place that’s “alive” at night; Not a huge partier, but definitely love having the option to grab a drink any evening & not be the only person in a place! Denver is appealing to me for its active and generally young population, as well as the surrounding countryside & towns. This puts it at the top of my list right now. BUT I’m not a skier.

I don’t know much about Nashville, and I’ve been told Charleston is like a larger Annapolis (where I was raised- and love!). Basically I want to live in a fun, beautiful, energetic city with the option of retreating to the countryside for some horseback riding, hiking, kayaking, etc. ...

Denver is certainly a great place for outdoor activities and quite alive at night. And it probably has better employment opportunities than the other cities you mention. But comparatively speaking, "tree lined streets", "nice architecture" and "historical depth" wouldn't be the first words I'd use to describe Denver.

You should go to Charleston, especially if you loved Annapolis. Drive the 8 hours from your home and check it out. It is a really cool town and sounds like that is a better fit for you.

[blobbin]

But comparatively speaking, "tree lined streets", "nice architecture" and "historical depth" wouldn't be the first words I'd use to describe Denver.

We have all of those things in the city, none of those things in the surrounding areas where I am guessing most of the people from whom you get most of the responses about Denver live.

[ragerunner1]

Originally Posted by blobbin

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We have all of those things in the city, none of those things in the surrounding areas where I am guessing most of the people from whom you get most of the responses about Denver live.

Agreed. For those that don't think Denver has some great historic and new architecture and a lot of tree lines streets need to check out the photos I post above or take a trip to some of these urban Denver neighborhoods.

[davidv]

Originally Posted by woob

aside from a few neighborhoods (lodo, baker) denver is not an aesthetically pretty city. it is surrounded by ugly bland suburbs for about 10 miles in every direction, but once you get beyond them, the land is truly beautiful. boulder sounds more like your style- young, active and aesthetically pleasing.

Only 10 miles? I would probably say more like 20 miles, though I swear driving through them feels like 50 miles.