Boston to Denver -- good idea or bad idea? (Boulder: mortgage, how much)

[woob]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

If you are "outdoorsy" move up into the mountains. Don't move to Denver. I think most people who live in Denver and claim to like outdoor activities are just just wanabe outdoors people.

denver is where the jobs are. i can still go mountain biking after work which is not a possibility in boston.

[LarsMac]

Originally Posted by JBPisgah

It would be helpful to know why, out of all the cities in the US, she's considering Denver in the first place. She's not even outdoorsy...

I'm not outdoorsy. I LOVE the Denver Area.
Not sure I want to live in downtown Denver, but it has little to do with being an outdoors kinda person.
I prefer the small town.
But I go down to Denver for all sorts of activities.
Concerts, Shows, dining, Football, Baseball, Museum, Zoo.

Boston is nice in the Spring. Denver is nice a year round.

[80skeys]

I'm sorry to have to say this, but if Boston feels dry to you, I can't imagine how Denver will feel. Colorado is one of the driest places in the country! This is particularly evident in winter.

- Is Denver too car-based?

Yes it is.

- Is Denver too isolated? It didn't even occur to me until I started reading posts on here, but it's true that we're quite spoiled and used to being able to drive 2.5 hours to Maine, 4.5 hours to New York, etc. Will it feel too landlocked?

I think Denver is big enough where you don't need to drive to another city for entertainment.

- Is Denver too small? Boston is a small city, in my opinion, esp compared to places like NY, but it's still a lot of fun, plenty to do, a very city feel. Does Denver feel like a city-city, or does it feel more like a suburb city?

more like a suburb city. Boston is like a miniature little New York. There's plenty of things to do, plenty of diversity, arts, nightclubs, interesting people.

Denver, on the other hand, is more spread out, much less diversity of cultures, and basically just more boring. The neighborhoods you mentioned (Wash Park, Cap Hill) will give you a little bit of the Boston feel, but on a much smaller scale and you're definitely not going to feel like you're in Boston.

Will Denver seem just like any other bland Midwestern city if we miss out on the outdoorsy scene?

Basically, yes. Ummmm, I personally think Denver is a little more interesting than other midwestern cities, but that may be just because of the mountains in the background!

We don't *need* to move, but we're both young, we have the ability to move anywhere in the US we want and still keep our jobs, and we want a change of pace, something different from Boston

Being a city person, and being a musician and an artistic person, I myself would not move from Boston to Denver. If I were to move from Boston, I would go either to NYC or San Francisco. Maybe L.A.

[jenfromboston1]

Thank you so much for your responses, everyone. I'm dismayed at all the negative reactions I got, and we will certainly be thinking and rethinking our reasons for moving there before committing to it. It's true that a change of pace may be desirable, but if it's not, it sounds like we'll be disappointed. So: back to the drawing board, and I'll keep you all posted and let you know if we come up with more questions. Thanks again!

PS -- To the person with the advice about getting a dog: thanks! I grew up with dogs, and am ready to get one now, it's just that places in Boston don't allow them. So it wasn't that we would get a dog to try to enjoy Denver, it was more that we can finally get a dog if we move to Denver, and I can't wait.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by jenfromboston1

Thank you so much for your responses, everyone. I'm dismayed at all the negative reactions I got

you must admit you set the stage for it with your original post.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by woob

denver is where the jobs are. i can still go mountain biking after work which is not a possibility in boston.

Do you really know anything about Boston? I know some one who lives in a small town in New Hampshire, and commutes to a job in Boston. It's like a 25 mile commute. He lives in a country home with no neighbors in sight. When he is not working, his entire life revolves around outdoor activities. Try to find something like that within 25 miles of Denver.

These days, with telecommuting you can live just about anywhere you want.

[bovinedivine]

Jen, it looks like you are juggling loads of information, especially from people who have never even met you. Yes, take a step back and clear away all the external chatter. What does your heart tell you? How did you feel when you visited Denver?

Sometimes we move to places that don't really make any sense, but nonetheless we have a strong inner voice leading us in that direction. Don't get trapped into thinking that this decision will be set in concrete for the rest of your lives and therefore must be perfect in every way. Sometimes we live in "bridge" locations for a year or two, and that moves us into position for the next place.

I was born and raised in the Wash, DC area; lived in the Boston area and in the Berkshires, in southcentral rural Utah, in Denver and Boulder and Estes Park, and am now surprisingly very much at home in remote, rural southeastern Colorado. Each area has had its pros and cons; each possessed its own beauty and charm and challenge. Each was, in its own way, perfect for a particular phase of my life, until for whatever reason, it wasn't.

Take a few deep breaths and listen to yourselves instead of all of us strangers. (Ironic comment, eh? ) The answer will come to you and whatever it is, it will be an exciting adventure and a new phase in your lives. Beyond that, it's pretty much up to you how it turns out.

[jenfromboston1]

Thank you, bovinedivine! That is the best advice.

My heart tells me that I might be really happy in Denver, though my head tells me I might get bored. It's true that there's no real reason we couldn't do it for just a year or two, though that could get expensive...

[boston2denver]

So why do you want to move to Denver? There are friendly people everywhere. Even in Boston, it's just a different kind of friendly ;-)

My opinions, just opinions after 18 months in, below:
- Will Denver be too dry? Denver is mostly dryer than Boston. Boston winters are dryer than Denver. Haven't had the need for a humidifier here. Always ran one in the winter months in Boston.
- Is Denver too car-based? Personally I find having a car in the area works best. We had a car in Boston, used it on the weekends to get our groceries for the week and to get out of town. We mostly got around via public transit and regularly road our bikes to school and work.
- I've heard good things about the buses in Denver...compared to public transit in Boston, the good things you've heard will be a disappointment.
- Is Denver too isolated? The states are bigger out West, so there is no quick drive to Maine, NY, Vermont, etc., however you're a quick drive from some awesome mountains, lots of ghost towns, and all sorts of hiking that's not necessarily in the mountains.
- Will it feel too landlocked? Um, yes, b/c you are landlocked.
- Is Denver too small? I agree with you that Boston is small compared to NY, and that it's a fun city with lots to do. Denver feels nothing like the kind of East Coast city you're use to. I wouldn't say it feels like a suburban city either, but you're not going to have areas like Harvard Street in Brookline, Harvard Square, Davis Square, Boylston/Comm Ave, Boston Common and the establishments around it, etc. The feel here is very different.

After 18 months in we still find everything to be on the cheaper side compared to Boston, b/c compared to Boston, it is.

Again, what's posted above are just my opinions. Nothing more.

[JBPisgah]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

you must admit you set the stage for it with your original post.

Lol. These are good points about Denver (and I agree with all of them), but it also should be mentioned that a lots of people just love it here. I was out working on the car today and absolutely luxuriating in the weather. But if you want a very urban, dense city, with tons of character, close to other places, and with access to water (except for snow) besides your faucet, this ain't it.