Boston to Denver -- good idea or bad idea? (Boulder: appointed, home)

[vegaspilgrim]

Now about the dryness thing, that's a problem that can be fixed. Lotion doesn't work-- you need a petrolatum based creme. Aquaphor-- get big tubs of it, and use it every time you take a shower or wash your hands, & carry some around and use it on your lips. Nasal spray-- get some and use it. Get in the habit of drinking a lot of water throughout the day and night & carry a bottle wherever you go.

[LarsMac]

Go for it.
Rent for a while, and if you like it, buy a house. If it doesn't work for you, find another place to go.

[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...

[davebarnes]

Jen,
Denver is not for you.
I say this as someone who lived in the Boston area for 15+ years.
,dave

[mic111]

Jen,

You've gotten lots of good input. You were smart to put more detail in your post. But I have to say based on reading your post Denver is not for you. But if you really want to come, here are some hints to make it better.

Since you have dry skin in a humid area you should probably look at drinking more water and dietary changes (things like fish oil pills to get some good fats) to help with the problem. I'm not a dietician but if your dry in Boston you will probably be miserable here.

Liking to eat out in Boston means you get to go to great restaurants with great food. Liking to eat out in Denver means you suffer through many mediocre meals trying to find a few gems that have good food.

If you want to travel to other cities from Denver you will have to deal with the plane ride. It is a fact of life.

If you move here, realize the novelty of looking at the mountains will wear off while you bemoan the loss of the dynamic life you had in Boston. Then you will be looking to move again. Nothing wrong with that. Your young, footloose and can experiment.

Please do not get a dog just because you moved to Denver as you will probably not like Denver and will want to go someplace more metropolitan and then the dog will get dumped at the shelter. If you really would like to experience life with a dog try fostering for a rescue organization or volunteer to walk dogs for the animal shelter. If you foster you can help dogs find new homes while experiencing many of the aspects of dog ownership like training them, exercising them and making sure they are healthy and good doggy citizens. It does break the dogs hearts to get dumped so getting one if you aren't sure they will fit into your 15 year life style (the life of the dog) isn't fair to the dog.

Best of luck with your decision.

P.S. If I were you I'd pick San Francisco Bay area or San Diego. Denver has many great things about it but they aren't on your wish list.

[JBPisgah]

Except that she's 25. She thinks she loves/likes/needs the action of a Boston...but what does she know? For some, the slower pace of life, the outdoor recreation, the more relaxed and less direct attitude of the West never takes. For others, it's a revelation.

[md21722]

San Diego has the perfect climate for you. Plenty of sun and plenty of humidity. Plus you can drive a few hours and be in another major city (L.A., Phoenix).

Denver is sunny, but very dry. Some people get used to it, and others don't. Newcomers often need to use chap stick and I have heard them complain their heels cracked until their bodies adjusted. Denver is isolated with major cities 500+ miles away (SLC, Kansas City, Albq., NM, Calgary) that just means people are more likely to hop on a plane to get where they're going. You don't see Colorado tags back East very often, probably because you have to drive through thousands of miles of nothing to get there, so getting a direct flight from DIA is much easier. I think Denver could work for you if your body is able to adjust to continuous low humidity. Like another poster said, Boston winters are drier but that is seasonal. Colorado will always be dry and your body may adapt. If not, move to San Diego.

I'm not sure how bad your SAD is, but San Francisco is often cloudy and foggy, like the PNW. The best time to visit SF is the fall, late October or early November. Clearier skies & nicer weather overall.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by jenfromboston1

Concerns:
- Will Denver be too dry? My hands are already cracked and dry in Boston, which is a humid place (though not really in the winter). Will they end up bleeding and being horrible? I read one post where a woman said she had nose bleeds all the time, and that sounds awful. I'm used to very humid climates.

Thats a possibility.

Originally Posted by jenfromboston1

- Is Denver too car-based? We have a car, but we love public transit. I've heard good things about the buses in Denver, but it sounds like we'll still need to heavily rely on our car to get around.

Denver's transit system is way overrated. The service is over priced and spread way too thin. The system is badly managed. It's economically broke, and voters are unlikely to approve increasing taxes to save it. Which means that there is little chance it will be able to expand beyond what is currently under construction.

In comparison Salt Lake City, Utah, with half the population, has a larger, better run rail system. A 90 mile long commuter rail line currently under construction will connect all the cities on the Wasatch Front to Salt Lake City. Whereas RTD has recently thrown in the towel on plans to build a 40 mile long commuter rail line from Denver to Boulder and Longmont. The Colorado Front Range will never be completely connected with a rail system, like other cities have. At least not in most peoples lifetimes.

Originally Posted by jenfromboston1

- 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?

No.

Originally Posted by jenfromboston1

- 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? We would probably live near the downtownish area, maybe Capitol Hill or Wash Park or some such, not out in the suburbs.

No, if anything it's getting way too big. Traffic congestion and pollution is a bigger problem in Denver.

Originally Posted by jenfromboston1

- We're not huge outdoors people. We *like* the outdoors, but realistically, we're unlikely to go hiking more than once in a blue moon, skiing is a maybe but not a huge draw, we're more likely to drive up to the top of the mountain just to sit and enjoy the view. I'm a writer, so bringing my laptop or notebook to the top of a mountain to write sounds appealing, but that wouldn't happen all the time, and it seems like a HUGE reason people move to Denver is because of the outdoorsy stuff. Will that be a problem? Will Denver seem just like any other bland Midwestern city if we miss out on the outdoorsy scene?

No.

[KaaBoom]

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...

Which is not really a bad thing. Since most outdoor activities are a ways away from Denver. I never understand people who move to the city, and want to be near outdoor activities.

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.

[sbelvedere]

Jen, I lived in Boston for 10 years before moving here and am not much older than you. I moved for work, and though I've become more outdoorsy with respect to skiing, I've mostly settled into a more suburban lifestyle and find myself missing Boston's energy and density, especially in the summers when I don't feel the desire to hike or bike. You'll also really miss the ocean. Denver's downtown is far better than it used to be and has some good restaurants and nightlife, but Denver's downtown feels more like the size of Baltimore, but with the next city of the same size 600 miles away (e.g., driving from Boston to Richmond, VA). It's wide open country out here.

I had the same issues with winters in Boston (the 4 PM sunsets on gloomy winter days do that), but I'd recommend trying something like Washington, DC, or Raleigh, NC, southeastern cities that are still friendly to yankees, or if you are feeling really adventurous then maybe Austin, TX, which is still wide open but has the gulf and more cities within a few hours drive. San Diego sounds good, though I've never been, and Californian real estate costs are notoriously high.