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The food scene in Portland is amazing, and is just about the only thing that keeps us sane in this town. Portland has so much potential, it's just not living up to it. That being said, I have no doubt that Denver could keep us satisfied on the food front.
Denver might be perfect for you guys, but I wouldn't be shocked if you hated it. Even awesome cities like Portland and Denver have their downsides. I've lived in Portland and it is lousy with hipsters as you say, but I'm square as can be and it never bothered me. What will it be that bugs you in Denver?
And you're sure the Denver food scene will be sufficient...why? I don't think of it as a great food city, at least on the cheaper end. Makes me wonder if this move is evidence-based, or wishful thinking.
Just saying, you should be sure that Denver fits you before you move. As the saying goes, if you have poop on your shoe, everywhere stinks.
JBPisgah - there is another reason we are thinking Denver. My family lives in Arkansas and my wife's family lives in Florida. We eventually want to move back to the SE, but it's not in the cards for the short term at least. DIA has non-stop, cheap (relatively speaking) flights to FLL and LIT, so our parents would be able to see their granddaughter more often. We view Denver as kind of a stop-gap measure until we can get closer to home. Living in Portland does not allow us to visit family, and vice-versa, all that often. Being completely truthful, that is the main reason we started looking at Denver to start with. I've been there enough to know that I wouldn't hate it. I love the mountains and the surrounding area, and have spent a good amount of time in Fort Collins.
Rushhournewb - thanks for all the links!
One last question, say we lived 30-45 minutes from the airport, how do the roads get come winter time? I know that they are equipped to get the snow cleared rather quickly, but how often (on average) would I have trouble making it to the airport to catch a flight? I don't think my boss would like it if I was missing flights due to being snowed in!
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I know that they are equipped to get the snow cleared rather quickly. . .!
One of the biggest surprises to folks moving from elsewhere is when they learn that Denver doesn't, and isn't equipped to, clear roads quickly after snowstorms, as you'd expect coming from elsewhere.
That's because most of the time, in "normal" conditions, the sun comes out and melts the snow. But when that doesn't happen, roads can be difficult, and there's lots of belly-aching.
One last question, say we lived 30-45 minutes from the airport, how do the roads get come winter time? I know that they are equipped to get the snow cleared rather quickly, but how often (on average) would I have trouble making it to the airport to catch a flight? I don't think my boss would like it if I was missing flights due to being snowed in!
Thanks!
Well, suzco is right, not much of anything gets done except to very major roads when it snows. If it's a really bad storm, the airport would probably be closed or delayed as well.
Location: Fort Collins / Boulder , CO ( and Sometimes LA)
95 posts, read 290,743 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes
1. Wow! I think you need to return to Berkeley and see what it is now. I have lived here for a year (moved from Bonnie Brae). Berkeley is changing at a very rapid clip as Yuppies and Boomers move in. There is a huge building boom going on. 160 new houses (or units as we have many duplexes) have been built or are about to be built since 2000. (I have a spreadsheet on which I am tracking all of these.)
2. 36th and Tennyson is NOT Berkeley, it is West Highland. One of the trendiest neighborhoods in Denver for 30-somethings with kids.
3. Globeville is NOT next to Berkeley. Sunnyside is between Berkeley and Globeville.
Yeah, i honestly haven't spent any real time in Berkeley since 2003. I'll sometimes drive around the area on my way to downtown but its pretty rare that i make it down there anymore. I think the last time i saw the area was 2009ish? The Tennyson shop area (between 44th and 38th on Tennyson) seemed to be booming and a lot of businesses looked like they popped up a long Tennyson near 44th. This really great old school 2nd hand shop and my favorite comic book store seemed to have closed though =(.
I've also seen that the long dead Oriental Theater appears to ACTUALLY be having shows again. That place was always abandoned on my walk to school. As a kid i always wished they would show movie's that close to my house. The only thing that seemed to thrive near there (in the late 90's) was a little overpriced candy shop.
As for #2 i think i should have added: i also lived at 44th and Raleigh and 44th and Vrain st. All the crazy stuff that happened down there happened i guess in the west highland house, except for having all our windows shot out by our next door neighbors, that was at 44th and Raleigh.
I was a bit off with my neighborhoods, i don't think I've reviewed a neighborhood map of Denver since around 2007 when i was suck living in Globeville (don't get me started on that neighborhood). There's a decent neighborhood map i found here on Wikipedia.
The dudes that used to sell drugs always where more common the closer you got to sloan's lake back then... but keep in mind Medicinal MJ didn't exist in colorado until Amendment 20 was passed in 2000 and it wasn't common to hear of dispensary or people with MMJ cards until late 2008. I'm sure the bike dudes selling swag and crack are gone by now by the sounds of it. Back in 99 though it took me about 20-35 min to mow the law and I'd usually have 1 and some times 2 dudes stop by and ask if "i was good".
Hopefully all the the folks that where nice have remained and all the trouble left the area, i have no idea... it's been a while since i lived around there. Back then (94-02) the neighbors where very hit or miss. I'd say back then i'd say the spread was about 50% good quiet neighbors, 25% GREAT friendly Neighbors and 25% awful human beings. Guess which ones you remember the most?.... I find it funny you mention that a lot of people in the area are really quiet, to this day a lot of people have described me as a super quiet person ever since i moved from there.
All I can just say in the late 90's and early 2000's the Berkeley and west highland areas where miserable to live in growing up (4th-10th grade). A lot of kids i knew back then went down some dark paths from joining gangs, to getting addicted to meth, or ending up in jail for weapons charges. 1 in 5 of my middle school class from 8th grade in 1999 are total f up's.
I've lived in worse areas since living on my own which i have no problem with, but my opinion on an area would change vastly when it comes to raising children in the area. I personally prefer living in the highest possible population density inner city areas, however if i had children, i wouldn't find that to be a good option. The Berkeley area would theoretically be good for kids, if the area truly has changed, and if so, I'd recommend it.
If anything growing up in the Berkeley area i feel has given me a lot of character that i might not have gotten growing up in the suburbs.
Anyways next time I'm near Berkeley I'll have to check out the area as it is now. (side note: PM me if you know of any good asian restaurants in the area? might be a good reason to head down!)
Well, suzco is right, not much of anything gets done except to very major roads when it snows. If it's a really bad storm, the airport would probably be closed or delayed as well.
And when Katiana says "very major roads," she means it. It's not just side streets that don't get plowed, it's big arterials, too. Broadway and Speer, for example. People manage to drive on them, but it can be harrowing. Partly because the streets are filled with snow, partly because of idiots who try to drive like the streets are clear. The sun will melt the snow eventually, true - it's not like the Midwest, where it might stick around until spring - but it could take days. I take light rail to the airport, so I don't know about missing a flight because of snow, but it seems plausible. I always thought this "we don't plow" policy was one of the more maddening things about Denver.
Its funny you mention both of these locations because i actually did 4th grade - 10th in the Berkeley area and finished high school in Louisville. My grade school - holy family grade school (which isn't that anymore) was at 44th and Tennyson.
After having grown up in the Berkeley area I'd have to say your crazy to raise a kid in the area. Now keep in mind i was here from 1994-2002, since then it does appear the neighborhood has improved. but but the people in the area are the root of the community so no matter how nice you make it look, it could still be rotten at the core.
Kids tried to fight eath other ALL THE TIME at my school, and this was in a freggin' catholic school. We had all the windows shot out of our car one night. Our house broken into, and to top it all off... tons of kids would always ask to borrow video games from me as a kid and they would steal them. To top that off there parents would back there kids.
We lived in a duplex and went from having a wife beating drunk on the other side of the wall (fun to listen to every night), eventually the police showed up in force and they where evicted and had there children removed.
The next group we had for a year was a family of around 6 Latino's that had MASSIVE parties every night and every morning we'd have puke and beer bottles in our front and back yards. Needless to say during this year we didn't really use our shared yards.
Lastly a couple and a roommate moved in next door that where usually quiet... that was until they night they where all murdered. We never got much word from the police but they where all gunned down one night. I wasn't home however my mom was. After this it really was the straw that broke the camels back and we left north Denver for Louisville (this was 2002). our house was near 36th and Tennyson.
Other things worth mentioning about the Berkley area is the amount of dudes on bicycles that sell drugs. Often times if i sat outside for an hour when i was in middle school i'd have at least 3 dudes offer to sell me drugs from there bicycles. I don't want to make it sound too bad but living in Berkley had to have been the darkest part of my life. I'd very seriously rather be homeless in boulder than live in the Berkeley area again.
The neighborhood right next to Berkeley is called "globeville" which is in my openion the 2nd worst neighborhood in denver with 5 points being the worst. There's an awful lot gangs, drugs and violent crime in both globeville and 5 points. 5 points is more crack heady... globeville is more gangy...
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As for Louisville, It's consistently been ranked as the best place to live in the us. Wile its super suburby, its pretty much the safest city ever, and its really nice looking- the majority of the city is really well landscaped. However for Louisville you are going to pay a pretty penny, with prices that might be shocking for people that are from out of state. Condos are in the 150+k range and houses start at around 300k. $1500 might be do-able for rent for a house in the Louisville area.
Louisville is definitely up and coming as well... i use yelp a lot and in the last 4 years the old town area has BOOMED!! Theres so many super high rated bars, restaurants and coffee shops there now.
I can honestly say I'm not very familiar with the southern half of Denver (south of 1st) as I've only driven though it about 15 times, but I'm extremely familiar with the northern half. From what i understand the southern portion of Denver is generally nicer / safer than the northern half. The same goes for east vs west... the west side is far nicer and safer as well.
The 2 nicest areas of Denver in the southern side that i know of is obviously "cherry creek" which is like Denver's beverly hills. Its super ritzy and for me, totally uncool. The other area i've always liked is the university area around DU. I had a cousin that lived near university for a little wile and when i visited i really like the area, there's a good deal of places to eat and all grocery stores and liquor stores where really close.
If i had children i wouldn't even consider living anywhere south of 104th with certain areas excepted. The amount of stress of going to schools south of there and the monsters I've seen kids that i knew south of there become I'd just avoid the whole thing. I had more friends become meth junkies that lived between 60th and 90th street during high school than i can count.
I know your trying to get away from the 'keep Portland weird' crowd and they used to have bumper stickers that said 'keep boulder weird' honestly for me, the best place to live in the (northern) Denver area would be in fact boulder. It's got all the amenities of a big city (for the most part) and wile the hippies and students can get annoying i can't get enough of that city. The people in boulder are great too, wile many are stuck up, there's still a huge number of super cool super friendly people in the city. I'd live there now if my girlfriend of 8 years wasn't getting a degree up here in foco at CSU.
Anyways i hope i answered most of your questions!
This post is questionable and you can easily see that some information is manufactured by someone who is unfamiliar with Denver, who is making some fantastic observations that are far from reality. Perhaps he believes these stories, from his perspective in growing up, when he was a child and not really capable of a true observation.
He does not even know the area where he alleged to have lived and he even claims to have "was suck living in Globeville" in a previous post, which makes me wonder about the veracity of his statements. An example:
"The neighborhood right next to Berkeley is called "globeville" which is in my openion the 2nd worst neighborhood in denver with 5 points being the worst."
This is so wrong; it is funny because Globeville is miles away in a different part of Denver. I also doubt that this person has ever been to Five Points.
Oh, and he says that cherry creek is in the 'southern side" That does not shows a real knowledge of a City that he calls home. Cherry Hills village is a separate exclusive municipality south of Denver. Cherry Creek is a neighborhood of Denver on the North Side, mostly north of 1st. Avenue.
I have been around this Berkeley neighborhood well before he were born and I know much better, as an adult, what existed in the area.
Berkeley is a great neighborhood and it has never been considered a ghetto as this young man attempts to say, even in years before his time in the area. The neighborhood deteriorated as being old but was on a resurgence when this person was in diapers. I have lived in the Denver area for 34 years and I know North Denver well, as I live just North, off Tennyson in Arvada. You would be best to a search on my many posts about Berkeley and get a truer picture of the current state of Berkeley.
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 08-17-2012 at 12:19 AM..
Interesting about the roads. Definitely not what I would have expected. I'm assuming the interstates get plowed at least???
Again, thanks everyone for the info. It definitely has given me a better idea of where to look.
The thing with the airport is it doesn't really matter if you can get there or not. They close and cancel flights whenever there is a storm. If your an experienced flier you quickly learn to call and change your flight to the day before a big storm is expected if you really need to be where your going. The airlines will switch you for free because they know it is one less person they will have to try and get on a flight after the storm and everyone has missed their flights. Same thing with flying back into Denver. If a storm is expected the day you are, best to call and put it off a day or so or come back early.
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