Advice for young family moving from Tulsa to Denver or Austin (Colorado Springs: appointed, renting)

[pokesfan81]

My husband and I are looking to relocate our family from Tulsa, OK to either Denver or Austin. I have read several threads that cover some of the pros and cons but I still have a few questions. We have vacationed to both areas and enjoy them equally.

1) We love being outdoors. The heat and humidity during the summer months in Tulsa are unbearable. I know Austin has a lot of outdoor activities to offer but feel that the weather is pretty similar to here, at least during the summer. In my opinion, Denver wins out hands down in this area except I've never experienced one of their winters. Being from Tulsa, the snow shuts down EVERYTHING. We both drive 4 wheel drive vehicles and don't mind snow. Do milder/drier summers makeup for the long winters?

2) We want to move to a place that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Obesity is rampant in Oklahoma and we would like to surround ourselves with people in a community that are active and value eating a healthy diet. Is Denver or Austin better in that regard? How about local produce and farmer's markets?

3) I am a runner and would prefer to live in a city that offers plenty of running/biking trails. Our daughters are young and we also love to ride bikes as a family.

4) We have also been disappointed with the lack of promotion of lifelong sports to young children. In fact, the suburb we live in actually filled in our local high school's pool with concrete so they could convert it into a wrestling room. Which city offers better swim/running programs for elementary children?

5) Quality of education in public schools is also very important. I am a teacher and know what to look for and like the small town feel in a school system. However, my husband and I both agree that growing up it would be better for the girls to be a little fish in a big pond. I would also like them to not feel the relentless pressure that comes from a small town where cheerleading and what you look like are more important than doing your best and treating others with kindness.

Lastly, if you would be so kind as to list specific areas/neighborhoods that would be a good fit for our family that'd be great!!! Thanks so much!

[eapeas]

Denver seems to definitely fit the bill. Not saying that Austin wouldn't, but I know that Denver would.

That said, what kind of price range are you looking at for a house? Also, where would you be working? Those two things are going to dictate where to live.

[pokesfan81]

Thank you eapeas! That was kind of our gut feeling but you never know. We will be renting for at least 6 months until we get a true idea of where we want to buy. With that being said we would like to spend no more than $1400/month for 3 bed/2 bath. I am a teacher and my husband is a painting contractor but we are currently looking into selling his business and buying some sort of franchise. With that being said, do you have any suburbs of Denver or areas in Denver you would recommend?

[SouthXSW]

I lived in Tulsa and it's more similar to Austin, especially in terms of climate with Austin being hotter and drier. Denver can be hot in the summers but nothing like Tulsa or Austin. The winters are obviously colder with more snow but not as bad as most people think with mild days in between cold ones. The mountains next door offer a lot more recreational opportunities than you'll find in TX or OK. The biggest downside IMO is the cost of living which is significantly higher than Tulsa and comparable to Austin especially in central Denver. Suburban locations are pretty similar with west Austin in the hills and west Denver in the mountains more expensive.

[davebarnes]

Tulsa vs Denver
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Oops. +26%

Tulsa vs Austin
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Only 15% more.

You can argue about metrics, but both are more than Tulsa.
Plan accordingly.

P.S.
Even Little Rock, AR is 3% more expensive.
But, Rockford, IL is 5% cheaper.
And, Gary, IN is 3% cheaper.
Memphis, TN is 15% cheaper.

Bottom line.
Almost everything is more expensive than Tulsa, OK.

[eapeas]

You're going to get a ton of suggestions ranging from Colorado Springs, to Golden, to Highlands Ranch and up to Reunion.

We moved here 3 years ago this week and moved here w/o jobs, w/o a place picked out, and no idea where to live. Granted we don't have kids, so that wasn't a consideration. We rented a hotel room for a week to searched out neighborhoods. We settled in LoDo (near Coors Field) and that was ok for 2 years, but decided to buy up in NE Denver, near Brighton in an area called Reunion. We love it up here and the housing (to buy) is far cheaper than Highlands Ranch...but it's also nowhere near as developed as HR either (although it's starting to be built out, but we're years and years from it becoming that level.

As SouthXSW pointed out, the cost of living here is surprisingly high, but nowhere near some of the real big cities. Keep in mind, also, that the close to downtown you are, the more expensive living is. Also, the southern part of Denver (Highlands Ranch, Parker, etc) is significantly higher than the northern side of Denver as well.

There are going to be more people than us to give better suggestions, but, to be honest, the best thing is to take a few days/a week and come on out and get a feel for it.

Good luck!

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by eapeas

You're going to get a ton of suggestions ...the best thing is to take a few days/a week and come on out and get a feel for it.

Perfect advice.

[kevin_in_Denver]

Here's the Neighborhood Thread, which is hard to find in the sticky thread above

[goolsbyjazz]

I have lived in Austin and love visiting Denver and I would say, based on your criteria, that Denver sounds like the place for you and your family. It's true, the cost of living will be higher there, but the recreational possibilities, in my opinion are better. Austin is a nice city, but it is basically a college town (UT), and everything revolves around it. Whereas Denver has more of a cosmopolitan, city feel to it. Also, we learned that although housing prices are cheaper in Austin the property taxes are extremely high! I also think Denver's arid summers may be more enjoyable than the hot, humid summers in Austin.

Neither city is a bad choice, though. Good luck with your decision.

[strawberrykiki]

Originally Posted by pokesfan81

My husband and I are looking to relocate our family from Tulsa, OK to either Denver or Austin. I have read several threads that cover some of the pros and cons but I still have a few questions. We have vacationed to both areas and enjoy them equally.

1) We love being outdoors. The heat and humidity during the summer months in Tulsa are unbearable. I know Austin has a lot of outdoor activities to offer but feel that the weather is pretty similar to here, at least during the summer. In my opinion, Denver wins out hands down in this area except I've never experienced one of their winters. Being from Tulsa, the snow shuts down EVERYTHING. We both drive 4 wheel drive vehicles and don't mind snow. Do milder/drier summers makeup for the long winters?

2) We want to move to a place that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Obesity is rampant in Oklahoma and we would like to surround ourselves with people in a community that are active and value eating a healthy diet. Is Denver or Austin better in that regard? How about local produce and farmer's markets?

3) I am a runner and would prefer to live in a city that offers plenty of running/biking trails. Our daughters are young and we also love to ride bikes as a family.

4) We have also been disappointed with the lack of promotion of lifelong sports to young children. In fact, the suburb we live in actually filled in our local high school's pool with concrete so they could convert it into a wrestling room. Which city offers better swim/running programs for elementary children?

5) Quality of education in public schools is also very important. I am a teacher and know what to look for and like the small town feel in a school system. However, my husband and I both agree that growing up it would be better for the girls to be a little fish in a big pond. I would also like them to not feel the relentless pressure that comes from a small town where cheerleading and what you look like are more important than doing your best and treating others with kindness.

Lastly, if you would be so kind as to list specific areas/neighborhoods that would be a good fit for our family that'd be great!!! Thanks so much!

I've never been to Austin and I don't have kids, but I'll weigh in on the first few points.

I don't like snow that much and I was afraid how I would do in the winter. I've been here for 2 winters and it really is not that bad. Be prepared though - nothing stops for snow here unless it is a HUGE blizzard. I'm from the east coast and when it snows a few inches there schools and business close. That's not so here. You're expected to be at work or school or whatever you'd normally do. The city and burbs are all flat, so as long as you don't drive like a maniac it isn't all that bad. I love no humidity in the summer!

Everyone here is healthy. Overweight people are the minority. There are lots of healthy and organic options for food, and of course tons of outdoor activities. I see people walking, biking, and running all over the city. There are a couple great farmer's markets that go throughout the summer where you can buy lots of fresh produce and other natural products. I like to run in the city, but there are trails and parks galore if you prefer to run there.

From what I know about Austin and from my experience living in Colorado, I think you'd be happier here. Good luck!