Would I like living in Denver? (Sterling: sublet, apartment, rental)

[nep321]

Hi. I am a 28 year old gay white male from Connecticut and have spent a ton of time researching numerous cities across the nation and eventually narrowed it down to Denver (I almost went with San Diego). But, can you please tell me if it's a good fit for me, based on my criteria?

It is very important to me that there be a large, educated gay community. I an intellectual type who isn't really into partying, but I do enjoy the outdoors, hiking and exercising, etc. I am a moderate with politics, but voted for Obama. I am a 100% Italian, small, short guy (seems like everyone in CO is tall). I am not really a materialistic person at all, and generally dress rather plain and simple. I'm just not into high fashion most of the time. Since I would be moving from Connecticut, the housing in the Denver area would be significantly cheaper to me, so that's a plus.

I have a master's degree in accounting and a bachelor's degree in business administration with 5 years of experience in corporate tax accounting (not a CPA and don't want to be). I would be moving next month with no job and living off of $25,000 in savings, hoping to secure a job within 3 months. The job market in Denver seems to be pretty good, so I'm not too worried. (I already quit my job here and must move out of my apartment by Dec 8). I am assuming that I can find a decent short-term or sublet rental while looking for a job.

I am not a fan of winter and cold weather in general, but as with any city, you take the bad with the good. In this case, the cold winters will be the bad part for me, but everything else seems good on paper.

Also, I am concerned that there might be major culture shock if moving from CT to Denver. Am I right or wrong? Is Denver suitable for a New Englander transplant or will I have a hard time adjusting, culturally?

Thanks

[davebarnes]

I moved from the Boston suburbs 30 years ago.

1. You will laugh at the Winter. When someone complains about the weather, you will break out in uncontrolled giggling.

2. You will miss the trees. Trees grow like weeds in New England. Here, almost 100% of the trees have been planted by Man and require care to keep them healthy.

3. You will fit right in with "generally dress rather plain and simple". Many people complain about Denverites lack of [LA/NYC/Chicago] style. State law requires that you own at least one item from The North Face. REI has a huge store downtown.

4. Gay people are everywhere. Especially within the City & County of Denver.

Welcome to the Mile High city.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

I moved from the Boston suburbs 30 years ago.

1. You will laugh at the Winter. When someone complains about the weather, you will break out in uncontrolled giggling.

2. You will miss the trees. Trees grow like weeds in New England. Here, almost 100% of the trees have been planted by Man and require care to keep them healthy.

3. You will fit right in with "generally dress rather plain and simple". Many people complain about Denverites lack of [LA/NYC/Chicago] style. State law requires that you own at least one item from The North Face. REI has a huge store downtown.

4. Gay people are everywhere. Especially within the City & County of Denver.

Welcome to the Mile High city.

Sounds about right. Yeah...one of my concerns was that I would miss the greenery of the east coast. I have heard that Denver/Colorado in general is a bland, barren, brown, depressing place to see. Then, others say that it's just beautiful, so I don't know what to think.

[mic111]

I think you will love it but so much depends on you and how you react to change. If you explore and embrace what the area has to offer you will likely have a blast. If you wish everything were the way it was, then you will make yourself miserable.

Welcome to Denver!

[nep321]

Originally Posted by mic111

I think you will love it but so much depends on you and how you react to change. If you explore and embrace what the area has to offer you will likely have a blast. If you wish everything were the way it was, then you will make yourself miserable.

Welcome to Denver!

Of course I realize that no two places are alike. I am a very exploration-oriented person. And as far as missing the greenery of the east coast....maybe it's overrated, because most of the year, it's brown and depressing looking there too! The greenery only lasts for about 5 months max in New England. The other 7 months are dead looking trees, which is very depressing.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by nep321

Hi. I am a 28 year old gay white male from Connecticut and have spent a ton of time researching numerous cities across the nation and eventually narrowed it down to Denver (I almost went with San Diego). But, can you please tell me if it's a good fit for me, based on my criteria?

It is very important to me that there be a large, educated gay community. I an intellectual type who isn't really into partying, but I do enjoy the outdoors, hiking and exercising, etc. I am a moderate with politics, but voted for Obama. I am a 100% Italian, small, short guy (seems like everyone in CO is tall). I am not really a materialistic person at all, and generally dress rather plain and simple. I'm just not into high fashion most of the time. Since I would be moving from Connecticut, the housing in the Denver area would be significantly cheaper to me, so that's a plus.

I have a master's degree in accounting and a bachelor's degree in business administration with 5 years of experience in corporate tax accounting (not a CPA and don't want to be). I would be moving next month with no job and living off of $25,000 in savings, hoping to secure a job within 3 months. The job market in Denver seems to be pretty good, so I'm not too worried. (I already quit my job here and must move out of my apartment by Dec 8). I am assuming that I can find a decent short-term or sublet rental while looking for a job.

I am not a fan of winter and cold weather in general, but as with any city, you take the bad with the good. In this case, the cold winters will be the bad part for me, but everything else seems good on paper.

Also, I am concerned that there might be major culture shock if moving from CT to Denver. Am I right or wrong? Is Denver suitable for a New Englander transplant or will I have a hard time adjusting, culturally?

Thanks

Denver is probably not a bad choice for you. But just curious, have you considered San Francisco? Less cold, bigger gay community.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by KaaBoom

Denver is probably not a bad choice for you. But just curious, have you considered San Francisco? Less cold, bigger gay community.

San Francisco would be a terrible choice for me. It's prohibitively expensive, very pretentious and it's chilly all year round. At least Denver gets hot in the summer months.

[mic111]

Originally Posted by nep321

Of course I realize that no two places are alike. I am a very exploration-oriented person. And as far as missing the greenery of the east coast....maybe it's overrated, because most of the year, it's brown and depressing looking there too! The greenery only lasts for about 5 months max in New England. The other 7 months are dead looking trees, which is very depressing.

You will definitely miss the greenery. I know I do and I've lived here 18 years. But I was talking about pretty much everything else. I moved here 18 years ago. At the same age you are now. I moved from the SF bay area which was really different. There were a few things I missed but I loved the quality of my life in Denver so much more. Also being single and in your late 20s leaves you available to explore everything! I went 4-wheeling, small craft gliding, snowshoeing, skiing, ball room dancing downtown, country western dancing at the Grizzley rose, hiking every weekend, to the dude ranches for horse back riding every summer, white water rafting (I did alot of that in CA to), road trips to NM, shows at the performing arts center, small theaters all over Denver, art shows at the museum etc. Tons to do. Now that I'm an old married person we kind of stay in our rut which is camping in the national forest, exploring all the national parks we can get to by RV, walking our dogs and on occasion get out to see something in Denver but only a couple of times a year now.

Ah, to be young and single in Denver. Lots of people have outdoor hobbies that they just need people to drag along with them to keep them company since they are usually so into it that their friends tire of going with them. A new person who is adventurous fills that slot perfectly. Or at least that was what I found.

[julian17033]

As the others here have said you will miss the lushness and the green of the east coast.
My mother and I moved from IL to Sterling CO in 1977 when I was twelve.

After a very long residence in both the Denver metro area and Helena Montana in 2009 I moved to Pennsylvania to be near family but more importantly to rid myself of the brown upon brown and the treeless landscape that eastern Colorado is.

I found beauty in the high desert but I was raised with hardwood forests, humidity and green and so shall I die with hardwood forests, humidity and green.

Concerning Colorado's progressive stance; The state has recreational pot use as a state law, you have AM 760 for progressive talk radio and you have an absolutely huge gay scene and population not only in Denver but up and down the front range.

With that said there is nothing in Denver that you would not be able to find in larger abundance on the east coast to the exception of brown and treeless landscapes.

[nep321]

How much of a concern are grizzly bears when hiking? I don't want to be killed.