Which city fits our preferences? (Denver, Lakewood: apartments, rental, condo)

[Linds507]

I’m a single 21 year old female from the Rochester, MN area. This coming spring, I will graduate with my BSN degree. My classmate (23 year old female) and I plan to find RN jobs in Colorado and move there together. We plan on having our jobs lined up before moving but we would like to know more about specific cities so we can decide which areas to apply for jobs. We will be renting our housing. We are considering cities in the Denver and Boulder areas.

Here are our main preferences in highest to lowest priority:
• Good amount of 20-somethings like us – not an area filled with only families aka cookie cutter, suburbia
• Access to amenities, things to do and nightlife – even if we have to drive a little ways
• Not too big (too many people, too busy, not enough privacy) or too small (not enough people, nothing to do) – not downtown Denver but not the middle of nowhere
• Reasonably safe – an area were crime isn’t a big issue
• Cost of living/housing isn’t a major concern for us but it would obviously be better if it wasn’t too high

Feel free to ask me questions about factors I did not mention. Let me know your suggestions for cities and rationale OR cities we should avoid and reasons why.

[cornsnicker3]

Golden, Colorado

-Relatively Small, but actually well connected to Lakewood, Colorado through a massive shopping center called Denver Mills.
-Nestled between the Foothills and the two Table mountains makes it scenic and gives a lot of outdoor activities.
-Colorado School of Mines (Engineering college) and Coors are both there providing an ample supply of booze and educated men with futures. Plenty of bars and recreational activities in the town
-35 minute from Denver
-35 minute from Boulder
-Cheaper than Boulder, but more expensive than the surrounding area.
-Schools are amazing
-Practically zero crime

[Hipchik]

I lived in Boulder for several years after I graduated from CU. Absolutely loved it.
Boulder is a "college town" and there is a certain amount of crime that goes along with that (burglaries, assaults) https://bouldercolorado.gov/police/crime-statistics
Rent was expensive back then and it's even crazier now. But if you have a roommate you can probably make it work.

You may want to post in the Denver forum for info on areas/neighborhoods to live there. If I lived on the front range now I'd consider living there. I visit friends in Highlands, RiNo, Congress Park and they enjoy it.

Golden seems like an odd recommendation (to me) but then I haven't spent any time there in quite a while. Back then it was just "that little town where Coors is on the way to Red Rocks" and where we picked up I-70 to go skiing. I'm sure things have changed since then. Crime stats here on C-D http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime...-Colorado.html

[Mike from back east]

Moved to the Denver forum as that's the best spot for this thread, and also where there's a lot of hospitals.

[davebarnes]

Determine your jobs locations FIRST.
Then, come back to us (in this thread) with the addresses, rental budget.
We will give you tons of useful advice.

[Linds507]

Here is a map I created of potential job locations: http://www.zeemaps.com/view?group=16...=39.680894&z=7

Our rental budget is $2,500 per month. We are looking for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment/condo/townhouse/house.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by Linds507

Here is a map I created of potential job locations: Colorado Hospitals

Our rental budget is $2,500 per month. We are looking for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment/condo/townhouse/house.

Map is useless.
Covers too broad an area.
Just be patient and wait until you have actual work locations.

Budget is MORE than adequate.
For example, Highland Place-Denver | Overview

[Linds507]

If I wait until I have the job, what if I get a job in an area I do not want to live? That is why I want to know about the areas so I can apply to jobs in that area...does that make sense to anyone?

[DenverBound41]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

Map is useless.
Covers too broad an area.
Just be patient and wait until you have actual work locations.

Budget is MORE than adequate.
For example, Highland Place-Denver | Overview

Do you have some ownership interest in that property? There are probably at least 50 similar buildings in LowerHighlands and the west side of downtown.

[MissTerri]

In addition to Denver and Boulder, I would consider Durango and Fort Collins. Both are similar to Boulder as they are college towns with a lot of young people, nightlife as well as access to outdoorsy activities. Denver of course will have the greatest job opportunities.