Thinking of moving to Denver from Philly (appointed, apartments)

[bking45]

I'm a 24-year-old single male living in Philadelphia now, about to complete my last semester of graduate school. I've grown up in/around Philly my whole life and am extremely ready for a big change. Nothing is tying me down to here so I've done a good amount of research of where I want to go and what I want in a city.

Right now the cities on the top of my list are Denver, Seattle, and Sacramento. There are pros/cons for each, but Denver seems to be a good fit, even though I still want to come visit to see in person. The weather is a huge plus for me, as I hate the humidity here, don't mind the cold, and can handle the heat in the summer if it's a dry heat.

Like I said I'm 24, single, male; other than that I'm a very relaxed person, love football and hockey (watching), am looking to join an adult intramural hockey league wherever I end up, want to get a dog, am into the dating scene, want to live in the city, want to get a dog, as well as a bunch of other things. I also am graduating with my masters in Couples and Family therapy, and will get a specialization in sex therapy.

I guess my questions are: (1) does Denver seem like a good fit? I know I didn't give a lot of any information so I'm more than willing to answer any more questions. (2) what's a decent area to live that's affordable? I won't make a lot of money in my field, especially to start. I don't expect to be in the nicest parts of the city or get the nicest apartments; I just need somewhere that works, is semi-nice, and is in the city. (3) in general do a good amount of apartments allow pets, and are there a lot of places to talk a dog for walks, or dog parks in the city?

Thank you to any advice/words of wisdom that you can share!

[denverian]

Originally Posted by bking45

I'm a 24-year-old single male living in Philadelphia now, about to complete my last semester of graduate school. I've grown up in/around Philly my whole life and am extremely ready for a big change. Nothing is tying me down to here so I've done a good amount of research of where I want to go and what I want in a city.

Right now the cities on the top of my list are Denver, Seattle, and Sacramento. There are pros/cons for each, but Denver seems to be a good fit, even though I still want to come visit to see in person. The weather is a huge plus for me, as I hate the humidity here, don't mind the cold, and can handle the heat in the summer if it's a dry heat.

Like I said I'm 24, single, male; other than that I'm a very relaxed person, love football and hockey (watching), am looking to join an adult intramural hockey league wherever I end up, want to get a dog, am into the dating scene, want to live in the city, want to get a dog, as well as a bunch of other things. I also am graduating with my masters in Couples and Family therapy, and will get a specialization in sex therapy.

I guess my questions are: (1) does Denver seem like a good fit? I know I didn't give a lot of any information so I'm more than willing to answer any more questions. (2) what's a decent area to live that's affordable? I won't make a lot of money in my field, especially to start. I don't expect to be in the nicest parts of the city or get the nicest apartments; I just need somewhere that works, is semi-nice, and is in the city. (3) in general do a good amount of apartments allow pets, and are there a lot of places to talk a dog for walks, or dog parks in the city?

Thank you to any advice/words of wisdom that you can share!

Sounds like a good fit outside of the money issue. If you can't afford well over a thousand a month for rent, you'll be in a seriously sketch neighborhood.

[JrzDefector]

I moved here from 30 minutes away from Philly.

There are definitely opportunities to play hockey and the city is very dog friendly (which is why I moved here).

You will have a hard time finding a cheap place to live in Denver, but um, the sketchy neighborhoods in Denver are nothing like the sketchy neighborhoods in Philly. Basically, there are certain areas where you don't go strolling at night, but otherwise it's pretty low-key. There are only a few neighborhoods I'd say you should just avoid (East Colfax is one). I lived across the street from a crackhouse in Park Hill and I mostly found it amusing to mildly annoying (with a side-helping of sad) rather than threatening.

If you're willing to live outside of Denver, there is cheaper housing. I'd look for a roommate situation or renting a room to begin with and take your time finding a more permanent place.

[bking45]

Originally Posted by JrzDefector

I moved here from 30 minutes away from Philly.

There are definitely opportunities to play hockey and the city is very dog friendly (which is why I moved here).

You will have a hard time finding a cheap place to live in Denver, but um, the sketchy neighborhoods in Denver are nothing like the sketchy neighborhoods in Philly. Basically, there are certain areas where you don't go strolling at night, but otherwise it's pretty low-key. There are only a few neighborhoods I'd say you should just avoid (East Colfax is one). I lived across the street from a crackhouse in Park Hill and I mostly found it amusing to mildly annoying (with a side-helping of sad) rather than threatening.

If you're willing to live outside of Denver, there is cheaper housing. I'd look for a roommate situation or renting a room to begin with and take your time finding a more permanent place.

yeah I'm not planning on living by myself, just because it seems like it would be way too expensive. I know it varies by the different parts of city but do you have a general sense of one person's share of the rent for a 2-bedroom apartment (so me and one housemate)? An overall ballpark average of the whole city, or a breakdown of each part of Denver and a ballpark estimate of how much each would cost would be fantastic.

I won't be raking in the dough in any sense but I think that I'll have a solid living - and by solid I mean that I think that I would be able to afford something in the city. But again I'm not saying it has to be a nice place.

Final note, I do agree that I wouldn't want to be in the worst parts of Denver, but I think I would be in good shape even in the lesser parts because I spent 3 years at Temple. And since you were close to Philly I'm SURE you know what it's like at Temple and what reputation it gets.

[davebarnes]

No jobs here for you.
We are all happy well-adjusted couples.
Thanks to medical MJ.
And, craft beer.

P.S. You might want to consider "pizza counseling". Some (many?) flatlanders just cannot acclimate to the [horrible] pizza choices here.

P.P.S. "BBQ counseling" is lso a strong possibility. You know there is no Eastern North Carolina BBQ here?

[bking45]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

No jobs here for you.
We are all happy well-adjusted couples.
Thanks to medical MJ.

this is another concern I had. I'm all for weed being legal and people doing it if they like it, but I certainly am not a fan of the culture of being obsessed with it, as if it's a way of life. Again, I have no problem with people who smoke if they're mature, but I certainly have a problem with people who are like the cliche "420blazeit" lifestyle.

I assume that the vast majority of people are not obnoxious like that, but any insight to marijuana's role in Denver. (and I'm assuming your post is a joke)

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by bking45

this is another concern I had. I'm all for weed being legal and people doing it if they like it, but I certainly am not a fan of the culture of being obsessed with it, as if it's a way of life. Again, I have no problem with people who smoke if they're mature, but I certainly have a problem with people who are like the cliche "420blazeit" lifestyle.

I assume that the vast majority of people are not obnoxious like that, but any insight to marijuana's role in Denver. (and I'm assuming your post is a joke)

Dave's our resident curmudgeon. Good guy, but sarcastic as all get out. The helpfulness of his advice is directly proportional to the amount of relevant background information provided by inquiring posters such as yourself.

[bking45]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Dave's our resident curmudgeon. Good guy, but sarcastic as all get out. The helpfulness of his advice is directly proportional to the amount of relevant background information provided by inquiring posters such as yourself.

do you have any advice/questions/insights or do you have nothing beneficial you're willing to contribute? just to get the sense if I should respond to you after this or not

[MN_Ski]

(Not a resident, soon relocating, but frequent visitor of Denver and Philly)

I would honestly suggest applying for jobs in any of the three cities and seeing what you can get. Job market can be tough, and the city is expensive, so you really need something lined up first.

As you will read in a lot of the other topics here, the locals are really into the mountain and the outdoor culture. If you see yourself spending more time in the urban environment, than the outdoor environment, you might be disappointed in the amenities the city has. This isn't to say that Denver is boring at all, it's just that there are a numerous amount of people who move here, aren't really into the camping/hiking/skiing, and end up leaving disappointed. This also goes to people who enjoy "high end" amenities like boutique fashion stores, dining, nightlife, etc.

If the fast paced urban environment is more your speed, Seattle might be a better match for you.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by bking45

do you have any advice/questions/insights or do you have nothing beneficial you're willing to contribute? just to get the sense if I should respond to you after this or not

Apologies. Was just trying to say that, yes, Dave's post was a joke. As far as mj goes it's here and occasionally you'll probably run into the odor, but it's really not that much different than it was before weed was "legalized." Before Amendment 64 you'd smell pot at places like Red Rocks, and you'll still smell it today.

Should be noted that public consumption is still illegal. That hasn't changed (although there are people who wish it had).