So. Calif. To Denver Area, Some Things You Should Know

[BabyBoomers2]

High Altitude, Your statement:
"I did a lot of research and made several trips here before I decided to move so none of this was a surprise to me, but a lot of people are shocked at the high cost of living in CO vs. available jobs/pay. Most people that I know in CO from Socal after a year or two want to go back."

We didn't do to much research because we already knew some (enough) about the Denver metro area before we moved here. The two main reasons we moved here, A. To leave SoCal and B. To get away from a lot of the family problems (like my wife's brother did when he moved to Florida). Even though her and her family are originally from Michigan, her family thought we were kind of "nuts" for moving to a 4-season State (especially the cold/snow part). Also, my wife took a $12,000 pay cut to move here, but between our incomes we do ok. I don't know how many, if any, people who move here from SoCal end up moving back to SoCal. I do know that the owner of a transmission shop by our house told me that a couple he knew, who moved here from Palm Springs, end up selling their house and moving back to Palm Springs only about 6 months after they arrived here. He was told that they just couldn't handle the cold weather/snow here.
In fact, the weather has started taking enough of a "toll" on our health that we will be moving to NC in another year. Our 57/58 yr. old bodies just can't handle the winters here anymore.

[parker]

Very much agree w/ Love Boating's post...people are definitely not very friendly, especially in the small towns. Moving from the Los Angeles/Ventura County area, I was shocked at the close mindedness of some people. People are actually friendlier in the trendy parts of L.A. (Robertson Blvd.) than in some parts of Denver. Better watch how you dress...if you don't dress Colorado, I have received some hard looks:-)

The costs in the Denver area are very comparable to my cost of living back in L.A. - pretty much across the board the same, some things may be cheaper, but some things are far more expensive than L.A. - it all seems to even out in the end.

Homes - Ya, there are a lot of $200k homes out there...but do you really want to live in those, especially w/ the foreclosure rates in those neighborhoods at a national high?!?

[dodgerdogsforall]

I'm trying to return to the areas after a long break (15 years- god too long in so-cal). The weather is what I remember best about the area. The thunderstorms are like no other, very violent with hail funnel couds, wind, and cold winters with artic blasts in the sub zero range (wind chill a big deal out there). I think all that crazy weather effect the people a bit, makes some a little fruity in the head. Not that So-Cal has much to talk about in that dept.

[gpraceman]

Originally Posted by parker

Better watch how you dress...if you don't dress Colorado, I have received some hard looks:-)

Dress Colorado???? Seems I dressed the same way here as I did in San Diego, except maybe with a bit heavier jacket in the winter.

Originally Posted by dodgerdogsforall

I'm trying to return to the areas after a long break (15 years- god too long in so-cal). The weather is what I remember best about the area. The thunderstorms are like no other, very violent with hail funnel couds, wind, and cold winters with artic blasts in the sub zero range (wind chill a big deal out there). I think all that crazy weather effect the people a bit, makes some a little fruity in the head. Not that So-Cal has much to talk about in that dept.

I guess you must have forgot about all of the good weather we can get out here. While those things can happen on occasion, it does seem a very one sided memory.

I saw many more "fruity in the head" people while living in SoCal than I ever have here. A lot of them held office. Maybe that's why people are fleeing that state in droves, to get away from them.