Give me 10 reasons NOT to move to Denver (fit in, rentals)

[vegaspilgrim]

Major negative: the black slushy "guck" that accumulates after a snowstorm due to the crap they spray on the roads to prevent icing. Contrary to what some people may have you believe, the snow does NOT always melt the day after a storm. At least it hasn't the last two winters I've been back to visit for winter break, Dec-Jan 07-08 and Dec-Jan 06-07. Last winter the neighborhood streets were packed down solid with ice and giant ice-potholes everywhere-- it absolutely sucked. The driving conditions were a lot better this year, but in most neighborhoods, the sidewalks were not shoveled at all. So even when the sun comes up the day after the storm and stays dry for a few days, it is sometimes very difficult or impossible to get out and take a walk or a bike ride, due to all the accumulated snow, ice, dirty slush, and snowpiles on the sidewalks. Many times the city snowplows will dump the snow directly on the sidewalks of major streets, making them unusable. And unbelievable, but people who have to take the city bus will have to wade knee-deep in that crap just to get to the bus stop. What typically happens is the accumulated snow melts during the day, and then refreezes at night, making streets and sidewalks extremely slick. Even when most of the snow melts, the dirty snowpiles can hang around for weeks and weeks. Make no mistake about it, Denver can be one ugly place in the winter! But I'm still moving back there anyway, despite that issue, because I still think it's a good place to live overall.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Major negative: the black slushy "guck" that accumulates after a snowstorm due to the crap they spray on the roads to prevent icing. Contrary to what some people may have you believe, the snow does NOT always melt the day after a storm. At least it hasn't the last two winters I've been back to visit for winter break, Dec-Jan 07-08 and Dec-Jan 06-07. Last winter the neighborhood streets were packed down solid with ice and giant ice-potholes everywhere-- it absolutely sucked. The driving conditions were a lot better this year, but in most neighborhoods, the sidewalks were not shoveled at all. So even when the sun comes up the day after the storm and stays dry for a few days, it is sometimes very difficult or impossible to get out and take a walk or a bike ride, due to all the accumulated snow, ice, dirty slush, and snowpiles on the sidewalks. Many times the city snowplows will dump the snow directly on the sidewalks of major streets, making them unusable. And unbelievable, but people who have to take the city bus will have to wade knee-deep in that crap just to get to the bus stop. What typically happens is the accumulated snow melts during the day, and then refreezes at night, making streets and sidewalks extremely slick. Even when most of the snow melts, the dirty snowpiles can hang around for weeks and weeks. Make no mistake about it, Denver can be one ugly place in the winter! But I'm still moving back there anyway, despite that issue, because I still think it's a good place to live overall.

I've about given up on cleaning my car this winter. It hasn't snowed tons like last winter, but every time it all melts, a little more comes along and messes up my car. I forgot what color it was!

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by denverian

I've about given up on cleaning my car this winter. It hasn't snowed tons like last winter, but every time it all melts, a little more comes along and messes up my car. I forgot what color it was!

I finally washed mine last weekend, and look what happened! It's never ending!

9 more reasons?:

1. You may be far from your family. If you think that won't matter, think again.

2. If you are a non-native, you may get a lot of crap. And it won't all be in jest.

I can't think of any others that haven't been stated.

[Minervah]

I guess it's all relative. I have been thinking of moving from Portland OR to Denver. One of the reasons is because the constant dampness and the mold it brings has wrecked havoc with my lungs. Even my doc says I should be in a drier climate. But now I am hearing that Denver is too dry? Is that possible?
I also have lived in Chicago and I hated the humidity there in the summer. But how dry is too dry?

[Katarina Witt]

Yes, Minervah, it can be too dry. It used to be thought that dry air was *the* thing for asthma, TB, etc. Now we know better. The reason the folks in the TB sans in CO got better was they were away from the crowded conditions in the tenemnets or wherever, not because of the dry air. I work in a pediatric office and we are always saying "humidify".

[Charles]

Compton, Pacoima, and Watts, CA have better weather.
You could get a really nice home in Barstow or Needles or Dagget, CA for cheaper than Denver.
It isn't as dry in New Orleans or Houston in summer as it is in Denver so you wouldn't need any moisturizing lotion.
There are more freeways in California to get you around.
Jobs in California pay more so it must make sense to buy a home there.
Locke, San Fernando, and Dorsey high schools in SoCal have more diversity than Denver high schools. They must be better.
There aren't as many role model movie stars in Denver.

[the_koolkat]

Wow..this thread really took off! Thanks for all the feedback. Let's see...I'm from Wyoming so I already deal with the dryness and the snow. Air quality..I have not really thought about much. I guess I excepted early on that I would have to give up some air quality to live in any city. Is it a everyday problem or just in certian conditions? How is the quality of the city water? Is it drinkable? I am moving away from family but will still be within a days drive from them. I already know I'll miss them but I need more then this area offers. I am very glad to see that nither crime or cost of living have been listed at all as reasons to stay away !!

[Katarina Witt]

A day's drive from your family is nothing! Mine is, more like was, 3 days away in Pittsburgh. As the kids got older and had to have their own tickets, it was too expensive to fly. That meant taking two weeks to go out there, as we had to drive for 6 days out and back. You'll be fine a day away.

[Count David]

I don't know if I can come up with ten, because I moved here and I love it, but there are definitely some negatives.

1. Dry. I've never had problems with my skin like I do here. I grew up in Southern California and never had dry hands. The skin over my knuckles have cracked seemingly beyond repair and I frequently get asked if I've been beating people up. Heat rashes seem to be an issue too, along with dandruff in the summertime, all of this could just be me though.

2. Traffic. Not as bad as most major cities with the exception of the northern suburbs, where I find it horrendous. It also is terrible when it snows. I find E-470 to be a waste of time/money unless you are going from DIA to Longmont, or you decide you have to live in SE Aurora/Parker.

3. Weather. I personally love the snow and don't think Denver gets enough, but I see why people don't like it, so be prepared because it does happen, occasionally when it's unexpected. Very sunny throughout the year, you won't get those dreary overcast days very often (unfortunately). T-storms occur almost daily in the summertime.

4. DIA is too far from town, but of course there are positives that go with that as well.

5. Not very green outside of the mountains or established neighborhoods. The horizon all too often is brown ground or rooftops.

6. Suburban sprawl, but that probably exists in some form nearly everywhere.

7. Kinda segregated, not like Detroit segregated, but many neighborhoods outside of Aurora, or Denver east of I-25 aren't very integrated.

8. Suburban/neighborhood pompousness. There is an attitude here that if you don't live in an upper-class neighborhood, or the newest development with the biggest houses with the biggest garages for the biggest SUV's you are somehow inferior. Most everywhere not new or not old money is "not a good area".

9. Very hard to find good friends. I've been here nearly a year, and still have very few, people don't seem to be very plugged into each other here; people seem to be more into themselves than finding out about other people.

10. Too many speed traps!!!!

Not sure I agree about the hostility towards non-native Coloradans. In the Denver-Aurora urbanized area nearly 60% of residents were born outside Colorado. Hard to hate the newcomers when you are probably one yourself. There are the few hard-liners that talk about the old days when it snowed more, when there weren't so many Californians or people of non-white persuasion, but the way I see it they are the ones with the problem.

Jeez, I was able to come up with ten; I make it sound terrible, but Denver is a great place to live. The weather, job market, health care and amenities are hard to beat. Life is what you make of it anywhere, it is up the individual person to make it good or bad for themselves. Just a few disclaimers.

[.gif]

1. Dry weather. My hands cracked open so many times when i first moved to colorado that i developed an infection. had to take antibiotics. i also got breakouts frequently. since discovering lotion and chapstick things have gotten better, but it's still a huge annoyance.

2. No trees. This can be very depressing if you're moving from a location that has a canopy of big, bushy, green trees. Denver is not very green.

3. No water. Where are the lakes, rivers, and oceans? Not here. There is a tiny lake near where I live called Chatfield Reservoir. It's always crowded. You can practically stick your arm out and touch the next boat. I've never seen anything like it. Of course it's frozen over right now, so there are no boats.

4. No diversity, at least not in the suburbs. There's a little more diversity in Denver but it's still lacking.

5. Lack of good food. It is especially hard to find any good Asian cuisine around here. If you actually like P.F. Changs, you are in luck. The Mexican food isn't that great either.

6. Cold weather. The winters here are terrible in my opinion. It snows too much. I am originally from Florida though. I can't wait for this winter to be over and for the landscape to change from brown to... a lighter brown.

7. Cost of living. Depends on where you're moving from. Could be a plus.

8. Bad roads. Potholes and cracks abound. There's lots of gravel for trucks to kick up and pelt your windshield with. You will have to learn to live with cracks in your windshield. NIght driving can also be difficult. The first thing I noticed when moving here was that there are no reflectors on the roads. This makes night driving difficult if the lines have faded.

9. Population density. This is a pretty congested area. Houses are built practically on top of each other, even in the older neighborhoods. Traffic can be bad at times.

10. Lack of good public transportation. Your choices are the light rail and the bus system. There is no subway system like you would see in nyc, dc, or boston. Denver is a lot smaller than those places though. Denver is also very far from any other major urban centers. You might feel a little isolated.




EDIT: you are from wyoming, so some of this won't apply to you.