Another relocation post, need Denver expertise! (Aurora, Boulder: fit in, sales, 2013)

[ChicagoB]

My wife and I are strongly considering relocating from Chicago, where we have been born and raised. We are rooted here by family but are looking to escape the truly depressing city-state budget problems, crime, segregation, and long cold and gray winters. We do like muchabout our hometown and are looking for piece of it elsewhere, with a twist. Can Denver residents help me based on below criteria?

1. Chicago is fairly left leaning and we are big time progressives ala Bernie Sanders, is the political climate of DEnver a fit? How about Colorado politics?
2. Weather: It's the lack of Winter-Spring sunlight and 24 hours 40 degree temperature swings that kill us about Chicago climate. I read the Denver area sunlight is huge but am I going to get the same type of intra-season day to day temperature swings or is this more moderated?
3. Public transit: We do not like driving and prefer public transit, biking, etc. We would bring one car for longer trips but for commuting to work and daily travel, I understand the Denver public transit system is rudimentary. How is the light rail system though? Can it get me from one neighborhood to work downtown?
4. Jobs: My wife works in medical research compliance so we would target one of the Denver research universities before transitioning. My background is in Inside Sales Management though. Can anyone confirm the healthy job market in this line of work? I hear Denver is an emerging startup area?
5. Cost of living: I expect Denver to be about 20% more expensive than Chicago overall. For housing, we would be looking at something to rent to start, currently I can rent a 1500 sq ft, 2 bed 2 bath w/in unit washer/dryer for about $1900 in a not exciting but safe with good transit access area. Can anyone comment on what I would expect to pay for this similar in Denver? $2400?
6. We have two small(15 lb) dogs. Is Denver Dog friendly for renters?

Thank you!

[SkyDog77]

1. You'll fit in just fine in the city. Denver is quite liberal. Some of our burbs and more rural areas are quite conservative, but more libertarian than evangelical. We currently have a dem house and governor and the Rs control the senate by a single seat.

2. Our weather swings wildly, but the winters here are soooo much better than Chicago. We don't get the long periods of gray, damp, cloudy cold that you do. I was in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday last week. Wednesday reminded me of a Denver winter day. Thursday was much more what I see in the Midwest during the winter.

It gets cold and snows here, but the abundance of sunshine and lack of humidity makes it much more pleasant.

3. It very much depends where you live. There are threads on living car free here. It's not Chicago, buts it's a lot better than say Kansas City or Saint Louis.

4. Not sure on this one, but yes, lots of start ups and medical jobs.

5. Doable.

6. Two small dogs shouldn't be a big issue.

[ChicagoB]

Thank you!

[Katarina Witt]

Let me add to #4, the big medical research university here is the University of Colorado Anschutz campus in the western part of Aurora. There is no other. That's where your wife will work if she gets a job in her field.
CU Anschutz | | University of Colorado Denver

[reed303]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Let me add to #4, the big medical research university here is the University of Colorado Anschutz campus in the western part of Aurora. There is no other. That's where your wife will work if she gets a job in her field.
CU Anschutz | | University of Colorado Denver

And the RTD just opened the new "R" light rail line that runs past the campus @ Colfax Station

Route map here http://www.rtd-denver.com/routemaps/171/107_R_R.pdf

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Let me add to #4, the big medical research university here is the University of Colorado Anschutz campus in the western part of Aurora. There is no other. That's where your wife will work if she gets a job in her field.
CU Anschutz | | University of Colorado Denver

I was going to point this out as well. Anschutz is pretty much the only game in town, and I would characterize it as a mid sized Academic Medical Center, though more important than its size would indicate because there are so few others regionally. Denver certainly does not have the comprehensive academic medical complex that Chicago does.

There might be some opportunities elsewhere in private Biomed and related, though.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

I was going to point this out as well. Anschutz is pretty much the only game in town, and I would characterize it as a mid sized Academic Medical Center, though slightly more important than its size would indicate because there are so few others regionally. Denver certainly does not have the comprehensive academic medical complex that Chicago does.

There might be some opportunities elsewhere in private Biomed and related, though.

I think there is quite a bit of biomed in the Boulder area

[Katarina Witt]

Boulder and Broomfield counties' Top 50 employers: IBM still largest local company - Boulder Daily Camera.

Here are the major employers up in Boulder County. Not too many biotech/biomed.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

Boulder and Broomfield counties' Top 50 employers: IBM still largest local company - Boulder Daily Camera.

Here are the major employers up in Boulder County. Not too many biotech/biomed.

#s 5, 19, 40, and 42. I also have heard that there are a decent amount of start ups. Not the dominate industry by a long shot, but there is a decent presence.

[Katarina Witt]

Just noticed that list is from 2013. My bad! I can't get the list for 2016. Anyway, living in Boulder County as I do, I don't think these companies have what the OP's wife is looking for. Then again, I don't know exactly what she does.