If you don't ski.... and don't care about mountains.... do you even suggest Denver? (Castlewood: living in, restaurants)

[rtloucks]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

rtloucks, I appreciate your honesty and you sharing your recent moving experiences with us. I too had considered moving back to Charlotte (and also looked at Tampa) at one time. However, as you said, things changed. When we left Charlotte nearly 20 years ago it was a different place. During our last trip east to "scout" areas (Charlotte and a few other cities in the southeast) for a potential move, we realized we liked living out west more even though we grew up in the east. My wife, in particular, mentioned how the humid weather in the south made it more difficult to breath. Oh, and she also wasn't a fan of feeling wet and sticky for most of the trip! Which brings me to Denver, we don't live there but my family loves it. (Visited and explored the area) I know the COL has shot up in recent years and traffic also increased but it's still a nice city.

I, like you, learned that even though the grass IS greener on the other side (see what I did there?��), it still doesn't mean it is the best fit! Good luck with your move back.

Completely agree with everything you said. It was simply not our fit anynore and like your wife, we too are sick of the humid weather, but also the many other aspects I have previously mentioned. I will always have a love for Charlotte, but that is not our path. The difference I felt while back in Denver versus my trip Charlotte was much more peaceful and calming. Just felt like home again so sometimes you just know what's best.

[Monacles]

I just moved from DFW (north Fort Worth/Keller) to Denver this summer so I can speak to these issues from a contemporary experience.

Originally Posted by rtloucks

Do you feel that Denver offers a quality of life comparable to other cities like DFW, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Phoenix, etc? Not in comparison to weather so please dont remind me that Phoenix is so hot and Minneapolis is so cold.... I get that. But in regards to culture, arts, outdoor fun, festivals, farmers markets, gatherings, concerts/music scene, etc.

Compared to DFW it's a much better quality of life. It depends on what you're after but I can't think of anything DFW has for quality of life that Denver lacks except maybe lower housing costs--but DFW is quickly trying to catch up. I guess if your QOL goals are sitting on the freeway or living in very conservative suburbs DFW wins.

Unless you live really close to downtown Dallas most of the QOL aspects are far away in DFW (again, unless suburbia is your goal) so you'll be stuck driving a lot and sitting in traffic a lot to do anything. Denver traffic isn't pleasant but driving anywhere in DFW is like being stuck on the worst part of I-70 all the time.

Is Denver enjoyable to live in or is it getting stressful for the M-F work grind?

I appreciate not having to drive 1-2 hours in the morning to get to work everyday.

Has the fact that several other states have legalized Marijuana affected the influx of people?

I haven't been here long enough to be an authority but I don't know anybody who moved here to get high. Lots of people move here for jobs and QOL.

It appears that housing prices have stabilized and is lasting longer. Even more inventory that there used to be. True?

I think this depends on where you intend to move and the time of year. There was a lot less inventory in our price range and desired locations earlier this year than there was last year so we paid more than we expected.

What your major concerns in the metro now days

All the problems I can think of are no different or less severe than they were in DFW.

Here is a short list of why we decided to leave but can find a way to overcome now::
Homeless. Seemed like downtown was saturated.

I can find you placed in downtown Fort Worth or Dallas at least as bad and the homeless are way more aggressive with panhandling and violence than I've experienced here.

-The feared bubble in the housing market. We got out and did well.

Take a look at DFW prices.There's a lot of new build on the edges but they aren't cheap for the time you'll spend commuting and the lack of urban activities.

-The exposure to marijuana to our sons.

It's not hard for teens to find anywhere but I get that you have a particular position on the culture.

-We didnt feel that we maximized the lifestyle we were paying for. Meaning, it obviously is not cheap to live in Denver and we didnt do half the things most locals do for fun.

This is understandable. The location is expensive for a lot of reasons and it may not make sense to move here if you spend a lot of time seeing things you want to do but can't afford when you might not have that experience elsewhere.

I feel like I am missing something. I am not trolling, and I posted something similar to this when we were going to go to Atlanta earlier this year but decided not to. Got a lot of good responses. But also got roasted. lol.

There's a balance between cost and lifestyle and Denver might not be it. To answer your titular question: I don't ski and although I enjoy looking at the mountains I'm not a hiker/biker/etc. that actually spends or wants to spend a lot of time in the mountains. I get asked a lot of questions about why I wanted to move here if I don't want to spend time in the mountains. I like the city, I like the view, I like the weather, I like the activities available and being able to live near those activities, I like not being in Texas, I like not being in Fort Worth, I like craft beer, etc.

[Phil P]

You know, looking back on it more, I think the geographical location and outdoor availability of Denver is overhyped.

I've gotten out and tried a decent amount of the outdoor hiking / biking trails within 1 hour of central Denver this summer and I have to say I'm let down. Colorado Springs is much better than Denver in this area, and I haven't really had a chance to compare them till recently. If you extend the driving range to 2-3 hours, you can get to a lot of nice stuff, but that's also true for most all US metros outside of those on the plains, for their respective outdoor hobbies / climates. The parks system and urban trails are so so as well, not bad, but not exceptional.

Meanwhile, the rents prices have stagnated, neighbourhood amenities continue to improve, and there's more rental options now than ever to live close to work, avoiding congestion. The city is very functional, if you are renting. If you're trying to buy, that's where the congestion and prices suck.

[-Chatterboxx-]

For me personally, the mountains have always been an added bonus to living here, not a necessity. When I originally moved here, this is how I'd have ranked my reasons for moving:

1) Proximity to mountains (awe inspiring for flat-landers like myself)
2) Biking amenities (ample urban trail/lane network for recreation)
3) Weather (mild & dry)
4) Job market (stable & healthy)
5) Public transit system
6) Urban amenities

Now that I've been here for over a decade, here is how I'd rank my reasons for remaining here:

1) Weather (mild & dry, but tolerance for summer heat is diminishing)
2) Job market (still stable & healthy)
3) Urban amenities (they've gotten better as the city has grown)
4) Public transit system
5) Biking amenities (ample urban trail/lane network for commuting)
6) Proximity to mountains (lost their luster to me personally, but still enjoy them from time to time)

As you can see, my preferences have changed over time. The mountains have lost their luster for me, but I do still enjoy them from time to time. I derive far more from the weather, job market, and urban amenities for my satisfaction of living here.

[Lostinspace78]

I have lived in Boulder and Denver and I’m about to move my family to DFW. My wife and I have lived as expats in different countries and different cities in the U.S. The only thing I will miss about Denver and Colorado is access to the mountains. As far as diversity, culture, and food goes I find Denver to be lacking, however that will probably change in 20 years or so. It is definitely not NYC, Chicago, SF, Seattle or Vancouver when it comes to those areas.

But having never lived close to mountains before I moved to Colorado I will say I totally fell in love with mountain activities. Climbing 14ers, hiking, and riding single track on a mountain bike under the changing color of the aspen trees are my absolute favorite things to do in the world. Notice I did not say skiing, lol.

For me living in Denver is about mountain access. If it wasn’t for a once in a lifetime opportunity I would never leave Denver...except to probably move to Golden.

[TCHP]

funny antecedent...when I was younger and skiing all the time, I often ended up riding a chair lift up with out of staters. Something that always surprised me, because I heard it more than once, was how visitors were always impressed that there was stuff to do in the mountains when there wasn't skiing. Like it was some sort of revelation that we had activities that didn't involve snow. Three decades later I guess a lot of them have figured that out.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Phil P

You know, looking back on it more, I think the geographical location and outdoor availability of Denver is overhyped.

I've gotten out and tried a decent amount of the outdoor hiking / biking trails within 1 hour of central Denver this summer and I have to say I'm let down. Colorado Springs is much better than Denver in this area, and I haven't really had a chance to compare them till recently. If you extend the driving range to 2-3 hours, you can get to a lot of nice stuff, but that's also true for most all US metros outside of those on the plains, for their respective outdoor hobbies / climates. The parks system and urban trails are so so as well, not bad, but not exceptional.

I'm not sure I would call it overhyped. I'm in Arvada and the amount of trails, parks, and views within an hour of here are only found in western cities
There's no east coast or southern city that compares to having the Rockies in your backyard. The Ozarks of Arkansas, Blue Ridge's of Asheville, Hill Country of Central Texas, don't compare to the most notable range in the country. I'd say Miami is the only city east of maybe I-35, maybe I-25 that has a similar amount of diversity and awe inspiring views within an hour or two of its metropolitan area compared to Denver.
And of course Colorado Springs would have better access, since it's a small city.

[wertzso]

I moved to a Denver from Charleston SC in Feb. I love it. I don’t think I will stay here long term but that’s only because I enjoy moving around and seeing new places. I work for the CO Dept of Labor and can tell you that cannabis is still a small part of the state’s economy. Yes, it’s drawing people in but it’s not the only reason people are moving here. This is something that is happening in most every major US city right now as people try to find relevant work that pays good wages.

People will tel you that Denver is expensive and traffic is awful. I don’t find it any more expensive or worse than Charleston has now become. But Denver invests in its economy and infrastructure and it’s so refreshing. There’s a lot of traffic but there’s the infrastructure to alleviate a lot of it. This isn’t the case in charleston.

The culture here is so amazing and progressive. People are genuinely nice. The economy is wonderful. Crime is nothing compared to what I saw in the south. Denver feels safe to me and I’m a young female. As far as big cities go, I think it’s a great place to be.

I wouldn’t worry about cannabis too much. Idk how teenagers here are but it’s business as usual. I never even think about cannabis and it’s not in your face. It’s just like liquor stores. They’re there and you see them but you never think about them until someone mentions it back home. If anything I think people’s interest in it ha fallen since the prohibition here was lifted. And it’s much safer than alcohol. But even so the government regulates it against minors just like it does with alcohol.

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

I'm not sure I would call it overhyped. I'm in Arvada and the amount of trails, parks, and views within an hour of here are only found in western cities
There's no east coast or southern city that compares to having the Rockies in your backyard. The Ozarks of Arkansas, Blue Ridge's of Asheville, Hill Country of Central Texas, don't compare to the most notable range in the country. I'd say Miami is the only city east of maybe I-35, maybe I-25 that has a similar amount of diversity and awe inspiring views within an hour or two of its metropolitan area compared to Denver.
And of course Colorado Springs would have better access, since it's a small city.

There's a lot of trail systems all over the US. Many back east don't have the grand views, but they have much better wildlife encounters, more scenic river walks, rolling hills instead of steep ridges (much better for bike riding), fragrant smells... It all depends on what trips your trigger.

The problem I have with Denver trails is 1. They weren't designed with a fun bike ride in mind as all the trails are all uphill all one way then downhill all the way back (Green Mountain is the only well designed bike path close by) 2. The flora and fragrance is uninspiring 3. There's too many people for the trail options.

Is there views? Heck yeah, but close up nature interaction feels missing due to the harsh climate and the amount of people with dogs keeping animals at bay and disturbing the serenity of being alone in your own thought world.

I think Denver does a pretty decent job, but it could have been phenomenal if there was a grand vision to make a solid trail system along the Rampart Range going south, incorporating the red rock formations all along 105 and providing a lot access points up and into the mountains themselves. That would have made one of the best dirt bike / ATV / mountain bike / hiking areas in the US. But they filled it full of houses and ranches instead. You can't access so many potentially amazing spots.

[buffalobirdie]

Well, I've given life at altitude a fair shot. I've lived in Colorado 8 years and I can't wait to go back to Florida; something I truly never thought in a million years I'd say, however, I have found that I desperately miss the lush green year-round moistness of a subtropical location. Colorado, to me, is just so depressingly brown nearly year round. In every direction all I see is dirt with virtually no trees. No doubt, the foothills are nice, and a view of the mountains can be lovely, but although I never thought of myself as much of a beach person, I have definitely found I am not a mountain person at all. I actually find the mountains to be empty, dark and depressing. The thought of actually living in the mountains, I think I would commit suicide. And as far as how I feel about cold and snow? Yuck! Simply a mess of awful. And as for 4 seasons? Colorado gets 4, alright: Summer, Fall, Winter and Winter. Snowstorms well into May is common and makes me absolutely want to cry. And as for how dry it is here- Yes It feels nice outside to have less humidity, but the lack of moisture in the air definitely takes its toll. Dry chapped skin, hair that loses its luster and applying moisturizer 10 times a day sucks. I'm sure I am in the minority in this feeling of hating on Colorado, and I'm not knocking anyone who loves it here. As for me, I simply cannot wait to get back to the beaches and sparkle that is Florida. Florida is insanely hot and humid, has tons of bugs and definitely has a load of crazy people, but I just feel like it is home to me. Love it. Miss it daily. Can't wait to get back.