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Old 09-03-2018, 12:25 PM
 
Location: Alabama
8 posts, read 8,277 times
Reputation: 15

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Hi all,
So, my husband is considering a job in Denver,(a plumbing job) and I had a few questions about that area



Fun note- we currently live in North Alabama(just outside of Huntsville).



We're looking to make a change in our lives(me, hubby, daughter) and we've been talking about how we could mangage to do that. We'd talked about moving anyway, and when he saw that there was a place out there hiring, and having some really good benefits and other appealing things about it, he's seriously thinking of putting his resume in.


Now, of course I know that it's expensive out there as far as places to live(I've been suffering "sticker shock" all morning, ha), but if I'm not mistaken he'd be making pretty good money with that plumbing company. Of course, I plan on finding something for myself, eventually, and I'm going to be perusing the job market to see what's out there.



He'd be going first, to blaze the trail, so to speak, leaving me and our daughter to organize and pack, etc.



A little about us:
We're pretty quiet, and not that much outdoorsy, but I do love beautiful scenery. We're more Nerdy-types, to be honest. Our daughter is out of school(for a little while now) and currently not looking to further her education, but that can always change. We're not church-goers, we have no pets at the moment; we love going out to movies, but a lot of the time we stay at home.



Now, to the questions!


Is everywhere expensive?? Right now we own a home, and are paying about $1100 or so. While that's not bad, can we find something a little lower, maybe? Have to have at least 2 bedrooms, and *crossing fingers* 1 1/2-2 bathrooms. We can live outside of Denver, but not more than 45 minutes away.


I've been doing some reading of threads on this board some, and I have to ask: do you have four definite seasons? Here sometimes it feels like we only have..maybe 3, at the most- Summer, fall and maybe winter if we're lucky! (oh and maybe a whiff of spring sometimes, ha)


What's the spider population like? Am I gonna wake up one morning staring down about a billion spiders? ( we reallly hate spiders, to be honest)


As nerds, what kind of nerdy things can we do in Denver?


My daughter and I have sinus problems in the spring/summer, because of the pollen. How bad does it get up there?



Having sinus problems, is the dry air/altitude something we'd have a harder time adjusting to? I have a friend who moved to Idaho a few years ago, and he did say that having low humidity was pretty nice, especially after getting out of the shower. So there's that. But I don't remember him mentioning having a hard time adjusting-- and he's a smoker.



Well, I guess that's all the questions I can think of at the moment, but if I do think of more, I'll be sure to ask!


Also, any tips would be most welcome.
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Old 09-03-2018, 12:35 PM
 
2,289 posts, read 2,920,672 times
Reputation: 2286
I'm from the Southeast, so I can answer a couple of these:

- A lot less bugs. A lot less spiders.
- My seasonal allergies are now mild and easy to deal with. It is dusty here though, and sometimes that messes with me.
- There is nothing affordable about the Denver area. Where is work? That'll help us point you towards less expensive areas.
- Construction trades do very well out here. There is a shortage of quality workers.
- It sounds like your daughter is out of HS. I'd recommend she goes back to school. Colorado is expensive and she really needs a skill to make it out here. This place eats up low skill workers.
- Huntsville is actually a little bit nerdy because of NASA, but Denver can hold it's own in that area. What type of nerdy things are you into?
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Old 09-03-2018, 12:49 PM
 
Location: Alabama
8 posts, read 8,277 times
Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by brown_dog_us View Post
I'm from the Southeast, so I can answer a couple of these:

- A lot less bugs. A lot less spiders.
- My seasonal allergies are now mild and easy to deal with. It is dusty here though, and sometimes that messes with me.
- There is nothing affordable about the Denver area. Where is work? That'll help us point you towards less expensive areas.
- Construction trades do very well out here. There is a shortage of quality workers.
- It sounds like your daughter is out of HS. I'd recommend she goes back to school. Colorado is expensive and she really needs a skill to make it out here. This place eats up low skill workers.
- Huntsville is actually a little bit nerdy because of NASA, but Denver can hold it's own in that area. What type of nerdy things are you into?

-Lot less bugs and spiders- nice!
-That's good to hear, 'specially how I cough and sneeze my way through spring and summer. I guess the dust might not be good though for me..but I can cope
-work iooks to be pretty much in the downtown of Denver
-I can mention about construction work to my husband, if he ever decides to get out of the plumbing biz
-Yeah, daughter is out of high school. I've told her that when she decides to move out, she'd have to have some skills, so that's one thing I'd try and do(get her to go back to school)
-Oh, Star Trek, Star Wars, comic books, models, some cosplay, conventions. We went to DragonCon a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Anything like that?
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Old 09-03-2018, 12:51 PM
 
26,111 posts, read 48,696,623 times
Reputation: 31481
You will be a magician if you can find a 2br rental for $1100 or less in the greater Denver region.
Study www.padmapper.com for rentals but read/heed warnings about scammers on craigslist.

Colorado Springs is cheaper but that price point is still problematic.

A lot less pollen in COLO as there's a lot fewer trees and greenery.

I now live in Peoria, AZ and you CAN get decent apartments in the Phoenix area for $1100 and UNDER. Again, look at www.padmapper.com

The building trades here in AZ are going bananas right now. Might be time to consider this area. Yes it is hot but that's what A/C is for. Millions live here too, just like Denver. Denver has snow/cold we have sun/heat.

If this relo is weed related then I think you'd be paying a lot for housing just to get easy access to MJ.
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Old 09-03-2018, 12:54 PM
 
Location: CO/UT/AZ/NM Catch me if you can!
6,926 posts, read 6,884,708 times
Reputation: 16507
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunspark View Post



Now, to the questions!


Is everywhere expensive?? Right now we own a home, and are paying about $1100 or so. While that's not bad, can we find something a little lower, maybe? Have to have at least 2 bedrooms, and *crossing fingers* 1 1/2-2 bathrooms. We can live outside of Denver, but not more than 45 minutes away.
Figure that everything everywhere in the Denver area is expensive - especially compared to Huntsville. $2,200 is a more likely price for 2 bedrooms and 1 1/2-2 bathrooms. Sad but true.


Quote:
I've been doing some reading of threads on this board some, and I have to ask: do you have four definite seasons? Here sometimes it feels like we only have..maybe 3, at the most- Summer, fall and maybe winter if we're lucky! (oh and maybe a whiff of spring sometimes, ha)
I'd say that Colorado (and Denver) has definite seasons but they all poach on each other. For example, I've seen it snow on Labor Day in Denver. What a mess that was! Spring is the season that gets poached the most. It can snow in Denver thru mid May.


Quote:
What's the spider population like? Am I gonna wake up one morning staring down about a billion spiders? ( we reallly hate spiders, to be honest)
Spiders are no worse here than they are anywhere else. Just stay away from Black Widows and Brown Recluses!


Quote:
As nerds, what kind of nerdy things can we do in Denver?
You name it. Denver is a large metro area with lots of residents who work for tech companies, etc. Check out GeekCityGuides just for starters.


Quote:
My daughter and I have sinus problems in the spring/summer, because of the pollen. How bad does it get up there?



Having sinus problems, is the dry air/altitude something we'd have a harder time adjusting to? I have a friend who moved to Idaho a few years ago, and he did say that having low humidity was pretty nice, especially after getting out of the shower. So there's that. But I don't remember him mentioning having a hard time adjusting-- and he's a smoker.
I have sinus problems myself and I felt that they actually got worse when I lived in Denver. But then again, I was exposed to an awful lot of pollen because I worked at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Some folks say their allergies got worse when they moved to Colorado. The dry air can be a curse or a blessing - depending.



Best of luck!
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Old 09-03-2018, 01:52 PM
 
Location: Alabama
8 posts, read 8,277 times
Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike from back east View Post
You will be a magician if you can find a 2br rental for $1100 or less in the greater Denver region.
Study www.padmapper.com for rentals but read/heed warnings about scammers on craigslist.

Colorado Springs is cheaper but that price point is still problematic.

A lot less pollen in COLO as there's a lot fewer trees and greenery.

I now live in Peoria, AZ and you CAN get decent apartments in the Phoenix area for $1100 and UNDER. Again, look at www.padmapper.com

The building trades here in AZ are going bananas right now. Might be time to consider this area. Yes it is hot but that's what A/C is for. Millions live here too, just like Denver. Denver has snow/cold we have sun/heat.

If this relo is weed related then I think you'd be paying a lot for housing just to get easy access to MJ.

It's not; we're more looking for a change of scenery/a new life, and basically Alabama is worn out for us(if that makes sense). Thanks for the link to PadMapper; I'll check it out.








Quote:
Originally Posted by Colorado Rambler View Post
Figure that everything everywhere in the Denver area is expensive - especially compared to Huntsville. $2,200 is a more likely price for 2 bedrooms and 1 1/2-2 bathrooms. Sad but true.
Well, I was hopeful, but wasn't holding my breath either He and I will probably talk more about that, too.


Quote:
I'd say that Colorado (and Denver) has definite seasons but they all poach on each other. For example, I've seen it snow on Labor Day in Denver. What a mess that was! Spring is the season that gets poached the most. It can snow in Denver thru mid May.
Nice! I know snow can be seriously problimatical, but to be honest I love snow I was born/sometimes raised in Illinois.





Quote:
Spiders are no worse here than they are anywhere else. Just stay away from Black Widows and Brown Recluses!
Yeah, we have them here too- though I've only seen Black Widows. I don't mind so much for them being outside(I know where they like to hide around here), but I hate seeing them in my house!


Quote:
You name it. Denver is a large metro area with lots of residents who work for tech companies, etc. Check out GeekCityGuides just for starters.
Oo, thanks for that link! I will


Quote:
I have sinus problems myself and I felt that they actually got worse when I lived in Denver. But then again, I was exposed to an awful lot of pollen because I worked at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Some folks say their allergies got worse when they moved to Colorado. The dry air can be a curse or a blessing - depending.



Best of luck!
Well, if we do move out there, hopefully it'll be a blessing. I'll keep my fingers crossed.


Anyway, Thank you!
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Old 09-03-2018, 02:41 PM
 
Location: Denver CO
24,204 posts, read 19,014,407 times
Reputation: 38265
Not to speak for someone else, but I think the construction reference was the idea of working as a plumbing contractor on new construction or a company doing remodeling, if that's something of interest to your husband.

What field are you going to be looking in? People can give you an idea of what kinds of jobs are out there, and rough salary estimates.

I think you can find a 2 bed/1.5 or 2 bath apartment for under 2K. It won't be the newest, nicest place, and it won't be in an amazing part of town, but you can find something in a safe enough area right in or just outside of Denver. Cheaper the further out you go into the suburbs. Not a house and it's also likely you might never be able to afford to buy a house here, since it looks like the median home price in Denver is close to 3 times that in Huntsville.

I get the idea of wanting to try somewhere new, but at this point in time, Denver is the most expensive non-coastal city in the US. I think you may want to explore some other options as well, to see if you can find a place that offers what you are looking for but perhaps with a little less sticker shock in terms of the differences from the costs where you are now. Unfortunately, while the costs here keep going up, salaries aren't going up at the same pace
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Old 09-03-2018, 05:40 PM
 
Location: Alabama
8 posts, read 8,277 times
Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by emm74 View Post
Not to speak for someone else, but I think the construction reference was the idea of working as a plumbing contractor on new construction or a company doing remodeling, if that's something of interest to your husband.

Oh, I misunderstood that, yikes.. I see what you mean


Quote:
What field are you going to be looking in? People can give you an idea of what kinds of jobs are out there, and rough salary estimates.
Um, retail maybe, or though maybe re-training to be a phlebotimist(I took a course a while,while back, but then things kind of went south on actually getting work. Long story)


Quote:
I think you can find a 2 bed/1.5 or 2 bath apartment for under 2K. It won't be the newest, nicest place, and it won't be in an amazing part of town, but you can find something in a safe enough area right in or just outside of Denver. Cheaper the further out you go into the suburbs. Not a house and it's also likely you might never be able to afford to buy a house here, since it looks like the median home price in Denver is close to 3 times that in Huntsville.
Not worried about anything being new or the absolute nicest as far as rentals. Thinking living outside of the city would be just fine on that for cheapest. And..well, it'd be a long while before we could buy another house, anyway, if we ever did. (reasons) I'll keep all what you said in mind.


Quote:
I get the idea of wanting to try somewhere new, but at this point in time, Denver is the most expensive non-coastal city in the US. I think you may want to explore some other options as well, to see if you can find a place that offers what you are looking for but perhaps with a little less sticker shock in terms of the differences from the costs where you are now. Unfortunately, while the costs here keep going up, salaries aren't going up at the same pace
Well.. I do see your point. I mean, we're always open to other options; he just happened to see the plumbing company's ad while doing a search, and stopped on it. He's been a plumber for..hm, almost 10 years now, I think? And they had a lot that he was interested in. But I'll show him what you wrote, and talk to him some more. I promise, we're taking this slow!
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Old 09-03-2018, 06:21 PM
 
Location: Denver metro
1,225 posts, read 3,215,813 times
Reputation: 2301
A note related to the non-churchgoing comment, that is one huge difference you would find compared to thee south. I wouldn't expect people here to ask you about your religion or where you go to church. Many people in this area spend Sundays going to the mountains, brunch with friends, etc. The Denver area is for the most part, live-and-let-live and both religious and non-religious folks seem to get along and respect one another well.

With that said, I have placed my answers to your questions below in italics. Best of luck on your decision, OP!


Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunspark View Post
Hi all,
So, my husband is considering a job in Denver,(a plumbing job) and I had a few questions about that area


Fun note- we currently live in North Alabama(just outside of Huntsville).



We're looking to make a change in our lives(me, hubby, daughter) and we've been talking about how we could mangage to do that. We'd talked about moving anyway, and when he saw that there was a place out there hiring, and having some really good benefits and other appealing things about it, he's seriously thinking of putting his resume in.


Now, of course I know that it's expensive out there as far as places to live(I've been suffering "sticker shock" all morning, ha), but if I'm not mistaken he'd be making pretty good money with that plumbing company. Of course, I plan on finding something for myself, eventually, and I'm going to be perusing the job market to see what's out there.



He'd be going first, to blaze the trail, so to speak, leaving me and our daughter to organize and pack, etc.



A little about us:
We're pretty quiet, and not that much outdoorsy, but I do love beautiful scenery. We're more Nerdy-types, to be honest. Our daughter is out of school(for a little while now) and currently not looking to further her education, but that can always change. We're not church-goers, we have no pets at the moment; we love going out to movies, but a lot of the time we stay at home.



Now, to the questions!


Is everywhere expensive?? Right now we own a home, and are paying about $1100 or so. While that's not bad, can we find something a little lower, maybe? Have to have at least 2 bedrooms, and *crossing fingers* 1 1/2-2 bathrooms. We can live outside of Denver, but not more than 45 minutes away.

The whole Denver metro area is expensive. You won't find what you're looking for in that price point, so definitely plan to spend more.

I've been doing some reading of threads on this board some, and I have to ask: do you have four definite seasons? Here sometimes it feels like we only have..maybe 3, at the most- Summer, fall and maybe winter if we're lucky! (oh and maybe a whiff of spring sometimes, ha)

I would say that Denver has a four season climate, however, like some other posters have mentioned, there are a lot of ups and downs. It isn't unusual to have a 65 degree in January or snow in mid May (granted, the snow typically melts quickly that time of year). The Falls here are short, but for the most part, quite pleasant.

What's the spider population like? Am I gonna wake up one morning staring down about a billion spiders? ( we reallly hate spiders, to be honest)

Nothing like what you're used to in the south. We do have black widows, but I have only seen one in the many years I've lived here. I hate spiders as well, so I'm glad we don't have a major spider population here

As nerds, what kind of nerdy things can we do in Denver?

I don't have a lot of input here, but I know we have an annual Comic Con that is large. Lots of great museums and bookstores as well if you like that sort of thing.

My daughter and I have sinus problems in the spring/summer, because of the pollen. How bad does it get up there?

Having sinus problems, is the dry air/altitude something we'd have a harder time adjusting to? I have a friend who moved to Idaho a few years ago, and he did say that having low humidity was pretty nice, especially after getting out of the shower. So there's that. But I don't remember him mentioning having a hard time adjusting-- and he's a smoker.

I lived in Chicago for a while, which was a humid climate. I must say that the dry skin, eyes and sinuses are the major downfalls to Denver's dry climate. Most people do seem to adjust, though.

Well, I guess that's all the questions I can think of at the moment, but if I do think of more, I'll be sure to ask!

Also, any tips would be most welcome.
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Old 09-03-2018, 06:45 PM
 
1,404 posts, read 1,061,573 times
Reputation: 2937
$1100 is a bit low but not unheard of depending on where you are willing to live. Personally I would up your housing budget.

You might try getting into outdoor stuff, the quality here will be higher. Nerd stuff is the same in any big city, we have some nice shops with tabletop gaming, magic, and other nerdy stuff... Might be a good place to start getting into the know. We do have a nice mid-tier Comic Con.

Allergies are very personal mine are worse here than other places, yours might be better. Low humidity and high altitude is great but will take adjustment. Learn to live with snow.
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