Observations from a Newbie (Denver, Boulder: transplants, health insurance, budget)

[katysalsa]

I’ve been thinking of all the things that I’ve observed since moving here in Jan, and thought I’d post a little something about it, then what do I see… nearly the same post coming from someone else. Although our observations are definitely different, I thought I would do the same basic concept. A little background first… I moved from AZ back in Jan, but that doesn’t mean that I’m just another zonie missing AZ, so please don’t take this the wrong way. These are mearly observations and things I’ve found a bit odd in this new life in Colorado. Just like the other guy, I’m not trying to bash CO at all What’s up with all the smokers. I viewed Colorado as this super health conscious state, but every 5th car has a person with a ciggy hanging off their lips?? I’ve never seen so many smokers in my life.

Does anyone find that that radio commercial “the Colorado quit line” one with the cheesy story of the father and son, the son comes dressed in the dads boots and hat and the dad..(a smoker) laughes so hard he can’t catch his breath… you know, does anyone find this as funny as me? That dudes accent is so fake, there’s one with a woman too. It gets me every time I hear it.
Why are there NO full service car washes. Now I don’t want to get into comparing states, BUT, I will
In AZ, there’s seriously a full service car wash on every other corner. The cars are clean as can be and the primo wash there costs like $14, with the low end wash topping out at $10. I actually ran across one full service carwash in a bad neighborhood and went up and they wanted $30 bucks!!? I didn’t do it and my car looks like it’s been through the war as do most all other cars here in CO. I know it’s because of the snow and rain and junk, which phx has none of, but still. I find it odd that a state who’s cars are always dirty have no real car washes. Thoughts?

Colorado has a slight obsession with Old Chicago and Starbucks. Face it people! I like old Chicago and starbucks as much as the next girl, but is it necessary to have a stand alone starbucks in the same parking lot as the safeway with the starbucks inside? I’ve seen ‘bucks that are less than a quarter mile apart and there’s a corner downtown with 3 of the 4 corners taken with starbucks!!! Old Chicago isn’t nearly as apparent, but I’ve seen a TON in the state. I think in phx we had 1 maybe 2.

Subaru Outbacks anyone? enough said

Overall I'm loving colorado, aside from the quirky things that are there with anywhere you live, it's great.

[steveco.]

Originally Posted by katysalsa

I’ve been thinking of all the things that I’ve observed since moving here in Jan, and thought I’d post a little something about it, then what do I see… nearly the same post coming from someone else. Although our observations are definitely different, I thought I would do the same basic concept. A little background first… I moved from AZ back in Jan, but that doesn’t mean that I’m just another zonie missing AZ, so please don’t take this the wrong way. These are mearly observations and things I’ve found a bit odd in this new life in Colorado. Just like the other guy, I’m not trying to bash CO at all What’s up with all the smokers. I viewed Colorado as this super health conscious state, but every 5th car has a person with a ciggy hanging off their lips?? I’ve never seen so many smokers in my life.

Does anyone find that that radio commercial “the Colorado quit line” one with the cheesy story of the father and son, the son comes dressed in the dads boots and hat and the dad..(a smoker) laughes so hard he can’t catch his breath… you know, does anyone find this as funny as me? That dudes accent is so fake, there’s one with a woman too. It gets me every time I hear it.
Why are there NO full service car washes. Now I don’t want to get into comparing states, BUT, I will
In AZ, there’s seriously a full service car wash on every other corner. The cars are clean as can be and the primo wash there costs like $14, with the low end wash topping out at $10. I actually ran across one full service carwash in a bad neighborhood and went up and they wanted $30 bucks!!? I didn’t do it and my car looks like it’s been through the war as do most all other cars here in CO. I know it’s because of the snow and rain and junk, which phx has none of, but still. I find it odd that a state who’s cars are always dirty have no real car washes. Thoughts?

Colorado has a slight obsession with Old Chicago and Starbucks. Face it people! I like old Chicago and starbucks as much as the next girl, but is it necessary to have a stand alone starbucks in the same parking lot as the safeway with the starbucks inside? I’ve seen ‘bucks that are less than a quarter mile apart and there’s a corner downtown with 3 of the 4 corners taken with starbucks!!! Old Chicago isn’t nearly as apparent, but I’ve seen a TON in the state. I think in phx we had 1 maybe 2.

Subaru Outbacks anyone? enough said

Overall I'm loving colorado, aside from the quirky things that are there with anywhere you live, it's great.

Lol your observations are great and yes the colorado quit hotline commercials are as lame as can be, but its the radio I doubt the budget would have allowed for Tom Cruise or what not to record the commercial. I find full service car washes plentiful around here actually most are owned by that waterway company but yes they tend to be pricey and it is hard to keep a car clean but then again we actually recieve moisture in this state as opposed to the desert southwest. When I first moved here I literally washed my car at least once a week, as being in southern california if you have a dirty car you are a wicked person. It doesn't make sense to wash your car every time it rains or snows which is almost a weekly basis. Unless you are willing to pay for it?
As far as the chains go, yes we do love coffee and starbucks does well. I am surprised that you noticed this as Phoenix is just chock full of chains and strip malls, isn't that all there is down there??? I bet for every old chicago up here there are at least 4 TGI Fridays and Ruby Tuesdays down there. It seems that if this is the worst that you come up with then thats not so bad is it?

[katysalsa]

Yeah, we have the 3 chain restaurants. I like to call it TGIapplechilis. I'm not a chain restaurant person at all, and phx has a TON. Just so happens, there's not the abundance of Old Chicago's. All in all, the only thing I would change about CO right now is I would have all my friends and fam up here. I want to make friends, but it's kinda wierd going up to people and saying "hi, wanna be friends?"

[denverian]

Funny, but I don't notice that many smokers. I moved here from SoCal and the number of smokers seems about the same. I went to Kansas City last summer and couldn't believe how many smokers there were - plus smoking in bars and restaurants.

Car washes? I don't know. I live in the city of Denver and we have them. I usually go to the "DIY" car washes so I can clean it for $3.

[McGowdog]

Originally Posted by katysalsa

Colorado has a slight obsession with Old Chicago and Starbucks. Ha! I guess Coloradoans don't appreciate good New York Pizza. Maybe it's the 110 beers. Now I'm hearing that Starbucks offers gr8 health insurance, even for P/Ters, so there's 800 extra in the bank plus what you make selling black water.

Subaru Outbacks anyone? enough said Subaru; Substantially Underpowered But Always Runs Uphill. Just kidding.

I rep. Good post.

[katmoney]

Old Chicago Pizza is nothing like "Chicago style pizza" AT ALL.

But with that said, it's still good pizza, even for a chain.

[suzco]

Funny thing though, the Old Chicago Restaurant chain is a Colorado home-grown chain. It was started by Frank Day in Boulder; corporate headquarters is now in Louisville, asfaik.

[wanttomoveeast]

wow that's a really interesting tidbit, I had no idea! thanks suzco!

[Katiana]

I love these threads. It's good for the newbies to post what they really see. It's hard to explain, but sometimes the old timers see what they want to see. I agree with the Subarus. And they all have to be white? A co-worker of mine (I will not say who my employer is to protect the innocent here) sold a minivan and replaced it with an older Subaru. What is the logic with that? Of course, it has needed some work. I didn't like being a "minivan mom" either, but you can buy a lot of gas, even at today's prices for what a new car costs, even if it's older (if you get my drift). Old Chicago is I guess named to evoke the image of Chicago style pizza. Those of you who have never lived in Chicago, or its outpost Champaign, have no idea how popular pizza is there. Smoking? I dunno. I didn't notice a lot of smoking when I was last in Phoenix (two weeks ago), but mostly I just hung out with my cousin and her family. Some people say there is more smoking in Denver than Boulder, but I have not found this to be the case. Unfortunately, a lot of college students smoke these days.

[katysalsa]

My husband is from Chicago and he could eat pizza every day, so I definately get the "liking chicago style" pizza, I just don't understand the obsession with old chicago. Maybe there are just no other good pizza places that serve chicago style. In phx everyone was transplants from Chi-town, so I'm sure there were just more mom and pop places than here in denver.