Random questions on Denver.... (new home, college, living in)

[BigWyche16]

I am trying to get a feel for Denver on things that I look at when considering a possible new home...I am from Tampa, FL right now and the heat is just breaking me down...I have heard nothing but great things about Denver and will be visiting before the new year..I am young and eager to find the spot that fits me..

How is the relationship between Denver and its Law Enforcement (I am a cop don't hate me for it)?

Other then the normal bad spots that every city has, would you consider Denver safe or unsafe on a day to day basis?

Denver has all major sports including college which is a plus. Do people get very involved and take it serious? It is a "Sports Town"?

How is the nightlife and party atmosphere? Dating??

How is Denver airport? Do things usually run pretty smooth there or are there lots of delays?

Is Denver as pretty as everyone says it is?

I am looking forward to cooler weather…Overall, do people like the weather or not?

Is it easy to get around?

Thank you everyone!

[steveindenver]

Denver has a pretty notorious history in terms of police corruption. That of course is in the past. Right now there is an interesting spat between the police and the sheriffs department. The Sheriffs (who run the local jails) are asking for the ability to make arrests outside of the jails; the police department no doubt fearing increased competition for security jobs is resisting.

Denver is very safe. There is no real ghetto in the manner you would see one out east; Detroit, St Louis, Baltimore for instance.

I would not call it a sports town.

Lot's of stuff to do at all times of the day during all seasons. Can't help you with the dating part.

While the airport, DIA is far out there I personally rank it among the best in terms of flight delays and quick processing.

Pretty is subjective. This is the high desert, many people are unprepared for how "brown" Denver can feel most of the year.

I love the weather. This is of course subjective too.

Denver has a decent mass transit system with good buses (overall) and light rail servicing some of the suburbs. The region does suffer from sprawl and as such if you choose poorly getting around can be an issue, this does not affect the city of Denver.

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by BigWyche16

How is the relationship between Denver and its Law Enforcement (I am a cop don't hate me for it)?

I've been pulled over more times in the last year and a half (4) (here in Metro Denver), then my previous 7 years of driving in California (0). IMO, cops (the ones enforcing traffic laws) are very pesky here.

Originally Posted by BigWyche16

Other then the normal bad spots that every city has, would you consider Denver safe or unsafe on a day to day basis?

Safe.

Originally Posted by BigWyche16

Denver has all major sports including college which is a plus. Do people get very involved and take it serious? It is a "Sports Town"?

I would say it's a sports town for sure, but really only when it comes to the Broncos. The Broncos are a major topic of conversation whether they are winning or not. The Rockies still have some die-hards left over from the World Series run of 07. The Avalanche have somewhat of a cult following. The Nuggets are not nearly as popular as the other three teams. College football (CU) isn't as important as it would be in say Nebraska, but retains a decent following as well.

Originally Posted by BigWyche16

Is Denver as pretty as everyone says it is?

I don't think it would be that pretty if the mountains weren't used as a backdrop. I'll say this, it's prettier than most places, but it is no Pacific NW. I guess it would depend on what you like though.

Originally Posted by BigWyche16

I am looking forward to cooler weather…Overall, do people like the weather or not?

I don't think too many natives or long time residents care too much for winter weather, but have some good stories to tell. Myself (from CA), and a couple of guys I know from FL, can't wait until it starts snowing again. The variety of weather here IMO beats a Mediterranean or tropical climate any day.

Originally Posted by BigWyche16

Is it easy to get around?

Traffic is a joke compared to LA/CHI/NYC, etc, but can be a pain at times. Public transport is good and serves pretty much everywhere, but of course takes longer than driving most of the time.

[RedSoxFanGoingWest]

How is the relationship between Denver and its Law Enforcement (I am a cop don't hate me for it)? I'm not a valuable resource for this question so I'll let others chime in here.

Other then the normal bad spots that every city has, would you consider Denver safe or unsafe on a day to day basis? After living in the Boston area, Baltimore, Cleveland and visiting other major metro areas, I consider denver to be safe on a day to day basis. Much cleaner than some of the "older" east coast cities.

Denver has all major sports including college which is a plus. Do people get very involved and take it serious? It is a "Sports Town"? It's definitely a Broncos town and the Avalanche get a lot of support as well. Rockies got a lot of support last September and October. Nuggets not so much. College sports get a lot of support as well (CU, CSU, AF)

How is the nightlife and party atmosphere? Dating?? My wife won't allow me to date so I'll leave this for others as well!

How is Denver airport? Do things usually run pretty smooth there or are there lots of delays? Compared to other airports that I've been to I'd rank DIA very high. Security can be difficult at peak hours but I've never really experience major flight delays.

Is Denver as pretty as everyone says it is? Definitely subjective but it gets my vote for "pretty!" Especially if you enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.

I am looking forward to cooler weather…Overall, do people like the weather or not? I love the weather here. Very low humidity compared to the east coast and winters are mild compared to New England where I grew up. A lot less days of "gray" than the northeast and parts of the midwest.

Is it easy to get around? I think it is very easy to get around - especially compared to other major metro areas of the same size.

Good luck on your journey!

[drb85650]

Not a current resident, but still call it home after 23 years there....

Good God yes it's a Bronco Town! Live, eat and breathe them.

Weather drove me out. Not the severity, not the seasons. It was the total unpredictability of, regardless of time of year. 4th of July in the 40's, Christmas day in the 70's. Sunshine in the am, get home at 8pm after rain, hail, tornados, sleet and finally a nice ice storm right at rush hour.

Pretty? Guess so. Except for the dirty snow and slush residue for several months.

[Moonwalkr]

Originally Posted by drb85650

Pretty? Guess so. Except for the dirty snow and slush residue for several months.

You haven't seen dirty snow until you lived in Montreal. That stuff never melts and it's pretty much black all winter until it gets warm enough to start melting.