Cleveland to Colorado - Where to start? (Denver, Colorado Springs: apartments, neighborhoods)

[BurtonSe7en153]

Hello everyone! My girlfriend and I are looking for a new, fun, and adventurous experience... and want to move to Denver! But we need some help.

Here are some questions I have and I will follow it up with some info on us, just in case it helps with your responses.

1. I want to live outside of Denver...I am not a big city person, however I know that working downtown will provide the most job opportunities... so what is the best suburb for a young couple to move to?

2. I am coming out there to visit, to get a better idea of the area and where I might want to settle. Whats the best place to be to visit several areas within a week?

3. I am not 100% on only being interested in Denver. If you were to suggest another area in Colorado where would you suggest?


In regards to some information on us... my girlfriend is a dental assistant and I am a marketing manager for an interactive media company (www.easy2.com). I am 26 and she is 24, no kids. I personally LOVE snowboarding, hiking, canoeing, camping, fishing, as well as enjoying local bars and socializing in a crazy city atmosphere.

Hope that helps and I can't wait to hear from you all!

Thanks in advance!

[2bindenver]

either:

get a job, then move out here.

or

move out here, get temp housing, get a job, find a more permanent housing situation.

You could easily move anywhere in the state.

[BurtonSe7en153]

If there is anyone out there that can answer any of my questions and truly help me out please let me know.

And from the research i have done on this site so far... if any of you are just going to tell me to do research, or complain that I asked questions that other people asked... please just leave this thread be. I am looking for help on a website set up specificially for what I am asking.



Also 2binDenver:
You response seems like more of an insult than help. I understand you may write on a lot of threads, but could you provide more information? I feel that you probably have a wealth of information to provide. Any help on the questions i asked would help.

[Katiana]

1. I'm not sure there is A best suburb for a young couple. One of the biggest determinates of where to live is where the job will be. Once the job is secured, everything else will fall into place.

2. Stay in/near downtown if you want to be centrally located.

3. Probably Colorado Springs, also the Ft. Collins area.

[BurtonSe7en153]

Thanks Katiana,

One thing i noticed while i was researching is that many places I lived are south of the city. Is there a differnece in atmosphere depending on what side of the city you live in?

In Cleveland.. anything within 10 minutes of the city is "ghetto-ish" but then 20-35 minutes out is middle to upper class suburbs. Is this the same in Denver?


(Denver Colorado Neighborhoods – Denver Metro CVB) is one site i have looked at alot... and it seems that anythign central is very urban... while anythign on the outside is very rural... I am looking for an area that has a lot of open space... yet is within a 30 minute drive of the city...if thats possible...again I am used to Cleveland.

Thanks for the information so far!

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by BurtonSe7en153

Thanks Katiana,

One thing i noticed while i was researching is that many places I lived are south of the city. Is there a differnece in atmosphere depending on what side of the city you live in?

In Cleveland.. anything within 10 minutes of the city is "ghetto-ish" but then 20-35 minutes out is middle to upper class suburbs. Is this the same in Denver?


(Denver Colorado Neighborhoods – Denver Metro CVB) is one site i have looked at alot... and it seems that anythign central is very urban... while anythign on the outside is very rural... I am looking for an area that has a lot of open space... yet is within a 30 minute drive of the city...if thats possible...again I am used to Cleveland.

Thanks for the information so far!

I grew up near Buffalo and I have been to Cleveland many times. Buffalo and Cleveland are similar in that they are older industrial cities that some would call "doughnut" cities, that is with decay in the center and surrounded by less and less decay as you go co out. Denver is not like that because it is not as old and many areas of Denver have been incorporated more recently. There are many areas of Denver that will mimic a suburbs in setting and style.

Denver is also a city which is growing with influx of new people and rebuilding of old neighborhoods. The city of Denver, especially, the center core, is becoming a desirable place to live.

As far as outword areas. You will have to visit. The west does not have the pastoral small towns as you go further from the city. Many of the towns are hard working cattle and farming communities that exist in the difficult topography of the great plains. To make clear, Denver is on the Great Plains, not in the mountains. The towns in the mountains have some well known towns, plush and expensive, but many are just hard tough areas that takes a special type to survive.

You cannot apply what you are thinking about Great Lake cities to the climate, topography of the west. It is much different. I would suggest you look at some of the good posts on this forum and you will get many ideas of living in this area.

Livecontent

[Katiana]

Another great post from livecontent! I am from Pittsburgh myself, and I see a lot of similarities in Pittsburgh and Denver. I'm not as familiar with Cleveland, though I have been there.

Just as in any large city, if you want a feeling of openess, you need to go to the edges of the urban area, e.g. fairly far north, south, east or west. Going very far west takes you to the mountains. Evergreen is a nice suburban mountain community, but it's not for everyone. For one thing, it's expensive (relatively). I live north, far enough north that I can feel the openess (Louisville). There are a few working farms and some "hobby" farms (horse boarding, etc) nearby. 30 min. from downtown Denver will take you to the outer burbs; 45 will get you to more rural areas. The "inner ring" burbs are not what most people would call "ghetto", but they are older.

I agree that a visit will clarify what we are trying to say.

[lcinva]

I don't have time to fully answer your question, but let this suffice - as someone who lived in Denver and has had to be in Cleveland for 4 years - even the worst areas of Denver are NOTHING like Cleveland. You will love it!!

[BurtonSe7en153]

Thank you very much for the great information LiveContent!!! I am planning a trip out there next spring to look around at the differnet areas.

LiveContent... what would you say is the biggest difference from living in Cleveland? I have lived in Brecksville, Parma, and Lakewood over my years to give you reference (all 20 minute out of downtown). I know that is a very open ended question.. however i think its great information to be aware of that i wont find in the forum.

Also has anyone heard of Stapleton? It looks like a nice "community" neighborhood...however on their discover.stapletondenver.com site.. most of the apartments are "affordable housing" with income rules... Coming from Cleveland the first thing that I think of is poor/lower class housing. However... with this town... are the prices based to allow younger people an affordable a place to live in a new developing town.. or is it heavily lower income?

[LoveBoating]

We lived 28 miles south of Denver in Englewood and Parker for a total of 5 1/2 years and loved it there.......but, couldn't take the winters of snow/cold anymore. We are 59/60 yrs old. As for your interests/loves, like snowboarding, you will ABSOLUTELY love the "Rockies" for that! As far as
night-time entertainment/bars/socializing, that will happen basically in downtown Denver. If you live in the "burbs", you will have a little bit of drive to have that kind of fun!
But, in all honesty, if we were your age, we think that Denver just wouldn't be the "hot spot" to move to for the "night-time" fun experience. But, that is our opinion. If you do chose Denver metro, "good luck" and have as much fun as you can! One thing for sure, Denver is NOT the "big city" like you might think it is!