Has anyone moved from NYC to Denver? (appointed, transplants)

[dmg80]

Been thinking about this kind of move for a while now. Been in NY for 6 years, thinking about a change of scenery. I have family in Denver and have been out there many times.

Any thoughts or similar situations? I am a 28 year old single female.

[seacoastbill]

Former New Yorkers report:

• People are friendly
• Weather is much more tolerable, especially in the Winter
• Skiing is one hundred times better
• Views are spectacular
• More casual and laid back

[dmg80]

That sounds right up my alley. What about meeting people? Are people in their late 20s open to meeting new people?

[redheron]

1. One minus point, on weather: Denver is so DRY. My skin cracks when I go to Denver and my child's breaks out into a rash.

And I don't buy the arguments of "dry heat" in the summer -- it is quite hot, and gets hot early in the morning; it is not just terribly hot for a few hours midday as some people would like to you believe.

2. One correction: NYC actually has fairly mild winters. It snowed once or twice last year. Sadly, it snows less and less each year, thanks to global warming.

The best places to compare climates of the two cities is www.wunderground.com Check out the "Trip Planner" function and review the weather of each city by month.

As you will see, the average low temperature during January in Denver is 20 F, while the average low temperature in NYC is 27 F.

This is not a huge difference, but it is not correct to suggest that Denver is much more tolerable during winter.

Also, one person's definition of "tolerable winter" may be utterly opposite to another's. I'm disappointed that winters in NYC are getting warmer with less snow. Some people actually like winter and snow -- especially skiers!

3. One good point: It is not just skiing, it is all sorts of outdoor activities that are far more accessible in Denver compared to NYC.

4. On your singles q: There have been several posts on this topic, so you may want to search for them.

5. One more good point: Denver is economically growing, and hopefully will continue to grow in spite of the current financial malaise. There was a fascinating article on Colorado in the New Yorker a few weeks ago, you may want to check it out http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...1fa_fact_lizza

6. And last but not least: If you spend too long in NYC, you may find yourself married and with a child or two and then realize you are stuck in a city that you do not find ideal for raising a family. So take the long view when making your decision!

[jquaglio]

Hello, i m from NY but lived in Denver for a little less then a year and I m strongly considering going back, I thought it was clean, nice people a lot to do if you like the outdoors, skiing was GREAT! I found it a little harder to find a job then I did in Ny or Phoenix (lived there also) but my understanding is thats because there s a lot of competition for the good paying jobs and you have a lot of college graduates in Denver, which isnt a bad thing. Summers were hot, not unbearable but I was also coming from Arizona. The winter was bearable as well, it would snow then be 50 and sunny the next day. I didnt get to venture out to the nightlife much but from what I heard and read there are a lot of singles around your age.

[pureistheword]

am considering the same move in a couple of years or so myself.

[livecontent]

I am an ex New Yorker; raised near Buffalo; born, lived and worked in NYC. I have been here 30 years; moved up from Texas.

Denver is not New York City and never will be "the city". It is good because it does not have much of the bad of NYC. It is bad because it does not have much of the good of NYC.

The good of Denver that NYC lacks is less crowds and less traffic; more relaxed; less intense aggressive people; much more access to outdoor activities which are closer; milder weather.

The good of NYC that Denver lacks; all of New York City; all means everything, every type of entertainment; every type of products; every type of food (yes, the food); every ethnic group; every type of water, everywhere and real beaches; the access to the differences and excitement of other cities that are very close.

The good of Denver for me is much more than the good of NYC. The good of Denver is at the level and the pace of life that I can relish and enjoy vs. the pace of NYC where more goes by faster without the pleasure of a slow enjoyment.

The good of Denver is for me is that lack of moisture, and the abundance of sun, which is the big difference in the West from the East, and is the big advantage to help alleviate the pain of my arthritic limbs and tired body.

The good of Denver is for me is the people; much more gentle and relaxed and much less of them. Denver metro is a good size; NYC metro is just too big. Nearest to other cities is good in NYC but remoteness and distance from other populated areas is good in Denver; I am happy in my oasis of peace surrounded by the sparse settled plains and mountains.

To be happy in Denver is to accept the differences and not define the differences as negatives to the positives of NYC. They are two different places and will always remain as such. You must accept the climate and the land and see the beauty in the Great Plains. You must accept that the lack of water brings lack of humidity and more sun which brings the main differences that can be beneficial and beautiful.

I love New York, New York and I love Denver, Colorado. I do not look at it as a bigamous relationship but the many loves in my harem that makes my life, my kingdom, a place to
livecontent

[seacoastbill]

Originally Posted by redheron

And I don't buy the arguments of "dry heat" in the summer -- it is quite hot, and gets hot early in the morning; it is not just terribly hot for a few hours midday as some people would like to you believe.

2. One correction: NYC actually has fairly mild winters. It snowed once or twice last year. Sadly, it snows less and less each year, thanks to global warming.

As you will see, the average low temperature during January in Denver is 20 F, while the average low temperature in NYC is 27 F.

This is not a huge difference, but it is not correct to suggest that Denver is much more tolerable during winter.

3. One good point: It is not just skiing, it is all sorts of outdoor activities that are far more accessible in Denver compared to NYC.

Wrong on several points.

When you have less humidity, you have more tolerable temps. Here is why.

Take a glass of water and cool it down to 33 degrees, just above freezing. Then stick your hand in the glass. You will not be able to "tolerate" it for more than a couple of minutes. You will feel a stinging effect because the temperature that is held in the moisture (the water) will make it really cold.

Now, put your hand in the freezer without touching anything. Just have your hand in the air that is in the freezer. You will be able to stand it's less than freezing temp for much longer because it is "dry" with no humidity.

Same holds true on Mt. Everest. The human body cannot tolerate water that is 33 degrees. You would die in minutes. (source: Deadliest Catch, every season)

Yet, people can be in temps that are much colder when climbing these super high mountains. Temps that are 40 colder at base camp and people's skin can take it. Why? Because there is no moisture (or relatively little) to hold the temperature.

Same holds true for warm temps. Go right now and boil some water and turn the temp of your oven to 220 degrees. Put your hand in the oven without touching the metal. You will be able to tolerate the temperature for a very long time.

Now immerse your hand in the boiling water. You will find it quite uncomfortable. They are the exact same temperature.

So, just comparing temps of Dever and NYC doesn't account for the feeling that the body will have in the two very different climates.

So, the argument about the dry heat hold lots of water. Pardon the intended pun. Temps that are more dry are more comfortable to humans in general. Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed, link removed

When you compare NYC and Denver, you will find that Denver reports almost 20% more comfortable than NYC.

[jjacobeclark]

Originally Posted by dmg80

That sounds right up my alley. What about meeting people? Are people in their late 20s open to meeting new people?

I have posted many times about how hard it is to meet people here. Some have shared similar experiences to mine, while others have made friends easily, although I do suspect they are more like activities partners not intimate friends. The people you meet through school or work are going to be located over the entire metro area. This makes casual gatherings a thing of the past. The only time people get together here is for some preplanned activity like a ski trip, camping trip, concert, baseball game, etc. Also nightlife here will seem nonexistent to a New Yorker. I find it boring and I'm from Wisconsin. Once it is bar close (130am) everybody goes home, the night is over. No late night restaurants besides Pete's Kitchen and Denver Diner, both are awful. 2AM, the after hours club, is full of a bunch of 18 year olds rolling on ecstasy. Leela is the only 24 hour coffee shop in all of Metro Denver and leaves much to be desired as well.

The Western U.S. has a mentality of "live and let live", which translates to "stay the hell out of my business and I'll stay out of yours." This may not come across as being friendly to someone from the East who is used to engaging total strangers in casual conversations while waiting in line at the bank or supermarket. As far as friendliness of people is concerned, NYC was named friendliest city in the U.S. in 2007, so don't necessarily believe that people in Denver are more friendly, especially since most are transplants from elsewhere.

The laid back vibe can be taken to the extreme, like when you're trying to get somewhere in a hurry on the highway and it seems like everybody else is on a lazy Sunday drive. Colorado drivers are so slow probably because they're staring out their windshields at the mountains and not paying attention to the road. The laid back vibe can also come across as dispassionate. From time to time I enjoy a good heated political debate and people in Denver seem reluctant to voice an opinion of any sort on any topic other than the weather. Also don't ever attempt to criticize anything or anyone, people are extremely sensitive here and can't handle criticism. I have been disciplined by one of my jobs here for "puking negativity," I didn't even know you could get in trouble for your thoughts, but apparently in Denver you can.

I recommend visiting for an extended period of time if possible. Everybody seems nice when you're on vacation. Also think about what drew you to NYC to begin with and if you can handle something so drastically different. Denver is really for the outdoorsy person, I hope you won't miss the cultural activities too much. Basically think about what means a lot to you. Do you like wet or dry climates? Do you like lots of trees or expansive vistas? Do you like dense urban areas or endless, sprawling suburbia? Do you like meeting random people or do you value your privacy? Do you like to stay out all night and drink or do you like to wake up at the crack of dawn to go climb a mountain? Answer those questions and you will probably know where to go.

[redheron]

Thanks, and points well taken, but I am still going to stick with my original disagreement with the following statement: "Weather is much more tolerable, especially in the Winter"

Even if an equally cold temperature seems warmer in Denver, NYC is on average, much warmer than Denver in winter, and at some point the air temperature is going to mitigate the humidity. Lack of humidity does not cure all ills at any temperature. Cold is cold.

Looking at the website you directed me to, Denver’s January low degree is 16 degrees, while NYC’s low is 26. And notice how the Denver chart has a line labeled “days colder than 10 degrees F” – the equivalent line on the NYC chart is “days lower than 32 degrees F”. In other words, the two cities are in completely different cold categories in winter.

Also, the same website shows there is considerably less snow in NYC, which is a positive point for many people (NYC averages 23 inches, while Denver has 63 inches).

Furthermore, the same website points out that NYC loses "comfort index" points because of hot humid summer days. Not the winter days. Hot humid summer days seem to be the only metric in this figure.

Considering seasons other than winter. . . NYC is on the ocean, which means that weather patterns are moderated. No crazy weather pattern changes, with it storming one minute and clear the next.

If sun is your thing, the same website says there are 224 sunny days in NYC per year. Denver has 245 days of sun. It is common to hear people raving about Denver's abundant sunshine, but this is not a large difference. They are both sunny locales. (Compare to Portland OR which has 144 days of sun per year, and the US average is 205 sunny days)

Denver’s weather may seem more tolerable to a Denver resident, but for someone who has lived in NYC for a long while, Denver's bone-dry climate can be a jarring transition.

A blanket statement that people prefer drier climates is not true. Whoever dreamed up the "comfort index" must not have skin that cracks in the Denver air, or have a child whose face breaks out into a painful rash every time he goes to Denver. Also, in the summer, my entire family misses the lush verdant green landscape of the Northeast. I would love to add a dash of humidity to Denver's atmosphere -- it would make Denver's weather much more tolerable for my family.