Am I crazy...leaving all my friends behind to move to Denver?

[art student]

im told it snowed heavily last night. ive been in denver in feb and its chilly, but its also the same kinda temp as a hot summer day in britain.. lol
300 days of sunshine..says it all
ive been to denver 4 times in the last 13months and ive seen it rain just twice. Snow twice but just a lite frosting . the rest of the time you couldnt of wished for more sun/ better weather.

[joyful11]

Originally Posted by skimoore55

Alright I've pretty much decided to make the big move to Denver. I've only visited two short times and am pretty much doing this on gut instinct (and all the helpful info on this site)! I really don't know anyone in Denver and will be leaving all my friends behind in San Diego. I'm 29/f and love the outdoors and mountains. Denver seems to have everything I would want (good nightlife, cultural events, great outdoor lifestyle, fantastic weather, affordable housing, and other professional singles). Does anyone have any advice for me as I make this big transition knowing no one and working from home? I plan to head out in May/June time frame. Thanks for any help!

I haven't lived in Denver but had a very pleasant time every time I visited, and we are considering moving there to an area outside the city when my husband retires. I think there are so many wonderful things about that area, you are sure to have a great life there! But life is what you make it, you can find happiness anywhere if you look for it. Best of luck to you!

[jeepgrl015]

Originally Posted by skimoore55

Alright I've pretty much decided to make the big move to Denver. I've only visited two short times and am pretty much doing this on gut instinct (and all the helpful info on this site)! I really don't know anyone in Denver and will be leaving all my friends behind in San Diego. I'm 29/f and love the outdoors and mountains. Denver seems to have everything I would want (good nightlife, cultural events, great outdoor lifestyle, fantastic weather, affordable housing, and other professional singles). Does anyone have any advice for me as I make this big transition knowing no one and working from home? I plan to head out in May/June time frame. Thanks for any help!

Good for you! I am 25/f and was recently out there for my first time this past December. I am moving out there, not only because its BEAUTIFUL, but the culture,environment and lifestyle is all me. San Diego is a pretty big difference than Denver. I would really think about WHY you want to move out there instead of focusing on leaving your friends. I have learned this past couple weeks who my true friends are when all but 2 support me on my move. If their your "true" friends, they will miss you but will be supportive and happy for you first and foremost. I wouldnt go with your gut on something like this. If you work from home, I would suggest you go out there for a month if your job allows and rent something. I would see if you like it out there day in and day out and try to live the lifestyle you would want to live if you were to be there permanently. There is NEVER a sure way to know if your going to be happy somewhere unless you try it out. I give you credit for uprooting yourself to a foreign place where you know virtually no one, but as I have been doing my own research, Denver offers social events for newcomers to the city and maybe you should check that out! Good luck to you and make sure you think about yourself before your friends...MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY!

[art student]

i asked this in a different post recently but i havent recieved an response , was an old thread.

Can someone clearly spell out what i have to do step by step to move from UK to denver. i really dont know where to start.

[skimoore55]

Wow, interesting how different people can have such differing opinions about a place. I'm the original poster and after almost 2 years I am SOOOOOO happy I made the decision to move. I am loving Denver. I am single, female, in my 30s now and it has blown away my expectations. One of the most important things I have to say that Denver has to offer that far outweighs San Diego is culture. I've never lived in a place that lacked such culture and soul as San Diego. Its very transitional, lacks a good music scene, and has no diversity whatsoever. I have to admit Denver lacks in diversity but makes up for it in cultural activities like music, museums, art, festivals, etc etc etc. Here there are 1,000 things to choose from each weekend and it gets overwhelming whereas in S.D. you could hardly find a single person motivated enough to make plans a week ahead of time let alone a few hours ahead of time. Don't get me wrong, I love San Diego and didn't live there 5 years for nothing: for the beauty of the city, the beaches, the millioins of places you can visit on the weekend and have wonderful friends who still live there but there is a lot lacking. Just had to put my 2 cents in.

Originally Posted by Mountain Mike

I am in San Diego, and I moved to Denver and got homesick after only three months and moved back.

Actually, wages are comparable and cost of living is much lower. I lived at Cherry Creek Greens and I think I was paying about $600-$700 a month for a two bedroom two bathroom apartment.

I heard Denver was #1 in the nation and San Diego is #2.

That would be like asking, "what do you prefer on your ice cream - hot fudge or horseradish?" There is no comparison. It's as cheap as it is for a reason: Not a very pleasant place to live. I do not have pleasant memories of Denver at all. San Diego has:

1) Beaches
2) Sea World
3) Balboa Park
4) Street scene
5) Gaslamp quarter, and of course all the events there
6) Driving distance to Disneyland

In fact if I ever left California to go anywhere, the two things I would miss the most would be the beaches and Disneyland.

I have a bookmarks folder of things to do and see in San Diego, I could export it as an HTML file and email it to you if you'd like. Drop me a PM with your email address.

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by skimoore55

Wow, interesting how different people can have such differing opinions about a place. I'm the original poster and after almost 2 years I am SOOOOOO happy I made the decision to move. I am loving Denver. I am single, female, in my 30s now and it has blown away my expectations. One of the most important things I have to say that Denver has to offer that far outweighs San Diego is culture. I've never lived in a place that lacked such culture and soul as San Diego. Its very transitional, lacks a good music scene, and has no diversity whatsoever. I have to admit Denver lacks in diversity but makes up for it in cultural activities like music, museums, art, festivals, etc etc etc. Here there are 1,000 things to choose from each weekend and it gets overwhelming whereas in S.D. you could hardly find a single person motivated enough to make plans a week ahead of time let alone a few hours ahead of time. Don't get me wrong, I love San Diego and didn't live there 5 years for nothing: for the beauty of the city, the beaches, the millioins of places you can visit on the weekend and have wonderful friends who still live there but there is a lot lacking. Just had to put my 2 cents in.

Wish you were around here a few months ago when FunkyMonk was going on his tirades about how San Diego and the "west coast" blows away Denver... this post would have been great ammo against him.

[MantaRay]

Originally Posted by jeepgrl015

San Diego is a pretty big difference than Denver.

What are some of the biggest or most important to you differences between the two that you notice?

[MantaRay]

Originally Posted by skimoore55

I've never lived in a place that lacked such culture and soul as San Diego. Its very transitional, lacks a good music scene, and has no diversity whatsoever. I have to admit Denver lacks in diversity but makes up for it in cultural activities like music, museums, art, festivals, etc etc etc.

Is that to say that San Diego is lacking in festivals with on-stage live music and in restaurants that offer live music? Does it get much use out of the amphitheater at Balboa Park for live musical events? Also, does San Diego lack cultural activities like theater and a symphony orchestra? Are the ethnic restaurants few and far between and lacking in variety? Just curious since you say SD lacks culture.

[maciesmom]

has no diversity whatsoever

.

Seriously? I grew up in SD and while I haven't been back in many years, the one thing I would never think of saying is that it lacked diversity. There is a huge Hispanic, Asian and Filipino presence. With the military, people from all over are transferring in and out all the time. Has this all changed?

[MantaRay]

Originally Posted by Mountain Mike

That would be like asking, "what do you prefer on your ice cream - hot fudge or horseradish?" There is no comparison. It's as cheap as it is for a reason: Not a very pleasant place to live. I do not have pleasant memories of Denver at all. San Diego has:

1) Beaches
2) Sea World
3) Balboa Park
4) Street scene
5) Gaslamp quarter, and of course all the events there
6) Driving distance to Disneyland

I have visited both, lived in neither, and have both on my short list of 3 places to retire. In my analysis of "amenities" of the type you speak, for me it's come down to a trade off between:

1) Beaches and coastal parks vs. Mountains and parks like Red Rocks and Garden of the Gods.
2) Sea World vs. Six Flags (which I figure once or twice at each and it would become a Been There Done that sorta thing).
3) Balboa Park vs. City Park and Washington Park
4) I haven't considered any street scene, so I can't speak on that.
5) Gaslamp Quarter and Horton Plaza vs. LoDo and Larimer Square and the 16th Street Mall
6) Driving distance to Disneyland vs. driving distance to Rocky Mountain National Park or Royal Gorge

There are a few other categories that I did comparisons on, but I found for every "something" there is to do in San Diego, there is another "something" to do in Denver. The specific type of "something" might be different, but it can still be just as enjoyable an activity depending on an individual's perferences. For example, you prefer Disneyland. It's been there and done that for me. I've been to Rocky Mountain National Park too, and if I had to choose where to go back for another visit, it would be RMNP for me because of my own personal preferences. So the way I see it, as far as the list you gave, it's not that Denver doesn't have ANYTHING comparable and is sorely lacking and unpleasant, it's just that what Denver DOES have that is comparable to San Diego might not appeal to you- you like the specific offerings of SD because of your personal preferences. Denver might appeal to somebody else who WOULD prefer Garden of the Gods to Mission Beach or Red Rocks Park to La Jolla Cove. But you can't act as if the Denver area doesn't have those types of recreational places.