Am I crazy...leaving all my friends behind to move to Denver? (Craig: condo, house)

[jleonard64]

I too am leaving SD in August for a job in Arvada. I am hoping to live in Denver, Highlands area. I am 28 yo female and won't know many people so I would love to have a happy hour, scheduled hike or something to meet other new people. Keep it posted!

[justsomeguy]

I've been living in San Diego for about 5 months now, moved here from the Southern U.S. So far I like it pretty well, the weather is awesome, and the beach/sports/bars are all pretty cool too.

My only concern is the job market here, the low wages, and cost of living. I am on assignment here and that assignment is going to end soon and I was wondering how much cheaper it is to live in Denver, and how much easier it is to get an entry-mid-level job there. I have a college business degree but not too much experience I guess.

What can one expect to pay in rent for a safe, decent apartment there, plus water/trash and electricity cost? Is the job market good for young college grads? Will it be difficult to find a job that pays high enough wages to afford rent on a decent apartment? I'm mainly looking for a comparison vs. San Diego here.

Someone mentioned CO is a good place for singles, but then another guy said not a good place for young single men? So what's the story? Again, a comparison to SD would be helpful. Sometimes there are so many beautiful women in SD, I feel overwhelmed! Most are nice, but seem a little on the fake side and a bit self-absorbed....got that in Denver?

So, final question, which would you prefer - San Diego or Denver? Main concern here is best place to find a job that will pay me enough to live comfortably. And that has intelligent, nice, cultured people I can meet.

[kwk722]

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

My only concern is the job market here, the low wages, and cost of living. I am on assignment here and that assignment is going to end soon and I was wondering how much cheaper it is to live in Denver, and how much easier it is to get an entry-mid-level job there. I have a college business degree but not too much experience I guess.

What can one expect to pay in rent for a safe, decent apartment there, plus water/trash and electricity cost? Is the job market good for young college grads? Will it be difficult to find a job that pays high enough wages to afford rent on a decent apartment? I'm mainly looking for a comparison vs. San Diego here.

Someone mentioned CO is a good place for singles, but then another guy said not a good place for young single men? So what's the story? Again, a comparison to SD would be helpful. Sometimes there are so many beautiful women in SD, I feel overwhelmed! Most are nice, but seem a little on the fake side and a bit self-absorbed....got that in Denver?

So, final question, which would you prefer - San Diego or Denver? Main concern here is best place to find a job that will pay me enough to live comfortably. And that has intelligent, nice, cultured people I can meet.

I couldnt tell you much about the job market. The cost of living is less in Denver but rent will vary depending on what part of town and how new or nice of a place you would look for.
The single scene is much better for the ladies in Denver, there is a abundance of guys everywhere you go. You probably will not get that overwhelmed feeling. Its not so bad for the younger crowd but gets worse as you get older. (speaking from experience here) I didnt realize how bad it was until I lived in Florida.
Weather, you probably will prefer SD unless you like long cold winters. I have never been to San Diego but the only bad things I've heard is the congestion and the rent.

[hello-world]

Originally Posted by kwk722

I couldnt tell you much about the job market. The cost of living is less in Denver but rent will vary depending on what part of town and how new or nice of a place you would look for.
The single scene is much better for the ladies in Denver, there is a abundance of guys everywhere you go. You probably will not get that overwhelmed feeling. Its not so bad for the younger crowd but gets worse as you get older. (speaking from experience here) I didnt realize how bad it was until I lived in Florida.
Weather, you probably will prefer SD unless you like long cold winters. I have never been to San Diego but the only bad things I've heard is the congestion and the rent.

From the 2000 census (for Denver proper):

61000 men, aged 25-35
52000 women, aged 25-35

It seems even worse than that in Boulder.

[jleonard64]

I have been in SD for the past 3 years and have enjoyed living here, but I am looking forward to moving to Denver. SD is a difficult place to make a living but more importantly, it is hard to make a LIFE here. Everything is too expensive and opportunities and people tend to be transient. Denver is much more grounded and realistic for someone looking to start a career and put some roots down- if that is your goal.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by jleonard64

I have been in SD for the past 3 years and have enjoyed living here, but I am looking forward to moving to Denver. SD is a difficult place to make a living but more importantly, it is hard to make a LIFE here. Everything is too expensive and opportunities and people tend to be transient. Denver is much more grounded and realistic for someone looking to start a career and put some roots down- if that is your goal.

What about this? Don't you want to live in SD? It and LA and OC are supposed to be the best.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-d...san-diego.html

[Nirvana-Guy]

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!

Denver is a bad choice. Go for one of the Denver suburbs, as they are safer, MUCH cleaner, and lower taxes. Denver is filled with grafittis, bums, bad real estate, gangs, etc.

Try the cities of: Littleton, Castle Rock, or Highlands Ranch. You will like it much better, meet quality people, and avoid all the Denver nonsense.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by Nirvana-Guy

Denver is a bad choice. Go for one of the Denver suburbs, as they are safer, MUCH cleaner, and lower taxes. Denver is filled with grafittis, bums, bad real estate, gangs, etc.

Wow. That's some "opinion" you've got there, Nirvana-Guy.
Kind of reminds me of some of the colorful "opinions" you've shared in the Florida forum.

Um, let me just say that I spent many, many enjoyable years in Denver, and while it is a lot more crowded now, I still very much recommend the city.
And I actually *prefer* Denver to its 'burbs.
I think a good way to get a feel for Denver is to read its newspapers: The Rocky Mountain News, the Denver Post, and Westword. If you read them online you get an idea of what's going on (good and bad.)

[skimoore55]

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

I've been living in San Diego for about 5 months now, moved here from the Southern U.S. So far I like it pretty well, the weather is awesome, and the beach/sports/bars are all pretty cool too.

My only concern is the job market here, the low wages, and cost of living. I am on assignment here and that assignment is going to end soon and I was wondering how much cheaper it is to live in Denver, and how much easier it is to get an entry-mid-level job there. I have a college business degree but not too much experience I guess.

What can one expect to pay in rent for a safe, decent apartment there, plus water/trash and electricity cost? Is the job market good for young college grads? Will it be difficult to find a job that pays high enough wages to afford rent on a decent apartment? I'm mainly looking for a comparison vs. San Diego here.

Someone mentioned CO is a good place for singles, but then another guy said not a good place for young single men? So what's the story? Again, a comparison to SD would be helpful. Sometimes there are so many beautiful women in SD, I feel overwhelmed! Most are nice, but seem a little on the fake side and a bit self-absorbed....got that in Denver?

So, final question, which would you prefer - San Diego or Denver? Main concern here is best place to find a job that will pay me enough to live comfortably. And that has intelligent, nice, cultured people I can meet.

Trust me, Denver is the place to go. I found that San Diego was an amazing city upon first impression, but once you dig deeper you find that it's very transitional, many of the people are quite shallow and self absorbed, it's hard to find jobs that pay the cost of living, and you'll never be able to afford a house, especially in today's market. As for there being more single guys here than girls, I haven't noticed that at all since I moved and you do know that San Diego is also termed Man Diego, right? I'd say it's pretty much the same in terms of numbers of young singles, but you won't find most the women to be shallow, self centered, plastic barbies as you do in San Diego. Just my two cents...

[PBCboy]

Is Denver really that bad?